Every year I resist putting together a gift guide because no one needs more stuff. But I’ve also been squirreling away recommendations all year, and what else am I going to do with them? These are mostly little things that John and I really love and use all the time, and none of this is sponsored content. We happily pay real money for all the items here.
For the Flavor-Seeker
Kari Kari chili crisp was the MVP of our pantry this year. Put it on anything that needs to taste better, from roasted cauliflower to lentil soup. I also learned about chili crisp-fried eggs this year and endorse it as a strategy for the savory breakfast person.
This Calabrian chili garlic salt from a local bakery is popcorn’s best friend (we like the Rancho Gordo crimson popping corn).
For an instant jolt of numbing Sichuan flavor, this Sichuan pepper oil is a new-to-us condiment that we now can’t live without. The green pepper oil is lemony and piney, the red is super warming (not spicy!), and you only need a few drops to give your dinner that irresistible numbing Sichuan flavor. Use it in dumpling dipping sauces, salad dressings, stir-fries, and on eggs.
Many of Burlap & Barrel’s spices have become pantry staples for us, but the cured sumac stands out. Lemony and salty, it adds character to everything from roast chicken to avocado toast.
This year we finally graduated to buying the 1-pound bag of Diaspora Co’s Pragati turmeric because it’s just that good and makes everything it touches look beautiful (including your hands and apron).
For the Imbiber of Warm Beverages
I am a peppermint tea obsessive, and now that I’ve gotten used to Steven Smith Teamaker’s peppermint leaf tea I am ruined for all others. It’s not even close. I brew my tea with this perfect tea infuser that is very fine mesh (maybe not a selling point if you’re a tea leaf-reader). The lid doubles as a drip tray when the tea is done infusing. All warm beverages in our house are made possible by this OXO adjustable temperature kettle.
For the Cookbooker
The 2019 edition of the Joy of Cooking is available everywhere books are sold. John and I are both bad at self-promotion, but let me tell you some of the good things that are in this edition: 600 new recipes, beautiful papercut illustrations by Anna Brones, a new chapter on fermentation (and fully updated canning and preserving chapters), gram weights for all baking recipes, and even more extensive coverage of ingredients and cooking methods.
These are recipes from the most wrinkled and stained pages in our personal copy that we keep in the kitchen:
camarones al mojo de ajo (shrimp in garlic-citrus sauce)
borscht with meat
adana-style lamb kebabs - made with the Burlap & Barrel sumac we recommended above
Balkan marinade - we use it all the time for chicken
Dutch baby
olive oil cake - my favorite dessert for all seasons; goes with all kinds of fruit
smoked apple butter - the only variation on classic apple butter that I’ll fool with
quick pickled onions
We bought so many cookbooks this year, and so many of them deserve praise, but I winnowed my list until only a few remained. For anyone who loves tinned fish, Tin To Table is a delightful, palm-sized paean to little fishes and their big flavors. I can personally vouch for the “spaghetti with fancy clams and fancy ham” recipe.
Preserved: Condiments and Preserved: Fruit are for the cook who’s a little nerdy and loves a DIY project.
Mayumu is the most fun book that came out this year. It’s bursting with color and good ideas, and everything I’ve made from it has been outstanding.
Ever-Green Vietnamese, from one of out favorite cookbook authors, is for the cook trying to get more greenery (and flavor) in their diet.
Start Here is a $45 cooking school course from someone with an approachable style, really good taste, and a ton of knowledge. Read it cover to cover and soak it up like a sponge.
The Stocking Stuffers
We have four of these tiny measuring cups and use them on the daily. Unitaskers aren’t all bad, and these fish tweezers prove it. Grinding sesame seeds releases their gorgeous, nutty flavor. It’s probably time to replace your vegetable peeler. These petite and super sharp scissors handle precision jobs with ease. The bottom of the jar is your oyster. Even if you don’t bake, you’ll find a hundred uses for this diminutive offset spatula.