Another Christmas is fast approaching and, with it, the ineffable joy of navigating your way through the mass of humanity in Herald Square to shop for gifts. If the names on your list include friends or relatives with a passion for cooking, there is a bright side to the madness: Maybe you’ll snag an invite for a good meal as a thank you for your thoughtfulness.
Let’s get busy.
The Splatypus jar scraper and spatula, by Ototo Design, could be the perfect Secret Santa gift. The slender silicon blade is at once sturdy and flexible, capable of scooping and scraping up food from all the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of a jar. The blade also makes a great crepe spreader. The item, which carries a list price of $14.99, is available on Amazon for $9.94.
Cooking is no fun when you cut yourself, but cookbooks emphasize the importance of keeping knives sharp. The solution to this age-old problem? The GripMitt from Williams-Sonoma. Sold in sets of two or four ($19.95 and $37.95, respectively), the device, which protects your non-cutting hand, is also helpful when lifting hot pans and is a hygienic alternative to cloth kitchen towels and potholders.
News flash: Prohibition was repealed nearly a century ago. If someone on your gift list is into beer and DIY projects, equip him to cook up some homemade brew with a Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit from Brooklyn BrewShop. The kit, which sells for $48, provides all the tools and instruction necessary to producing a gallon of everyday IPA, hard cider, or any of nine other brews. The set is reusable.
A pound of beef might sound like a curious present, unless the source is the HYUN Premium Butcher Shop — the nation’s first retail market specializing in top-of-the-line A5 wagyu beef. For the holidays, the shop is offering curated wooden box sets, featuring three or six premium cuts. The gift sets are each wrapped in colorful silk fabrics and embellished with decorative tassels. With their special vacuum sealing, the meat will enjoy extended freshness, lasting up to three weeks in the fridge.
It’s a gift for the wine liker (lover seems a little strong) who prefers to drink wine from a bag in a box. It’s called Little Nook, and it is billed as a dedicated bagged beverage dispenser. The item, made of compressed wood and available in an array of decorator colors, sells for $79. Oh, and just so you will take the product seriously, the people at Wine Nook — the company behind the Little Nook — want you to know that a tree is planted for each Nook purchased.
If someone on your list is a tea lover and/or health enthusiast, a Moosa Gift Box may be just what the doctor ordered. Moosa is a first-of-its-kind dried-fruit tea developed in the Andes Mountains of South America. It is 100% natural, additive-free, caffeine-free, and has no added sugar. The gift box includes a Moosa variety pack with 6 tea sachets, a tea glass cup made of environmentally sound borosilicate glass, and a handmade wooden spoon crafted from guayacán wood. The items come packaged in a handmade box crafted from paja toquilla, an Ecuadorian fiber renowned for its resilience, breathability, and natural elegance. The kit, which may be ordered at the Moosa website, is priced at $75.
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