We’ve got gift ideas that will work for anybody setting up housekeeping for the first time.
Handcrafted tableware from Haand
Two high school friends, Mark Warren and Chris Pence, turned their love of ceramics into a business, producing what they call “slightly off-kilter” tableware. In their Burlington, North Carolina, production facility, their staff of 20 makes thousands of strikingly modern pieces of slip-cast porcelain dinnerware, as well as vases. We got our hands on their best-selling dinnerware set, three pieces of Ripple. The plates are almost flat, with just a slightly raised lip and a shape that’s not perfectly round, not an oval, but something in between. They very much have a handcrafted feel. The bowl is generously sized (they call it a pasta bowl) and just slightly oval, and everything is microwave- and dishwasher-safe. This is the gift for your friends who appreciate a modern aesthetic and who will enjoy eating off plates that were made by hand.
$95 per three-piece set. Available at haand.us.
Credit: JON WARREN
Credit: JON WARREN
Handmade serving spoons from World Vision Fund
This is a fair-trade gift, where your purchase does some good while you give that grad or groom something beautiful and useful. Actor Patricia Heaton designed these 11-inch-long acacia wood serving spoons, just right for salad or pot luck buffets. The spoons are carved by artisans in India and finished with golden tips — very elegant, and very well balanced. Also, purchasing from World Vision helps the artisans make a living for their families. We wouldn’t put these wooden spoons in the dishwasher, but the finish will hold up just fine when hand-washed.
$85 for the two-piece set. Available at donate.worldvision.org/give/opportunity-collection-serving-spoons.
Credit: Chris Medina
Credit: Chris Medina
The Mexico collection from Verve Culture
Verve Culture is a great source of gifts for people who enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and using tools appropriate to the cuisine. Since Mexican food is widely popular, we tried some of the items in the company’s Mexico collection. Tortillas are easy to buy, but they’re also surprisingly simple to make. Requiring only two ingredients — masa harina and water — hot homemade street taco-size corn tortillas are ready in minutes when made using the cast-iron tortilla press. Then, we turned our attention to guacamole, using the stone molcajete, an ancient design for a mortar and pestle. Never having tried one before, we were intrigued with how well it grinds spices, and how quickly it turned avocadoes into great guac. It comes packed in a handwoven palm basket that’s perfect for holding those homemade tortillas. And, don’t forget the hot sauce! There’s a habanero hot sauce trio available that’s full of flavor. The tools are all heavy-duty and meant to last a lifetime.
$48 for cast-iron tortilla press with servilleta, $60 for molcajete with tortilla basket, $28 for habanero hot sauce trio with servilleta. Available at verveculture.com.
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