My perennial favorite kitchen (and other) items can be found in The Shop . And at the very end of the post, I’ve included my favorite local and online retailers.
Gift Guide 2025
A Pizza Making Class (with Me! in Philly!)
On January 8th, I’ll be teaching a teaching a pizza making class at The Bread Room , a bakery and event space created by Fork’s Ellen Yin in Center City. We’ll start the evening with snacks from The Bread Room and a beverage, then we’ll start making dough, shaping dough rounds, and baking. After baking, we’ll enjoy our pizzas with a fresh salad and dessert from The Bread Room kitchen. More details here: Pizza Night at The Bread Room
Cast Iron Chris Chainmail + Compound
For your friend who hates plastic/nonstick anything and has embraced cast iron: a Cast Iron Chris Seasoning Compound/Chainmail Combo , which includes a chainmail scrubber and 1 tub of seasoning/maintenance compound. Watch videos on how to use the chainmail scrubber here and the compound here . One of you (hi Carrie!) introduced me to Cast Iron Chris, and my cast iron skillets have all received a lot more TLC since.
For that same friend who also loves wine, a paper wine tote , perhaps filled with a nice bottle of wine. There are some people who are impossible to shop for, but I feel like you can never go wrong with a nice bottle of wine, which the recipient could drink or re-gift. A funl tote makes it all the more special.
Bombas slipper booties . These are so cozy. I have been bringing them to friends’ houses when I visit, because they look cute with anything from nice jeans to tights to joggers:
House of Shan Socks: Shortie Socks or Imperfect Heart Socks My friend Shannon’s company House of Shan sells the most uplifting/cheerful items , and a portion of every purchase goes to charity. In the past 5 years, the company has raised over $250,000 for charities. The socks look so cute with hightops or little booties. My kids love them, too. Use code ALICOOKS20 for 20% off the site 🎉
Beaverkill Bourbon Cream Made from cream from farms in the Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley maple syrup, and New York Bourbon, this bourbon cream is outrageously delicious. Splash it into coffee or hot chocolate, pour it over ice cream, or serve it on the rocks — it is so, so tasty. Local friends, you can find it at the Niskayuna Wine Store. Also available online: Beaverkill Bourbon Cream
For the chocolate lover in your life, especially delicious Dubai chocolate . My son asked for Dubai chocolate for his birthday this year, and my mother, researcher that she is, found a very nice block to gift him: Laderach Dubai chocolate . Given that it is made with milk chocolate (as opposed to dark), I did not think I was going to care for it, but it more than lived up to the hype — it is so, so good. Broken into shards, it’s very pretty, too.
For your friend that has everything, a nice bottle of olive oil — everyone can use more good olive oil. I learned about Piro extra-virgin olive oil from my friend Ali Rosen, who’s next book, The Slow Burn (out in 2026), takes place in Italy. It is so very tasty.
You could pair it with a nice bottle of vinegar: Vivo red wine vinegar has ruined all others for me — when I use it in this Greek salad dressing recipe , it never tastes better. From the makers: “Every bottle is small-batch crafted in Italy using only Lambrusco grapes from Emilia-Romagna. The result is vinegar so bright and balanced, you could drink it straight.” It’s true!
Corto x Stanislaus Chef’s Essentials Kit : I shared this kit in this year’s Father’s Day gift guide, but had to re-share it, because the tomatoes are truly so delicious. You can find the tomatoes on Milk Street as well. Puréed with a little bit of olive oil and flaky sea salt, it makes one tasty, fresh pizza sauce. Corto olive oil is also excellent.
For the sourdough bread baker in your life, a Live Laugh Loaf flour sack towel , made by the brilliant graphic designer Lindsay Landis of Purr and Love and Olive Oil , who has recently created a whole collection of “ fresh baked puns .” You could pair it with one of Wordloaf’s sourdough starter whisks , which you will not be able to live without once you start using it.
For the pizza lover in your life, Rosi’s Hot Oil — how fun is this tin?
You could pair it with a copy of Pizza Night . Now Serving in Los Angeles has signed copies of both Pizza Night and Bread Toast Crumbs , and they ship everywhere, including internationally.
Big Spoon Pistachio Crunch : My mother introduced me to this exceptionally delicious almond butter. I love spreading it over bananas or dates. You could pair it with a box of delicious dates .
An assortment of Fishwife Tinned Fish : These are my favorites: Smoked Salmon Sichuan Chili Crisp , Smoked Rainbow Trout , Mackerel , and…
… the anchovies ! For your Caesar salad-loving friend, these anchovies truly are extraordinary. I eat them straight from the tin.
Really interesting flour: Petra 0103 . My mother ordered this by accident and decided to make the peasant bread with it, using honey in place of the sugar. She gave me a loaf, and my family devoured it. I ordered a bag of it right away. It’s a mix of partially sprouted wheat flour, sprouted rice flour and wholemeal sprouted barley flour. I love the dark hue it tinges the bread…
And the crumb is so chewy and the flavor so lovely:
You could pair it with a copy of Bread Toast Crumbs (thank you!) and…
Some good butter (I can find this one at Whole Foods) and a nice butter spreader :
Cookbooks!
For your vegetarian friend looking to up her salad game, Hetty McKinnon’s Linger :
… you could pair it with a Guatemalan bean spoon :
For your Salt Fat Acid Heat loving friend, Samin’s latest: Good Things
For any young, adventurous, budget-conscious cook in your life, Rosie Kellett’s In For Dinner :
For the entertainer/host or hostess in your life, Ben and Zikki Siman-Tov’s Eat Small Plates
For kids, a few ideas:
Personalized Stationery from Minted , to make writing thank you notes a little less painful:
Delicious hot chocolate: Silly Cow hot cocoa from Vermont is so, so tasty. Local Friends, you can find this at the Niskayuna Co-op.
A sushi making cookbook + kit . I got this for my son, who loves sushi, for Christmas last year, and he has since treated the family to homemade sushi at least half a dozen times. It is such a treat:
A Few More Things
Like many, I loved Heart the Lover … had to stifle sobs while reading it on Amtrack on my way home from NYC one day this fall.
An All the Restaurants print. I wrote about this last Christmas, and I have a few framed in my house, including Fork , Balthazar , and Tria .
A nice sweater. I love this one from Sezane :
A physical copy of The Onion . The news is dreadful. The Onion will make you laugh. After an 11-year break, the onion is back in print, and you can now get a copy delivered to your door every month .
In addition to the items above, a gift certificate to a local shop or restaurant, such as The Vischer Ferry General Store or Arthur’s Market or The Broken Inn would make a great gift. Here are some local and online shops I love:
Local Shops
Vischer Ferry General Store
Arthur’s Market
Studio 4 Hot Yoga
Hatchet Hardware Store
Fort Orange General Store
Bluebird
Schenectady Trading Co
Niskayuna Co-op
Hillsdale General Store
The Broken Inn
And here are some online shops I return to again and again:
Online Shops
Bloomscape
Burlap and Barrel
Bombas
Food52
Vuori
Masienda
Rancho Gordo
Framebridge
Beauty Counter
Elsie Green
GoldBelly
Dot and Army
The Orange Shop
Rancho Medaluca
Leftover turkey? Look no further! This turkey tetrazzini, a classic pasta dish made with sautéed mushrooms, a light sauce, and parmesan, will put all that turkey to delicious use!
Several months ago, one of you shared your recipe for turkey tetrazzini with me. I made it after Thanksgiving to rave reviews, and I have since made it several times since.
I love making it not only because it is delicious, but because it puts any leftover turkey and/or turkey stock to great use as well as any leftover cranberry sauce : they go lovely together!
Unlike many baked pasta dishes in which the sauce binding it all together can be on the rich side, this one is made primarily of stock, and the process for making it is not unlike making gravy: you make a roux, add a splash of Sherry, then some stock and cream. The sauce barely thickens during its 15-minute simmer, and it makes for a fairly light-tasting pasta dish overall. I find the crispy edges, thanks to a blanket of parmesan, irresistible.
According to The Joy of Cooking , turkey tetrazzini “was created nearly a century ago by the great French chef Auguste Escoffier in honor of the legendary opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. It has lost none of its appeal since.”
Indeed it has not! Find step-by-step instructions below.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients:
Next, boil a pound of pasta and start sautéing the mushrooms:
Drain the pasta after 6 minutes, and when the mushrooms are nicely caramelized at the edges…
…add them to a 9×13-inch pan along with the pasta:
Top with leftover turkey, anywhere from 3 to 4 cups:
Time to make the sauce: Melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 4 tablespoons of flour in a medium pot:
Cook for two minutes, whisking constantly…
… then add some Sherry:
It will sieze up, then you’ll add 5 cups of stock and 1 cup of heavy cream…
… do use an appropriate sized pot (I had to switch to a larger size):
Bring to a gentle simmer, then simmer for 15-ish minutes or until slightly thick, at which point you’ll grate in some nutmeg (optional):
Pour the light gravy/bechamel over the pasta mixture and toss to combine:
Cover with a layer of grated parmesan:
Transfer to the oven for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and crisp at the edges:
Let rest briefly…
… then serve with leftover cranberry sauce and a simple green salad, if you wish:
Description
Leftover turkey? Look no further! This turkey tetrazzini, a classic pasta dish made with sautéed mushrooms, a light sauce, and parmesan, will put all that turkey to delicious use!
Notes:
Adapted from a blog reader’s recipe for chicken tetrazzini, which she adapted from America, the Beautiful Cookbook (HarperCollins, 1990)
I made a few changes to her recipe, including omitting the almonds due to a nut allergy in the family, doubling it, using penne in place of spaghettini, and a few other teensy changes.
Mushrooms : I love maitake, which you can tear into rough pieces. I’ve also used and loved pre-sliced mixed mushrooms. In short: any variety will do!
1 pound pasta, any variety you have on hand from penne to spaghettini
Kosher salt and/or flaky sea salt, to taste
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mushrooms, any variety you like, roughly chopped or torn, see notes above
3 to 4 cups pulled-apart leftover turkey or chicken
¼ cup flour
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
⅓ cup Sherry or Madeira
5 cups turkey stock or chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Par-boil the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Boil the pasta for 6 minutes. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Let dry in the colander or transfer to a large tea towel and pat dry. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish.
- Prepare the mushrooms: In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them cook undisturbed until they begin to brown, roughly 2 minutes. Season with a big pinch of salt. Give them a stir and continue cooking until they are nicely browned on all sides. They may take 5 to 10 minutes, depending on your skillet/heat source. Taste a mushroom. Add more salt to taste if necessary. Transfer the mushrooms to the dish with the pasta.
- Add the pulled-apart chicken or turkey to the dish with the pasta and mushrooms.
- Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, then add the sherry and whisk to combine. The mixture will seize and thicken. Continue cooking and whisking until the mixture pulls from the sides of the pan, then add the stock and cream. Season with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on the saltiness of your stock. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently and watching closely — it will bubble up. Adjust the heat so the mixture is just barely simmering. Simmer for roughly 15 minutes, whisking occasionally until the mixture thickens slightly — it will lightly coat the back of a spoon when it’s done, but it will not be very thick. When slightly thickened, add freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Taste. Adjust with more salt if necessary — I add a few pinches of flaky sea salt at this point.
- Assemble: Pour the sauce over the pasta, mushrooms, and turkey and toss to combine. Top with the parmesan.
- Bake: Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until golden, roughly 25 minutes. I crank the oven up to 450ºF after 25 minutes and bake for 5 more minutes to get a little more browning on the pasta edges.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: oven, stovetop
- Cuisine: Amerian
