Christmas has come and gone, and as nice as it was to share gifts with loved ones, perhaps you didn’t get everything on your list. Perhaps that extra large purple sweater Aunt Liz was sure would look great on you needs to find its way back onto the sales rack. But what will you do with the refund? How will you navigate the multitude of post-holiday sales options? We’ve got you covered (at least all you foodies and kitchen wizards out there).

Last week a handful of local restaurant owners and chefs told us which kitchen gadgets they find indispensable, what brands to buy, and even shared a few recipes. So if your kitchen needs restocking, get out your Christmas returnables and take note, we’ve got your post-holiday wish list right here.

Paul Landry, head chef and co-owner of Fish Bones American Grill in Lewiston

Gadget: “It’s hard to know exactly which thing stands out in my mind,” said Landry. He ran through a laundry list of gadgets before settling on “a good mixer,” like the 6-quart variety put out by KitchenAid.

Manufacturer: Oster makes a good one too, he said.

Why it’s indispensable: “I do a lot of baking myself. Think about sitting and creaming eggs and sugar or butter. . . . A mixer speeds that up so much.” Plus, he said, they often come with attachments that make difficult projects easy, even for the novice chef.

Tips for using it: Great for mixing wet and dry ingredients when baking. (“Invariably it does a much better job” than hand mixing, per time spent, said Landry.) Also, “a lot of today’s conventional mixers have attachment hubs that let you put on slicers, dicers,” even tools for making pasta, sausage or ice cream.

Go cheap or go professional? It always “depends on the tool you’re talking about,” Landry said, as well as the application, the usage and your particular financial position. Some things get used so rarely that spending a lot of money on them would be silly. With mixers, however, especially “if you’re planning on doing a lot of baking, I’d spend the long dollar . . . for a mixer that’s not going to wear out in a year.”

Special recipe? Though he didn’t share his recipe for Lobster Gingerbread Cookies (which he made for patrons over the holiday season), he did tell us how to make his Bourbon Pecan Tart. This recipe was also included in the recent release of the “Taste of Maine Cookbook.”

Dan Caron, chef and director of The Green Ladle, Lewiston High School

Gadget: Immersion blender. “Think of a whisk” that’s motorized.

Manufacturer: “KitchenAid puts out a great one.”

Why it’s indispensable: For uses with stew and sauces, it allows mixing that couldn’t be done by hand.

Tips for using it: “We use it a lot for chowders” or “for purees.”

Go cheap or go professional? Professional.

Richard Griswold, owner and general manager of The Granary restaurant in Farmington

Gadget: 56-ounce food processor

Manufacturer: Cuisinart

Why it’s indispensable: “It’s a major time saver” for mincing, chopping and blending ingredients.

Tips for cleaning: “Let the dishwasher worry about it.” According to Cuisinart’s website, all the pieces are machine washable.

Go cheap or go professional? Professional. “You want something that’s going to stand up to wear-and-tear.”

Lisa Chouinard, owner (with husband Tim) of The Italian Bakery in Lewiston

Gadget: A sharp bread knife.

Manufacturer: No specific manufacturer.

Why it’s indispensable: “We use it every day,” said Chouinard. The baker employs many important tools, like food processors and bent-handled spatulas. But for bread making, said Chouinard, a sharp knife is a necessity.

Tips for using: “I’ve heard of using sharpening steel,” said Chouinard, though really once a bread knife goes dull, because it’s serrated, you should get a new one.

Go cheap or go professional? “I’m finding that even when you buy the expensive one . . . you have to replace it anyway.”

Dan Dion, chef and owner of Moe’s Diner in Sabattus

Gadget: 7-inch cake turner (a spatula, in layman’s terms)

Why it’s indispensable: At Moe’s, Dion said, “each cook has his own” that molds to the cook’s particular cooking style over time. The cook’s motions create unique curves on the surface of the spatula. The cooks use their cake turner for almost everything they make.

Manufacturer: Dexter Russell

Tips for using: “Take care of it” and in time, “it’ll fit your hand like a glove.”

Tips for cleaning: Don’t use anything too abrasive.

Go cheap or go professional? “Get the good version.”

Would you share a recipe? “Eggs are the biggest thing” they use the cake turners for, said Dion. “Also our blueberry crepes. Not that I’m willing to give out our recipe.” But he offered a tip. “I will say, we use the front side of the spatula for the blueberries and the back for the crepes.”

Recipes

Creamy French Dressing

From Dan Caron at the Green Ladle

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4-1/2 cup sugar

1 small sweet onion, cut into wedges

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup olive oil

Directions

Using an immersion blender, blend the mayonnaise, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, onion, salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream.

Let chill in fridge for about an hour before serving to let onion flavor mellow.

Serve over salad.

Refrigerate leftover dressing.

Marinara sauce

From Dan Caron at the Green Ladle

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons oil

1 green pepper, minced

1 roasted red pepper, minced

1 large onion, minced

1 tablespoon each of basil, oregano and parsley

1 teaspoon each salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup wine

64 ounces of tomato sauce

Saute above ingredients (except wine and tomato sauce) until onions are transparent. Pour into large stock pot.

Deglaze saute pan with 1/4 cup wine, reduce to half. Add to pot.

Add 64 ounces of tomato sauce and cook on low heat, stirring often, for 1 hour.

Blend together using an immersion blender.

Bourbon Walnut Tart with Chocolate Bits

From Paul Landry at Fishbones

Ingredients

The filling:

1 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter

Pinch salt

5 eggs

14 ounces dark corn syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 tablespoon bourbon

1.5 cups walnuts

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

The sugar dough:

8 ounces shortening

8 ounces butter

6 ounces sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 pound all-purpose flour, sifted

The equipment:

11-inch tart pan

Mixer with paddle attachment

Cookie sheet

Method of preparation:

Sugar dough:

Cream together shortening, butter, sugar and salt in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Add eggs one at a time until well incorporated into batter. Add flour slowly until evenly blended, being care not to over mix the dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours

Filling:

Cream together butter, sugar and salt with paddle attachment. Once adequately creamed add eggs, corn syrup, vanilla and bourbon, and mix on medium speed until well blended.

Tart:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out sugar dough and place in tart pan. Place walnuts and chocolate chips in tart and pour syrup in until just below the rim of pan. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet to catch any overflow syrup and bake at 350 degrees until firm and browned. Cool at least one hour.