As another year comes to a close, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for health, family, friends and for being able to do I what I love to do here on Panning The Globe. I'm so grateful to all of you who have visited Panning The Globe, cooked and shared recipes, and left comments. Your visits and support and encouragement make this blog thrive and give me affirmation for the work I do, so Thank You!
In honor of the giving season, I put together a collection of my favorite holiday gift ideas. I hope you enjoy! Everything that's linked is a tried and true favorite. Note that the Amazon links are “affiliate links” which means if you purchase through these links, Amazon will give us a small fee (at no cost to you, of course!) Thanks for supporting Panning The Globe!
For more gift ideas be sure to check out last year's holiday guide: Panning The Globe's 2014 Gift Guide For Those Who Love to Cook and Eat and Panning The Globe's Guide to Festive Recipes & Great Gifts 2013.
For many years I've been asking for "experiences" rather than "things"
I like to buy practical gifts, things that are useful and last. But there are some useful things that have a touch of extravagance, and that puts them into the category of things that people want but would never get for themselves. I'm not suggesting unaffordable luxuries like mink coats or Beluga caviar (though the caviar would be nice) I'm talking about smaller, useful extravagances - things that can make the daily routine a little more cushy and comfy. Here are some of my favorite gifts in this category: cashmere socks, a furry blanket, a memory foam pillow, fabulous shea butter hand cream, sheepskin slippers.
The type of gift that I appreciate a lot these days is an "experience." Not that I don't love "things" too, but As the years go by I'm more interested in "experiences" than "things" and I much prefer "quality" over "quantity." Experience can be a gift certificate to a restaurant, tickets for music or theater, a card outlining a special planned day or evening of activities, or a trip. I already have lots of things and the ones I love the most are the ones that are tried and true, great quality and last a really long time, like my Dutch ovens and my cast iron skillet. There are always a few "things" that catch my fancy.
anything cashmere or velvet, great olive oil or balsamic vinegar, good reads, hand-made anything, home-baked anything, a special bottle of wine, anything LeCreuset.
Though I lean towards wanting "experiences" more than "things" these days, there are always a couple of "things" that catch my fancy. This year at the top of my wish list was a cashmere poncho. It's been something I've wanted for a time and I knew I'd have to do my own research to find the perfect one.
The big item on my own wish list for months has been a Cashmere Poncho. After lots of searching around I finally found the one! It's fringed, incredibly soft, and I never want to take it off. I got mine in black but it comes in 5 colors, from Garnet hill: The Cashmere Fringe Ruana. UPDATE: this item is no longer in stock but I found another one that I also love - this Cashmere Wrap. It's pricey but if you want to spring for a very special gift, this could be a good choice! btw, the furry rug in the foreground is not for sale.
My Favorite New Tech Toy/Gadget: have you heard about the Amazon Echo? We just got one - gifted to my husband by his boss. (Thanks Bob!)
The Echo is a bluetooth speaker that operates by voice recognition. It's always listening. Anytime you call out its name, "Alexa," it turns on and responds to your question or command. If I'm cooking and I need to time something, I just yell out "Alexa, set the timer for 10 minutes!" and she does. You can also ask her for the news, the weather forecast, to play a particular song, or to define a word. The Echo is a pretty new toy for us so I haven't explored all the nuances but I think Alexa will become my favorite Techsistant - maybe even better than Siri. Purchase the Amazon Echo on Amazo
Favorite Books of the Year: Books always are always in our Hanukkah present pile and are also under the Christmas tree (we have a complicated family) I love giving and receiving great reads. Here are some books that I've enjoyed recently: If you like page-turners I highly recommend the trilogy that JK Rowling penned under the pseudonym of Robert Galbraith: The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silkworm, and Career of Evil. Hard to believe JK Rowling had anything else to say after the Harry Potter series but she's totally killing it as a detective-mystery writer!
My favorite book group reads of the 2015: Euphoria, and All The Light We Cannot See (Pulitzer Prize Winner) are my top picks for best novels of the year. Both of these books tell compelling stories that will grab you from the get-go. And they're both so beautifully written, you'll want to read them slowly and soak in every detail.
Non-Fiction favorites: My husband Eddie is especially keen on science, biography and historical non-fiction. Here are Eddie's top picks of 2015: The Wright Brothers (by David McCullough) Steve Jobs (by Walter Isaacson)
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics (by Daniel James Brown) Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the lusitania (by Erik Larson):
The Innovators: How A Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution (By Walter Isaacson)
Favorite Cookbooks: I collect cookbooks. If anyone is ever wondering what gift to buy me, an interesting new cookbook will always to the trick. I love curling up with a great cookbook and reading it from cover to cover, and then trying out some new recipes, of course! Here are some of the newest cookbooks in my collection (not all newly-published) that have become fast favorites: The Mozza Cookbook: Recipes from Los Angeles's Favorite Italian Restaurant and Pizzaria I've eaten at the restaurant and it's superb! The cookbook shares many of the restaurant's best recipes.
My Favorite Kitchen & Cooking Finds of the Year: Last year I was on a quest for how to make the best cup of coffee. This year I was on a search for the ultimate sugar bowl and pepper mill. After
If I could only have one pan it would be this one: Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet It's sturdy and affordable, can go from stovetop to oven. I cook everything in it, from eggs to stir-frys to casseroles, and even cake.
I don't know why I waited so long to get one of these. Electric Kettle It's a safe, fast, easy way to boil water for coffee, tea, anything. I use it all day long. Great for college kids, too!
Favorite Scale: I love my OXO Scale. Whether I need to most accurate way to measure ingredients is by weight.
Small but Significant Gadgets: Microplane Stainless Steel Zester: for fruit
Ice Bag - Wine & Champagne Coolers: I first came across these in Paris. Love them!
and I have to apologize for not getting this gift guide out sooner. Every year Hanukkah and Thanksgiving are different distances from each other. always came up so quickly on the heels of Thanksgiving this year that it took me by surprise.
Finally, one of my favorite finds of the season are these Wine Glass Pens. No more little dangly things hanging from my wine glasses and me trying to remember which one was mine! These pens are an affordable and a fun way to keep track of your glass all night long. They also make great holiday gifts or hostess gifts, especially if you include some wine glasses or a nice bottle of vino!
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