A Sharp Set of Knives. Good knives make chopping less of a chore. The right knife for the right job makes life even easier. Small paring knives are great for garlic and shallots, and taking out the rotten spots from vegetables. Larger carving knives give you the precision cuts of meat you want, cooked or raw.
Bread knives can slice through fresh bread without destroying the loaf.
Automatic Handy Chopper . This is like a mini-food processor. It chops garlic much finer and in far less time than it would take by hand. It pulverizes tomatoes, onions, cilantro and jalapenos instantly for small amounts of quick salsa. It's by far one of the most useful kitchen gifts I've ever received.