Patrick Janelle's Kitchen Aid Is His "Trusty Sidekick"
"Man about town" is a phrase few can use to describe our occupations, but today’s holiday gift guide comes from one of them. The tireless Patrick Janelle, also known as aguynamedpatrick on Instagram, is the CFDA’s 2014 Instagrammer of the Year, director of the underground New York City events club Spring St. Social Society, and founder of The Liquor Project, which will launch next year. Check out Janelle’s favorite stylish food gifts below.
Photo: Daniel Seung Lee
What are your top 5 food-related gift ideas for the holidays?
1. A home bar is not complete without a mixing glass, and this extra large version is a perfect gift for a party host, because you can mix up to four cocktails at a time. Photo: Cocktail Kingdom
2. Gone are the days of banishing the plastic water filter to the refrigerator, because the Soma glass filter is as much a statement piece as it is a functional appliance. The purchase does double duty on giving, too: For each water filter purchased, a portion of the proceeds benefit charity:water. Photo: Soma
3. Handcrafted in Portland, the FINEX cast-iron skillet will make the artisan-minded chef in your life swoon. The geometric shape is not only practical, allowing easier access for spatula access, but it also elevates the humble skillet to an artful showpiece. Photo: FINEX
4. There are few things I love more than an accessory that looks much more significant than the simple task it was made for. The “Precision” bottle opener from Kelly Wearstler looks very cool on a coffee table alongside books and accessories. Photo: Kelly Wearstler
5. I am an evangelist for smart-looking kitchen basics, and I refuse to use plastic bowls for kitchen prep. These jadeite bowls have been manufactured in the midwest for half a century, and they are a classic addition to any kitchen. Photo: Kaufmann Mercantile
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
My mom gave me a Kitchen Aid when I got my first apartment. It’s still my trusty kitchen sidekick.
Photo: Kitchenaid
What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?
I got my brother started on home brewing five years ago with a starter kit and accessories that I curated from a few shops in Denver. I was pretty proud of that gift… and he’s still brewing.
What are your plans for the holidays?
My brothers and sisters-in-law [and I] are taking a hut trip in the mountains outside of Aspen for a few days just before Christmas. It’s a six-mile back country trek each way, but the huts (formerly used as military training for the Tenth Mountain Division a century ago) have been updated, and kitchens are stocked with all the necessary tools and appliances for cooking meals that far outpace your typical backpacking fare.
What will be on your holiday dinner table this year?
My mom always makes angel hair pasta from scratch, using a hand-crank pasta maker that belonged to her mother. We should get some chicken noodle soup mileage out of that.
Photo: Amazon
What’s a great last-minute gift?
No matter where you shop, put together a little package that creates an experience instead of just “stuff.” For instance: a movie gift card, a mason jar of popcorn, some spices and sea salt, a couple bottles of beer. And maybe a bag to sneak it all in.
Photo: Food52
More stylish gift ideas for the holiday:
The Faux Martha’s Design Savvy Gift Guide
The Sophisticated Gourmet: “Gosh, Christmas Leftovers Are the Best!”
Gift Guide 2014: Nom Nom Paleo on Meat Thermometers, Pressure Cookers, and, of Course, Her Cookbook
