When we aren’t taste testing foods and helping you make impeccable decisions at the grocery store, the team members here at Sporked are coveting things. It’s a sin, we know! But when gift guide season rolls around, we know what we want, and being prepared is never a bad thing. From a sizzling stocking stuffer to a very splurge-y mini fridge we’re obsessed with, here’s what Sporked’s editors are hoping to get this year.
Our Dream Stocking Stuffer: Yellowbird Hot Sauce Set of 4 Minis
Hot sauce is a classic stocking stuffer, but this four-pack of minis is even more fun than that bottle of Grandpappy’s Colon Destroyer you found when you did your holiday shopping at the gas station near your parents’ house. In addition to coming in adorable little squeeze bottles that look like they would contain paints, Yellowbird hot sauces are delicious. They’re so delicious, in fact, that two of them made our ranking of the best hot sauces. You get one of those—habanero—along with three other flavors, serrano, sriracha, and ghost pepper. If you’re shopping for someone who thinks heat is the spice of life, this is a perfect stocking stuffer. —Gwynedd Stuart
Our Dream Subscription Box: Tinned Fish Club
You don’t just get tinned fish with this subscription box. Every shipment comes with three cans of seafood from around the world (including many Sporked-approved brands) as well as curated condiments or snacks meant to pair with said seafood. It’s a seacuterie board in a box! They’ll also send recipe ideas, information about each tin, and really adorable teeny-tiny wooden forks. I received a few months of this subscription box as a gift from my very smart and perfect husband, and I was very sad when it ended. Again, please! —Justine Sterling
Our Dream Bougie Food Gift: Rustichella d’Abruzzo Egg Pappardelle
A month ago, I had the pleasure of attending Rustichella d’Abruzzo’s 100-Year Celebration, where I listened to the family behind this artisanal Italian pasta company relay their history and ate some of the best dishes of my life. (I still dream about that baked cannelloni). I won’t be dramatic and say Rustichella d’Abruzzo has ruined regular store-bought pasta for me forever (I simply love pasta too much for that to be the case), but I do actively budget to stock up on their products when I can. Their egg pappardelle is rich and velvety, with a hint of savory flavor that pairs beautifully with heavier sauces—personally, I can eat this with just butter, salt, and a spritz of lemon, and it’s still one of the best meals in my kitchen. Egg Pappardelle is my pasta pick from their plethora of options; but if you’re gifting to a pasta lover this year, shop around, see what noodles make your heart canoodle. Squid ink spaghetti? Pumpkin Torchio? I swear, it’s all incredible. —Ariana Losch
Our Dream Kitchen Appliance: Rocco Super Smart Fridge
Listen. I know buying a $1,500 beverage fridge seems demented, but, A., This is a list of our dream gifts, so let us dream, dammit, and B., This is so much more than a mini fridge. It’s quiet. It’s sleek. It’s beautiful enough to double as a piece of furniture in your living room or bar. It has slide-out shelves that hold a variety of drinks so your friends don’t have to rifle through your dusty leftovers to find something to drink. You can even control the temp from your phone. If you take soda (or seltzer or wine or mocktails) seriously, this is such a cool thing to own. —Gwynedd Stuart
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!