MOLD is back with our annual round-up of the weird and wonderful for your gift-giving needs. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite gifts from independent businesses, organizations, and makers to give you and your loved ones something sweet (or savory!) to round out the year with. From a nostalgic re-issue of the classic Taiwanese electric steamer, to a cult pickle recipe book, to adopting an urban sheep, the writers, artists and editors behind MOLD hope to add a little extra joy to your gifting this holiday season.
FOR NOURISHMENT
ACQ’s mind-blowingly delish Milk Bread 2.0 makes a dream gift for a bread lover. Buy a loaf a la carte at the Carroll Garden’s greenmarket on Sundays, or give a CSA membership to someone who lives in the area and can pick-up bread weekly during ACQ’s pick-up hours (16:00-19:00, Thursday through Saturday at 543 Clinton Ave, Brooklyn NY 11231). – Dani Dillon
I’ve been eyeing this beautifully packaged, tea-forward kombucha for quite some time and was finally able to try some. I was blown away at how different it is from the supermarket kombuchas we are used to, where the tea flavor profiles are the least of our concerns. UF brings tea to the center of their kombuchas and their wonderful packaging, gorgeous hues and complex flavor characteristics make it the perfect gift for anyone who enjoys a good beverage, alcoholic or not — plus, a great conversation is sure to ensue at your holiday party. – suea
Bạn Bè (“friend” in English) is a Vietnamese bakery based in Brooklyn, NY. Their cookie tins are inspired by the blue Royal Dansk tins we grew up with—except this one has actual butter cookies, and not sewing supplies. This tin includes seven flavors: coconut pandan, black sesame ube, tamarind cacao nib, and cà phê crunch. You can reuse the beautiful silver tin as a pencil case after! – Kristi Huynh
Give the gift of soup! Misomaru is a delicious and local way to enjoy a vast selection of flavors and ingredients that are good for the gut. – Lo Alalay
An incredible collection of Italian heritage seeds for next Spring. Herbs and vegetables that are otherwise hard to find like cucuzza, agretti, borage, and a slew of chicories. – Adrianna Gallo
FOR THE MIND
Turn of the century New York City was a hot bed for labor organizing. Kevin Bruce, a baker and the founder of deadramones zines, has compiled an incredible history of NYC’s food worker labor movement from 1912-1932. As we enter this holiday season, this book reminds a new generation of workers organizing across academia (we stand in solidarity with ACT-UAW and the New School part time faculty strike!), food service, transportation, and media, that the past can continue to be a blueprint and source of inspiration for the present. BONUS: Attend Strike School, free educational and solidarity building workshops hosted by the New School part-time faculty strikers! – LinYee Yuan
Taught by Dr. Suzanne Pierre as part of the Science Against Capitalism series at the People’s Forum, this one-day hybrid course taking place on January 14, 2023 will explore the role of biophysical sciences in building a sustainable future for all. Come for the course and stay for the year-long anti-imperialist programming! – Jamie Tyberg
Subscribing to this cult food newsletter has provided a welcome treat in my otherwise spam-laden inbox. From Amy Key’s gorgeous essay on color and cravings to this deeply researched survey of Britain and Ireland’s chippy traditions, each edition manages to surprise and delight. This is the perfect gift for the hungry and the curious. – Isabel Ling
A cult favorite, Usha’s Pickle Digest contains 1,000 Indian pickle recipes and went out of print following the author’s sudden illness, with the few available copies being traded back and forth and copied until a re-print became available. The book is divided into nine sections — Classique, Unique Flavours, Exclusive, Exotic, Quick Serve, Assorted, Oil-Free, Dietary, and Anti-Waste. Rumor has it, a book of 1,000 rasam recipes is forthcoming. – Adrianna Gallo
This zine was birthed from the freaky deaky minds of some avid cake-stagram users. But the zine is more than just photos of cool cakes. It’s an intellectual and beautifully designed curation of original work related to desserts. Cake Zine’s debut issue was a hot creamy magazine all about the relationships between treats and the erotic. Their latest issue, called ‘Wicked Cake’ is jelly-filled full of essays, poems, and art exploring the sinister side of the sweet stuff. – Ludwig Hurtado
This small but mighty piece of literature will provide a refreshing, humorous and grounding perspective on the human capacity to evolve and recreate a more ecological world. Morton encourages readers to self reflect, observe and take a step back by questioning our own understanding of ‘nature’ and the impacts of the subjectivity vs objectivity ‘information dump’ age we live in. The size of this book doesn’t do justice to the depths of its contents (plus it fits perfectly into a small bag, making it ideal for travel).
For the loved one who loves to be outdoors, gift them a course in foraging. I recently, took this amazing tour in Prospect Park during which I learned about all the native plants you can find throughout the park. And the best part–– you get to walk away not only with some fun new facts to drop at your summer picnics, but also with some ingredients you picked yourself to take home and cook with! You can find mushroom and other foraging tours near you. – Ludwig Hurtado
Abolition Notes is an evolving, volunteer-run project slowly mapping free political education materials using the abolition of capitalism and the carceral state as an entry point. They have an extensive digital archive of materials on their site, and their library of printable, downloadable, and shareable zines makes for some good gifting.
FOR THE KITCHEN
For those who’ve experienced the humming of a Taiwanese home kitchen, the vintage styling of the Ta Tung cooker should be familiar. It’s one-click cooking function belies its versatility—marketed as a rice cooker it can actually be used to cook everything from short ribs to fish, stews to steamed cakes. The Asian American female-owned company Yun Hai is reintroducing this classic cooker to the US market so throw in their $15 recipe book and $8 steamer tongs to complete the set.- LinYee Yuan
ori Yanagi is one of Japan’s most well-known furniture and product designers. Everyday when I use these tongs I’m reminded why good design is important, why good food is important, and why cooking brings me joy. – Corinne Mynatt
Australian chef Josh Niland’s fish weight is the kind of kitchen tool that will completely transform and uplevel your cooking game—sure, it makes the crispiest fish skin, but it can be used on so many other kinds of proteins. And to really feel extra extravagant, this limited edition rainbow colored fish weight feels very indulgent/the kind of thing that’s so over the top, Liberace would blush. – Helen Hollyman
These ceramics from indomitable furniture designer and artist, Isabel Rower, are unique and beautiful pieces that will brighten up any kitchen. Rower’s whimsical marbled designs are the perfect gift for that friend who insists on making a statement with their dish, before and after serving. – Ludwig Hurtado
A risograph print of found vintage jello molds by designer Elizabeth Goodspeed, printed with Lucky Risograph in New York. Vibrant, joyful, and carefully assembled. Perfect framed or unframed for just about anyone. – Adrianna Gallo
FOR THE BODY
California Dirt Jewelry
Adorn yourself with silver jewelry from California Dirt. The playful, organic shapes found across designer Carmen Kelly’s jewelry collection make for an eye-catching accessory. My favorite is the Sunburst Pendant. Hand-crafted in Los Angeles, these necklaces make the perfect gift for anyone who might need a lucky charm. – Isabel Ling
Re=Comb
Beautiful hair combs made from recycled plastic. Re=comb use either recycled HDPE or LDPE plastics, and as the plastic types are never mixed, the combs themselves can be recycled again. They come in gorgeous colors and sell out fast! –Cristina Carbajo
Textiles artist Sophia De Jesus-Sabella plays with pattern to create this hand-woven, wood-grain-inspired blanket. This dreamy, one-of-a-kind piece is a work of art you can cozy up to. As a bonus, check out the Textiles Art Center for more resources on weaving and craft within Brooklyn! – Isabel Ling
FOR THE COMMUNITY
Brilliantly talented artist/polymath Azikiwe Mohammed started a non-location based food bank to service a wide variety of communities across NYC during the pandemic. You can sign up for a weekly donation subscription based on your amount of choice to join in on distributing “all food for all the people,” as Azikiwe would say. – Helen Hollyman
I visited Inland’s urban flock of sheep at Casa de Campo in Madrid this past spring and was struck by the real joy they brought to parkgoers — from the retired businessman who came to volunteer each day, the school groups who visited to learn about local ecology, and the bikers who broke out in smiles when they unexpectedly came across some 200 sheep. When adopting a sheep you have the opportunity to meet and name your sheep in Madrid, and to follow its life in the flock. – Katy Dammers
