2023 Digest Gift Guide
‘Tis the season! We’ve culled some of our favorite things and present you, dear Digest readers with two lists:
Smart, fun gifts for the holiday season and “Things you'd buy yourself to self-soothe during the bleakest moments of your seasonal depression” (we love you)
Just a reminder to shop local, support small businesses, and f*ck Jeff Bezos.
Happy holidays from Digest HQ <3
Ana Inciardi Linocut Prints
Tiny, tasty prints made by a hungry printmaker in Portland, ME. I’ve gifted these so many times. Delicious and accessible fine art, what’s not to love? Check out her website to find a mini print vending machine near you!
-Miranda Hughes
Gemini Espresso Maker
I’ve gifted this adorable stove-top espresso machine twice now, and eventually had to snag one for myself for Hanukkah. It’s easy to use, extremely functional, and aesthetically pleasing as it sits out on your stove. Perfectly suited for one or two servings. It provides two shots of espresso in chic cups equipped with their own saucers. I grew up on stove-top espresso but found the bigger machines easy to burn or mess up. This Gemini works beautifully *just remember to put a cup down on the little platform or you’ll have coffee running down all over your stove.
-Emily “Mimowitz” Soule
Sparkel Water Carbonator
I recently became obsessed with sparkling water in every shape and form. Drinking carbonated water makes me feel like a bored housewife who thinks she’s above those around her. So what better way to harness that feeling than to get a water carbonator that cuts down on plastic and saves me unnecessary trips to the grocery store?
-Bailey Landry
Bonne Maman Jam Advent Calendar
I was gifted this last year and it easily became one of my favorites. Every day I wake up and make a new type of toast and jam for breakfast, excited to try out the different flavors. Now my fridge is stockpiled with tiny little jam jars and makes my friends and loved ones question what I am doing with my life every time the fridge is opened. 10/10.
-Bailey Landry
Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes [A Cookbook] by Robin Ha
A beautifully illustrated and unique cookbook filled with really fantastic recipes. A really fun read and even more fun to cook from. A good gift for those into manga, cooking, art, or anything in between.
- Bailey Landry
Portillo's
Last summer, my brother decided to order a 10 pack of Chicago dogs from Portillo's for an upstate trip and they were honestly great. Perfect to split between 5 people with some sides.
-Vin Croccito
Levitating Moon Lamp
My birthday falls on one of the very darkest days of winter: December 20, thanks for asking, on the cusp of the Winter Solstice, many a moon ago. (I’m not called Senior Contributor here for nothing). During a particularly bleak time, one of my very dearest friends in sunny Los Angeles sent me this levitating moon lamp. It brings light to all manner of dark days, hovering via magnetic field and gently rotating, ever a bright spot in my living room. Its soft glow is hypnotically mesmerizing and always begs conversation when friends are over. Cheers to that. (Added bonus - you’ll always know if you’ve had a power outage: the moon falls out of orbit, landing on its base with a big bang).
-Suzi Schiffer Parrasch
Fabulous Bodem Martini Glasses
Nothing SCREAMS Christmas Eve like a fabulous, chilly martini! (Ask me about my glassware collection)
-Miranda Hughes
Short Stack Editions
Short Stack editions are small format cookbooks that read like a love letter to a favorite ingredient. These books are concise, artfully produced and inspiring. Each edition has about 15-20 recipes that are down to earth and delicious. This is a classic example of being drawn in by the cover but sticking around for the drool-worthy content. I started collecting these this year, and they really are like the pokemon cards of cookbooks. Find them at our favorite food book Mecca, Kitchen Arts & Letters.
-$14 from kitchen arts and letters
The Unicorn Peppermill
After a lifetime of buying McCormick peppermills at the grocery store, I’m relieved to have been gifted the Unicorn Mill last January. This is the best peppermill I’ve ever had, I won’t shut up about it. I swear the grinding sensation this peppermill creates makes me happier. Plus, it’s refillable, looks slightly dangerous, and does an amazing job at the one thing it’s supposed to do. Another point for being made in Nantucket. And to be totally honestly, it’s the only thing I’m comfortable with ordering on Am*zon.
-Miranda Hughes
From Roy Panettone (so you think you’re better than us?)
This goddamn panattone is so goddamn expensive but damn, it’s fucking great. Word to the wise, I may, or may not have, told From Roy’s customer service that my panettone was delivered after New Years… and I may, or may not have, gotten a $25 discount.. I dunno, just sayin’! -MH
Vintage Fondue Pots from Ebay
Go on ebay and live a little!!! Oh you loooove “MiDcEnTuRy MoDeRn” so much?? PROVE IT! See our bit on Après Ski in Digest #14 and it will all make sense. -MH
Pat O’Brien’s Hurricane Mix
Obviously this is for Mardi Gras but nothing hits like a fruity, boozy drink in the dead of winter. It’s dark out so that means it’s acceptable to get sloshed. You can concoct your own Hurricane cocktail but that will entail sourcing all sorts of tropical fruit juices that my local Prie Chopper only sells in “family’sized” quantities. So I recommend ordering the mix online, and whipping up some shrimp po boys. Have fun! -MH
Green Fire
A great simple book by a great chef on grilling fruits and vegetables. This book really helped me hone in on cooking fruits and vegetables intentionally, rather than treating them as an overlooked side dish.
-Alex Finkelstein
Meals Clothing
A very wacky, food-themed fashion brand.
-AF
Lauren Martin Studio Shop
In addition to playing synth and guitar in Frankie Cosmos, Lauren Martin is an NYC-based illustrator, exploring the humor in the mundane, while depicting anthropomorphic foods.
-AF
