What to buy for your favorite cook
Pssst....could just be you.
What should you get for someone who likes to cook? It’s one of my favorite questions, because there are so many ways to add a little joy—and extra flavor—to their cooking routine.
But if you’re the cook in question here, and the regular recipient of this newsletter, you may need to forward this to whoever may be purchasing gifts for you…
A really good cookbook
Every guest on The Dinner Plan podcast mentions their most beloved, most-cooked-from titles. I’ve built a list here on Bookshop to gather all of the cookbook recommendations in one place. I highly recommend starting your shopping there.
Here’s another list gathering together cookbooks written by all the podcasts guests so far.
To add to the above, here are a few more 2024 releases I’m loving these days:
Bayou by Melissa M. Martin
Our South by Ashleigh Shanti
Đặc Biệt by Nini Nguyen
Plantas by Alexa Soto
Kalaya’s Southern Thai Kitchen by Nok Suntaranon
Crumbs: Cookies and Sweets from Around the World by Ben Mims
Book links and some of the links below are affiliate links; I may earn a small commission on your purchase, which helps keep this free newsletter going.
Fun vintage tableware
If you’ve ever been to my house, you know I love weird old silver. The weirder the better. Think forks in wild shapes and spoons with very specific purposes. You can peek at my wishlist / recommendations for silver here; note some options are sterling and others are plated. I also saved a few vintage plates and serving dishes on this list, plus candle holders for the dinner table. (Prices vary)
Okume dashi
This dashi comes in what’s essentially a tea bag, which makes for easy prep on the stove. After you’ve extracted your dashi, you can open the bag and toast up the contents with a little soy sauce, mirin, and sake to make superlative furikake. ($22-$49)
Anchovies Enamelware Oval Tray
This Mur by Ayca serving tray is perfect for entertaining; you could pair it with a stash of special tinned fish (these anchovies are terrific) from Rainbow Tomatoes Gardens. (Buy for $36)
Fridge dry erase boards
These simple, erasable, magnetic write-on boards revolutionized my cooking and planning. I use one for my weekly meal plan, and another for my prep list and full menu when I’m having people over, so I don’t forget to grab the sauce or toppings or even a side dish from the fridge in the frenzy of it all. ($19 for 4)
Potluck gochujang
If you’ve only grabbed a tub of gochujang from the supermarket, you’re in for a treat. This small-batch version is a whole different beast: smoky and intricate in flavor, savory and layered with warmth. Gorgeous, giftable packaging too. (Buy for $16, also available in a $32 combo with their ssamjang)
East Fork coupe plates
These plates (blates?), which I bought last year, instantly made my dinner parties feel more elegant. I have a limited edition color from an earlier season, and I wish I’d splurged for a few more for bigger gatherings. But even simple Tuesday night food feels restaurant-worthy when served in a big curved plate like this. ($184 for 4)
Il Buco Vita salt cellar
I love how this fancy Italian salt cellar has room for storage and a little spot to grab from. (Buy for $89)
Masienda’s Pura Macha
Having a jar of salsa macha around means you can add nutty, crunchy heat to whatever you’re eating: roasted or raw vegetables, leftover rotisserie chicken, a bowl of beans, or your morning eggs. I like Masienda’s Pura Macha Sweet Heat, which is smoky and fruit and roasty, thanks to a combination of dried cherries, cacao nibs and chipotle and guajillo chiles. (Buy for $14)
A print by Molly Reeder
Molly Reeder’s artwork captures the diaphanous petals of radicchio, and the moonscape of an oyster shell. I can’t imagine better prints to hang in your kitchen or breakfast nook. (Prices vary, around $57 for 8 x 10)
Curry pastes and more from Little Trúc or Kitiya Thai Eats
While grocery store jars and cans of Thai curry paste can be serviceable, it makes a huge difference to start with fresher lemongrass, galangal, chiles, and lime leaves. But that doesn’t mean you always need to wait until you can make curry paste yourself from scratch. Having fresh curry pastes from Little Trúc in your fridge or freezer is such an amazing way to kickstart a meal. Grab panang, massaman, laksa paste, and some roasted chili oil while you’re at it. (Buy for $13-14)
Another Thai staple I’ve been enjoying: the fresh and bright-tasting nam jim ped from San Francisco-based Kitiya Ditpare Homs of Kitiya Thai Eats. Crack open the jar for a blast of cilantro, a serrano kick, and the thrum of garlic; it’s dippable as-is, so you can serve it with grilled meats or crunchy spring rolls, but it’s also great to add savory complexity to a sauce or dressing, or to marinate chicken or seafood. Kitiya Thai Eats offers various curry pastes as well. (Buy for $14-16)
Dandelion hot chocolate
It’s rare for hot cocoa to be made from truly good chocolate, which is why I’m obsessed with the gorgeous glass jars from San Francisco’s Dandelion. I’d skip most of the flavored options, though; the fabulous house version lets the character of the single-origin Ecuadorian chocolate shine through. (Buy for $18)
Kagura No Sato yuzu kosho
This organic yuzu kosho, sold by The Japanese Pantry, can add a pop of flavor to grilled fish or chicken or roasted squash or broccoli. (You can hear about more ways to use it on my recent podcast episode with Sonoko Sakai.) The red version is my favorite; bright and tart, warming but not incendiary, with good chili flavor—but the green adds a really nice vegetal note that’s especially lovely with raw seafood. (Buy for $19)
Zingerman’s sweets
I’d buy a Zingerman’s Christmas Goodies Gift Box just to get Zingerman’s peppermint bark, which is notably thin and crisp and not too sweet. But it’s nice to have the whole assortment—the spiced pecans went fast in my household. (Buy for $100)
3-year aged doubanjiang
If there’s one ingredient that improved my weeknight dinners this year, it’s this fabulous aged Sichuan chili bean paste. It’s essential for fantastic mapo tofu, but a touch can improve pretty much any savory dish. I normally wouldn’t mention something that’s out of stock, but this stuff is worth signing up for an email notification for.
Those prints by Molly Reeder are gorgeous! And I’m with you on the weird vintage silverware - so cool. Great ideas here!