Alessi Colo-alto Salad Serving Set [1]
I’m super into this serving set and kept giving it as a gift so I eventually bought myself a set. They’re such beautiful shapes and a good weight and vaguely art deco in a Poirot [2] sort of way.
Strudel, Noodles & Dumplings by Anja Dunk [3]
My vote for the best-looking cookbook of 2018, it is also super charming and I’ve liked what I’ve made from it—it is a cool little world.
The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson [4]
Really epic Nordic baking book covering basically everything. It feels like part cookbook and part travel journal. Bryan and I made a vow that we would visit all of the Nordic nations and this is inspiring us to plan our next trip. Also, I am into the photography.
A really great product from a really great company. Support businesses like Sana’s! You can make some Turmeric Millet-Nola [6] with it and give that as gifts.
I was feeling a little spendy when I bought this, and like all of Aesop’s products it is an extravagance, but it is a beautiful object and a handsome way to diffuse fragrance.
Selfie Stick [8]
Make fun of me all you want, my friends certainly do, but I love my selfie stick. We bought it for our trip to Iceland because we knew we’d be all alone in nature with nobody to snap our pics. This particular model (which I highly recommend!) transforms into a tripod and has a remote. It leads to even better photos for you to post on Instagram. Who cares what people think!
Linen Napkins [9]
LA’s Gjusta is the most beautiful place to eat (my kingdom for one of their baklava croissants!) and last year they opened a little shop next door where you can buy things like these quality linen napkins.
IKEA Bowl [10]
Every yearly trip to IKEA I seem to find one thing I am excited about and recently it was this footed ceramic bowl (or SJÄLVSTÄNDIG, as they call it). I like it for chips or bread but it also looks cool just hanging out.
Normal People by Sally Rooney [11]
The best thing I read all year—an instant favorite. It is even better than Conversations with Friends which I didn’t think possible. Rooney is such a talent and I think about Connell and Marianne, the two central characters of this book, all of the time. This isn’t out in the US until April so you’ll need to order from the UK, making this a very special gift indeed.
Fancy aprons are kind of stupid but so am I so I bought this from one of my favorite British designers. I love it. It has a slick cut complete with an avant-garde pocket. I like to imagine that Nigel Slater also has one.
Wick Scissors [13]
Talk about a unitasker! But I really love using this weird little device. The cut candle wick gets scooped up in the clever design and you can flick it in the garbage, saving your fingers from soot. The scissors are also satisfyingly goth. Though I guess so are sooty fingers. Your call.
Gardetto’s Party
A bag of Gardetto’s is the perfect gift for anyone. But the best gift is a family sized bag of Gardetto’s along with a bag of the rye chips (did you know they sell a bag of just the rye chips?!). Bust them both into a bowl and mix them up. The perfect proportions of the best snack mix are now yours!
This candle smells like you are using muscle cream near a bonfire, which basically summarizes my olfactory preferences. I’ll be burning this all winter.