These are a few of my favorite things.
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Over the years, I’ve kept an eye out for standout goods to help me live the best life possible.
From furniture and accessories that make my home the perfect place for entertaining to products that keep me looking my best, these are the products I swear by. I hope you find a few things that you’ll love and make your own, too.
The best of home
I’m a sucker for brass anything, but these are as useful as they are pretty. Handcrafted by brass artisans in Kampala, Uganda, these bowls are perfect for displaying plants, storing fruit in the kitchen, or entertaining guests with snacks in a polished yet effortless way. Even just empty on a shelf, they make a charming addition to any space. This artisan homegoods company was founded by a young husband and wife duo out of SoCal who make expeditions to East Africa to work with extraordinary craftspeople and create their goods.
Hand chiseled from the Tabaka Hills in Kenya with a marbled blend of cream and blush tones, this lovely soapstone round container is perfect for containing precious valuables - or maybe something less valuable, but no less special, like your favorite flaky sea salt. Get creative! This artisan homegoods company was founded by a young husband and wife duo out of SoCal who make expeditions to East Africa to work with extraordinary craftspeople and create their goods.
Unlike other household items, this hand-stretched, hand-stitched Kenyan leather pillow only improves with age. Its warm caramel color is a chic accent to any room, and even better news – it arrives with a fitted hypoallergenic down-alternative insert, so the comfort can begin as soon as it’s made its way to your home. This artisan homegoods company was founded by a young husband and wife duo out of SoCal who make expeditions to East Africa to work with extraordinary craftspeople and create their goods.
Windmill is a new type of air conditioner, putting a much-needed modern spin on a decades old standard. With over 60 years of family experience in the business, Windmill’s founders have been super thoughtful about the design when it comes to both form and function.
A few things I love about it:
A Smooth Operator: Top vents blow air up and out at the perfect angle (aka not blowing directly on you, turning you into a human icicle), and the unit’s curved edges, clean lines, and auto-dimming LED display allow the unit to hide in plain sight.
Super Smart: Windmill is smart and app-enabled, which means you can literally control it from your phone, tablet, Alexa, Google Assistant. Turn it on and off remotely
Eco Friendly to the Core: Windmill is easier on the environment vs. traditional window ACs. It uses an eco-responsible refrigerant and runs very efficiently.
The brilliant Breville espresso machine has allowed me to maintain my cortado routine from home. Not only is the brew fantastic, but the barista-quality appliance has also taught me to create my own latte art.
I met Jono through mutual friends when I worked at Bon Appétit Magazine, and I’ve visited his really cool loft-like studio where he produces his goods in Union City, NJ. Consisting of an entrée plate, a salad plate, and an “everything” bowl - and I truly do use it for everything - these place settings really have something for everyone, and every meal. With each piece made individually by hand, no two are alike in their spirals at the center, making for truly unique dinnerware.
This is one piece that instantly made my living room more grown up when I placed it. A timeless and classic lamp to adorn any bedside table or office desk - simple but elegant in design, unique in shape, and a base made of sturdy, handmade brass.
Set the table
My favorite things to make every dinner a party
Make your skin shine
In addition to peptides, this nighttime moisturizer features retinol which speeds up the reproduction of new skin cells—think fresh glowing skin. The cream is formulated to keep skin super moisturized overnight while keeping pores clear, reducing the chance of whiteheads and blackheads.
Use the code PATRICKJ20 for 20% off your order!
The salicylic acid and lactic acid in this Tata Harper Clarifying Mask create a very satisfying tingling sensation to let you know the ingredients are hard at work. Formulated specifically for skin that is “uneven” and blemish-prone, the ingredients work hard to exfoliate and restore skin. The fragrance has a super green, honeyed fragrance to it—a perfect compliment to the gin martini I’m drinking while letting the mask offset its effects.
If you’re prone to blackheads or have oily skin, this is the mask for you. The Tata Harper Purifying Mask is also appropriate for combating an environment with high pollutants, like traveling or city living. The fragrance falls in line with many other Tata Harper products, with a botanical and slightly spiced fragrance —think a sort of floral sandalwood.
Engineered specifically for men, Hetime’s face masks are shaped to purposefully leave room for facial hair. The Anti-aging & Hydrating face mask uses frankincense, green tea, and coconut water to reduce fine line, tighten the skin, and promote hydration.
Engineered specifically for men, Hetime’s face masks are shaped to purposefully leave room for facial hair. The Revitalizing & Hydrating variety smells fantastic, immediately reduces blemishes, and eliminates dullness to brighten the skin overall.
Products to keep a healthy glow
Read on
Books for cooking, making cocktails, and more
Books for your favorite cook
By Cortney Burns
Cortney Burns is the fermentation pioneer and co-author of the James Beard Award-winning cookbook Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes. At the San Francisco restaurant of the same name, Cortney gained recognition for her inventive dishes that combined Japanese, Hugarian, and Nordic influences. After her Bay Area stint, she moved across the country and eventually settled in New Hampshire and coastal Massachusetts, where she has explored New England ingredients and further developed her one-woman preservation society.
In response to her eastern migration, Cortney’s newest release is about “uprooting in order to reroot.” Nourish Me Home: 125 Soul-Sustaining, Elemental Recipes, offers a spiritual, artistic, and mystical approach to cooking. Personal essays reveal Cortney’s own journey of self-discovery and the positive, natural energy she channels into her food. The recipes are complete with hand-drawn illustrations and vivid photographs, while chapters are organized by element, from Water to Fire to Earth to Air to Aether. There is also a larder section that features simple sauces, infused vinegars, toasted seed mixtures, and, of course, pickles.
By Nicole Rucker
Nicole is the first person I turn to when looking for a perfect baked good. I first got to know her via Instagram when she was the GM and pastry chef at GTA; we have since become close and have even collaborated together on pop-up dinners and events in LA. Widely deemed “LA’s Pie Queen,” (she has won multiple awards from KCRW’s Good Food PIe Contest and has since become a judge herself) both her pies and restaurant projects are award winning. This book focuses on delicious desserts made with fruit, with drool-worthy confections like “Provencal-Style Cheesecake” and “Honey-Glazed Strawberry Pie.” Be sure to check out my YouTube video with her when we baked grape financiers from the book!
By Bryant Terry
Food justice activist and author Bryant Terry believes the best vegan meals are created with real food, not powders or meat substitutes—just the way I like to enjoy my meatless provisions. His simple, straightforward recipes take common vegetables, grains, and legumes and transform them with vibrant spices and clever techniques. The result is flavorful plates like millet roux mushroom gumbo.
By Susan Spungen
Given that she was the founding Food Editor at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and the culinary consultant and food stylist on the films Julie & Julia, It’s Complicated, and Eat, Pray, Love, it’s safe to say Susan Spungen knows her way around good food, and a good kitchen. Even better: she, too, is from Colorado and we got to know each other via Instagram! Not only does she provide simple, delicious recipes for entertaining, but she explores her “get ahead” philosophy that encourages an open, streamlined kitchen space, both in preparation and serving, that will make for the easiest, breeziest dining experience for both the chef and their guests. My favorite dish I return to is “Fried Black Rice with Shrimp, Shiitakes and Shishitos,” but every dish seems to find the right balance between fresh and comfort food.
By John deBary
Bona fide NYC cocktail and bar expert John deBary has worked at James Beard award-winning cocktail bar PDT and was the bar director at Momofuku for nine years. Here, he examines mixology with expertise and flair, and uses his fun, irreverent voice to focus on both classic cocktails and his more quirky riffs. He’s also known for his non-alcoholic beverage Proteau, but he really shows his range with this book of alcoholic-based cocktails, too.
By Dorie Greenspan
James Beard Award-winning author Dorie Greenspan is renowned for her 13 (and counting) beloved cookbooks. After baking for decades, she finally devoted a book just to her cookies, which range from almond crackle cookies to pink peppercorn thumbprints. There is no better sugar high out there.
By Carla Lalli Music
I’m friends with Carla from when I worked at Bon Appétit Magazine—in one of my favorite YouTube videos, we take a trip to the Farmer’s Market where she shows me around. I love that this book starts with various techniques and ways to apply them with multiple foods. It then moves into recipes that are solid and repeatable. I always return to her “Chicken Cutlets with Spicy Coconut Dressing” for weeknight dinners. This was named one of the Best Cookbooks of the Year by both the New Yorker and Food 52 and is a James Beard award-winner.
By Colu Henry
Okay: easy to make, no fuss, and absolutely delicious recipes at the ready, all dedicated purely to pasta. Need I say more? Director of Special Projects at Bon Appetit Magazine and creator of the original trend #backpocketpasta back in 2013 (and a friend from our BA days!), Colu Henry creates fool-proof meal ideas, many with simple pantry ingredients, to craft delicious pasta recipes that are perfect for a dinner party, a cozy date night in, or just a delectable meal for yourself. To note - this isn’t a how-to on pasta making itself, but rather a collection of easy, satisfaction guaranteed recipes that include all the good stuff pasta is topped and served with.
By Priya Krishna
Roti pizza and whole roasted cauliflower with green pea chutney are just two of the Indian-American hybrids within food writer Priya Krishna’s ode to her mom’s immigrant cuisine. The recipes, which are easy to make and packed with flavor, are complemented by comical personal stories.
By Rebekah Peppler
This book hails from the lovely Rebekah Peppler who is American but has made Paris her home. Known for her “controversial” article in the Times called “The Aperol Spritz Is Not a Good Drink,” she offers her distinct expertise via sixty aperitif recipes that are both delicious and low fuss, and also forty simple snack ideas that pair well with these pre-dinner drinks.
My favorite products. All in one place.
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“A cluttered space is a cluttered mind,” so the saying goes. If you have a million little things to keep track of in the house or apartment, but want to do so stylishly, these little trays are perfect for organizing your space. As eye-catching as they are versatile, they are hand crafted from start to finish from the unique Ankole horn, which creates a singular piece, unlike any other. This artisan homegoods company was founded by a young husband and wife duo out of SoCal who make expeditions to East Africa to work with extraordinary craftspeople and create their goods.