Updated daily, the Buy section is a deep directory of stuff we love. From this collection we organize Gift Guides for the holiday season and special occasions all year long.
700 authentic Mexican recipes sourced from the Baja to the Yucatán, bound in one book—you may never order out again, with this bible at your fingertips. Master staples like fajitas and moles and experiment with dishes like cactus salad and blue crab soup—all bursting with vibrant colors and rich flavors. To head the book, Phaidon tapped the former chef to the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture, Margarita Carrillo Arronte, a leader of the Slow Food movement in Baja and a longtime cultural supporter of Mexican cuisine in the global arena.
Anxiety isn’t a modern disorder, but in the past people didn’t pop a pill to calm their nerves. Instead, they turned to the naturally soothing properties of the Melissa plant, a lemon balm used medicinally for the past 2,000 years. Premier Italian apothecary Santa Maria Novella derived their own Melissa-based formula in 1690, which is still as helpful today. Add a dash to a cup of water and let the good vibes settle in.
The unlikely byproduct of Cuba’s trade embargo with the US is a previously undocumented preservation of lavish midcentury architecture and design in Havana. In “Havana Modern” Michael Connors takes the reader through a visual tour of private homes and buildings in art deco and nouveau styles, impeccably maintained and otherwise inaccessible to the world at large.
Obsessive doodler Jon Burgerman has swapped pen and paper for sterling silver with his necklaces for Digby & Iona. The celebrated illustrator’s playful characters hang from a 25-inch oxidized chain, all handmade in Brooklyn.
They don’t call Canada the Great White North for nothing—it gets cold up there. To Anna-Maria Mountfort, founder of children’s mitten brand mimiTENS, the country seems like the right place to make quality winter wear for kids. Like their mittens, mimiTENS booties are lined with 3M Thinsulate and a soft organic cotton fleece, and also feature a suede bottom to prevent slipping.
Pizza enthusiasts rejoice: this tome offers a comprehensive guide to making the ultimate pizza. From Neapolitan to deep-dish to calzones, New York slices to Chicago’s deep dish, eleven-time world pizza champion, and author, Toni Gemignani has you covered. There are tips for making dough, baking, toppings and everything between—not to mention the drool-worthy photography.
The super-sleek silhouette is not to be mistaken for a delicate top layer in the case of Isaora’s Tech 3L Sportcoat. Its heavy-duty nylon panels—constructed from the same material in their snowboard gear—are welded to prevent even an iota of rainwater to permeate through, with an extra layer of taping on shoulders and arms.
SKINA celebrates copper’s lustre in a simple, industrial contraption pairing pipes with a hammock of PVC canvas. Stash magazines, or anything you want, and put it somewhere prominent.
Tea tree and lavender and active bamboo charcoal, oh my! This potent, clarifying trio works together to draw impurities, exfoliate and soothe the skin. The small, black chunk works hard and smells so sweet at the same time.
Anybody who avoids the trans-fat saturated and sugary nut butter varieties knows the oily, separated gloop that becomes of a fancy—or just healthy—nut butter. Instead of stirring it with a knife (like a chump) try this logical, but very clever mixer. Made from plastic, metal and rubber, the lid sits snuggly atop most sizes of jars and will protect your bench-top, hands, clothes and feet from any oily messes.
Everybody loves a handmade gift, but crafts can often conjure up ideas of juvenile knicknacks or impossibly intricate frills. “Make and Give” swaps out laborious and uncool-campy for enjoyable and clever in a smartly packaged how-to guide. Authors Steph Hung and Erin Jang have weighed in with tasteful eyes to outline the right recipient and the inspiration behind each project.
Go-Comb’s credit card-sized fine-tooth combs are handy, to say the least. Designed to fit in your wallet, this little guy will do a lot when you need to spiff up on the go. The unisex, stainless steel grooming tool will just as easily smooth out a ‘stache or untangle a hair braid.
Designer Mathieu Lehanneur juxtaposes sleek silicone with the old-fashioned convention of a pocketwatch in the Take Time! watch. Convertible in three ways, the timepiece can be worn as a wristwatch, carried as a pocketwatch, or hung; and comes in a range of bright and neutral hues.
If you’ve ever wanted to make a bold statement with a piece of nicely designed home decor, FPOAFM’s Middle Finger Planter will top your wish list. They recommend an Andes Mountain cactus, a prickly, phallic plant that stands up against the world without a hint of regret.
BirkSun’s Boost Solar Backpack doesn’t just carry your devices in a sharp little package, it keeps them powered up with the help of a sleek solar panel on the back. The interior features a fleece-lined laptop sleeve and small, discreet dock to plug in computeres, tablets, smartphones, you name it.
Get a little taste of the astronaut’s life with this book of space food recipes that can be prepared in a kitchen much closer to home. Written by NASA veterans Charles T Bourland and Gregory L Vogt, The Astronaut’s Cookbook is filled with fun facts and anecdotes about eating in zero gravity.