Sage holiday advice: the gifts you bestow upon your friends and family say a lot about you. So say all the right things: that you’re thoughtful, kind, loving... and you know where to score the hottest mayonnaise in town. Not that they didn’t know that already.
A jar of handmade mayo infused with ghost peppers—the most feared pepper on earth—is perfect for that low-stakes office grab bag. The winner can spread it on sandwiches to catch your office’s fridge thief. They’ll be the one with smoke coming out of their ears.
Your dad. Such an intellect. Such a lover of books. Such... a pain to shop for. But lay a pristine first edition of The Old Man and the Sea on him. He’ll be stoic at first. He’ll “hmmf” a little bit. Then he’ll gently stroke its cover. That’s when you win.
Sorry, Newsweek. Today, Americans only subscribe to things they can eat. Enter this artisanal cheese service. Each month, your foodie friend receives a box containing a sampling of small-batch cheese—blue, feta, gorgonzola... it’s anyone’s guess. Hopefully, somebody else gets them a cracker subscription.
Rebecca Plotnick is a Chicago-based photographer who spends part of her life in Paris capturing that city in all its misty-morning, twinkly-night glory. Her work is perfect for any young student of French besotted by impractical, romantic notions of the City of Lights. Always encourage impractical, romantic notions.
Maybe he’ll never be another Deadmau5. But, hey, every self-respecting Electric Daisy Carnival–going kid deserves the chance to try. And these cool mini synthesizers—more early Kraftwerk than Avicii—give that audiophile on your list his first taste of rave superstardom. Next year, get him some lasers.
