Presents of Mouth

* In 1950 Comparte’s began making its candies in small batches. It still does, hand-dipping each individual piece. The shop’s real specialty, however, is sugar-free, dried fruits and nuts; a 1-pound gift box of the individually-wrapped fruits costs $16.95. For people who want something sweeter, a pound of glaced and dried fruit comes coated in milk and dark chocolate for $15.95. Want something a little more extravagant? Consider homemade marshmallow-filled graham crackers dipped in chocolate.

925 Montana Ave., Santa Monica. (310) 395-2297.

* Do you eat this wreath or do you hang it on the door? The choice is yours. There’s nothing new about an edible wreath--they come in everything from chile to candy--but this one comes out of the oven. Il Fornaio’s bread wreath sells for $25 and can be ordered through:

Beverly Hills Panetteria, 301 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 550-8330, or the Santa Monica Panetteria, 1627 Montana Ave., Santa Monica (310) 458-1562.

* Can’t wait for the holidays? Meadowood Resort in the Napa Valley has a special two-night “Christmas Around the World” package until Dec. 22. By day there’s tennis, golf, croquet (and, of course, wine-tasting). At night there’s dinner at Merryvale Vineyard, maybe a Southwestern holiday meal or a Catalan Christmas dinner, prepared by a rotating roster of guest chefs. ($600 per couple.)

For a complete list of guest chefs call (707) 963-3646.

* The name means “pick me up,” and there’s no better place to pick up a tiramisu than the Broadway Deli. The rich Venetian dessert ($12) made from ladyfingers, mascarpone and espresso comes in its own bowl made of imported chocolate.

Broadway Deli, 1457 Third St. Promenade, Santa Monica (310) 451-0616, or 17401 Ventura Blvd., Encino (818) 905-5595.

* It’s not hard to make good espresso. On the other hand, it’s very hard to make good steamed milk to go on top to create a cappuccino. But now the Cappucccino Plus milk steamer has come to the rescue; the Italian import creates incredibly thick foam faster than you can say latte. It costs $75.72.

Available at all 14 Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shops.

1. Who could possibly eat anything this cute? These piggy pastries are such hams that, although they are filled with yellow bean paste and taste pretty good, they’ll probably end up sitting on your desk until they’re too old to eat. At $1.50 apiece, you can always buy more if you get hungry.

Van Vietnamese Bakery, 140 E. Valley Blvd., No. 120, San Gabriel. (818) 288-7272.

2. Have cassoulet, will travel. There’s nothing homier, richer or more delicious than this ultimate casserole. And nothing more time-consuming to make. Now Patrick Healy, consulting chef at Xiomara, takes the work out of cassoulet. Packed in an attractive, reusable ovenware container, the rustic bean stew, made with the traditional confit of duck, is ready to go wherever great holiday gifts are needed. Order in sizes small ($35; serves two); medium ($70; serves four); or large ($140, serves eight).

69 N. Raymond, Pasadena. (818) 796-2520).

3. Chino Nojo ranch grew them, Alice Waters handpicked them and Lois Ellen Frank photographed them. They are 25 of the most gorgeous tomatoes you’ve ever seen, laid out life-sized on a stunning poster. Available in two formats (vertical and horizontal), the posters measure 36x24 and cost $15 each; the set is $25.

Order: (800) 841-2665.

4. T.S. Eliot once wrote that you should never commit yourself to a cheese without having first examined it. Walk into the Cheese Store of Beverly Hills, and you’ll instantly understand. The small emporium is filled with the mingled perfume of cheese from around the world. Just in time for the holidays is Tourre de l’Aubier ($20 per pound), a rich French cheese made from raw cow’s milk. The shop also has a rare Brin d’Amour: the Corsican cheese is made from sheep’s milk and coated with rosemary and savory; it costs $40 a pound.

419 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills. (310) 278-2855.

5. Ken Frank is obsessed with truffles. During truffle season he sprinkles the black diamonds into everything at his La Toque restaurant--even ice cream. For the holidays, Frank is selling a dozen eggs bottled with a medium-sized truffle. In 24 hours the scent of the truffles permeates each egg, allowing you to stretch one truffle through all 12 days of Christmas. Not bad for $48.

8171 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (213) 656-7515.

6. Nothing is as rich and thin as lebkuchen , the German Christmas cookie. The richness is on top: Nuremberg-style gingerbread, which is a mixture of almonds, candied lemon and orange peels and lots of spices. The thinness is underneath: The pastry is pressed onto an ecclesiastical wafer. Lebkuchen have always come to this country in cans, but now Hans Rockenwagner’s bakery is baking them fresh for the holidays. The festive cakes cost $1.25 each, ($1.50 for the chocolate version); a pack of four costs $5.

2435 Main St., Santa Monica. (310) 399-6504.

7. Christmas trees are very pretty, but you can’t eat them . . . until now. This topiary tree is a rosemary bush from Mordigan Nurseries. Use the branches to flavor all your favorite dishes. Treat it well, and the fragrant plant will last for years. Mordigan’s nursery, will even deck the tree with lights for you. The cost is $60.62; Mordigan’s requires 24-hour advance notice.

6285 West 3rd St., Los Angeles. (213) 655-6027.

8. The object of the Cooking Game is to be the first player to produce dinner. The rules of the English family board game are simple: Throw the dice and travel around the kitchen. If you are lucky, you’ll run into helpful nieces who will dry your dishes, and cats to scare the mice away. The recipes are real, and by Jane Grigson. The game pieces are miniature British products such as Oxo cubes, Royal Doulton china and Zanussi dishwashers.

Hollyhock, 214 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 931-3400.

9. The Italians call them porcini , the French say cepes. They know that the earthy taste of these meaty mushrooms makes any dish instantly luxurious. That’s why good chefs keep a cache of dried mushrooms on hand, ready to add to pastas, stews and soups at a moment’s notice. A big bag of the top-of-the-line dried mushrooms is $54.75. at Van Rex Gourmet Foods, the purveyor of luxury foods to the city’s top chefs.

5850 Washington Blvd., Culver City. (213) 965-1320.

10. The biggest surprise in Canoga Park could possibly be the Duke of Bourbon, tucked in a small shopping center. The upscale wine and spirits shop offers everything from rare bottles of wines to fancy gourmet foods and gift baskets. Right now there are 13 special beers and ales ($1.99 to $4 each) bottled especially for the holiday season.

Duke of Bourbon, 20908 Roscoe Blvd., (818) 341-1234.

11. John Sedlar is a man who cares about appearances. At his highly-acclaimed Bikini restaurant, the chef uses big, colorful, specially-designed plates as a canvas for his food. Sedlar isn’t for sale, but his plates are. Ask for the Blam-Blam plate with dark chocolate passion fruit truffles ($100).

1413 5th St., Santa Monica. (310) 395-8611.