As we spend more time enjoying our homes, the kitchen has become the heart of the home now more than ever – for many of us serving as an office, dining area, gathering space and more. This time of year, especially, it is at its coziest! The air filled with the warm scents of bread or cookies baking in the oven, while holiday crafts or gift wrapping take over the kitchen table.
Our food and kitchen accessory areas are full of objects that will add to the warmth of the kitchen and enhance the cooking and gathering experience. Lots of great gift ideas too!
Here are a few of our favourites:
Cookbooks
When you are having trouble deciding where to start, cookbooks are a great way to get inspired in the kitchen. We have so many to choose from, but I’m especially curious about is Canal House: Cook Something by Christopher Hirsheimer. This title houses 300 simple recipes perfect for the newbie home cook and is also a great reference for those already comfortable with their chef’s knife. A favourite of mine over the years is Everything I Want to Cook by Jessica Koslow which has *The Best* biscuit recipe aptly called Flaky Ass Biscuits. If you want to go deep into the science of fermentation, The Noma Guide to Fermentation by René Redzepi is an amazing (and beautiful) book filled with things you may (or may not) want to adventure and make!
Tools
Once you have made your decision about what to cook, then you need to get your batterie de cuisine ready. We all love the John Pawson pots by Demeyere. If you’ve ever drooled over John Pawson’s cult cookbook (yes, he is an architect, but he made an amazing cookbook in the ’90s called Living and Eating), then you would have seen the pots in his beautiful kitchen and now, these can come home with you! Bonus is that they work as well as they look.
FD Style Tools — these sleek black handtools (peelers, openers, graters) are a subtle way to introduce beauty and comfort into your daily cooking prep.
Setting the Table
New in the store: the custom-designed cutting boards and spoons by local woodworker Steelwood. These pieces use reclaimed wood to create joyful pieces for serving and entertaining.
We carry a few select pieces from local cult ceramicist Janaki Larsen. These unique pieces will bring panache and style to your table for any occasion.
Ikebana vases by Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen. These vases come in three sizes and make flower arranging a snap. I especially like using them with botanicals that can be dried to really max out my arrangement.
Gropius wine glasses for Rosenthal. These glasses are spectacular; they make drinking any wine (or even just sparkling water) feel special.
If you are ready to upgrade your dishes, the porcelain collection designed by Stefan Diez for Japanese manufacturer 2016/Arita is absolutely stunning.
Puddifoot Cassini flatware. This cutlery from local manufacturer Puddifoot is perfect. Well designed, good weight, and an excellent price.
Stelton Cylinda Line teapot. For teatime, there is no teapot that functions better than this stainless steel one by Stelton. Designed by Arne Jacobsen, there won’t be a drop spilt when you pour your tea and it looks so good!
Alessi A Tempo dishrack and tray. After your meal is done, the experience in the kitchen continues. The A Tempo dishrack is round, which is unique as it works well for both plates and glasses at once.
Gourmet Treats
Because this is 2020, a year like no other, we have decided to expand our offerings in the store to include some Gourmet Delicacies from around the world.
We have incredible Truffle Mustard from France, Infused Honey from BC, Candy from Sweden, Nancy and Niels’ special blend of coffee, Beta 5 chocolate bars and more!!
Please come in or browse online to see all our amazing offerings. And of course, if you want to overhaul the entire kitchen, Carissa would be happy to talk to you about our beautiful Boffi line of kitchens.