In this episode, we’re all about gifting, hosting, and guesting for this holiday season. We talk to The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner about her gift ideas for the food lover in your midst.


Dougami Butter Knife

These butter knives are made by a Japanese artist named Sumiko Dougami. Think of a basic butter knife shape but made out of lovely glazed white ceramic with little blue detailing. A really fantastic shop, rikumo.com sells them for $14 each. They are perfect as a stocking stuffer for a good friend or for somebody who maybe you only kind of know. They are the kind of thing that makes the simple act of buttering a piece of bread even more lovely.

Left/Right Hand Work Spoon

Made by a husband and wife team who operate a woodcarving company called Allegheny Treenware. They make this multipurpose wooden spoon out of hardwood that they foraged from the forests of West Virginia. It's got a little bit of a scoop in it to be a spoon and an angled edge with a bit of a point to be a spatula and the best part is that when you order it online, you can choose a right-handed or left-handed version.

Cast Iron Crusaders

Cast Iron Crusaders, has an entire Etsy shop of refurbished cast iron. They source vintage pieces, re-season them and polish for everyday use. It’s a great gift for anybody who's into cooking or even someone who isn't super into cooking but is into food and food history.

Karam’s Garlic Sauce

This is one of the best commercially made sauces to have on hand and don’t be afraid to buy them three or four bottles at a time! Use them as a base for vinaigrettes and marinades in virtually any cuisine that uses garlic. They are made by a small family business based on the west coast. Welcome to the secret cult of Karam's magical garlic sauce! 

Kimchi Bouillon

These Kimchi Soup Bouillons from sugarlab3d.com come packaged almost like chocolate bonbons. You drop them directly into a pot of soup, for a little boost of kimchi. A box of six is $19. They're hilarious and make your cooking fun.

Island Creek Oysters

Island Creek is an oyster producer and distributor that works with small, independent aquaculture farmers up and down the east coast. They ship overnight all over the country. You can't do any better for a holiday gift than giving somebody a whole bunch of super fresh oysters that arrive on their doorstep ready to be shucked and devoured. 

Cookbooks

Tables of Content Community Cookbook

Joanne Lee’s – The Korean Vegan Cookbook


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