Naturally, we believe that coffee is a great theme for presents and gift baskets and with so many terrific new cups, coffeemakers, and coffee making tools on the market now, the most difficult thing will be making a selection from good and fabulous.

Dads, grads, and the bridal couple, will definitely love a variety of coffee-related gifts, especially something more distinctive than a gift certificate to a favorite coffee shop. We checked the Internet and found a wealth of elegant, clever, and downright delightful gifts.

International or world music has become so popular that one can easily find music from any coffee-producing country these days from Africa to Latin or South America, India or Indonesia. Check out the world music section of your favorite CD shop for some terrific alternatives to listening pleasures. Some of the ones we like are from Putumayo World Music which has been celebrating the music of indigenous cultures for 15 years. Check out selections like the soon-to-be-released Café Cubano, with Cuban quajiras, trovas, sones, and boleros of this musically rich island or Music from the Coffee Lands, A Putumayo "blend" of music from coffee producing countries around the word from Zimbabwe to Jamaica, from Peru to Uganda. A portion of CD sales supports Coffee Kids to help people in coffee-producing regions in Mexico and Central America improve the quality of their lives and build more sustainable communities. www.putumayo.com has donated more than $1 million to nonprofits in areas showcased on its CDs.

At www.paulawalla.com we discovered something totally new, Coffee Incense, a heady group of 20 sticks (8" long) for only $2.49, a perfect way to perk up the spirits and energy both at home or in the office. Realtors® will also love this alternative to the simmering pot of cinnamon used to lure potential lookie loos at the next open house. The site also has a hard-to-find complete Turkish Coffee Set with classic cezve, the hammered copper pot with wooden side handle you'll find in every Turkish home. The set also includes Turkish coffee, a coffee mill, and two demitasse-sized cups and saucers in an historic design. A charming gift to bring a lifetime of coffee drinking pleasure for only $49.99.

If ecologically sensitive gifts are your benchmark, the plethora of organic coffees is growing daily. One of them, Rock Solid Coffee Company, is a terrific example of social enterprise at work with 100% of its proceeds benefiting an after-school program for at-risk children in Minnesota while, at the same time, aiding children on Angelina Mountain, the source of its Angelina Estate Coffee, where the company supports an infant and youth nutrition program, and health clinic in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Check out their selections from Nicaragua, Ethiopia and other coffee growing countries around the coffee world at www.rocksolidcoffee.com or call 763-566-7000. Prices, which average $15.65 per pound, include shipping.

At www.sendcoffee.com, that's exactly what it does, sends gift baskets and gift boxes of freshly roasted, unflavored coffee all around the world. They do understand, however, that coffee lovers frequently love coffee AND chocolates, so they offer a very nice selection of dark chocolate covered espresso beans, ($2.10 for 1 ounce) or Carl Brandt's bittersweet coffee-flavored chocolates imported from Germany ($4 for 3.52 ounces.) plus "spoons" of gourmet chocolate including the classic collection of Kona Coffee, European Dark, Amaretto, Hazelnut, and Swiss Milk Chocolate or the Swing Collection of Irish Crème, Crème de Menthe, Black Raspberry, Cherry Cordial and White Macadamia; ($8 per set of five spoons each).

Children have been creating clay crafts for years for dad, and with the growth of a variety of make-it-yourself pottery shops popping up in malls everywhere, this is a double-charm of a gift, a hand-made mug that's also useable because it's professionally dried in a kiln. Many cups or mugs to choose from and your kids' imagination can run free to design a totally exclusive design just for dad, grad or bridegroom.

Alas, Archie McPhee® no longer produces the Barista Action Figure but you can still find Rosie the Riveter, Ben Franklin, Librarian or Carl Jung. To balance this egregious omission in its hilarious product line, you can still buy the perfect gift for the office dad or the new grad starting a first job: the Coffee Cup Air Freshener. The 2 ¾" high plastic air freshener is shaped exactly like a to-go coffee cup. Pull off the "freshness seal" and the intoxicating smell of fragrance will fill the air of the copy machine room immediately and eradicate "inky air." Item 11218 is only $4.95. Check it out at www.mcphee.com.

Make sure to fete dads and grads, in particular, with a delicious meal of our Sire's Shortribs made with a delicious coffee marinade and add a sweet touch with our dessert and drink recipes:

Café Charlotte Confection This is a variation on the classic Charlotte dessert. It's luxurious and delectable and requires no baking, just some heating to dissolve the gelatin and sugar. Bon appetite!
Coffee Macaroons These are scrumptious cookies that are truly no bake, no fuss. Make plenty because everyone will love them.
The Sire's Sumatra Shortribs Your sire (dad or granddad) will love the soft bite of these shortribs marinated with a combination of maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce and a good dose of your favorite coffee. Best of all, it can be prepared the day ahead, so you can enjoy the celebration with little fuss. Try the marinade on chicken breasts or turkey thighs, too!