This Year's Best Kitchen Additions

Plus a eulogy for my immersion blender

Just home from Thanksgiving at my Dad’s house this weekend, I was preparing the dressing for my Picnic Broccoli Salad to bring over to a Friendsgiving dinner. I plugged in my trusty immersion blender, lowered the blade into my measuring glass, pressed the button, and — after over two decades of loyal service, it was kaput.

That blender had been a gift from my parents on my 21st birthday and was my first “serious” kitchen appliance. Given the 2-square-feet of counter space I had in my first NY apartment, I had no room for anything more. But it really presented limitless possibility at the time. Creamy soups and sauces, herb-infused oils and fillings, silky or creamy dips… All my cooking dreams suddenly felt within reach. As I grew as a cook and my collection of appliances expanded, it proved itself better for certain things than others, but for a good while it was my only blending tool, so I used it frequently.

Will I need to replace it? I don’t think so. My Vitamix does the job better. But RIP good little immersion blender, a true point of pride during my formative years.

For the past couple weeks I’ve been brainstorming a gift guide, and now reflecting on that immersion blender and the thrill of possibility it opened up for me, the timing of its demise seems right. Some things come into our kitchens at the right time, pull more of their weight than they ought to, and one day we may grow out of them — but what impact they had!

Which is to say, if you’ve got the opportunity to enrich someone’s culinary life with the right gift, seize it. I thought I’d frame this gift guide around items that have come into my kitchen in the past year, and made 2023 a better one for it. I hope you enjoy.

---

---

This Year's Best Kitchen Additions

Masienda Tortilla Starter Kit

I was so excited when Masienda sent me this kit over the summer. It includes a heavy metal tortilla press and two bags of their single-origin masa harina, which means the only thing standing between you and fresh made tortillas is some warm water and a skillet or comal. I’ve tried to make tortillas at home here in New York many times, and I never got anything better than what I could have just bought at the grocery store — until this kit. Now Tuesday night homemade corn tortillas are an actual thing. The masa is so fresh and toasty, and the tortilla press is fail-proof. Shop here.

---

Misen Kitchen Shears

I have to admit that I got these in 2022, and while I’ve loved them since then, it wasn’t until this summer when I spent a few months in a kitchen that had the crappiest kitchen shears imaginable that I fully understood the value of these excellent ones. When I worked at Misen I did a lot of testing on these shears and can attest that they are strong (we even cut through a penny). But they’re also extremely comfortable, with easy-to-grip but roomy handles that don’t cause cramping. Like other quality kitchen shears, they’re easy to take apart for cleaning, and the serrated edges have stayed sharp through intense regular use. If not these Misen shears, any pair of top quality kitchen shears make a great gift for a cook in your life. Shop here.

---

Fly by Jing Chili Crisp Vinaigrette

Vincent and I love this stuff — we drizzle it over fried eggs or frittatas, use it to dress a dumpling salad a la Hetty McKinnon or as a dipping sauce; we add it to marinades, dribble it over seared tofu or even just to enliven a bowl of rice. It’s so morish and perfectly balanced, with exactly the right amount of spice, acid, and full-flavored savory richness. It’s a treat, and also has fun, very gift-worthy packaging. Shop here.

---

Nama J2 Cold Press Juicer

This is undoubtedly a major splurge, but if you or someone you love happens to be into juicing, I don’t think you can do better than this juicer. It’s an auger style, or “cold press,” juicer, which means that it’s much quieter and easier to clean than the centrifugal or “fast” types. But its most significant innovation is the self-feeding hopper, which means you don’t have to add small bits of fruit or vegetable down the chute one by one as it juices — large chunks and whole pieces can be piled into top pitcher and then you just turn the dial to start. It’s very hands free, and much easier to clean than any other juicer I’ve tested (and I’ve actaully tested a lot of them). And the quality of the juice is top notch, of course. I even wrote a love letter to this juicer this year for Epicurious. Shop here.

---

Three Cookbook Suggestions

This was was another banner year for cookbooks, and it’s hard to narrow it down when so many great ones were published. But here are three of my favorites:

Yogurt & Whey by Homa Dashtaki {affiliate link} is both a cultural deep-dive set in an Iranian immigrant kitchen, and a beautiful, very personal story. It’s such a joy to read, and gorgeously designed for poring over. It inspired me to make my own yogurt so that I’d have a bunch of whey to then cook with, an exciting project that I’ll be repeating through the winter. Give this to someone who likes a cooking project, appreciates good writing and book design, and enjoys the narrow and deep over the broad and general.

Polish’d by Michal Korkosv {affiliate link} is a terrific vegetarian cookbook, with Polish-rooted but globally inspired recipes that are supercharged with flavor. Michal’s recipes also strike the balance of being weeknight friendly but dinner party worthy, which creates such a feeling of having fun in the kitchen, I think. I did a Q&A with Michal last month and shared one of his recipes. If you know someone who’s an Ottolenghi fan, I think they’d like this one.

Tenderheart by Hetty McKinnon {affiliate link} seems like an instant classic to me. I assume you’re already familiar with Hetty and subscribed to her newsletter, but if not — make haste. This is a lovely book to savor (it’s an homage to her late father), but as she is known to do, she makes the task of everyday cooking seem both exciting and very doable. In my kitchen, nearly every recipe passes the “ooh, I could make that right now” test. Here’s my Q&A with Hetty from May of this year.

---

And if none of those ideas fit the bill, I can attest last year’s gift guide still holds, particularly that GIR mini spoonula.