The winter holiday shopping season is here. In past years (2023, 2022), we've told you where to find great…
- Comales (Chamba)
- Vietnamese coffee brewing kits (Nguyen Coffee Supply)
- Panettone (Gucci)
- Pie Pans (Milk Street)
- Recycling subscriptions (Ridwell)
- Chef-style pants (Meals Clothing)
- Cell phone cases (Bailey Hikawa)
- THC edibles (Rose Delights)
- Microplanes (Microplane.com)
- Vanilla Paste (Heilala)
- Table linens (OEuvre Sensibles)
- Granola (Bearclaw Kitchen)
- Vodka (Tito's)
In 2024, the Good Food team — host Evan Kleiman and producers Gillian Ferguson, Laryl Garcia, and Elina Shatkin — has reassembled like a Transformers to select more fabulous and loosely food-themed gifts.
THINGS TO EAT & DRINK
This almadraba tuna is canned using Arbequina de Castillo de Canena's extra virgin olive oil. Photo via Rainbow Tomatoes Garden
Gueyu Mar Morillo de Atún (Grilled Tuna Neck in Oil)
$68
At some point during my intense tinned fish buying, I splashed out on this can of gorgeous grilled Spanish "red" tuna after it was recommended by Saltie Girl owner Kathy Sidell. The can was $70. I don't spend on shoes, wine or truffles so this was my splurge. It is an exceptional eating experience. The meat is rich and tender in a delicious EVOO. I ate some right out of the can with crackers and used the rest in a simple pasta preparation. Almadraba is the ancient fishing technique that is still used to catch migrating Bluefin Tuna in the strait of Gibraltar. Highly prized fish that often are bought by Japanese buyers. —EK
Passion fruit! Photo by Elina Shatkin/KCRW
Passion Fruit from Rincon Tropics
$68 - $85
Is there a more on brand gift for Good Food's Market Report correspondent? I think not. During the pandemic, farmer Nick Brown began a mail order business, sending passion fruit, avocados, citrus, and cherimoyas around the country. He allows his passion fruit to mature on the vine in Carptineria's temperate coastal climate, which translates to juicy, full-flavored fruit. They're one of the few seasonal items from the Santa Monica Farmers Market that can be shipped without detriment. Don't expect fancy packaging (the fruit often arrives in a USPS box with a handwritten label) but the aroma when you open the box is sure to ease the winter doldrums. My biggest tip is to leave the fruit on your counter until it's wrinkled and ugly. That's when the acid drips and the flavor peaks. —GF
Lobsta rolls from Luke's Lobster. Photo courtesy of Luke's Lobster
Luke's Lobster Lobster Roll Bundle - Serves 4
$169
I first tried Luke's Lobster more than a decade ago. They're still among the best lobster rolls I've ever eaten. So I was excited when Luke's recently opened a shop in Santa Monica. What's even more exciting is you can splurge on a DIY box that includes flash-frozen lobster meat, buns, and seasoning. It's got everything you'll need except the butter (or mayo). —ES
Cheese, glorious cheese! Photo via Lady & Larder
Lady & Larder Monthly Cheese Club
$87-118
So you like cheese, eh? Each month, twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms, the founders of Lady & Larder in Santa Monica, will select "their favorite artisanal cheeses of the moment" and send them to your home. As a bonus, you're supporting the future of American cheesemaking. —ES
Non's salted raspberry and chamomile, toasted cinnamon and yuzu, and stewed cherry and coffee non-alcoholic wines. Photo via Non
NON, a non-alcoholic wine alternative
$30
If you need a hostess gift this holiday season, this is my pick. Non is the latest entry to the growing field of non-alcoholic wine alternatives, and it is the best I've tasted thus far. I first learned about it from Nicole Rucker, who stocks it in the pantry section at her Culver City location of Fat + Flour. When Nicole brought NON1, a riff on rosé that blends salted raspberries with Egyptian chamomile and verjus, to our cookbook club gathering, I overheard the wine specialist in our group raving about it. Since then I've also picked up NON2, which uses pears, kombu, and black tea to get you closer to a funky orange wine, and the bright and tart NON3, which gets its pep from dehydrated oranges, yuzu, and cinnamon. If you don't believe me, you can believe the beverage directors at n/naka, Providence, and Bell's, which all pour Non at their restaurants. The packaging is also gorgeous, and at $30 the price is just right to bring to a dinner party. —GF
Get spicy this holiday season with Penzey's. Photo via Penzeys
$60
Penzeys is the little spice company that could. This year, for the first time ever, the company has created an advent calendar filled with 24 trial-size packets of its most popular seasonings. That includes smoked paprika, Turkish oregano, granulated garlic, and vanilla sugar as well as spice blends such as its Sandwich Sprinkle, Frozen Pizza Seasoning, Mural of Flavor, and Pasta Sprinkle. —ES
THINGS FOR YOUR HOME
These linen bags are super cute. Photo via Ambrosia Linen Refrigerator Bags
Ambrosia Linen Refrigerator Bags
$28-30
If you're like me you are in a constant race to use up those vegetables and berries before they become fodder for the compost heap. I've tried many ways of winning this race. These Ambrosia Linen Refrigerator Bags may turn out to be the winner. After you wash your veggies, they go into the unbleached linen bags while still wet and the bag absorbs the moisture, keeping them in decent condition for longer. There are specific instructions for berries. The bags come in various sizes and have a sturdy zip closer. You just need to launder them every couple of weeks. —EK
She shoots, she scores. Photo via Ototo
Ototo Dunk N' Egg Yolk Separator
$15
Didn't make it as a pro baller? Live out your LeBron James/Caitlin Clark dreams in the kitchen with this mini basketball hoop that helps you crack eggs. —ES
Beautiful enough to eat. Photo via Rosemary Home
Italian Alabaster Hand Painted Fruit
$36
The name pretty much says it all. These small (2" to 3"), pretty trinkets sold by Rosemary Home are a fun way to brighten up your life. —ES
Bottoms up, whether it's coffee, tea, or a plum vinegar shrub. Photo via KCRW
KCRW's The Last Radio Station Milk Glass Mug
$60
Self-promotional? Yes. The perfect size mug for sipping holiday eggnog while trimming the tree or listening to your weird uncle recount his hippie youth (again)? Also, yes. —LG
Life is a little more elegant with this JB Blunk pitcher. Photo via JB Blunk
$170-$700
I knew of JB Blunk, the late California artist, primarily through the photos I'd seen of his house in Inverness, which he built by hand from salvaged timber in the mid 20th century. (The image of his bathroom sink, hand carved from a single piece of cypress, is worth looking up.) Only recently did I learn that his daughter, Mariah Nielson, oversees a small product line of homewares inspired by Blunk's original designs. I discovered the line in Paris of all places, when I stumbled into WE DO NOT WORK ALONE, a tiny design shop run by a powerhouse trio of women. The shop partners with artists and estates to commission limited editions of functional objects, and their latest collaboration is a stoneware reproduction of a soy sauce pitcher that JB Blunk designed around 1975. It was in the Marais, in this sliver of a showroom, that I first spied Blunk's walnut salad servers, double arched cutting board and ceramic cups, all of which are produced by small artisans in California. Did I regret not buying the Sun Moon bracelet that was also on display? Yes. But the estate just launched a line of unisex rings with Los Angeles jewelry designer J. Hannah that are available through December 31st, and I won't be mad if Santa drops one in my stocking. —GF
What sprites and spirits hide in these velvet shrooms? Photo via Anthropologie
$24-$68
The Velvet Mushroom sounds like a trippy, retro nightclub I'd love to visit but since it only exists in my imagination, these cute decorative mushrooms will have to do. Anthropologie sells them in a variety of colors and three sizes: small (7" high), large (11" high), and extra large (14" high). I like the XL best. If you want to serve forest elf realness, go big. —ES
Behind bars and under cold, frosty glasses. Photo via Judy Maxwell Home
$6.50
Judy Maxwell Home is a fantastic tchotchke shop in Chicago. Named after a character in the 1972 Peter Bogdanovich movie What's Up, Doc?, it's owned by actress Joan Cusack and stocked with all sorts of cool things, like these coasters featuring the mugshots of various celebrities. In our home, we have David Bowie, Prince, and Mick Jagger. But don't stop there. You can also pick up Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Jane Fonda, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Depp, Donald Trump, among other famous folks. —ES
Smell better with this soap. Photo via Perfumer H
A Feast, Nigel Slater's collaboration with Perfumer H
$35-$560
Behind the scenes at Good Food, we've been talking a lot about scent. We've even been daydreaming of launching our own Good Food candle. So when I saw that UK food writer Nigel Slater recently launched a collaboration with Lyn Harris, the classically trained British perfumer behind Perfumer H, I was intrigued. Slater's food writing is evocative, bordering on poetry. He is one of the few writers who can get away with recipe titles like "a fragrant winter breakfast." He describes himself as "a cook who writes," but really he is a master of paying attention, so if I were to take a chance on one fragrance this holiday season it would be some incense, a candle or a bar of soap from Slater's first ever product line, A Feast. The description reads, "Notes of neroli and cardamom mingle with clove, sandalwood and birch tar in this evocative blend of warmth and spices." What could be more festive than that? —GF
This is the best grill-cleaning brush we've found. Photo via Grill Rescue
$30
This might be the unsexiest but most practical gift on this list. I discovered it while barbecuing at a friend's house last summer. Supposedly invented by firemen, it's some kind of industrial-strength foam sponge that you dip in warm water and, after you've turned off the flames but while your grill is still hot, you rub it on the grates to get rid of icky, sticky bits. It works better than any other grill brush we've tried and it doesn't leave any tiff, wire bristles in your grill. Plus, you can take the sponge off the handle and pop it in the dishwasher once in a while to clean it. —ES
THINGS FOR YOUR GARDEN
Spread your seeds with this seed cannon. Photo via Fredericks and Mae
$14
I spotted these Fredericks and Mae wildflower seed cannons in one of Samin Nosrat's Instagram stories and immediately stocked up for stocking stuffers and kid birthday presents. The canons come beautifully wrapped, and are filled with confetti studded with black-eyed susan, cockscomb, and sesame flower seeds. They let out a loud pop when you open them, scattering seeds all over the garden. I can't imagine a more wholesome gift! —GF
THINGS FOR YOUR STYLISH SELF
Soften the cracked, chapped skin on your hands. Photo via TONYMOLY
$12
I encountered the TONYMOLY line of hand creams during a sneak peek of Hallyu! The Korean Wave at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Housed in peach, strawberry, apple, and mango-shaped containers, these little hand creams are perfect stocking stuffers and are made with fruit extracts and shea butter to get those chapped, winter digits back in shape. Very demure, very mindful. —LG
This forager print comes in a few different styles. Photo via Samantha Pleet
$180-$290
Right now, designer Samantha Pleet is offering what she calls the Forager print, which features pears, pumpkins (I think), snap peas, oysters, and all sorts of flowers. In addition to this pleated, spaghetti-strap, cotton dress, you can get the print in a leotard, a puff-sleeve corset top, and a pair of wide leg pants. —ES
This Jenny Lemons barrette looks good enough to eat. Photo via Jenny Lemons
Jenny Lemons Charcuterie Board French Barrette
$24
Jenny Lemons barrettes come in all shapes and sizes from croissants to hot dogs to rainbow chard. But this clip in particular? At heart, she's still an eight-year-old girl who loves whole muscle cured meats and stinky cheese. —LG
All you need is a carrot-shaped purse and an onion handbag and you'd have a mirepoix accessory trio. Photo via Moschino
$4,995
Jeremy Scott brought the fun to Moschino with his TV dinner clutch and Joy dish soap couture bag. New creative director Adrian Appiolaza maintains that tongue-in-cheek vibe for your favorite farmers market enthusiast who has everything. It's the most you'll ever pay for a stalk of celery. —LG
THINGS TO READ
Many of us have dreamed of moving abroad. Steve Hoffman actually did it. Photo via Penguin Random House
$30
Steve Hoffman's memoir of his family's sojourn in the south of France is blisteringly self aware. It's a tale of how we perceive ourselves, what we hang on to and what we let go of in order to truly grow. Such an enjoyable read. You can also hear Steve in his own words on Good Food. —EK
Take a moment to appreciate your refrigerator. Photo via Penguin Random House
Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves
$30
One of my favorite interviews this year was Evan's conversation about refrigeration with podcaster and author Nicola Twilley. Chock-full of research and fun anecdotes (who knew bananas have their own ripening room in NYC?), Twilley's historical record reminds us how much we take that cold box in the kitchen for granted. —LG
Poetry in motion. Photo via Clockshop
Everything Is All Very Nice: Selected Writings from Elysian
$25
These poems by David Thorne were originally embedded in emails that went out regularly from the restaurant to Elysian diners, fans, and haters. From my introduction to the volume: "Food is a medium through which some of us find home, figure shit out and find connection. David Thorne, the cook and the poet, shows that process to us through his work. For me he finds the essential that lives in this insane moment of struggle and hedonistic pleasure, of not enough food and enough money to literally buy it all." Everything Is All Very Nice is perfect for that restaurant worker in your life. —EK
Food for your ears, and your mind. Photo via Chronicle Books
Taste in Music: Eating on Tour with Indie Musicians
$28
This is a great gift for both the music nerds and the foodies in your life. Put together by Alex Bleeker (of Real Estate) and food and travel journalist Luke Pyenson (formerly of Frankie Cosmos), the book features behind-the-scenes stories from people including Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü, Sasami Ashworth of SASAMI, Mark Ibold of Pavement, Amelia Meath of Sylvan Esso, and Lily Chait, the touring chef for boygenius and Phoebe Bridgers, among others. —ES
Explore the joys of living with other people. Photo via Spiegel and Grau
Group Living and Other Recipes
$28
It's a book and food is the glue but Lola Milholland's Group Living is definitely not a cookbook. Milholland looks at the way lives merge and flow past one another in a quest for stability within a chosen family, an endeavor that's at the heart of many modern lives. This is a rich work as she asks what home looks like within a framework of personal memory, parental utopian ideals, and her own ethical concerns. It's entertaining and will make you think about how you're living your life. Lola was also a guest on Good Food. —EK
THINGS TO PLAY WITH
Warning: You might get hungry while you put this together. Photo via Le Puzz
$32
Le Puzz makes some of my favorite food puzzles with subjects ranging from fruit to diner fare to breakfast to a full fridge. This 500-piece puzzle features lots of food spilling and tipping over… only not in IRL, just in puzzle form. — ES