posts by Katie
One of my best friends has a great story about going on a date with a guy who was an annoying know-it-all all night, acting like he was much more sophisticated than she was, bragging about where he’d traveled, boasting about his foodie pedigree, that kind of thing. At the end of the insufferable evening, he topped it off by ordering the “pot de creme”- pronounced “paht dee creem,” rather than the more traditional “poh duh crehm,” thus redeeming the awful date by giving her a fun story to tell for all eternity.
So yes, pots de creme may seem a little…fussy. But I cannot get over how cute these little pots are. They have the classic lion’s head accent, and each hold two ounces. They’re dishwasher safe, microwave safe, and oven safe to 350 degrees.
And at $13.96 for a SET OF TWELVE, I will FIND reasons to use them. Chocolate pudding! Creme brulee! Really tiny portions of soup! Serving dips and condiments at a party! Heck, I’d use one on my bedside table to hold my rings at night.
If, like me, you’re eying the upcoming wedding season with some trepidation, I’d also note that they’d make an excellent classy-looking, not-too-expensive shower gift.
Set of twelve pots de creme pots, $13.96 on sale at Sur La Table.
This is a cookie scoop:
It is used for, among other things, scooping cookie dough into nice even balls and then releasing it onto baking sheets.
If you had told me five years ago that I would own a cookie scoop, I would have scoffed. Had you told me that I would be writing to sing its praises to other people, I would have guffawed.
Yet here we are.
A cookie scoop is one of those things that seems unnecessary and ridiculous. How hard is it to use a spoon to scoop up cookie dough and make it into nice-shaped balls? Use a soup spoon! Heck, use your tablespoon measure if you want! Who would waste $14 on a device like this?
Well, full disclosure: I didn’t, and I probably never would have owned a cookie scoop had it not been for a spot of good luck. I got mine for free from a restaurant that was going out of business. We knew the owners and after the place closed, they let us come in and take some of their old kitchenware before they sold it for pennies on the dollar at an auction. This is also how I came to own: my favorite pot (All Clad!) my offset spatula, two frying pans, and oil and vinegar cruets. Should you be lucky enough to know the owners of a going-out-of-business restaurant, I highly recommend telling them earnestly that you’re sorry the business didn’t work out, then raiding their kitchen.
And after I got the cookie scoop (which, by the way, would also make a very nice ice cream scoop for making small-size portions, if one were into that sort of thing, which I am not,) I let it languish in my drawer for many months, not thinking to use it even when I was making cookies.
But then I discovered the New York Times Overnight Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe From the Heavens. People, have you tried these cookies? Oh my stars, they are THE COOKIE. If you haven’t made them yet, I highly recommend you do so immediately. Ignore the part where it says you need $8 feves instead of chocolate chips- I use the Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips and they are AMAZING.
Well, this chocolate chip cookie recipe requires you to refrigerate dough for 36 hours. And after 36 hours, dough is really hard to scoop. Plus, the recipe requires huge portions of dough- the size of a golf ball. I struggled and complained as I tried to do it with a spoon, and was about to give up, when I remembered my large cookie scoop…voila! No more wrist-breaking effort and misshapen cookies.
So, if you are making large cookies, particularly those that spend a lot of time in the fridge before scooping: you might want to invest in one of these. If you are looking for a “signature recipe” for bake sales and the like, I highly recommend that this be it, and that you buy a cookie scoop.
So, do I need a cookie scoop?
Verdict: if you want to make the best chocolate chip cookies ever, yes. If you hate perfect cookies, you can probably skip it.
Oxo Large Cookie Scoop, $12.99 at amazon.
(Hey! It seems those gift guides really wore us out! It’s mid-January already! How the eff did that happen? Moving on.)
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At this time of year, I always feel ready to scale it back a little, food-wise. I try to eat more fresh food to make up for the holiday gorging on cookies and candy (this year I made approximately 842 salted caramels, of which I gave away approximately 300 and ate approximately 542).
But let’s be honest, shall we? While there are days when I want to lovingly chop hand-selected organic vegetables for a brown rice and tofu stir fry, there are other nights when I get home and I really want to order a pizza.
For those nights, I find it’s good to have a few shortcuts and tricks at the ready. I’m not talking Sandra Lee’s semi homemade (shudder) – just some pantry staples that make it possible for me to step away from the takeout menus and make something relatively healthy.
This is one of my best weapons:
This is Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, and it is insanely delicious. It tastes bright and acidic and almost citrusy, with a gentle bit of heat. I get it in the “international foods” aisle of my supermarket. (Frontera is a well-known Mexican restaurant in Chicago run by Iron Chef Master Rick Bayless, so it’s possible this is easier to find in the Chicago area. But if you can find it, I highly recommend you buy it immediately.)
Allow me to share with you its ingredient list:
Ingredients: Tomatillos, tomatoes, filtered water, onions, serrano chiles, cilantro, garlic, salt, evaporated cane juice, spices.
Look at that! I can pronounce all of those things! I could buy them all individually and make this myself! Except I don’t have to, because Rick Bayless has done it for me!
I use this salsa a zillion ways. One of my favorites is to stir it in at the last minute to a bunch of scrambled eggs, then serve with tortillas (or wheat toast) for a quick Mexican breakfast-for-dinner. Or I sautee an onion and carrot and celery, add a can of drained black beans and 4 cups of water, simmer it for 45 minutes or so, then swirl in a huge dollop of this stuff. Voila! Soup! I’ve even been known to spread it on sandwiches with cheese and avocado and tomato and pop it in the panini press for a super delicious twist on grilled cheese. Or I whisk together a dollop of this with a dollop of fat free greek yogurt or sour cream to make an awesome salad dressing for a taco-style salad.
Sometimes, I like to make my own salsa. For dipping chips, there’s nothing better, in my mind, than a freshly-chopped pico de gallo. But for a super-versatile, delicious, and healthy way to season foods quickly, this salsa is well worth checking out.
Frontera Tomatillo Salsa, $4.95 for 16 oz, at grocery stores and at FronteraKitchens.com
Is there a beauty products junkie in your life? She’s sure to appreciate any of these classic, useful beauty gifts. They make great stocking stuffers, too! (Since we’re getting down to the wire, from here on out the gift guides will feature items that are easy to find in-person, not just online, so you can run out and get one on your lunch break. You’re welcome!)
Clinique Quickliner for Eyes
Line with one side, smudge with the other. Comes in amazing colors, and much nicer quality than a lot of those drug store brands.
Quickliner, $14.50 at Clinique counters
Rosebud Salve
I put this magic product in my mom and sister’s stockings one year, and now they get mad if I don’t do it every year. A perfect lip balm that also works great on dry skin, and to tame flyaways, and a million other uses.
Rosebud Salve, $5.59 at Drugstore.com and drugstores everywhere
Tweezerman Mini
Tread carefully or you risk of sending a “wow, your eyebrows are super bushy!” message with this one. But if you know she plucks already, you can’t beat the gold standard of tweezers.
Tweezerman Mini, $10-$12 at Ulta, Sephora and elsewhere
Fancy Hair Minis
My sister once got me a bunch of travel-sized bottles of fancy hair products I would have been too chicken to try myself. GREAT gift. Recommended: Ojon dry shampoo (pictured); Fekkai products.
Ojon travel-sized dry shampoo, $10 at Sephora
Laura Mercier Hand Cream
Everyone needs hand cream at this time of year. This is way nicer than the stuff she buys herself. It goes on smooth, absorbs quickly, and smells divine. (I recommend the Almond Coconut scent.)
Hand Cream, $15 at Bloomingdales and at department stores
There’s one in every family- the person who has hard-to-predict taste, who already has everything, the one who is just impossible to shop for. If you can’t give them something that will make their life complete, you can at least try to make them smile.
Gin & Titonic Ice Cube Trays
Hah! Gin and Titonic! Get it? TiTONIC? Hilarious! (Jokes aside, these ice cubes are pretty cute. And if the family gathering gets a little stressful, you can put them right to work.)
Ice Cube Trays, $6 at Perpetual Kid
Presto Cheese Slicer
Elegant, useful design is ALWAYS a welcome gift. Perfect for cheese lovers, design-lovers, and those who will feel gratified that you thought they’d appreciate a gift that’s also featured in the permanent collection at MOMA. Bonus: many, many opportunities for “who cut the cheese” jokes. Presto!
Cheese slicer, $5 at MOMA Store
Please Please Me (Remastered)
The newly digitally-remastered versions of all the Beatles albums really do sound different- clearer and crisper- than the original cd releases. Start someone off on collecting the new versions with the great 1st album- or pick what you think might be their favorite. Who can object to the Beatles? No one, that’s who.
Remastered Beatles Albums, $12.99 on Amazon
Dog Costume
Does your impossible-to-buy-for someone happen to have a small dog? Will you please buy them this? Please? And then send me pictures? Thank you.
Dog Rudolph Costume, $10 on etsy
Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup
These are so unexpected and so, so lovely. Put one in the bottom of a glass of champagne for an elegant, delicious daytime cocktail. Unusual items like this are perfect for hard-to-shop-for folks. Plus, they’re tasty.
Hibiscus Flowers, $11 at Wildhibiscus.com
Hopefully, next year, these people will give us some suggestions or a wish list or something. This is exhausting.
Someone in your life home for the holidays? Give them something that will make them the hit of the dorm when they go back for second semester.
Spilt Milk Cereal Bowl
This adorable bowl looks like it has milk spilling over the sides. But it’s not just clever- is nice and deep, perfect for late night bowls of cereal or microwaved macaroni and cheese. Plus, it’s silicone, so it’s easy to clean and won’t break when its thrown in a box for storage over the summer.
Silicone cereal bowl, $13.99 at Perpetual Kid
Pick your nose paper cups
What’s better than cheap beer in your dorm room with friends? Cheap beer consumed out of ridiculous paper cups with hilarious noses! I call dibs on one with a mustache!
Pick your nose cups, $10.75 at Amazon
Red Vines Tub
I ate an unholy amount of these in college. A tub of these in your room = instant visitors. Probably best reserved for those traveling back to campus by car, so as to avoid overweight bag fees.
Red Vines 4-lb Tub, $10.66 on Amazon
Wood Grain Magnet Strips
Those quilted flower-fabric bulletin boards are SO 1990s. Try something sleeker and more modern for hanging those embarrassing pictures of her Saturday-night antics.
Magnetic Strips with 6 super-strong magnets, $8 at Velocity Art and Design
Caladium Bowl
This lovely bowl is just made for sitting on a dresser. Perfect for storing rings, hair bands, or quarters for the laundry.
Caladium Bowl, $7.95 (on sale from $16) at Anthropologie
Aw, teenager. You’re so sullen. Cheer up! Here are some presents!
We Love Colors Tights
Would you have wanted it in the 80s? Do the pictures of you wearing it in the old days mortify you now? Perfect. That’s what she wants. These tights come in 51 amazing colors, including neons. Get a couple, secure your “cool aunt” status.
Tights, $8 each, at We Love Colors
Mixtape Headphone Winder
Use this little gadget to keep those pesky headphone cords at bay. Sure, he never owned a cassette tape, but that doesn’t mean he can’t appreciate irony.
Headphone Winder, $8 at Fred Flare
Acoustic Amplifier
This super-cool contraption amplifies the sound from your iPhone just by the shape of the plastic, using good old-fashioned physics. Excellent as a speaker for carrying with you in a backpack, or for those who are battery-phobic. (Via Maggie)
Griffin Acoustic Amplifier, $14.99 at Amazon
Sharpie Mini Marker Set
Allows her to doodle her initials with those of her crush in many delicious colors. Everyone loves new art supplies.
Sharpie Mini Markers, $11.73 at Amazon
DIY Duct Tape Wallet Kit
Imagine how cool she’ll feel when someone inquires after her badass wallet and she can say nonchalantly “oh, this old thing? I made it.”
Duct Tape Wallet Kit, $9.99 at Amazon
They ARE difficult- to shop for, to relate to, to endure- but we do love them, don’t we?
You know what would be really great? If someone I didn’t know that well, or who was at a loss for what to give me, skipped the slippers and just got me something really delicious instead. Some suggestions:
Vosges Minis
Vosges chocolate comes in outrageous and crazy-delicious flavors like Naga (with curry and coconut) and Bacon (with, um, bacon). I highly recommend the Barcelona (with sea salt and almonds). With this, you can create your own set and give someone 6 different flavors for a very friendly price.
Mix n’ Match Minis, $12.50 for 6 at Vosges
Quince & Apple Shallot Confit
“Onion jam?” you ask? Oh yes. Spread this on some bread with tomato slices and sharp cheddar cheese for the most insanely delicious grilled cheese sandwhich of your life. Or, if you’re a traditionalist, serve with a big bloody steak. Either way: delicious.
Shallot Confit with Red Wine by Quince & Apple, $5.99 at Foodzie
Moravian Spice Cookies
Crispy, spicy, and addictively delicious. No one will care one bit that your signature Christmas cookies aren’t homemade.
Moravian Spice Cookies, $13 at Amazon
Passionfruit Vinegar
Oh my god. This vinegar is insane. Make a light vinaigrette for a salad of greens and fruit, use it to dress some fresh strawberries or, my favorite, drizzle it straight onto some grilled fish. Interesting, unusual, and delicious (and, at this price, a STEAL.)
A L’Olivier PAssionfruit Vinegar, $14.97 at Amazon
Beeline Honey
This honey has it all: great packaging, small-batch production, and the knowledge that you’re supporting a great cause. (Beeline products are made by participants in a workforce training program for ex-offenders who are trying to reenter the workforce. Cool, right?)
Beeline honey, 12 oz jar, $9 at Beeline Store
Yum.
At this time of year, it seems every weekend brings at least one cocktail party, open house, or gift exchange. Distinguish yourself from all the guests who show up with a mediocre $10 bottle of wine with one of these fine hostess gift options:
Bamboo Serving Spoon and Fancy Pasta Sauce
Stock up on these nice-looking spoons- a total steal at only 95 cents each- and tie them to a nice jar of pasta sauce with a pretty ribbon for a different, delicious gift. I’m partial to Lucini pasta sauces (available at Whole Foods and other grocery stores) for this purpose. Beautiful packages, all natural, and delicious. Trifecta.
Bamboo Serving Spoon, .95 each at Crate and Barrel
French Sea Salt
It seems too decadent to buy fancy salt for oneself- so you’ll get major points for bringing something so luxe. And for the same price as a bottle of wine, this will last a heck of a lot longer.
Fleur de Sel, $12.50 at Williams Sonoma
Letterpress Coasters
Guests are messy. Why not give them something to help combat those pesky rings from all those drinks? These letterpress coasters are gorgeous, with unusual designs and rich colors.
Letterpress Coasters, $12 at Greener Grass Design
Mini 2010 Calendar
If you come to a party at my house, bring me this. A beautifully illustrated, lovely-hued mini-calendar. The case inverts to a stand! Brilliant. (Helpful tip: also fits in an envelope for easy low-cost mailing to far-flung friends.)
Snow & Graham Mini 2010 Calendar, $12 at Greer Chicago
Vino Wine Glasses
What’s that? You’re going to a dinner party and have been specifically asked to bring wine? Fine, I’ll allow it. But why not make it a little more lasting with a set of these cute, dishwasher-safe and super-frugal wine glasses?
Set of 4 Vino Wineglasses, $9.95 at Crate and Barrel
There! Now you’re ready for anything. Party on, Wayne.
Editor’s Note: Today is the first in a three-week series of gift guides to help you find nice, affordable gifts for everyone on your list. We’ll be rolling out new guides on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from now through December 18. Enjoy!
It’s awkward, isn’t it? The buying of gifts for coworkers, perhaps someone you don’t even know at all? And who really wants to break the bank on gifts for the cubicle-mate? That money is much better spent on hot toddys. Here, a few suggestions for gifts that will secure your status as rocking office mate, without breaking the bank:
Silly Face Stickers
Let them personalize their calculator, stapler, coffee mug, computer monitor, or virtually anything else with these silly stickers. Goofy, fun, and does not even pretend that you know anything about the preferences of your coworker. Plus: cheap!
InAnimate Stickers, $3.99, Perpetual Kid
Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes go Hilariously Wrong
This awesome book memorializes some of the best of the outstanding cake bloopers memorialized on the fabulous blog Cakewrecks. Fun to pass around at the office party, entertaining for everyone. Particularly good for editors and other grammar nerds.
Cake Wrecks Book, $9.35 on Amazon
Zoo and Animal Rubber Bands
Who knew office supplies could be so cute? Just don’t shoot the rubber bands at the boss. Even a cute giraffe rubber band can sting.
Pet & Zoo Rubber Bands, $7 at See Jane Work
Carol’s Cookies Coffee Mug
Take the traditional “coffee mug” gift to a whole new level of awesome with the inclusion of two of the world’s most delicious cookies. Seriously, I have a friend who served these instead of wedding cake at her wedding, and people are still talking about it. They’re that good.
Carol’s Coffee Cup, $12.95 at Carol’s
Wood Cut File Folders
They may have to have file folders on their desk, but at least they can be pretty. (Or, if you draw a male coworker out of the hat: at least they can be manly. Way to go, gender-neutral wood file folders!)
Wood Cut File Folders, $10 for 6 at Greener Grass Design
There! You’re an office legend!
No secret santa exchange in your office? Stay tuned throughout the week for more gift guides!
