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Life Events: Weddings & Graduations

By Jesse Kornbluth
Published: May 22, 2016
Category: Beyond Classification

‘Tis the season for Transitions and Life Events: Weddings & Graduations. Yes, you can spend a bundle and give One Big Thing. I prefer kits — collections of small things. Practical things. That can be used. That last. That make recipients think of you as the smarty you are. Consider building one from these…

ON THE MOVE
The Filson Briefcase
READER TESTIMONIAL: “I’ve had a Filson briefcase since the early 2000s. Mine survived a car fire and the laptop inside was fine.”

The Filson Duffle
The Tin Cloth is virtually bulletproof. Certainly waterproof. Rustproof brass zipper and storm flap closure. Two inner pockets. Rugged handles and shoulder strap.

SELF CARE
Clarisonic Facial Sonic Cleansing System
You may never need to visit a dermatologist again. You may never need a facial again. Why is the Clarisonic so great? Because it doesn’t scrub. It cleanses — a sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second works on your skin to clean it, then smooth it.

THE ESSENTIAL DRINK: COFFEE
Mayorga 100% Organic Cubano Coffee
How good can $9 a pound coffee be? Very very good, it turns out. Good enough for espresso. More than good enough for that all-important first cup of the day, as well as all the mugs required to fuel my daily quota of words. Balzac had it right: “Were it not for coffee one could not write, which is to say one could not live.”

Capresso Burr Coffee Grinder
A burr grinder may give you the choice of as many as 16 speeds, but because it runs at a slower speed, it generates less heat. The burrs create uniform grounds. You can set a timer for five to sixty seconds so you don’t stand there, your life reduced to this chore, while you grind.

Melitta Cone Filter Coffeemaker
Drip. Drip. Drip.

Insulated Stainless Steel Thermal Carafe
Because you must not reheat coffee.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug
Hot stays hot. Cold stays cold.

THE KITCHEN
Unicorn Pepper Mill
Functionality rules. The mill is made of easy-to-wipe-clean plastic. Black plastic; like the Model T, you don’t get a choice of color. There’s a large, easy-to-open hole near the top that allows you to fill the cylinder with peppercorns. You adjust the grind on the bottom with a simple thumbscrew. Then you grind. Batteries? Oh, please.

simplehuman kitchenware
This company makes what it describes as “tools for efficient living.” And that’s no lie. The degree of thought that has gone into these household products is astounding — each product has been distilled to its essence. Napkin holder. Paper towel holder. Trash cans. Pet food storage can.

THE COOKBOOK COLLECTION
Canal House Cooks Every Day
Want to make deviled eggs but have no time? Split hard-boiled eggs, spread mayonnaise over them, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper. And… done. Spare ribs? Baste them with hoisin sauce and bourbon. Chicken in a pot needs only scallions. And no recipes call for foam or truffle oil.

Julia Child and Simone Beck: Mastering The Art of French Cooking, Volume One
WGBH, Boston’s public TV station, invited Julia Child to promote her book. The station had no studio kitchen, so she brought eggs, a whisk and a hot plate. On camera, she made an omelette, narrating the process with wit and confidence. A TV series soon followed — she was Martha Stewart before there was Martha Stewart.

Marcella Hazan: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking
Until Hazan published her instantly classic cookbook, you went to a restaurant that featured Northern Italian cooking, had a meal that was destined for your top ten list, and returned home with a nagging question: This is “simple” food. Her recipes were the essence of simplicity — her famous tomato sauce contained only tomatoes, onion, butter and salt.

V Is for Vegetables: Inspired Recipes & Techniques for Home Cooks — from Artichokes to Zucchini
This is a vegetable cookbook like no other. First, in its format — as the subtitle suggests, it’s organized like an encyclopedia, with lovely illustrations and helpful pictures. Second, in its simplicity. These are recipes that require no esoteric ingredients or elaborate preparation — this is gourmet home cooking. Most original of all is the point-of-view. A great many cooks have adopted the vegetables-at-the-center-of-the-plate religion, with animal protein as a side dish, garnish, afterthought — or non-presence. Michael Anthony hasn’t surrendered to the Meme of Vegetables.

HOME SWEET HOME
NEST Reed Diffusers
“The NEST sticks last longer than candles — 90 days,” one of you wrote. “They cover odors, but they’re never overt. And may I add: $42.”

Diptyque candles
Once it fills a room with scent, you can blow it out and the room will continue to be gently perfumed for hours.

THE EDGE
Mental Clarity
Reader Review: “I ordered Mental Clarity when I was felled by flu and feeling sure that I’d never be able to do my nonprofit’s annual fundraising appeal nor in fact ever write anything useful ever again. There seemed to be a Black Dog factor in the brain fog, along with the sneezing & coughing. Lo, what to write came clear and the Black Dog disappeared. If the appeal goes well, I’ll have to credit your finding Mental Clarity.”

Pu-erh Tea
Alice Waters drinks Pu-erh tea. And swears by it. “My cholesterol went down 100 points since I started drinking this,” she says. ”It was extreme.” Pu-erh is said to promote weight loss (the health claim is that it dissolves fat cells) lower blood pressure, and calm the nerves. A Chinese study performed on rats and published in 2009 showed lowering of LDL, cholesterol and triglyceride levels after the animals were fed a pu-erh tea extract, along with an increase in HDL,” writes Andrew Weil. “We know that tea, in general, is protective against heart disease and cancer. It’s likely that pu-erh tea has similar effects.”

TIMELESS CHIC
Timex Easy Reader Watch
It’s known by its big black numbers, its faux silvery case, and its elegant brown pleather strap. I love this watch because it’s easy to read in the day; because it lights up (gently) at night if you push the stem button. And… $24.

LET THERE BE LIGHT
TaoTronics Dimmable LED Desk Lamp
The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp has a one-touch, 3-level dimmer and an I’m-leaving-the-room “escape timer” that turns the light off after an hour. The bulb is estimated to last 40,000 hours. The arm is adjustable. It uses 75% less electricity than an old-fashioned lamp. It folds for easy transport. It’s no heavier than a small bag of feathers. The footprint is small. The design is sleek. It looks chic and expensive. It costs $26.99.

REAL SOUND
Yamaha Micro Component System
When it comes to music, the last thing on my mind is technology. Plug-and-play — that’s my mantra. Pop in a CD, hit one button, and there’s music. Slip an iPod or iPhone into the dock, hit play, and there’s music. So…this.

VICE
Mahogany Cigar Travel Humidifier
This small (9 x 6 x 4.5 inches), light (1 pound), inexpensive travel humidor holds 10 to 12 cigars and keeps them in smoke-me-now condition. It’s well-made: real wood, with strong magnets built into the hinges to keep the lid tightly closed. For infrequent cigar smokers, this could easily take the place of a larger, more expensive humidor.

MANNERS
Louise Fili: Quattro Parole Italiane: 12 Note cards and Envelopes
Why are these cards so striking? It’s not the words, which are refreshingly ordinary, but the typography, which is dramatic and different and, at the same time, nostalgic and familiar, taking you back to visits to small towns in Italy or, more likely, period movies.

REMEDIAL READING
HeadButler.com: The 100 Essentials
Just like the title says.