Here's a compound word destined to make holiday meal planning and seasonal entertaining a gift: takeout. It's working for me, now that I've gotten over my galley-slave guilt and learned to lean on local gourmet takeout sources for the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza season. You can find everything from tapas to turkey dinners with all the trimmings, and with a few trusty techniques, you can turn those bags and cartons into meals to remember.

As soon as you get the food home, transfer it to your prettiest baking dishes and heat it in the oven. Glorious aromas will soon emanate from your kitchen. Then assemble some stylish serving dishes; now is the time to find that holly-rimmed platter. You would never do this, so I'll say it to your daughter-in-law: Avoid serving takeout with the plastic utensils and paper napkins that come in the bag. It's an uninspired giveaway. Chopsticks, of course, are an exception. Tie them with red ribbon when you place then on a napkin.

And garnish your takeout. Consider paper-thin lemon slices, tiny bouquets of tender fresh basil, sprigs of rosemary, ribbons of parsley, a confetti of minced chives or dill. Once you've properly plated and lavishly decorated your takeout selections, the food becomes a festive product of your own imaginative kitchen and it's ready to be served with a flourish.

Just about any restaurant will prepare meals to take home, of course, but I've confined my prospecting mainly to markets and restaurants with counter cases and a brisk business in takeout.

Let's start with ideas for breakfast and brunch. A ready-made quiche is a lifesaver-great on the breakfast buffet table or for a sit-down luncheon when served with a salad or fruit slices. The quiches at The Broken Egg on Siesta Key (346-2750) are legendary and for good reason. The baker uses French pastry dough and a springform pan to create a quiche that's soufflé light, three inches tall and pretty as a picture. A nine-inch quiche will feed 12 and costs $22. Drop in and take home the quiche-of-the-day from the cold case or phone a day ahead and order a custom one. Choose from bacon, ham, shrimp, veggie-combo, crab, nearly anything you like.

Want a Continental repast? Then compose a tray of savory breads and sweet baked goods from the Sugar Loaf bakery counter at the popular restaurant of the same name on Tamiami Trail in Sarasota (365-0776). Everything fresh every day. The muffins are huge and reasonably priced at $1.50. Try the olive bread or a loaf of the Tuscan white with rosemary. If your tastes are more French, dash into C'est La Vie on Main Street in Sarasota (906-9575) and find flaky croissants, baguettes, brioches, and fruit-stuffed pastries perfect for a fancy breakfast on the terrace. Make sure the coffee is hot and very strong.

The new Panera Bakery-Cafe in the Pavilion Mall at Gulf Gate in Sarasota (924-0800) excels in cranberry scones, pumpkin bagels, strudel, and all kinds of fresh breakfast sweet rolls as well as great fresh loaf bread including a nice focaccia (2.49), three-seed sourdough and a wonderful asiago cheese bread. Panera also has a helpful selection of takeout sandwiches (chips and pickle included) and salads. Prices are reasonable-for example, $1.69 for a scone, $2.49 for a round of focaccia.

For impromptu little luncheons, I like to pick up some gazpacho in the takeout case at Morton's Gourmet Market (955-9856). It's so popular that the little sign above it proclaims "our famous gazpacho." Chef isn't bragging. I made a study of gazpacho in several cities in Spain recently and I'll put Morton's preparation up against any Iberian recipe. A pint is $4.67 and fills two bowls. Serve the gazpacho with a dollop of sour cream and seasoned croutons or do as the Spanish do: Make up little bowls of condiments and pass them around for guests to compose their own cold soup meal. The condiment tray should include some of the following (all minced): hard-boiled egg, cucumber, green pepper, onion, and tomato. A separate bowl of assorted green olives would also be appropriate. And do uncork a bottle of Riojo wine.

Want something more traditional? Any of the sandwiches at the Main Bar on Main Street in Sarasota (955-8733) should satisfy. But if you're only choosing one, it must be their version of an Italian submarine. Cost is about $6. Messy, spicy, with peppers and onions that defy breath mints, this concoction is a local tradition. With chips on the side and a cold beer, you've got a deeply satisfying noonday meal to enjoy on the boat or in the back yard. If you're entertaining out-of-town visitors, tell them they've just eaten a genuine souvenir, a Main Bar sandwich. Order ahead by phone and take someone with you to pick up the sandwiches. One to run in and the other to drive around the block, because you'll never be able to park on the street at lunch time.