Editor Picks: Perfect Presents
Kitchen Style: Ceramic Cake Stand
Handmade in Italy, this cake stand has an 18-inch top and a dramatic, octopus-shaped pedestal. $248; bhldn.com.
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DIY Kit: Heirloom Vegetables
Start spring planting early with this Williams-Sonoma heirloom-seed starter kit, which includes soil, seeds and biodegradable pots to grow them in. $50; williams-sonoma.com.
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Coffee: Beans-of-the-Month Club
Subscribers get a monthly package filled with coffee beans from new micro-roasters, like Oregon’s Lone Pine. From $12.50 per month; mistobox.com.
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Kitchen Style: 3-Tier Stand
A rustic version of a traditional three-tier cake stand, Le Creuset’s stoneware serving piece comes in five of the company’s famous colors. $90; lecreuset.com.
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Kitchen Style: Versatile Pan
Calphalon’s new four-quart AccuCore Chef’s Pan is made from five individual layers of metal, including a copper core, so it heats incredibly evenly—and it’s also less expensive than other five-ply pans. $130; calphalon.com.
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Kitchen Style: Dish Rack
This wall-mounted rack from Paris design duo Tse & Tse stores and displays dinnerware pieces in neat, easy-to-access compartments. $495; shophorne.com.
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Flavor Booster: Marcona-Almond Butter
OroLiquido’s nut butter has a deep, toasty almond flavor and is made with just two ingredients: marcona almonds and sea salt. For an easy hors d’oeuvre, spread it on a cracker and top with fresh fruit and herbs, or add it to pesto. $10 for 9.2 oz; murrayscheese.com.
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Flavor Booster: Torrone in a Jar
A soft, spreadable version of the Piedmontese chewy nougat, this sweet and nutty confection is made from blended nougat, honey and hazelnuts. $12; cheftools.com.
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Flavor Booster: Citrus Vinegar
Made using the juice of kalamansi—an Asian citrus fruit—this vinegar is subtle and not too acidic, tasting like a fruity vinaigrette. $18 for 8.5 oz; cookingdistrict.com.
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Flavor Booster: Fruit Jam
The incredible but hard-to-find jams from Alsatian pastry chef Christine Ferber have intensely pure flavors and are now available for mail order in the US. $18; thesweetpalate.com.
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Flavor Booster: Pinecone Syrup
Pine sap is blended with sugar to create this woodsy, minty syrup from the Dolomites. It’s terrific drizzled onto rich cheeses. $24 for 3.6 oz; opensky.com.
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DIY Kit: Mushrooms
Using soil made from coffee grounds, this Back to the Roots kit grows over a pound of pearl oyster mushrooms in about 10 days. $20; backtotheroots.com.
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DIY Kit: Pizza
Roll out the dough, add co-creator Tom Gallo’s tomato sauce and your favorite toppings, and turn out a crusty, chewy pizza with the GalloLea pizza kit. From $22 for 4 kits; gallolea.com.
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DIY Kit: Bread
The Average Joe Artisan Bread kit includes tools and ingredients to make rustic, farmhouse-style bread at home. From $39; breadkit.com.
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DIY Kit: Soil-Free Plants
Windowfarms’ hydroponic (no soil required) planting system, resembling a tall, narrow vase, grows herbs, lettuces and vegetables. $199; windowfarms.org.
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Ice Cream Obsession: Salt & Straw
Buy It: The Portland, OR-based artisans create flavors based on desserts like cheddar-apple pie or almond brittle, and ship them in gift packs. $65 for 5 pints; saltandstraw.com.
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Ice Cream Obsession: Breville Smart Scoop
Make It: Makes homemade yogurt, gelato or ice cream in about 40 minutes; a built-in compressor saves time, since there’s no bowl to freeze. $400; brevilleusa.com.
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Ice Cream Obsession: Spoons
Taste It: Sucre Shop’s wooden spoons—they’re biodegradable, to be used only once each—are perfect for a tasting party and come in hand-printed patterns. $8 for 20 spoons; etsy.com.
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Coffee: Small-Batch Roaster
Matt’s Coffee roasts organic beans in small batches in a vintage roaster that runs on local fruitwood from Maine. $11.50 for 12 oz; mattscoffee.com.
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Top Tea: Rooibos Coconut Chai
A new favorite tea: sweet and spicy Rooibos Coconut Chai ($14 for 3 oz; teamotionstea.com).
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Top Tea: Earl of Harlem
A new favorite tea: Ambessa’s citrusy, smoky Earl of Harlem from chef Marcus Samuelsson ($9 for 20 sachets; harney.com).
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Cocktails: Mason Jar Shaker
W+P Design—two Brooklyn-based designers with Southern roots—transformed the ubiquitous canning jar into a brilliant cocktail shaker. $29; westelm.com.
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Cocktails: Gin
Tuthilltown Spirits uses local wheat and apples from the Hudson Valley in New York state to create its round, smooth and slightly sweet Half Moon Orchard gin. $37; bottlerocketwine.com.
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Cocktails: Baron Strainer
A glamorous version of a classic, this bar tool is plated in real gold and has a thick spring to keep muddled herbs and fruit out of drinks; fine holes strain out the ice. $35; cocktailkingdom.com.
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A Taste of Texas in the Mail: BBQ Brisket
This whole beef brisket, from New York’s fantastic Lobel’s Butcher Shop, is seasoned with a peppery dry rub then slow-smoked with mesquite and apple wood for tender, juicy and flavorful meat. It arrives fully cooked; just wrap in foil and heat before serving. $260 for 8 lbs; lobels.com.