Vicky Wasik

Over the summer, Daniel did a deep dive into the world of wooden cutting boards. I learned a lot from that review. Having long owned exclusively plastic cutting boards, I was surprised to learn that wooden cutting boards are much easier to keep clean than their plastic counterparts. Plus, a good wooden cutting board can last for years, all while extending the life and sharpness of your knives.

Of course, not all wooden cutting boards are made equal. They come in all sorts of sizes and constructions, in different woods and with various features. There are endless considerations to take into account—which is why Daniel was the tester and not me.

After rounds and rounds of testing, Daniel found that his favorite end-grain wooden cutting board came from The BoardSmith, a family-run company that, in his words, "gets all the details right." Each piece is made by hand and sanded to a fine finish, without any cracks or chips. They're about as sturdy as they come.

This fall, we reached out to The BoardSmith to see if they'd be willing to create a custom cutting board, designed to our culinary team's exact specs.

Here's Daniel's take in his own words: "The most important thing to the culinary team right off the bat was not to over-engineer a super-gimmicky design just for novelty's sake. The BoardSmith gets all the essentials of a wooden cutting board right, and we had no desire to change that. We focused our attention on selecting the specs we value most, starting with our preferred 22- by 16-inch size. We opted for no feet, so that you can use both sides of the board, and added finger grooves to make picking up the heavy board easier. Our one little flourish: an unobtrusive 12-inch ruler laser-etched onto one corner of the board, away from where you'll do your knife work but immediately available in case you want to confirm that you're cutting your foods to the size specified in a recipe."

Because pricing for end-grain boards can be quite high, The BoardSmith is also offering our ruler design as an edge-grain board in two sizes, at lower price points.

Finally, you'll find a Serious Eats brand on one edge alongside The BoardSmith's—a little signature of the partnership.

No matter which board you choose, you can expect it to arrive fully oiled with USP-grade mineral oil. All you need to do is give it a rinse and get cutting. And to keep your board in tip-top shape, be sure to follow our instructions in our guide to seasoning and maintaining wooden cutting boards.

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We've long looked to Gustiamo for specialty Italian goods. The name may sound familiar from Senior Culinary Editor Sasha's story about colatura di alici and his subsequent recipe for spaghetti con la colatura di alici. It wouldn't be fair of us to keep Gustiamo to ourselves, so this year, we partnered with it to create a custom gift box full of our favorite items.

So what's in there?

Let's start with the pistachio spread, one of Ed's favorites to slather on bread, spoon over ice cream, or just eat with a spoon. (We've seen him do it!) The price tag on the jar may seem a bit staggering, but the spread is made solely from Sicilian pistachios, olive oil, sugar, and sea salt. It has a sweet, slightly salty flavor that warrants double-dipping that spoon.

Then, of course, there's colatura, the original Italian umami bomb from the town of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast. The sauce itself is made from aged anchovies and sea salt. It's rich, savory, and can be used much like we use fish sauce—as a flavor enhancer for meat, fish, veggies, and more.

Should you want some classic Italian pasta, we also included Gemelli Faella, a high-quality dried pasta. Faella is a pasta producer from Gragnano and is renowned for its dried pasta, all of which is extruded through bronze dies and dried slowly at a low temperature. The particular shape, gemelli, is a favorite of Sasha, who loves its chew and coarse texture, which holds sauce really well.

Most San Marzano tomatoes that you find in the United States aren't as authentic as you think. That's why we love these ones that are actually grown around San Marzano sul Sarno, Italy. Once you have good-quality jarred tomatoes in your cabinet, you'll be ready to make great tomato sauce whenever the mood strikes.

Now come the beans, first borlotti beans, a special variety of cranberry beans that cook up nice and plump—worthy of the time and effort you put into them. Then, there are coffee beans from Sant’Eustachio—a storied cafe in Rome—for true Italian mornings right at home.

Want more gift recommendations? Check out our holiday gift guide with our picks for every type of recipient.

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Last year I moved into an apartment where I had just enough space to fit a dining room table. To be clear, it's not a dining room. It's a slot on the floor with enough space for a three-by-five-foot table. But that's all I needed to start entertaining more often.

The great thing about working at Serious Eats is that there are always new recipes to try and techniques to master. The inspiration is endless. But when I had my first group of friends over, I was presented with an issue. I had absolutely nothing for serving! Sure, I had bowls and plates where I could serve people individually. But I had nothing on which to present my hard work, nothing that would do justice to my enormous brisket. That needed to change.

So I set out to find some serving platters. While attractiveness was certainly something to note, I also wanted to make sure they were durable, affordable (under $100), and functional—worthy of space in my limited cabinetry and worthy of the food placed upon them. The following is a selection of my favorites.

The Multi-Tasker

I'll start with a note that there are some baking dishes that also work as perfectly acceptable serveware. When it comes to holiday casseroles, this heritage baking dish from Staub can go from the oven to the table without any trouble. What's more, Staub, in particular, has excellent heat retention, so it'll keep whatever you've prepared warm, even if there are stragglers to your meal. Doesn't hurt either that it comes in nice holiday colors.

The Simple

Buying a nice white serving platter is sort of like collecting plain white T-shirts. As long as they're made well, they're endlessly versatile. You can use them again and again, paired with different conversation pieces (from roast chicken to duck a l'orange), and no one will tire of them.

This white serving platter from Williams Sonoma was recommended to me by our former copyeditor here at Serious Eats. Just like said copyeditor, this platter is no-nonsense in all the right ways. It's classic, elegant, and extremely functional. I love the handles, which are helpful when you're transporting something a bit heavy, like a roast or a lot of cheese. Perhaps what surprised me most was the price. Even the largest size is just $28. Plus, cleanup's a breeze, since you can toss it (gently) into the dishwasher at the end of the night.

For fancier occasions, I break out my Jono Pandolfi platter. You may recognize the brand, perhaps not by its name but by the design, as its pieces are used in some of the fanciest restaurants in the world. (And now, in my apartment!) Everything from Jono is handmade; while the platter definitely has some heft, it's delicate-looking and sophisticated. And despite the fact that it's handmade, it's still dishwasher-safe. Prices for these platters start at $40 and go up to $75 for the largest, making them an ideal gift for a host in your life or just yourself.

This ceramic platter from Crate & Barrel was recommended to me by our visual director, Vicky Wasik. Pictured above, it's ideal for a bold centerpiece. I love the antique-look of this platter and how the rim is more freeform. What's more, this piece is actually oven-safe up to 300°F, which means you can carve up your turkey, place it on the platter, then stick it back in a warm oven until your guests arrive.

The Eye-Catching

Even as I sit here writing this story, I'm wearing a white T-shirt. I have a whole drawer of them, so why branch out? Well, this became an issue as I submitted my serving platter recommendations to Niki. She noticed pretty quickly that most of my favorites were pretty basic and lacking some vibrance—vibrance that her kitchen has in spades. So, I took to the Serious Eats staff to pick up a few recommendations for a more colorful set of serveware, and they did not disappoint.

Let's start with this beautiful, patterned melamine platter. While it may look delicate, this piece is scratch-resistant, shatterproof, and dishwasher-safe (a beautiful trifecta for the clumsy and lazy among us). While it's technically labeled an "outdoor" platter, I can't see why you wouldn't use this for a nice holiday gathering. And when the summer rolls around—if it ever does again—you'll be prepared.

When I went to Portugal a few years ago, I was astounded by how much beautiful ceramic kitchenware there was. I came home with a rolling bag full of heavy, bubble-wrapped platters and bowls, only to realize later that a lot of Portuguese ceramics are actually available here, from retailers that I use all the time. While I'm still a little grouchy about that, I can't be mad at this lovely black-and-white platter from West Elm that is, yes, made in Portugal. A boon for holiday leftovers, it's microwave-safe, and reactive glaze gives it a lovely, unique speckled appearance.

This bright aqua-colored platter has that same reactive glaze, but this time it's created a more ombré look. If aqua isn't quite your color, the platter also comes in a rich navy and more neutral beige-gray. I could imagine this piece highlighting some grand roast, like a beef Wellington.

Of course, another gorgeous platter from Portugal. Unlike most of my other recommendations, this one has a delightful matte finish that is both understated and elegant. I could see it used a centerpiece for a holiday meal or as a dish that remains out at all times, topped with a smattering of citrus in your dining room. If you have a dining room, that is.

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