Every December (well, except for the last two years) I make chocolates -- truffles, home-made caramels, home-made marshmallows, home-candied orange peel, white chocolate peppermint creams, dipped dried apricots, nut clusters, and whatever else strikes my fancy that year. Once you've gotten the knack of tempering chocolate (a machine helps), it's not actually difficult, just rather finicky and quite time-consuming and messy.

I've never considered cooking steak all that problematic, but then I don't cook big thick sirloins. Hangar or skirt steak, quickly seared in a hot pan and finished with a red-wine shallot reduction, is pretty quick and easy. Test for doneness by pressing the surface of the meat with my finger.