A gift guide of actually affordable items
For those on a budget, made by someone on a budget.
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I promise to do a proper introduction post for this newsletter soon, but for right now feel free to read or not read this. And in the meantime, let’s talk about something else.
This is a special one! It includes a recipe, and it *also* covers the big question that comes up this time of year: What am I going to do for gifts without spending all of November’s paycheck? You need “something nice” for the close friends and fam, but you also need, well, something for all the other people you’ll see this month at holiday parties. So here we are!
Some of these items are ready to be stuck with a bow and plopped in a tote as you head out the door, some require a little extra lift to stay cheap. I personally would be delighted to receive anything on the below list.
Note: I’ve linked directly to the brand if it’s sensible to order from; but many of these items are sold at specialty food stores and plain ol’ supermarkets! I’ve also linked to a couple retailers I personally love, but you may be able to find the same stuff for cheaper elsewhere.
A pound of Rancho Gordo beans ($7). As a card-carrying member of their bean club (which would also make a great, slightly pricier gift, if it wasn’t currently sold out) I’ve tasted enough of the brand’s offerings to know that you could close your eyes and pick any bean to gift, but I’m partial to their Royal Coronas (for Big Bean Sorta-Scampi!) and chickpeas (for everything that needs a chickpea, they cook off incredibly tender—not mushy!—but hold their shape, so unlike most canned offerings).
A bag of clementines ($5), preferably in a cute thrifted enamel bowl/colander (~$10). Even if purchased from the bodega on your way to the party, fruit is a genuinely special gift, even more lovely delivered in a nice vessel. Your giftee can just plop the whole thing on their kitchen table and delight in the visuals.
A bottle of Campari ($25). Likely available at whatever random liquor store is near the party you’re about to walk into! Buy a bottle of wine for the same price and it’ll be gone in an hour. Shots of Campari (on the rocks; spritzed; stirred into a Negroni; funneled into a pilsner-style beer for a less sweet Spaghett, glugged over vanilla ice cream, I could go on) will last through New Year’s Eve.
A package of Poschiavo’s spaghetti ($13). A box of pasta is dinner. These extra-long noodles are a party!
A trio of tinned fish (~$25). Tinned fish is becoming less trendy, which means it can be easier to find decent brands in grocery stores, for a slightly less expensive price than the shoppy shops. For every $22 tin, there’s an $8—and just as tasty—option elsewhere. I love Pinhais Sardines in Tomato Sauce; Nuri Spiced Mackerel Fillets in Olive Oil; Patagonia Lemon Olive Oil White Anchovies. (Note: Since they’re a gift, these are a little pricier than I’d typically recommend for everyday cooking. If I were throwing a party myself and wanted to serve tinned fish, I’d buy plain oil-packed sardines—I like Sea Tales’s extremely meaty fillets!—and zhuzh them up myself.)
A home good from Noihsaf Bazaar ($ up to you)! This is my favorite source for purchasing secondhand items (clothes too!) from brands I love, which are almost always cheaper than buying new. Find something to use as a vessel for #2 or 9 if the thrift stores near you are lacking; or a gift unto itself, like cool candle holders; a pretty pitcher; even coasters (something no one remembers to buy themself until the moment they need them).
A tin of Chai Masala from Diaspora Co ($13). A cup of nondescript black tea becomes a treat when steeped with a spoonful of this stuff. I also use it in baked goods (see #9)!
A carbon steel pan ($17-95). For the people in your life who are still using crappy nonstick pans they bought for their first apartment, I highly recommend you give them the gift of carbon steel. Some great versions are cheaper than one fancy tin of fish; others are pricier, but the idea is whatever the price, they’ll last a lifetime. I spent months testing 11 options for Forbes Vetted, and picked four that are truly worth your/your giftees’ whiles.
A very cute thrifted glass platter, cake plate, or pie dish (typically less than $5!) filled with a homemade treat (also less than $5), aka a lower-key cookie box, such as…
A Lovely Shortbread I’ll Riff on Forever
Yield: 1 (8x8 or 9x9-inch) pan, about 32 cookies
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen a version of these simple buttery cookies a couple times, and I’m not sorry! This one is paired down to include only ingredients I bet you have in the pantry/fridge right now, hence, cheaper. I don’t think you should skip the fennel topping, which lends these an ~elevated~ flavor for basically no money, as opposed to chocolate or nuts, which are obviously $$$. Butter remains pricey these days, but that’s really the only spend-y moment, so in total a batch of these cookies, which makes one or two generous gifts, should run you about $5.
Ingredients
2 ⅓ cups (290g) all-purpose flour
⅓ cup (66g) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
⅓ cup (71g) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon or cardamom (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks/226g) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, slightly crushed in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder (optional)
Flaky sea salt
Method
Line an 8x8- or 9x9-inch cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides. Heat the oven to 325°F if using a metal baking pan (or 300°F if using a glass baking dish) with a rack positioned in the center.
Place the flour, both sugars, salt, and cinnamon if using in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the butter to the bowl and toss it with your fingers to coat in the flour mixture. Use your fingers to smash and crumble the butter into small pieces, rubbing it into the flour mixture until it forms a slightly moist, slightly crumbly, dough. (Alternatively, do this in a food processor.)
Press the dough into the prepared pan, using a measuring cup to help compact the dough into an even layer. Use a fork to poke holes all over the surface of the dough. Scatter the fennel seeds if using over the surface, then sprinkle with another teaspoon or so of granulated sugar, and a few pinches of flaky salt.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes (if using an 8-inch pan) or 30 to 40 minutes (if using a 9-inch pan), until the top of the shortbread is barely golden. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then cut into pieces while warm. Let cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days (they won’t last that long).