I wish I weren’t one of those people who loves to shop so much. Imagine all the time I’d have if I weren’t constantly browsing the internet for that random shirt I saw on someone’s Instagram story, a pair of shoes I saw some kid wearing that I then needed to immediately find for my kid, the perfect garlic press (it doesn’t exist—they all kind of suck, just use a grater if you want your garlic mushy). But my detriment is your advantage, because I like to consider myself an extremely picky shopper, which means that today’s list of holiday picks is small but mighty, and anything on it is sure to be much loved by anyone who likes to get in the kitchen and get down to business. (Except for a few outliers, which are just all around excellent in any room.)
Also! You’ll notice there aren’t any cookbooks here; that’s because we’re going to have a dedicated cookbook gift guide next week.
John Derian Sticker Book
If you’ve never been to the John Derian store in New York, I urge you to pay it a visit whenever you can. I could stay in there for hours admiring the beautiful plates and ornaments and decor. This sticker book offers a little taste into the John Derian world. The only problem? It’s so beautiful and artfully arranged that you won’t want to use any of the stickers. – Kate
Tilit Contra Chef Bib Apron
I was never a huge apron wearer, but I got sick of thinking of even my nice shirts as disposable—and when aprons nicer than my mother’s became available, I started wearing them. My favorite (aside from “I’ll Feed All You Fuckers”) is this one from Tilit—it’s waxed cotton, has a great feel, resists staining, washes like a dream, and has nice ties that even work for those of us of a certain girth. (Use code Bittmanbites10 for 10% off your order.) – Mark
Mill Food Recycler
My beloved Mill is on sale starting this Thursday, November 20 through Monday, December 1—up to $200 off your purchase. Get $200 off the stainless steel, $175 off black, and $150 off white (which was originally $999). If you’re gifting someone who is big into composting, concerned about the environment and their carbon footprint—just a generally conscious person—this is, like, the best gift ever. – Kate
Caraway Complete Bar Set
My husband and I are not what you’d call “adventurous” cocktail people at home; that’s not because we’re picky or boring (I mean, maybe the latter, sure) but because we’re such martini people. But after making batched Negronis for guests a few months back, I realized that I wanted to up our game, because it’s fun. The Caraway set is really good looking, with pretty storage and every tool you’ll need to make every drink you could ever want. (That spoon!) Also: the Caraway Black Friday sale is now in swing, and the set is 38% off. – Kate
Made In Baking Slab
First of all, this thing is gorgeous—makes us happy when we see it. But, more importantly, it’s good for just about anything. Roasting vegetables or meat, for sure. But also—it’s meant for baking. A slab pie, a sheet cake, pizza (we’ve done this!). It’s much more fun than a traditional sheet pan, and just as versatile. This is also on sale for Black Friday—$20 off.
Botanical Brothers Subscription
Apologies to those of you who aren’t yet eligible to receive these flowers, but the Botanical Brothers tell me they’re working on expansion, and the flowers are too wonderful not to share immediately. With a subscription, every week (or less; that part is flexible and up to you), a selection of seasonal (local and North American as much as possible) flower arrangements is delivered (free delivery!) to you/your giftee. Every flower in the arrangement is different which, in my opinion, makes for the most stunning bouquet. A sweet bonus is that each delivery includes a photo of how the brothers arranged their bouquet, along with information about each flower and a flower arranging tutorial. Botanical Brothers is currently delivering to Manhattan south of 125th, a decent chunk of Brooklyn (Sunset Park to Greenpoint), Long Island City, Hoboken, and Jersey City. The pricing is more than reasonable—and be sure to use the code BITTMANPROJECT20 when you check out for 20% off your first delivery. – Kate
Jacobsen Salt Starter Kit
I went to add this to our gift guide and realized that I’d recommended it last year, too—not that that was a surprise. I love Jacobsen Salt—it’s my salt of choice, and our Holly carries their handy tins around in her purse—and this starter kit is such a handy gift for any home cook, whether they’re experienced or just starting out. (Bonus: That beautiful salt cellar that’s now included was not there last year!)
Burlap & Barrel Spice Club
Another great subscription-style gift—one year of the Spice Club includes a box each quarter (four boxes) with four spices in each box: brand-new spices, limited new harvests and traditional blends made at place of origin, plus a special treat made in collaboration with another great food company.
Burlap & Barrel Holiday Feast Gift Bundle
Every single warming spice you could want, all in one cozy, wintery bundle—plus cute spice fridge magnets and the B&B gift bag that we all love. The set includes 12 spices, including Buffalo Ginger, Pemba Cloves, Toasted Pepita Pumpkin Spice, Limestone Rosemary, and Ground Cloud Forest Cardamom.
The Great Gatsby: Cook the Book
Such a good present for a Gatsby fan who also likes to cook. This new version of the classic Long Island saga comes with vellum pockets scattered throughout, each one with a recipe card tucked inside. From chapter two, “The Whiskey Lunch”: Fix yourself the sort of nice lunch Tom would enjoy: a salty roast beef sandwich—with whiskey to wash it down, of course. The quote that inspired the recipe is on the back: “The bottle of whiskey—a second one—was now in constant demand by all present, excepting Catherine, who ‘felt just as good on nothing at all.’ Tom rang for the janitor and sent him for some celebrated sandwiches, which were a complete supper in themselves.”
Fishwife The Ultimate Tinned Fish Gift Pack
Beautiful packaging aside, the stuff at Fishwife is really good—I’m especially fond of their anchovies, which are front and center here. It’s hard for me to think of someone in my life who wouldn’t be psyched to get this as a gift. – Kate
Piecework Hors D’Oeuvres Cocktail Napkins
I got these for myself and loved them so much that I immediately bought a couple boxes for my good friends whom I’m going to visit this week. I was initially nervous about the size, but they’re big enough for cocktail hour, no problem. The Hors D’Oeuvres variety is my personal favorite, but you can see all the styles here. – Kate
Tom Colicchio x Made In 11-inch Frying Pan
This pan is just beautiful—carbon steel, pre-seasoned, naturally nonstick but gets better with use, lighter than cast-iron (though still heavy), great heat distribution. The thing that really gets me is how beautiful it is, the contrast between the heavy, weighty look of the skillet and the bright bronze handle. – Mark
Fly by Jing Hot Pot Starter Set
Turns out, having hot pot at home is an awesome (one pot, everyone!!!) way to entertain. We had friends over the other night—one of them came with me to H-Mart ahead of time to get a whole bunch of stuff—for our inaugural hot pot dinner. This little thing is fantastic, and was the perfect size for four of us (we easily could have had another couple people along for the ride). The starter set comes with the hot pot and a bag of Fly by Jing’s excellent and perfectly tingly hot pot base. We did fish cakes, cabbage, meat, “krab,” enoki mushroom, lotus root, and sliced corn cobs—fantastic. So much fun. – Kate
Marmalade Grove “Party of Six” Gift Set
Marmalade Grove’s oranges are from Ojai—and no offense to Florida, but location clearly matters. The varieties of locally made marmalade they offer—like Ruby Valencia Oranges + Apricot (our favorite), Cara Cara + Hibiscus, Orange + Ceylon Tea, Pixie Tangerine—introduce a whole new axis of flavor bursts. This set of six 5 ounce jars is beautifully packaged and perfect for gifting. – Samir
Comment