Cooking With Maddie Newsletter #68
2024 Gift Guide
Hi friends!
If you’re like me, here and there throughout the year you’ll see gifts that are just perfect for your family and friends. But instead of being smart and buying them then and there, you say you’ll “remember” it, only to find yourself in the middle of December, scrambling to think of the perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones.
I am not here to shame you for this behavior because I do it too.
So for this newsletter, instead of sharing a recipe, I’m sharing my 2024 Gift Guide, in an attempt to spark inspiration for anyone who’s struggling to think of meaningful gifts for the people in their lives.
Everything on this list is tried and true by moi. They are things I actually use in the kitchen. Things I buy again and again. Things I’ve actually given as gifts to my own loved ones. And most of them can be found at your local grocery store, Target or Amazon, so you don’t have to worry about shipping time.
I hope this helps all my last minute shoppers! And if you’re not the type of person to procrastinate buying gifts, then I think you should just go ahead and get yourself something from this guide as a little treat for being ahead of the game.
This olive oil lives up to all its hype. Not only is the olive oil itself divine, but the squeeze bottle design makes them super functional. And the refillable cans are just straight-up cool. You can order the “Drizzle” and “Sizzle” olive oils through this link, using code COOKINGWITHMADDIE to get $5 off your order. Yeah, that’s right — I’ve got codes now.
This is my favorite tea. Mix it with a little sweetened condensed milk, and I’m transported back to Vietnam. Get this and a cute set of mugs for your favorite tea drinker.
For your friend who hogs the charcuterie board, get this amazing set of Laguiole cheese knives and your favorite hunk of cheddar. I have an entire drawer of cheese knives and spreaders, yet my Laguiole ones are always the first I pick up.
As you can tell from how many cookbooks are included in my gift guide, I love cookbooks, and while some of them on this list are new releases, I’ve included several of my tried-and-true favorites. Ones that I open and use on the regular. Cook This Book falls into that category. The pastrami roast chicken, skirt steak with red chimichurri, and the minty lamb meatballs are all must-makes. Oooh and the strip steaks au poivre. That’s my favorite!
Again, another favorite cookbook here. My copy of Nothing Fancy is weathered. Alison Roman is an American treasure, and that’s why I have more than one of her books in this guide. You can’t go wrong with making the labne with sizzled scallions and chile, one-pot chicken with dates and caramelized lemon, or the very good lasagna.
If you’re not watching The Lost Kitchen, you are seriously missing out. Erin French is a delight, and so is her original cookbook. My favorite recipes include her cornflake fried chicken and warm olive oil and anchovy dip.
If someone in your life wants to learn how to cook, this is THE book to get them. Sohla is so comprehensive in her teachings — yes, this book is full of lessons— as well as her recipes. Start Here is a phenomenal piece of work and belongs on every home cook’s bookshelf.
These are our favorite mugs, and that’s saying something considering how crowded our mug cabinet is. They are the perfect size — not too big, not too small— and they come in 20 something colors.
For your spice lover, get them the Frankies 457 Calabrian Chili Oil. I feel like this is something you may not buy for yourself, but when you have it, it becomes one of your favorite pantry items. It’s the perfect topper to all your pastas and pizzas.
Matty’s new cookbook — Soups, Salads, Sandwiches— is the perfect gift for your quirky goofball friend who likes bold flavors and nostalgic classics. Frank just got this cookbook, so I haven’t made anything out of it yet but everything looks amazing. The cubano?! I need to make that.
Tree Juice Maple Syrup — or any premium maple syrup
Okay, this is the only thing on my gift guide that might be hard to find considering I got mine in upstate New York, but I had to include it because I’ve been loving maple syrup and once you upgrade to a nicer, real maple syrup, you’re never going back. If a store near you sells Tree Juice, you’re one lucky dog, but thankfully they seem to also be on Amazon, so we’re all lucky I guess!
This is my favorite vinegar brand by far. I must have the strawberry rose and meyer lemon honey vinegars on-hand at all times. These elevate every salad. Oh my god, they’re amazing. I’m obsessed.
Where Cooking Begins is Carla Lalli Music’s first cookbook, and I must say, it’s one of my favorites. Her pasta e fagiole is bomb ass, and her sweet potatoes with tahini butter are chef’s kiss.
Another Alison Roman cookbook because she’s just that amazing. This is Roman’s third cookbook, and I’ll be the first to say that I was skeptical about an all desserts cookbook, but boy has Sweet Enough won me over. The old-fashioned strawberry cake and the peaches & cream galette are perfect. No notes.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be this bench scraper, but every home cook needs a bench scraper. Bench scrapers are the unsung heroes of home cooking. When baking, they’re perfect for cutting and dividing dough, but more often than not, I’m using mine to transfer ingredients from my cutting board to the stovetop.
Opening wine has never been easier. Get this wine opener set for your friend who watched Drops of God and want to become a sommelier. Pair it with your favorite bottle of red, and you’re all set!
I’ll admit that I’ve talked real smack about spice blends in the past. Then I met Spiceology, and I take back every bad thing I ever said about spice blends. The Cowboy Crust is seriously life changing. Get this for all your steak and bbq fanatics.
Want something nicer than a bottle of olive oil to gift someone? Get them the 3.5” Global paring knife. This bad boy is a game changer. You will never need another paring knife ever again.
Another must-have kitchen tool — the microplane. Everyone needs one. If someone you love already has one, it’s likely time to replace it. News flash — you have to replace these guys!!
Last but certainly not least — Maldon Sea Salt. This is the flaky salt. There’s nothing like it. It’s perfect for finishing any and all dishes, and if you plan on making chocolate chip cookies this winter, you must must must top it with Maldon.
In addition to my gift guide, I did a call on my instagram to see what items you all consider kitchen and pantry essentials. These are the ones I haven’t yet tried myself, but are now on my Christmas wish list.
For what’s been giving me life, it’s been posting my ‘ornament of the day’ on insta. I absolutely love Christmas decorations, and posting an OOTD every day is giving me the chance to show off all my favorite ornaments. It was this month’s book club. We read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, and boy were we gutted. To lighten the heavy discussion, we also did a cookie exchange. There’s nothing better than going home with a bag of a dozen different cookies.
It was celebrating my bestie Anna’s 30th birthday at Don’s — a professional drinking establishment. I probably spent well over $20 playing ski ball, so it was a phenomenal night. It was also getting the matzo ball soup at Zaidy’s. Actually, everything from Zaidy’s. Lastly, we had lots of time with Cait’s new pup, Louie. He’s a perfect snowball. No if, ands, ors or buts.
Can’t wait to try zaidys