Studies show, or at least we’re pretty sure they would, that we spend way too much of our precious time hassling with outdated meal-prep gadgets and cooking methods. Slicing garlic with dull knives, mixing up measurement conversions, finding that fresh banana irrevocably browned—we’ve all been there. But there is a better way.
These products are available on the Shops at Seattle Met, the city’s first online marketplace bringing the best local businesses together in one place.
A well-packed measuring cup is “close enough,” but tripling the recipe with a precision scale can save a lot of ingredients and time (and make your food turn out better, to boot). So why risk it when the Escali Arti sits so handsomely at the kitchen counter, ready to measure both dry and liquid ingredients? Its low profile allows you to leave it out, and an easy-to-clean surface wipes right off.
Don’t botch recipes by trusting that salt or spice container to shake out right. Instead, grab the perfect pinch out of this dapper Wood Salt Cellar from Terra Bella. An Italian walnut base and pewter swivel lid dress up any kitchen counter, making this an excellent gift for your favorite chef or Salt Bae.
Chuck the tough-to-handle tongs and get straight to the point. Salad Hands lets you toss and serve salads in a snap, then tines slide onto the bowl for easy access. Super-strong and sustainable flat-grain Moso bamboo offsets salad greens for a healthful aesthetic.
This zester is a godsend in a world full of dull, gummed-up gadgets that somehow can’t mince garlic, but can get your finger, no problem. This rust-free, stainless steel version has a strong, grippy handle and a unique tooth design that zests with precision to get the flavorful rind while leaving behind the bitter pith. Works for ginger, garlic, spices, cheese, and more.
This tumbler should live right next to your coffee maker if caffeination on the fly is your thing (and a lap full of hot coffee isn’t). With a double-walled vacuum design and an ice cube–ready wide mouth that’s great for cold drinks, it fits right into most cupholders and is also leakproof if chucked in the backseat or jostled around in a shoulder bag. Stainless steel means excellent taste, and BPA-free materials ensure healthy hydration.
Pineapple lovers who avoid the tough-to-prep fruit best not sleep on this labor-saving gadget that makes peeling and slicing as easy as opening a bottle of wine. This handy device slices as it hollows, cutting right up to the rind as you twist. You’re left with a juicy cylinder of rindless fruit sections and less mess.
Make life a bowl of pitted cherries with the squeeze of a handle. Bonus: Oxo’s handy pitter works on olives, too.
Sick of bugging Alexa for cooking conversions, or the flour-handed back and forth from cutting board to Google? Attach this label to the fridge or a smooth surface nearest your meal-prep station for accurate ingredients and tastier outcomes. Wipes clean to restick anywhere.
Peel and devein shrimp in one (maybe two) fell swoops: This cleaner’s articulated blade arcs with the shape of the crustacean, forcing its way through the shell to remove the whole thing with little more than a swipe of the thumb.
Garlic and ginger: We’d never eat without them if it weren’t for all the prep work—not to mention the cleanup. This tool helps slice the thinnest waifs of garlic or ginger with a back-and-forth slide. To shred, flip it over and do the same.
Homemade dressings are tastier and fresher, but who wants one more thing to clean up after all that cooking? Skip a few steps with this combination measuring cup, mixer, and server.
Great for the outdoor kitchen or campsite, the Roccbox bakes pizza to perfection using wood (which imparts a nice smoky flavor) or gas. A safe-touch silicone jacket protects hands and surfaces.
Why does produce go bad so quickly? It’s those pesky escaping gases. As it turns out, absorbing them with a carbon filter keeps fruit and veggies fresh far longer.
This sharpener holds knife blades at just the right angle as you swipe them through. Because there should never be a dull moment in the kitchen.
Remember when the hot-air popcorn popper was the latest craze in every kitchen? Cuisinart’s bringing it back with a device that pops up to 10 cups in less than three minutes for a snack that’s quicker than stovetop and healthier than microwave.
Emily McCarty producing cavateddi and the final dish, Cavateddi al Ragù.
Learners interested in the Meals in Sicily study away program, scheduled for May possibly 10-31, 2023, are invited to go to an approaching info session on Microsoft Groups.
Members in the analyze abroad expertise can generate 6 Ohio College credits, study about the lifestyle of food stuff in Sicily, and get arms-on practical experience tasting and creating Sicilian dishes.
“Like ice product, cheesecake, and chocolate? What about marzipan, cannoli, and sumptuous pasta? Then, come practical experience the cultural and historic foods methods of Sicily, the Mediterranean’s largest island. We are going to travel Sicily’s jap ‘Greek’ coast to see and taste this special island’s abundant record of food items traditions. You may perhaps even meet the Chef’s Desk star even though browsing Caffè Sicilia in Noto, Sicily,” explained Meals in Sicily Director David Bell, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of linguistics in the College or university of Arts and Sciences.
In addition to understanding about wine, olive oil, chocolate, and cheese, a person of the a lot of activities on the Meals in Sicily program is cooking. Learners in will understand how to make two regular Italian dishes: cavateddi al ragù and arancini.
Generating Cavateddi al Ragù
Making the most of their perform earning cavateddi al ragù, from base left: Theresa Moran, Susi Kimbell (director of the Exedra Heart), Emily Jones, Sidnie Kiligour, Sefi Monterosso (Exedra Middle staff members), Jackie Augustine, Lauren Hates, Marco Messina (Exedra Center team), David Bell, Faith McLaughlin, Maya Roth-Wadsworth, and Emily McCarty.
Cavateddi al ragù is made from cavati, or cavateddi in Sicilian, and tomato sauce. During a new Foods in Sicily software, students gathered at the Exedra Heart in the heart of Ortigia to make the pasta.
“The position is to clearly show how the most straightforward of substances — flour and h2o — can be turned into some thing delicious and healthy. This is the essence of cucina povera, the delicacies of the poor,” mentioned Theresa Moran, a Foods in Sicily college member.
The students had been led in the pasta producing practical experience by Exedra workers member Sefi Monterosso, who showed the students how to make a mound of flour and with even handed drops of water, switch it into a dough, then start to roll and knead it. College students watched Monterosso expertly get up a ball of dough in her arms and then slam it down onto the kitchen area table.
“This a great way to get rid of all your frustrations and anxieties,” Monterosso explained as she pounded the ball of pasta onto the desk, kneading it with the heel of her hand, lifting it, and then hurling it back again down on the table. “This is also essential to establish up the gluten so the pasta isn’t flabby,” she mentioned.
Immediately after loads of kneading, when the dough was sleek, tender and very a little puffy, the learners started rolling out the pasta. They very first slice the dough and then rolled pieces of it out into worms or snakes. Then, they slice the dough snake into shorter parts, utilizing the knuckle on their thumb as a rough measure. Getting a fork, the students swiftly rolled the compact parts a single by a single down the the tines on the again of the fork, collecting them into awaiting platters. The brief parts of dough stop up generating a condition vaguely resembling a pill, roly-poly, or potato bug.
For Monterosso and the other Sicilian staff members, who have been making this pasta for many years, each individual minimal piece of dough is lightly, immediately and efficiently pressed down the back again of the fork and with a flick of the wrist, sent on to the platters. College students usually push the dough as well challenging, and the pasta then does not curl and gets too deeply grooved.
After the college students concluded building the cavateddi, they tossed the pasta briefly with flour to preserve the individual items from sticking. The pasta was then dropped into a big cauldron of boiling water and boiled briefly.
When the pasta pops up to the area of the h2o, it’s time to drain and dress the pasta. First, the pasta is tossed with a minor extra virgin olive oil and then the dish is dressed with a basic crimson sauce created from community tomatoes. Listed here is wherever the grooves from the fork tines are important—the sauce clings to the individual grooves in each and every piece of pasta. Matching the suitable pasta shape to the correct variety of sauce is an critical component of Italian cooking, and the cavateddi go perfectly with the easy sauce of regional tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and chilies, Moran pointed out.
For the remaining contact, the students sprinkled the pasta with grated cheese. Commonly ricotta salata, a usual really hard Sicilian cheese, created from fresh ricotta cheese that is pressed, salted, dried, and aged for 30 times or more, is utilised, Moran included.
Producing Arancini
On the remaining, Faith Laughlin, Emily McCarty, Liza Gildemeister, Lauren Hayes, Jackie Augustine, and Sefi Monterrosso. On the proper, Jackie Augustine and Sefi Monterosso roll the arancini in breadcrumbs while Liza Gildemeister watches with Lauren Hayes in the around foreground.
Arancini are rice balls, just one of the most prevalent Sicilian street food items treats eaten at any time of the working day. The singular kind is arancino, a diminutive of the term arancia, which indicates “orange,” derived from the classical Arabic word for orange, naranj. Arancini, also identified in Rome as supplì, is a dish that can be traced back again to the Arab conquest of Sicily. These rice balls can be filled with cheese, meat and peas in pink sauce, ham, mushrooms, zucchini, and even with a sweet filling this kind of as a pistachio product.
Arancini also signify an crucial cultural rivalry amongst the western Arab influenced element of the island and the japanese Greek motivated aspect. In Palermo, in western Italy, the rice balls are normally formed like oranges and are termed arancine, applying the feminine plural marker (arancina or arancinu in the singular). In Catania, in jap Italy, normally the rice balls are shaped into triangles like the Sicilian volcano Mount Etna, and their grammatical gender is masculine.
As with all cooking days at the Exedra Centre, pupils in a modern Food items in Sicily working experience commenced by scrubbing their arms and forearms. Then large platters of steaming rice were being brought out, and the learners yet again acquired from Monterosso and the other Exedra staff members, for whom building these rice balls is component of their usual practical experience developing up in Sicily.
To make arancini, first make a little half dome ball in 1 palm and then cautiously insert the filling of choice in the middle of this ball. Fillings can be cubes of ham or cheese or a tablespoon of meat in red sauce. The plan is not to incorporate far too much filling — and not to have also much rice. Then put rice on major of the filling.
The college students practiced cupping their hands collectively and pressing firmly to compact and condition the rice to the perfect shape.
After the rice ball is designed, it is rapidly rolled in a slim flour slurry and then rolled in pretty good breadcrumbs made from Sicilian bread. The arancini are then taken to the kitchen the place they are deep-fried in a vat of olive oil. As quickly as they are browned all around, they are eradicated and put out on towels to soak up the excessive oil — and then eagerly grabbed as a scrumptious rapid lunch or sizzling snack.
“The trick to taking in arancini,” Moran mentioned, “is waiting right up until they are just at the correct temperature so that you can bite via the thin crispy rice shell into the delightful heat handle in the heart.”
Food in Sicily Analyze Absent Program
Food items in Sicily is a college-led software for Ohio College credit. In OHIO study absent courses, college students gain OHIO credit history, choose programs with other OHIO college students and are taught by OHIO school. A student’s fiscal help package deal applies the very same as it would for on-campus courses.
Foodstuff in Sicily is open up to undergraduate and graduate pupils, and learners can earn 6 credit hrs whilst studying how to make mozzarella, training Italian with a “Table and Market” conference with neighborhood social enterprises, supporting with dinners at a neighborhood soup kitchen area, having cooking classes, and going to farms, breweries and wineries. (For further facts see the articles on Singing, Dancing and Churning the Cheese in Sicily in the course of the 2019 excursion, and Foodstuff in Sicily students experience how support modifications people’s lives and Foods in Sicily pupils explore the ability of community resilience in the course of the 2022 vacation).
Visits to marketplaces and web sites in Ortigia, Italy, include the Catacombs of San Giovanni, the medieval Jewish quarter and Castello Maniace. Day excursions are planned to Catania, Italy, in which college students will stop by the fish current market, historic town middle, Benedictine Monastery, Greek Theater and Cathedral. Students also will hike on Mt. Etna and get pleasure from time on Sicilian beach locations, as perfectly as tour the historic towns of Noto and Taormina
For a lot more details, stop by the Foodstuff in Sicily webpage or contact Bell at belld@ohio.edu.
See additional about Experiential Learning at OHIO.
Eextremely Wednesday all through the increasing time, Emilyn Sosa picks up a box of create from a local community heart in Brooklyn crammed with the week’s harvest. This might contain carrots, beets or from time to time kohlrabi, which she cooks up into soups and salads for her family members of five.
The cost? It’s no matter what Sosa judges to be good. For a weekly box, the 33-12 months-previous pays about $15 (£12). If she were to purchase a comparable amount of money of fruit and veggies at a regular grocery store – where by the prices are of course non-negotiable – the price could possibly be upward of $60 (£50) for each 7 days.
Sosa is a member of a neighborhood-supported agriculture (CSA) application identified as Rock Continual, a 12-acre farm in upstate New York. Clients like her make standard payments to get bundles of freshly harvested fruit and vegetables. But the selling prices are established on a sliding scale of profits, permitting clients to pick a payment amount that is cost-effective to them. Other current market farms across the US are opting for sliding-scale products in an energy to access a wider demographic of shoppers and to aid farmers stay afloat.
Sosa has no idea what her fellow associates are electing to pay. “And that would make this sort of a variation, to not really feel like a charity,” she stated.
At Rock Continuous, the yearly selling price for customers, dependent on their cash flow, is split into higher ($1,155), center ($825) and decrease ($660) brackets. In the reduce bracket, that will come out to about $30 (£25) a 7 days, for about 8 or nine goods. The farm also accepts Snap and EBT playing cards, the federal nourishment plan previously known as food stuff stamps. Most persons are in the center bracket, even though larger-profits contributors subsidize these on the decrease conclusion of the scale.
When becoming a member of the system, consumers are asked to consider an stock of their problem, equally content and social, to establish how substantially to pay out: do you possess a household? Do you have a college education and learning? Do you have cost savings? Those who do are questioned to shell out a higher share. Those people who have significant credit card debt or are leasing or are senior citizens are invited to pay out a lower share.
Rock Constant Farm provides a sliding scale for users with distinctive incomes. Photograph: Eva Detch
A 2017 examine of approximately 500 CSA farm supervisors across the US found that 14{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} provided sponsored programs. A additional modern research recognized a lot more than 100 backed CSA packages.
Even though Rock Continual launched a backed design in 2015, the Covid pandemic was a turning place, says co-founder Maggie Cheney, who takes advantage of they/them pronouns. It was at the commencing of the pandemic, when traces for meals pantries and grocery shops snaked close to New York Metropolis blocks, that increased-revenue users of the CSA started off offering far more so that those people with a lot less means could find the money for it way too, Cheney said. Now the farm’s CSA is so oversubscribed it has a 200-strong waiting around checklist.
“It’s not a donation of our make, which is not a sustainable route for farmers, who usually simply cannot even pay back themselves,” says Cheney.
“As a queer-owned and -operated farm, social justice runs deep in our mission,” they add. “What motivates us is feeding our community, which consists of several small-cash flow and marginalized folks.”
Also in New York point out, but on the other aspect of the Hudson River, a CSA farm identified as the Phillies Bridge Venture presents a nationwide wage calculator to manual customers to support them determine exactly where they sit on the sliding scale. Some shares are discounted by 70{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} for these who are eligible for Snap, which will come out to about $6 a 7 days for a small allowance of seasonal deliver.
Assistant farm supervisor Rhyston Mays, who makes use of they/them pronouns, thinks it is significant to pay some thing, even a marginal total. “Part of our honor technique is creating a framework for individuals to be equipped to self-decide on and have company as a particular person who participates in the foods technique,” they say.
A examine of 41 CSAs in California discovered that even when paying total rate, small-earnings subscribers have been typically extra fully commited to the application than these with larger incomes. Those with annual earnings less than $50,000 (£41,371) were being much more motivated to share monetary chance, volunteer and participate in farm events than those with increased incomes.
Collard greens from the Phillies Bridge Farm Project. Photograph: Eva Deitch
Subsidizing create is still only a person option to the challenge of lessening foods inequalities, suggests Matt Kauffman, the founder of 5 Loaves, an city farm in Buffalo that gives sliding-scale shares. “Just making broccoli obtainable doesn’t mean people today are heading to eat broccoli,” he suggests. “There are cultural disconnects at play.”
This is just one of the drawbacks that Marilyn Sitaker, an epidemiologist and general public wellbeing researcher, has discovered with sliding-scale models. “Food entry goes significantly outside of affordability,” she says. Generate wants to be plentiful, simple to choose up, culturally acceptable and suited to the customer’s tastes. “The CSA design necessitates willingness to make a commitment. It’s not for everyone,” she provides.
For this rationale, 5 Loaves operates education and learning plans, this kind of as cooking courses and agricultural internships, to give communities the tools to appreciate fresh produce. In Buffalo, a metropolis with a numerous refugee and immigrant neighborhood, “maybe people today want these particular eggplants from Thailand or crops from east Africa,” Kaufmann says. As the Buffalo farm grows, it is commencing to sow seeds from its members’ cultures.
Communities can be knitted alongside one another by “investing in the possibility or reward of nearby agriculture”, states Colleen Dixon, a director at Zenger Farm in Portland, Oregon, which features sliding-scale payments and operates additional like a farmers’ sector. In its place of dispatching packing containers of generate, the fruit and greens are laid out on extensive tables each individual 7 days from which CSA customers are invited to decide a established amount of merchandise.
But there are hazards involved with CSAs, for example if a farm fails to deliver plenty of crops. “Some months we have massive harvests, but other people it is hundreds of lbs . of tomatoes and not much else,” Dixon says. When this occurs, Zenger Farm offers refunds to lessen-earnings subscribers so they can resource their staple foodstuff in other places.
Serious weather conditions can also disrupt crops. “If we have a snowstorm, drought or fires, it actually shortens the growing season, which impacts foodstuff output,” Dixon says. “I expect we’ll see a lot more of these troubles with climate adjust.”
These CSA programs are considerably in advance of federal and state governments, Sitaker states. A countrywide foodstuff strategy to fund packages that will get rid of obstacles to area meals entry is only launching up coming 12 months.
But Sitaker thinks sliding-scale types could have “a little but mighty” function to engage in in addressing meals inequities with greater governing administration financial investment.
Year round, HCA Healthcare colleagues support local food banks, pantries and soup kitchens through volunteer service, monetary gifts and in-kind donations. This holiday season, HCA Healthcare continues our efforts to fight food insecurity with the second annual enterprise-wide Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive.
During the month of November, HCA Healthcare and our colleagues provided 878,000 nutritious meals to food banks in the communities we serve by donating food or making financial contributions to help purchase perishable items such as milk, fruit and vegetables. By more than half a million meals, the amount eclipses the 370,000 provided in 2021.
Food insecurity — the lack of consistent access to enough food to have an active, healthy lifestyle — affects 1 in 10 American families. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that 13.5 million U.S. households were food insecure at some point in 2021. Nutrition experts advise that food insecurity and poor nutrition may lead to obesity – a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and many cancers.
The 878,000 nutritious meals provided to families in need included:
80,722 meals donated by colleagues
196,313 meals from colleague charitable donations
68,333 meals from division gifts
533,000 meals from $165,000 in grants provided by the HCA Healthcare Foundation to the winning facilities and divisions of a creative food sculpture contest
‘Sculpting’ healthier tomorrows for our communities
For the 2022 Healthy Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive, hospitals were encouraged to get creative and build sculptures with the donated food before transporting it to their local food banks. The prize? An additional grant to a food bank in the hospital’s hometown to make an even greater impact.
Thirteen HCA Healthcare divisions submitted food sculptures this year.
Lee’s Summit Medical Center in Missouri won top honors for their holiday tree of cans titled “Rooted in Our Values.” Each can of food that made up the mosaic of the roots was topped with a note that carried an individual colleague’s motivation for giving back and providing superior, patient-centered care. One of the notes read, “I care because I love making sure patients are treated like family when they are here.” Another note read, “I care because hunger has a ripple effect, and no one should go hungry.” Colleagues’ efforts were awarded $35,000 in grants to local food banks of their choice: Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit Social Services.
HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Food For Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive first place winner was Lee’s Summit Medical Center for their sculpture of a holiday tree named “Rooted in Our Values.”
The Healthy Foods for Healthier Tomorrows initiative is one that truly aligns with our overall mission and shows how our colleagues’ commitment to the care and improvement of human life extends beyond the walls of our hospital. We are beyond excited to support a healthy community in such an impactful way, and Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit Social Services are incredible organizations that never fail to step up and help ensure our community’s needs are met.”
John McDonald, Chief Executive Office of HCA Healthcare’s Lee’s Summit Medical Center
Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit was created to help ensure elderly and handicapped community members have access to hot, nutritious and delicious meals, which can help them maintain a healthy diet. The organization has served over 500,000 meals since its inception and currently serves over 350 meals per week. “We are humbled, honored and appreciative of this gift from Lee’s Summit Medical Center,” said Susie Newsam, board president for Meals on Wheels of Lee’s Summit, Missouri. “The longevity of our partnership not only strengthens our organizations but benefits our community.”
HCA Healthcare’s Regional Medical Center of San Jose achieved second place and earned a $20,000 grant to a local food bank of their choice for their sculpture of California’s Golden Gate Bridge. The sculpture included details like a firetruck performing a rescue of a baby and Alcatraz made of food cans.
HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Food For Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive second place winner was Regional Medical Center of San Jose for their sculpture of the Golden Gate Bridge.
HCA Florida Citrus Hospital took third place and earned $15,000 in grants for their local food bank. Colleagues at the Florida-based hospital created a backpack as a symbol of their collection efforts to provide jelly for the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches going to children in their community for weekly “blessings in a backpack.”
HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Food For Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive third place winner was HCA Florida Citrus Hospital for their sculpture of a backpack made out of jelly.
Get involved
At HCA Healthcare, we’re committed to improving more lives in more ways. Championing health and nutrition in our communities offers us so many different ways to do good. In addition to donating healthy food, you can volunteer at a local food bank or contribute to a nonprofit organization that helps provide healthy food in your community.
In addition, HCA Healthcare colleagues have the opportunity to track their volunteer hours online, and all benefits-eligible colleagues can double their impact with charitable gift matching and volunteer grants. Gift matching starts at $25, and colleagues can earn $200 for the charity of their choice by logging 10 hours of volunteer service.
Check out more photos from HCA Healthcare’s Healthier Food for Healthier Tomorrows Food and Nutrition Drive below.
HCA Florida JFK North Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Brigham City Community Hospital in Brigham City, Utah.
Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah.
Corpus Christi Medical Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
North Suburban Medical Center in Thornton, Colorado.
HCA Florida Lake City Hospital in Lake City, Florida.
I might be biased, but when it comes to gift-giving, it’s pretty difficult to go wrong with food-related gifts. After all, everyone needs to eat.
But I also believe that purchasing gifts from local shops and artisans makes the experience even more special. Not only are many of the gifts one-of-a-kind, but they have a huge impact on both the local economy and the people who live and work here.
So before you head online to order from a big box store or national gift box company, take a look at this list and see if you can find a local substitution. Most of the items are available for purchase online. So you can still do your holiday shopping from the comfort of your own home, while also doing some serious good for local establishments.
The following list will not only give you an overview of some of the amazing foodie gifts available from local retailers, it’s also a curation of some of my own favorite items, all of which I’d be delighted to give (or to receive).
If you have questions or need more suggestions for specific gift ideas, you can also feel free to email me at lori@onmilwaukee.com. I’m happy to make recommendations or help however I can. Happy holidays everyone!
All of these newly published tomes (plus probably a dozen more) are on my personal wish list this year, so my guess is they’d be great bets for any of the serious (or curious) cooks in your world. As a bonus, all are currently in stock at Boswell Books.
You can’t expect to pick up a book by J. Kenji López-Alt and not learn something. It’s one of the things I love about his cookbooks (and his YouTube video series), both of which offer much in the way of education, while keeping me liberally entertained.
While this book definitely focuses on technique, it’s not short on recipes. You’ll find things like Sichuan-style blistered green beans, cheesy scallion pancakes, pad Thai and his “internet famous” San Francisco–Style garlic noodles (which I cannot stop making). There are also plenty of lessons to be learned here from proper freezing techniques to a velveting technique (an approach to keeping meat tender) that actually works. Ultimately – and much like his former cooking bible “The Food Lab” – The Wok is an absolute goldmine of knowledge.
I’ll admit the title of this book did not draw my attention. But the recipes inside definitely did. In Baraghani’s quest to find his style, he combines the home cooking he learned from his Iranian parents with his professional cooking background to reimagine countless well-known dishes in utterly delicious ways.
The big flavors in this book drew me in and the recipes – which are unique but still accessible – offer tons of inspiration. The recipe for Very Crispy Garlic Chile Oil is reason alone to purchase this book. But you’ll also find mouthwatering recipes for things like buttered potatoes with salted lemon; big shells with spicy lamb sausage and shawarma roast chicken with shallots and lemon.
I don’t follow many food blogs these days; but The Woks of Life is an exception. It’s taught me a great deal about navigating the condiment aisles at Asian grocery stores and purchasing the best quality items. I’ve also found more than a handful of stellar recipes. So when I saw that the Leung family had released a book with 100 of their favorite recipes, I didn’t hesitate to purchase it.
Recipes run the gamut from easy weeknight meals like beef and broccoli to spicy beef biang biang noodles and cantonese pork belly fried rice. In fact, it’s become a great addition to my growing collection of Chinese cookbooks thanks to its home cook-friendly lay-out and trustworthy recipes.
The fruit of a 586-day, 20,000 mile road trip throughout Mexico, this cookbook by Rick Martínez not only offers up a lovely collection of recipes that showcase the diversity of cuisines in Mexico, but Martínez’s personal story as he delves into his Mexican heritage. The book is worth it for recipes like cochinita pibil from the Yucatán; Oaxacan tamales; and a huge collection of salsas, including the gorgeously smoky salsa de chipotle y chile de arbol, which I could eat on just about anything. But you’re sure to find more favorites from the collection of 100 unique dishes.
I love this book because it tells an important story. Each recipe is personal and it’s part of the author’s quest to get to know his homeland (and therefore himself) through food. As Martínez points out, it’s also an important counter to the long-lauded written by white authors including Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless. Thank you, Martínez.
It’s been a while since I hosted a party, but I’ve definitely got the bug. And this book has no shortage of inspiration for easy-to-make dishes that are worthy of a simple weeknight happy hour or a bigger bash with friends. In fact, it’s among the more user-friendly guides to boozy eating and entertaining that I’ve come across.
Recipes include tasty options like smoked rosemary almonds, a reimagined cheese ball, cherry kofte, piri piri shrimp cocktail, soba noodles and even a few desserts. You’ll also find over 30 cocktail recipes, companion cocktails for each dish, curated menus for a variety of occasions and tips for saving time, including batching cocktails.
I love the idea of gifts that keep on giving, and magazine subscriptions are one of those lovely gift ideas that I think we often forget about. In the case of EATEN, it’s a beautifully designed indie print magazine that focuses on all things food history. You’ll find old recipes, intriguing essays and stories about fascinating people who’ve graced the edible landscape over time.
The art direction is zany and wonderful and the content is smart and well-researched. So, if you know someone who loves learning more about food, culture and the stories behind items like Earl Grey tea, the rise and fall of tiki culture and the Oleo Wars, you might consider wrapping up an issue of this feast of a magazine (along with a full subscription) and putting it under the tree. Find it at eatenmagazine.com (single issues $20; one-year subscription $55)
Experiential gifts have so many benefits. They don’t take up space. They allow recipients to break from their usual routines. And they have the potential to create happy memories that can last a lifetime.
Gift cards
It’s going to be a long winter for restaurants. Give them a boost by gifting a foodie you know with a gift card from one of our great locally owned bars or restaurants. It’s among the best gifts you can give this season.
Got a friend who appreciates the arts? There’s no better gift than a dining experience at Saint Kate – Arts Hotel where dining experiences vary from locally inspired artisanal fare at ARIA to bubbly brunch or evening drinks at their Giggly Champagne & Wine Bar. Neapolitan style pizza at Proof and well-prepared casual fare at The Bar in the gorgeous lobby are also up for grabs.
Give the gift of experience, and let us give back to you! When you buy a $100 Marcus Gift Card, you get a $25 Promotional Bonus Card to keep! Hurry, this Promotional Bonus Card offer expires December 31st.
Summerfest itself might not be a foodie destination. But did you know that these handy gift cards are good for all sorts of fun things, including tickets to food-based events like Milwaukee Food Truck Fest and Taco Fest, which take place on the Summerfest grounds? Indeed. It’s a gift your food-loving friends will love.
Know someone who would appreciate a year filled with discounts at local bakeries and cafes? This new coupon book would make a great stocking stuffer! The new Wisconsin Bakery & Cafe Book includes 30 locally-owned bakeries, cafes, and coffee shops throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties. Books are $20 and contain 30 opportunities to get $5 off of every $20 purchase at any of the participating venues (up to three times at each location). Even better, a portion of all proceeds from each book sold will be donated to the Wisconsin Bakers Foundation with the goal of raising $20,000 to fund scholarships for individuals pursuing careers in baking and pastry arts. Purchase your Bakery & Cafe Book here ($20).
Cooking classes
Cooking a meal at home is one of life’s greatest joys, especially when you’ve mastered the techniques needed. For those interested in learning a new skill or how to make a new dish, cooking classes can be an amazing gift (and one that keeps on giving). The following venues offer gift cards which can be redeemed for cooking classes. Check out their websites, call or stop in for additional details.
Plants bring life to any home; but edible plants bring even more benefits. Consider these indoor edible garden kits as gifts for anyone who’d appreciate the joy of harvesting something fresh, even during the winter months.
Microgreens are teeny tiny sprouted greens that are packed with both intense flavor and concentrated nutrition. They’re flavorful, versatile and can be added to soups, salads, smoothies, eggs, sandwiches, pizza (and well, just about anything). They’re also easy to grow at home, with first harvest in as little as a week after planting. Each kit contains step-by-step instructions, a reusable growing container and mister and enough soil and seeds for two harvests. Grow kits are available in three assortments: broccoli and radish; purple kohlrabi and turnip; or purple cabbage and kale. Refill kits are also available.
Know a mushroom lover who would get a kick out of growing their own mushrooms at home? River Valley Ranch sells kits which contain everything needed to grow cremini or white button mushrooms.They even provide step-by-step instructions and video tutorials on their site to ensure mushroom growing success. Get them from River Valley Ranch ($22-$32).
This mini indoor herb garden is the perfect gift for a home chef who loves the flavor of fresh herbs all year round. It uses seed cultivars appropriate for indoor use and comes with a timber planter box that’s sized well to fit in a bright window. The Mediterranean kit includes thyme, rosemary and chives. The Culinary herbs kit includes parsley, basil and cilantro. They also come with a money-back guarantee.
Did you know that you can cultivate an endless supply of winter herbs for the kitchen by taking cuttings? You can. In fact, if you happen to know someone who has both a green thumb and a penchant for cooking, this wooden propagation station is the perfect gift. Choose from various types of wood, as well as the positioning of the glass vases. Get it from Camino Woodshop ($20-$42).
‘Tis the season for burning candles. It’s also the season to celebrate. For that reason, I’d argue that this candle is a particularly apt gift. It bears notes of citron, white peach, pineapple, cardamom, jasmine and flint. But, at its core, it smells like a flute of champagne… in other words: delicious. Give this one to your bubbly-loving friend… or anyone who needs a reminder that every day is a reason to celebrate.
These whimsical greeting cards are perfect for the mushroom lover in your life. They’d make the best thank you cards ever… and heck, snail mail is a lost art, so let’s bring all the love notes back! While you’re there, get them the matching notepad or mini notebook too!
Made locally by Milwaukee’s Sugarhouse Leather, these “Let’s Go. Tacos.” coasters are a sure bet for the taco lover in your world. Hand-cut and stamped, these lovely leather coasters develop a lovely patina as they age. Mix up a few of these with the “Shoot it. Tequila.” coasters and you’ve got a set that’s certain to garner a smile from the lucky recipient.
This fruity, woodsy incense from P.F. Candle Co. blew my mind when I purchased it at a gifty shop in De Pere. So when I ran out and found it locally at Orange and Blue Co., I was pretty excited. It smells of fruit, spice and evergreen trees, so it’s perfect for the holidays. Find it at Orange and Blue Co. ($11).
Give them a beautiful bold reminder to Be The Change in the world every single day, while treating them to a home filled with amazing culinary-inspired scents. Choose from spiced honey, black amber and plum (my personal favorite), coconut bamboo or chili pepper and mandarin.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect” (Anais Nin). Maybe I’m old school, but I often keep a notebook on hand in the kitchen to jot down ideas, refine recipes or jot down items that need to make it onto the grocery list. This one is well-built with a heavy weight cardstock cover and chipboard back and its twin loop binding allows it to lie flat for writing. Find it at Swoon ($13).
I don’t know about you, but I miss a few things about summer. One of them is the smell of tomatoes picked fresh from the garden. This soy-based candle from Fern & Nettle burns clean and puts off top notes of lemon peel and tomato leaf, herbal mid-notes and a base of green leaves and moss. Best of all, it’s all but guaranteed to fill someone’s kitchen with that intoxicating aroma. And that’s positively priceless. Get it at Fern & Nettle ($16 for an 8-ounce candle).
Every food lover deserves a gorgeous slate board, which provides a dramatic display (and cool surface) for displaying any number of foodstuffs from fabulous cheeses to appetizers, sushi or sashimi. This gorgeous board made by Brooklyn Slate Co.is lovely and comes in an easy size to store. Bonus? It’s dishwasher safe. Find it at Village Cheese Shop ($39).
Does anyone really need a brie baker? Well, no. But it’s among the little luxury items that make perfect gifts (largely because most people wouldn’t bother purchasing one for themselves). These sleek modern bakers would make a lovely gift for anyone who entertains. At 7″ wide, these ceramic dishes will accommodate an average round of brie or camembert (or even a round of glorious Rush Creek Reserve). It also comes with a wooden spreader for serving. Find it at The Home Market ($32).
Housemade pasta is generally simple to make and it doesn’t require a lot of fancy tools. But as you branch out, there are a few gadgets that make the process easier. Take for instance a gnocchi board, which makes it easy to add all those little grooves which help the pasta to pick up all the delicious sauce. This wooden gnocchi board is not only functional, it’s pretty enough to hang on the wall in the kitchen.
This cheerful design is bound to instill a bit of joy each time the lucky cook lays down their spoon (or puts it away). The hand-thrown and glazed spoon rest is 5″ x 5.5″, so it accommodates just about any utensil. It’s also dishwasher and microwave safe.
I’ve been on the hunt for a great salt cellar for years (currently, my salt resides in a mason jar, which isn’t the most efficient set-up). But I recently came across these gorgeous wooden cellars made from painted sycamore wood and I fell in love. They’re stylish, appropriately sized and boast an inset lid, so it stays put. Other colors are available.
There’s nothing like freshly ground spices. And while I love my mortar and pestle, sometimes I’d prefer to shortcut the process. That’s where the CrushGrind Mill comes in handy. It works great for pepper (or salt); but it also accommodates multiple spices for creating custom blends. It produces grinds from coarse to fine and boasts ceramic parts (with a 25-year warranty), so it’s a solid investment. It’s among the tools every cook should have in their kitchens. Find it at Spice House ($45); local pick-up is available.
Ceramic mugs
For me, mugs serve multiple purposes. I use them as drinking vessels for just about any type of liquid (they keep cool liquids cooler longer than glass). And when they’re filled with coffee, tea or any type of hot liquid, they double as hand-warmers. Handmade ceramic mugs are also a source of joy for me. Every time I pull one out of the cupboard, it makes me smile. I can’t be the only one. Here are some mugs that I think would make remarkable gifts.
These gorgeous mugs are tall and attractive, boasting cheerful blue stripes and a sandy glaze. They’re made by Milwaukee-based maker Covet and Ginger. Find them at Orange & Blue Co. ($42); local pick-up is available.
The contrasting pattern on this Eucalyptus mug made by Indigo Pottery Studio in Georgia is fantastic. The over-sized handle ensures a comfortable grip (and lots of real estate for hand-warming).
The best handwarmers are the mugs without handles. These 8-ounce winter-themed tumblers are among my favorites from local ceramicist Pottery by Jessie, based in Mukwonago. They’re sure to be a go-to choice for coffee, tea and hot chocolate all winter long. Find them on Etsy (set for $120); local pick-up is also available.
Enjoying each moment is a goal to which we should all aspire. And this mug reminds – albeit with tongue-in-cheek messaging – that few things are important enough to get our undies in a bundle about. Made by Gilhouse Pottery in Muskego, you can find this mug in a few different iterations online at the Gilhouse Pottery site, at Pop’s Marketplace or at Vintage Grounds Coffeehouse ($25).
These chic black and white mugs made by Milwaukee-based maker Aaron Zeleske are not only eye-catching, but the coloration varies from mug to mug, ensuring you’ll have a unique set if you purchase more than one. Find them at The Waxwing ($40).
These gorgeous bowls are made from dark stoneware clay with a glazed interior and a beautiful rustic unglazed exterior. They’re the perfect size for a heartwarming bowl of delicious pasta, but they’re shallow enough to make the perfect serving vessel for any number of dishes. Gift them on their own or pair them with a bag of housemade pasta from Semolina pasta shop just down the street. Find them at Ursa ($28).
These handy rocks glasses celebrate Wisconsin’s award-winning cheeses and cheesemakers. Printed right here in Milwaukee, they’d make the perfect gift for any cheese-loving spirits or cocktail lover.
Speaking of cheese… this wine bottle shaped cheese board ($24) would make a great gift unto itself, but it’s fun and easy to spiff it up with items that are perfect for unique cheese pairings. Examples include Nutkrack candied pecans ($15); Quince & Apple pear mostarda ($8) and Indulgence Dark Chocolate Sea Salt bar ($7). Include a patterned cheese knife ($5) to round things out! Find these items at Story Hill BKC Bottle Shop.
These are gifts for the foodies who have everything. They’re little indulgences that will make their everyday lives more delicious. Even better, every time they create something delicious using one of these items, they’ll think of you.
I’d argue that good olive oil is an everyday must-have. But it’s definitely more costly than the grocery store variety. Fortunately, we have Oro di Oliva, an exceptional locally owned olive oil shop, right in our backyard. Here are some of my favorite Oro olive oils.
As extra virgin olive oils are concerned, I have a love affair with the Picual Spanish olive oil, which is gorgeously grassy and a bit peppery with hints of tomato leaf (375 mL for $21).
However, if you want to venture into flavored oil territory, I’d highly recommend the harissa oil, which is spicy, slightly smokey and perfect on so many things from potatoes and salmon to roasted chicken; it plays beautifully with orange zest ($15 for 200 mL). Oro’s rosemary olive oil is another of my go-to’s; it adds an herbal depth to everything it touches, from scrambled eggs to roasted cauliflower ($16 for 200 mL). I’ll also never go back to store bought roasted sesame oil after trying Oro’s. It’s deep and rich and a little goes such an incredibly long way. Try it on popcorn or drizzled over ice cream. Seriously. ($16 for 200 mL). Get them at Oro di Oliva
If you have a friend who cooks, they probably want a bottle of this. But I’ll let you decide for yourself. Here’s what they say about it: “Meet Momofuku Soy Sauce. If you’re used to grocery store soy sauce, you’ve never had anything like this. Our restaurant-grade version is made from organic ingredients and steeped with kombu for 48 hours to unlock a world of depth and flavor.”
Gift the spice loving cocktail lover in your life with this unique flavor enhancer (which can also be used to liven up just about any recipe). Use it to spice up a margarita, negroni, bloody mary or even a cup of hot chocolate. This brandy-based infusion incorporates Bird’s Eye, Scotch Bonnet, Aji Panca and Chiltepin chilis along with cinnamon, Euphrates mint, rosewater and sea salt to create a balanced – but very spicy – flavor bomb. Use with caution. Find at Bittercube Bazaar ($18).
Vine-ripened and hand-harvested in southwestern India, this pepper is complex with notes of red wine and nutmeg. It’s excellent for simple dishes that showcase its remarkable flavor. Think: steak au poivre or cacio e pepe.
It looks festive, but it’s delicious all year round. Santa Salt, named for the red and green colors in the blend, combines the fruity, floral heat of pink peppercorns with organic rosemary. It’s delicious on everything from scrambled eggs and seafood to poultry and pasta. Surprising uses? Try it in a shortbread recipe. Or add some to your next gin & tonic. It’s magical. Find it at Scout Wine Merchants ($8).
The sourdough craze that tipped off in 2020 has made lots of people sourdough curious. This is a gift for that friend who’d love to bake bread (or sourdough pancakes, waffles, English muffins or pizza), but thinks they don’t have time. Get them a jar of this dehydrated sourdough starter (yes, its name is Roy) and a copy of “10-Minute Sourdough: Breadmaking for Real Life” by Vanessa Kimbell. Life-changing. Find the sourdough starter at Ursa ($10).
Know a chocolate lover who also enjoys tinkering with fun DIY projects? These infusion kits from Tabal are available in two sizes in flavors like cacao and cinnamon or cacao and vanilla. They can be used to add flavor to any type of high proof alcohol (vodka, brandy, whiskey, etc) for use in cocktails or baking. A cacao-vanilla old fashioned? Yes, please. Find them at Tabal Chocolate ($10 or $20).
Aprons are utilitarian, but they don’t need to be boring. In fact, this gift-worthy apron is a worthy choice for that strong, fashionable female friend who also happens to kick ass in the kitchen. It comes complete with a convenient front pocket for stashing a towel, oven mitt or other useful items. Get it at The Waxwing ($38)
I also found this amazing hand-sewn “Nightmare Before Christmas” apron, which is just perfect for any Tim Burton fan. After all, folks like us listen to that soundtrack all year round (or at least between October and January). Fits sizes medium to 2XL. Also available in purple.
Every cook needs a great oven mitt (or three); and they’re typically among the most utilitarian (read: boring) items in a kitchen. So why not liven things up with these hilarious, super insulated 100{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} cotton oven mitts made by Blue Q.
Not only will they elicit a smile every time they’re used, 1{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} of the sale of all Blue Q Oven Mitts is donated to hunger relief throughout the world, including malnutrition programs at Doctors Without Borders.
If there’s one thing that has a tendency to wear out in an active kitchen it’s the kitchen towels. That makes them a welcome gift for most cooks. Of course, if you can find towels that are both functional and fun, that’s even better. These fit the bill.
I’m in love with the gorgeous color of this hand-dyed flour sack towel. It’s 100{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} cotton and lint-free, so it’s perfect for drying glassware. It measures 26” x 26”. Additional colors are available.
This towel would be a great fit for any Wisconsin kitchen. This 28” square towel is made of absorbent cotton. Also available in white with green or red print.
These 20” rainbow hued hand-dyed cloth napkins give me an immediate burst of joy. They are made from absorbant finely woven 100{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} cotton, making them perfect for everyday use. A set of six includes one of each color: fuschia pink, aqua teal, sunshine orange, leaf green, royal blue and golden yellow. Get the set from local maker Kilo Delta Designs ($48).
