The Briefest of Gift Guides
Three things to get/not get for the party host, cinephile, and/or home chef in your life.
Tis the season for gift guides and best-of lists. Here at Buttered Popcorn, we1 don’t believe in looking back on the year until it’s actually about to end. And the world doesn’t need yet another list of things to buy. But I see why literally every newsletter writer I subscribe to has been putting together a gift guide: they’re super easy and fun to write, a perfect listicle if there was one. (For example, I am currently On Vacation2 but wanted to push out some Content this week and this was really easy.)
So I will suggest just three ideas, one each for the home chef, cinephile, and party host in your life, plus three things you maybe shouldn’t get. But really, the best gift is something only you could give. Do you know how to sharpen knives? Knit a scarf? Glaze a sake carafe? Your time and craft are the most valuable things.
For the home chef: the best kitchen gifts fall into two categories. There’s unitasker gadgets that one might not buy on their own but are occasionally incredibly useful. A sous vide circulator or blender are good examples. I only use them a few times a year but when I do, it’s really needed. Sometimes you find yourself making more use out of an appliance than you’d think (I have come to love my immersion blender.) The other category would be functional things that also spark joy: a cute butter dish, a salt pig, an aesthetic kitchen timer.
For the cinephile: a physical Criterion disc (provided they have a Blu-Ray player!) or a poster of one of their Four Faves. (Check their Letterboxd.) Maybe take them on a movie date with a gift card to their favorite indie theater.
For the party host: we can never have too many wine glasses. If anyone who knows me IRL is reading this and thinking about getting me a present, I really need more because people keep breaking them. As far as brands go, Riedel is the standard for a reason (i.e. relatively inexpensive and easily replaceable), but anything fun you see at an antique/thrift store could be dope.
And what not to get…
For the home chef: cookbooks can be more of an imposition than a gift… but if you know your giftee is veggie-curious, Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables by Josh McFadden is one of the rare cookbooks that has genuinely altered my relationship with food. It’s the book I refer to the most; the spine on my copy fell off years ago. If you ever wanted to be the person who grabs random produce at the farmer’s market and figures out what to make with them later, this book will get you halfway there.
For the cinephile: a Criterion Channel subscription because they’re probably a member already. Gift subscriptions can be used by existing members, but you might as well pay their power bill instead.
For the party host: I couldn’t really think of something for this one. Personally I don’t need any more coasters because I keep a collection from all the bars and breweries I’ve visited.
This probably isn’t the best gift guide because it relies on you being a bit attentive to your giftee. But Christmas presents should be personal. If you have any suggestions or disagree with mine, let me know:
A very royal “we” lol
I wasn’t planning on writing too much about my Japan trip because I never got around to writing about what I did in Europe this summer, but I think I’ll at least publish a hit list of recommendations. Perhaps good “behind the paywall” content.
I believe that the best gifts are those that you bake, make, sew, or grow yourself. So you can bake me a loaf of sourdough bread anytime, and I'll bring you some homemade jams with Meyer lemon (persimmon, quince, or peach.)