Five Very Cool People, Five Very Cool Gifts
Not a gift guide, a *gifting* guide
In trying to think what types of tips and tricks are actually helpful for the holiday season, I chatted with five (really, six) of the coolest people I know and asked them a simple question: what is the best gift you’ve ever been given? I suspected their answers wouldn’t lead to extravagant, high-priced gift ideas, but instead to thoughtful, surprising, and wonderfully niche inspirations—needless to say, I was not disappointed. I hope this non-gift-guide inspires another line of thinking for your gifting this year (or maybe, actual gift ideas, too!). Now, let’s dive in…!
P.S. If you submitted a question re: gifting to specific people, that newsletter is coming shortly I PROMISE! :)
Abi Balingit, James Beard Award-winning author of the cookbook “MAYUMU: FILIPINO AMERICAN DESSERTS REMIXED”
When I reached out to Abi to figure out what the best gift she’d ever been given was, I had hoped she’d have a great food-related answer, and to no one’s surprise — she did:
My boyfriend’s brother Tom got me this pack of Kirkland Signature Madagascar Vanilla Beans last year, and they have been a godsend! As a baker, certain ingredients feel like such a splurge and vanilla beans are on that list. I rarely get them for myself, but I love using these vanilla beans for an extra boost of flavor and those gorgeous black flecks in my desserts. I even place the leftover pods in a jar of sugar, so that I have vanilla-y sugar all year long.
If I can pitch one gift for you all, get Abi’s book MAYUMU. The only cookie recipe I *ever* make is her Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies (I am really serious they are in my oven as I write this newsletter). If you haven’t yet heard of these yet 1. Where have you been? and 2. You must buy this book expeditiously for you and for anyone you still need to get a gift for.
Poupay Jutharat, Photographer & Pasinee Pramunwong, Photo Educator and Writer
Poupay (my favorite photographer whose work was recently featured in an insane campaign with Instagram x the MTA) and her incredible wife Pasinee (who, outside of her day job, writes the best Substack and very cool zines), got married in 2022.
When I asked Poupay & Pasinee about their favorite gift, they said:
Pasinee's aunt gave us an antique celluloid cake topper from the 1950’s when we got married. She bought two sets of them and took the grooms away.
I’M NOT CRYING YOU ARE!
Joe Hegyes, Screenwriter, Co-Host of Good Children
When he’s not being Abigail Williams or creating one of the top 1% of video shows on Spotify, Joe is probably shopping for something new and undeniably cool that I will suddenly need in my life. Unfortunately, until hearing about the best gift he’s ever been given, I had never heard of said gift, and now I need to spend money on one. Read on for the reveal:
My mom got me a mid-century modern candle warmer because she’s scared I’ll burn my apartment down. I had a curse put on me by a witch as a baby that makes me need to buy luxury candles, so I literally burn money. However, with the warmer, I never lose any wax—you can melt the same candle over and over. Plus, no flames means no worrying about forgetting to blow one out.
Kenneth Fuchs, Artist
Famously, Kenn is my little brother, but more importantly—he’s a really good artist.
My favorite gift I’ve ever been given is alllll the artwork he has gifted me over the years (see above), but his favorite gift is a custom blanket of our late Pug Rocky (RIP) that I gifted Kenn after Rocky passed away. The site I got this blanket off of looks really fake, but I ordered two of these and shockingly they are both GREAT quality.
Janick Gilpin, Photographer
If you ever want a moment captured beautifully, go to Janick. If you ever want the perfect gift, go to Janick’s mom. (Spoiler alert) I love the idea of a key as a gift in particular; it’s a gift of trust, of love, of home. This one made me tear up!
I’m terrible to get gifts for so folks tend not get me anything, ha. The best gift I received this year was a key to my parents building, so I can let myself in, which was $50 for my mom to make. Prior to that is was this money clip that my mom picked up at a artisan shop in Florence. Now I’m on the hunt to find the artisan shop to get another, but no luck. I’ll pay anything to get another hahaha.
Now — SOMEONE IN FIRENZE FIND THIS MAN THE MONEY CLIP MAKER! 👏👏👏
What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?
take👏 the👏 grooms👏 away