This is fantastic pastrami! Texas-style, but made in L.A., Ugly Drum mail-orders their fantastic meat. It freezes well, meaning that it’s the perfect thing to keep in your freezer for last-minute guests and impromptu parties.
Who wouldn’t be happy knowing an entire brisket is waiting in the freezer, ready to delight a whole group of guests? It makes an unusual – but very welcome – gift for your carnivorous friends.
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Lately I find myself using more and more gochujang, the ubiquitous Korean chile paste. It’s got so many uses; yesterday I threw some into my classic Thanksgiving chili.
I’ve been using the supermarket sort, but it hit me that there are probably finer varieties. This traditional kochujang from Gotham Grove is one. It arrives beautifully packaged – a natural gift- and it keeps forever.
And while you’re at it, peruse the wonderful Gotham Grove website. You’ll find yourself coveting all manner of esoteric ingredients, from snail black garlic vinegar to aged soy sauces and roasted perilla oil.
During a recent meal at Tak Room, the waiter appeared with the most adorable utensil to squeeze a little lemon over my fish. The fish was delicious, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that cute little bird.
Turns out they’re easy to find. I bought mine from Amazon, but if you’re interested in old objects, there are a lot of vintage bird squeezers on the market. I found them here and here.
There are definitely better way to squeeze lemons -but nothing nearly as cute. It makes a very good gift because they’re inexpensive – and unusual enough that your friends are unlikely to already own this particular little bird.
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I blame the New York Times’ Ligaya Mishan for my latest spice obsession. Last summer she posted a picture of the staples she was taking away on vacation, and I noticed a bottle of fermented sumac among the spices. I’d been looking for sumac, so I immediately ordered some of my own from Burlap and Barrel.
But I didn’t stop there. This young company sources directly from farmers all over the world, and I was intrigued by black lime, by Urfa peppers, by wild mountain cumin, by what they promised would be the best cinnamon of my life. Before I knew it, I’d ordered more spices than I could possibly use, so I’ve started sharing them with friends.
These are really wonderful, and very intense spices Any cook would be thrilled with a single jar, or one of their many gift packs.
It snowed last night, and I’m kicking myself for not harvesting the last of the parsley, sage and thyme before it was too late.
If I had one of these herb-drying racks, perhaps I would have remembered to beat the frost. So I’m ordering one now – and a few for friends. They’re inexpensive – and there’s nothing like a few hanging herbs to make a kitchen feel friendly.
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