If Santa had unlimited resources and I were a good boy - OK, maybe if I were so good I won the Nobel Peace Prize - these are the food things I'd ask to find under my tree. Until then, I'm just wishing, I guess.

Cypress Grove Purple Haze Chevre ($5.69 per 5 ounces): My party guests would be impressed with this round of fresh northern California goat cheese, delicately flavored with lavender and anise-hinted fennel pollen. Available at the Party Source, Bellevue.

PX Soft Sherry Vinegar ($40 per 500 ml): Very old sherry vinegar is mellowed with a dose of very old PX (Pedro Ximenex) sherry. I could make mysteriously delicious vinaigrettes and win over friends with salad. Available from Zingermans Co.(www.zingermans.com or 888-636-8162).

Nyonsolive French A.O.C. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil ($21.99 per 16.9 ounces): Made in Provence from a single olive variety, I'd reserve this lush oil for drizzling on fish, chicken and vegetables. Oh, and maybe for whisking with that expensive sherry vinegar. Available at Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine, Jungle Jim's Market in Fairfield and Dorothy Lane Market in Springboro and Dayton.

Marty Piazza's "Favorites of 2002" Gift Pack ($85): The partner of Piazza-Disceppoli Wine Merchants has assembled a few of his favorites, including a book, Bacchus & Me: Adventures in the Wine Cellar by Jay McInerney; Italian composer Ennio Morricone's soundtrack from the film, The Legend of 1900; and of course, wine: An Alsatian white, Albert Mann 2001 Pinot Blanc and Spanish red, Les Terrasses Priorat. Sounds like a party. Available at Piazza-Disceppoli in Madeira, College Hill and White Oak.

Kasumi 7-inch Santuko knife ($144): Rated as one of the best, this Japanese knife is clad with stunning Damascus steel that helps it hold its razor-sharp edge. The easy-to-wield santoku shape is ideal for chopping and slicing. If I get this one, it will be the last chef's knife of my life. Promise. Available at Cooks' Wares in Symmes Township, West Chester Township and Springboro, and www.cutleryandmore.com.

Distiller's Masterpiece Bourbon ($195 per 750 ml): Sure, the price is steep, but that's why they call this a "wish list." Jim Beam mellows 18-year-old Kentucky bourbon in cognac casks and puts it in a pretty crystal decanter. Available at the Party Source, Bellevue.

OK, if that's out of Santa's price range, I'll take a bottle (or two) of Eagle Rare 17-year-old Bourbon ($38.99-$45), which earned a 96 rating from Wine Advocate this year. Available at Liquor Direct and Cork n' Bottle, both Covington.

Riedel bourbon glasses ($27 per set of 4): If you're going to give me expensive bourbon, I might as well drink it from the best glass. Riedel, the Austrian company recognized for crafting wine glasses, now offers a short-barreled sipping glass designed to highlight the aroma and flavors of fine bourbon. Available from www.smallbatch.com.

Sunflower Sundries Rhubarb Marmalade ($6.50 per 11 ounces): Grown in the rich earth of Mount Olivet, Ky., this rhubarb is sweetened with sugar, orange peel and juice to create a fresh taste of spring. I hear there are only a few jars left. Available at Madison's at Findlay Market and Pleasant Ridge Market, and at Sunflower Sundries (sunflowersundries.com or 606-763-6827).

Wooden pizza peel ($19.50): I still don't know why they call it a "peel," but this flat wooden paddle would allow me to build pizzas and slide them onto hot baking stones in the oven. I could also use it to pull out bread and pies. Available from Napa Style (www.napastyle.com or 866-776-6272).

HearthKit ($199): You know if I get that pizza peel, I just have to have this. Three ceramic walls fit together to replicate the cooking conditions of a brick oven in my home oven. I could make pizza like the pros, succulent roast chicken and crusty breads. Available at Cooks' Wares, Sur la Table in Norwood and www.hearthkitchen.com.

Cuba Venchi "Bruttini Ma Buoni Fondente" ($9.99 per 200 grams): Stuff these sweets in my stocking. Darkest Italian chocolate smothers toasted hazelnuts in individually wrapped bite-sized chunks. I just might share these little candies with friends - if they're nice. Available at Dorothy Lane Market.

Bacon of the Month Club ($235): Send me a package of artisan-made bacon from around the world every month for a year, and I couldn't possibly ask for anything else. Unless, of course, it's the Bacon of the Month Club that features two packages of bacon every month ($295). Available from the Grateful Palate (www.gratefulpalate.com or 888-472-5283).

E-mail cmartin@enquirer.com.