10 Cooking Gifts That Are Actually Worth Their Salt

What color and size of Le Creuset is worth the investment? Which nonstick pan won’t die within a year? How about the best chef’s knife for my nephew? This time of year, I get lots of texts asking for specific recs for cooking tools. I cut through the fat — I don’t believe in big cookware sets, which are so often an upsell. As my chef from school always said, you really only need a big knife, a small knife, and a bread knife. And I’m deeply suspicious of counter-cluttering trends, so if you’re looking for an excuse to buy an Air Fryer, this isn’t the gift guide for you. Rather, these are the cooking tools that I’ve personally bought for my brothers, recommended to my friends, and reach for my own kitchen. Happy roasting season.

Le Creuset Enameled Dutch Oven (Flame, 5.5 quarts)

All-Clad Stainless Steel Sauté Pan (Straight Sided with Lid, 4 quarts)

Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet (10.25 inches)

Calphalon Nonstick Frying Pan (10 inches)

Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife (8 inches)

Tojiro DP Japanese Chef’s Knife (8.25 inches)

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

GIR Silicone Spatula

Emile Henry Pie Dish (9 inches)

Vitamin Professional-Grade Blender

While I love supporting local shops, I’m a writer scraping by. This post contains affiliate links.

A Hot Batch of Cookbooks Came Out of San Francisco in 2023

More cool cookbooks came out of the Bay Area this fall than local pubs were able to cover. But given how expensive restaurants are these days, lots of people are eating more at home, so let’s take a flip through, shall we? From a couple of highly anticipated tomes from acclaimed restaurants, to dedicated dives on anchovies and ice, to a wildcard contender from a local rapper, here are the hottest cookbooks to come out of San Francisco in 2023.

Scandinavian from Scratch, Nichole Accettola

Rintaro, Sylvan Mishima Brackett

Simply West African, Pierre Thiam

Ever-Green Vietnamese, Andrea Nguyen

Italy by Ingredient, Viola Buitoni

Italian Wine, Shelley Lindgren & Kate Leahy

The Ice Book, Camper English

Goon with a Spoon, Snoop Dogg & E-40

While I love supporting my local Omnivore Books, and my childhood favorite Powell’s Books, I am a local writer scraping by. This post contains affiliate links.