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Bernard Atkins of Weir Florists stuffs a gift basket. (FeldmanPhoto)BY LINUS GELBERJust as beer is the alcoholic mainstay of summer, so liquor is the philtre of these colder climes. A gooey, slushy snowfall or a frigid rain is Fine call for a quick nip of brandy or a stern shot of scotch, if only to take the bite out of the cold and put the world in a slightly rosier light, and there%u2019s whole school of warmed and warming drinks tailor-fitted for a run of polar days.The holidays, though, are a season-within-a-season, insofar as popping off the wagon; they work out as veritable field days for proofed endeavors. You don%u2019t even need an excuse to slosh through Christmas brandy, spicy egg nog or New Year%u2019s whiskey. Come the last week of December, sobriety is so staid as to be nearly passe.And the drinks match the season for festivity (why do you think they call it a time of good cheers, anyway?). Beyond your traditional nogs, toddies and buttered rums, the bleak season sports quite an innovative array of pleasing punches and bustling brews, to round out the fruits of the vine and punchbowl, and make a cozy evening home even cozier.APPLEJACK PUNCHMix two quarts of applejack(apple brandy), one pint of orangejuice and seven ounces of Grenadine in a punch bowl and chill. Justbefore serving, add two quarts ofgingerale. WARNING: If you addthe ginger ale too far ahead ofserving time, it will lose its fizz andleave you with a flat punch.Heat but do not boil all in a saucepan, and strain after it is wellwarmed and equally well mixed. Ifyou want, add a dash of rum for a different flavor. For mulled cider,use 10 ounces of cider instead of the wine and water.F o o d F o r Y Ii otsg I tt;I V .1H |2 * b le G iftBY BETSY KISSAM%u201c Eat, drink, and be merry,%u201d the Bible says. And so do most holiday celebrants. Food at this time of year is given extra importance; cooking receives special attention and feasting becomes an art. To quote Washington Irving in %u201c The Christmas Dinner,%u201d %u201c the table was literally loaded with good cheer, and presented an epitome of country abundance, in this season of overflowing larders.%u201dFood and holidays have always been virtually inseparable. This fact alone makes food an ideal gift for just about everyone; food is a gift that will rarely find its way to the back of the closet or sit around for a year only to be repackaged for another unsuspecting soul. And the varieties of food gifts are limitless.There are foods to be indulged in at the moment, such as cookies, candies, fruit, nuts; foods for the hard to please such as decaffeinated coffees, herbal teas, pure honeys, chocolates; foods for cooks, including imported olive oils, imported mustards, spices; and foods for those who are tickled as much by their eyes as by their taste, such as lavish gingerbread houses, Prench lollipops with mosaic flower and animal designs, festive fruit baskets, cheesebaskets, and imported decorated tins perfect for packaging any food gift.CASSATAS AND STRUFOLISRum chocolate fruit cakes for $3.50, made in Leaf & Bean%u2019srestaurant kitchen at 136 Montague St., (855-7978) epitomize holiday feasting. Tbe Court Pastry Shop at 298 Court St. (875-4820) sells its own Italian Christmas delicacies, all baked right on the premises. A Carroll Gardens%u2019 institution for 30 years, this bakery is replete with old-time smells of fresh pastry and the appetizing products of home baking. Cassata, a Christmas cake made with ricotta cheese, covered with white icing on the sides and candied fruit on top, sells from $8 to $20 depending on size; grain pies are concocted of grain, ricotta cheese, and orange peels; and strufolis which are honey balls coated with colorful non pereil seeds are other holiday treats. S-shaped Christmas cookies with fruit fillings are priced at $2.80 a pound.Australian glazed fruits%u2014apricots, pears, peaches, quince, figs, and orange slices%u2014 can be found in Sahadl Importing Co.,187-189 Atlantic Ave., (624-4550) at $3.00 for a 14 ounce package. A pound of Sahadi%u2019s own brand Apricot Delight, plainingredients with no salt or sugar added. Gifts of Middle Eastern pastries can be put together; simple but attractive boxes for packing one and two pounds are supplied. But Richard Sahadi says his %u201c main concern is to save people money and if they do their own packaging that saves money.%u201d For halva freaks, fresh halva, made in a variety of flavors with and without nuts, will make a welcome gift.HAND-DIPPED CHOCOLATESLa Coupe de Glace at 148 Atlantic Ave., (852-3835) carries an abundance of imported and domestic candies. The store sells Brooklyn produced Jo-Mart handmade, hand-dipped chocolates which are heavy on the chocolate and light on the sugar. These same chocolates sell across the river at higher Manhattan prices. Miniature tennis rackets, Santa Clauses, and more are available in solid dark or light milk chocolate. Other Jo-Mart varieties include chocolate covered potato chips, pretzels, orange slices, pecans, cashews and many, many other chocolate lovers%u2019 delights. Italian licorice chips sell for $2.98 in attractive reusable cork-top glass jars and Danish chocolate mint lentils are $3.69 aMULLED WINE4 ounces red wine7 ounces water1 dash Angostura bitters (a dash iabout 1-32 of an ounce)teaspoon sugartwist of lemon peelpinch allspicesmall piece of cinnamonGLOGGV* cup granulated sugar1 ounce Angostura Bitters9 ounces Claret9 ounces Sherry5 ounces BrandyHeat in a heavy saucepan; for thefull atmosphere, serve in warmedglasses.1 or more clovesCHRISTMAS PUNCHIn a large punch bowl, blend onequart of strong tea with a bottle ajar._ j %u2014 1- %u2022 r r m * - t r\\A A r\\A t i n rnuts, candies, or spices. Numerous varieties of spices are found at Sahadi Importing Co. and at Leaf & Bean which sells Chinese spices: Szechuan peppercorns and five spice powder.GREEK CAVIARAND ENGLISH PRESERVESAnd don%u2019t overlook food gifts as stocking stuffers. Miniature French hard candies in pretty circular tins, selling for 75 cents in La Coupe de Glace, add sweetness to any stocking. Small 3 Vi-ounce jars of Danish caviar made from lumpfish roe sell at Sahadi Importing Co. for $1.50, either red or black; or an 8-ounce jar of Greek caviarshap Tobl for 3 At from mini And conil Gerr $3.4'areLeafideateashom$2 to $5 at Leaf & Bean; cork-top jars, clear and cobalt, can also be found here. These make ideal packages for gifts of coffee, tea,r> < o n a 11 r ______ %u2022____a p i u a u i.-> o %u00bb i.v /w . t \\ i o n u i m a u i i p a u p u o i vmakes fabulous eating and fun for children and adults alike. Candies in any form and color%u2014just add food coloring%u2014 can beFrerthena'dulPage 14, The PHOENIX, December 13,1979