Each holiday season, we curate the year’s most exquisite products to share with you. Featuring whimsical tableware, hand-crafted chocolates, artisanal vinegars and creative spices, these gifts will invigorate your senses. Uplift your palate and table setting and bring a bit of magic to the holidays with these products. And don’t forget to check out our holiday cookbook gift list.
A. Maia Ming Designs
Born to Swedish and Chinese parents and growing up between Honolulu and Rome, Maia Ming Fong’s influences are global. She now lives in Barcelona, where her multicultural background inspires a streamlined collection of ceramics. I love the whimsy of her designs, best seen in the tableware, like the whale chopstick rests. Obsessed with salt and... full article
B. Harbor Sweets
As a college student 37 years ago, Phyllis LeBlanc worked as a chocolate dipper at Harbor Sweets in Salem, Massachusetts. The store made just one product then. Today, she owns Harbor Sweets, and though she has added many different chocolate products, the most popular one remains the original Sweet Sloop. This delectable treat is a dark... full article
C. Villa Manodori
While reviewing Massimo Bottura’s cookbook, “Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef,” I discovered that he produced artisanal balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Bottura’s restaurant Osteria Francescana is currently ranked third in the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards. And while I have not been to the restaurant in... full article
D. Rancho Gordo
Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando has become a cult obsession among chefs and Slow Food fans for the delicious dried heirloom beans he sources from Mexico and Central America. Among the many other foods he encounters on road trips into the holdouts of indigenous cultures, this stoneground chocolate ($14.95) from the Mexican state of... full article
E. La Boite
Spices are an essential part of cooking, and when you start blending them, it opens up infinite possibilities to creative dishes. In 2006, chef Lior Lev Sercarz opened La Boîte after traveling and cooking around the world, studying spices and creating his own blends. Each of his blends ($15) is a reflection in a place, moment and culture for him.... full article
