The 30 Best Food And Sustainability Gifts Of 2022

When I sat down to interview Chef José Andrés on Thursday at the recently opened New York City location of his restaurant, Zaytinya, I realized I was sitting with arguably one of the most charitable people in the world.

Andrés told me all about how he has made it his life’s work to feed people, especially those facing crises or emergencies around the world, and the story I published today details the challenges he and his aid organization, World Central Kitchen, has faced to pull that off, especially in the midst of what he says is inaction from bigger groups.

Given all of that, there couldn’t have been a better person to kick off the newsletter this week. Fresh Take is about action, after all, and today’s edition is for the gift-givers. Back by popular demand is the annual Fresh Take Gift Guide. Here’s a curated list of weird gadgets and baubles for the friend or family member who cares deeply about sustainability and where their food comes from. Enjoy!

—Chloe Sorvino, Staff Writer

Pre-order my book, Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat, out December 6 from Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books.

The Fresh Take Gift Guide

For The Cook:

Hunted venison box by Maui Nui; black truffle oil by La Tourangelle; Paddlefish caviar by America’s Best; Basbass sauces; Masienda gift set: including a comal, tortilla press and masa; cast-iron hamburger press by Lodge; herb oil infuser by Levo; Burlap & Barrel spices; fridge bundle by W&P Design; beeswax wrap; Omsom sauces.

For The Spirited:

Arroqueño mezcal by Victor Ramos via Mal Bien; Maguey Melate pechuga mezcal sampler; Raw Wine club membership.

For The Gardener:

Composting bin and worms by Uncle Jim’s Worm Farm; calendar or seeds to support Indigenous-led Virginia Free Farm; mushroom growing kit by Smallhold; solar-paneled outdoor lights.

For The Camper:

Off-grid solar panel power grid by Goal Zero; open-flame rotisserie grill; foraging sheers.

Eight Nights Of Hanukkah Cookbook Roundup

My sister and I like to exchange cookbooks over Hanukkah—because then we have our own book club throughout the year all ready to go. Here are my top eight food books to gift this year.

Masa: Techniques, Recipes and Reflections on a Timeless Staple by Jorge Gaviria

Natural Flava: Quick & Easy Plant-Based Caribbean Recipes by Shaun and Craig McAnuff

Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics by Marion Nestle

Home Is Where the Eggs Are: Farmhouse Food for the People You Love by Molly Yeh

The Millers’ Daughter: Unusual Flours and Heritage Grains by Emma Zimmerman

The Siete Table: Nourishing Mexican-American Recipes From Our Kitchen by The Garza Family

The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Island Food and Family by Kardea Brown

Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat by yours truly (couldn’t resist—out December 6!)

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What’s Fresh

José Andrés Has Some Things To Get Off His Chest As World Central Kitchen Prepares For A Brutal Ukraine Winter. The chef, a leader in the global effort to feed the hungry in crisis zones, has beef with the United Nations’ food-distribution system. By yours truly.

Carbon Emissions Could Make Crops Less Nutritious—And Lead To Protein Deficiency, Study Finds. Increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere prevents plants from obtaining minerals necessary to grow, reports Ty Rousch.

Kenya’s Samburu People Fight For Survival On The Front Lines Of Climate Change. Northern Kenya’s pastoralist Samburu people are enduring extended periods of extreme poverty, acute food insecurity and the death of livestock as they feel the impact of the country’s worst drought in 40 years, writes Daphne Ewing-Chow.

Caulipower’s Gail Becker Wants To Fix Frozen Meals With Healthy One-Pan Wonders. Frozen meals made in Italy will launch across American supermarkets as investors eye growth in the frozen aisle, writes Yola Robert.

Here’s What Oceana’s CEO Wants The World To Know In Time For COP27. As he wraps up his second decade at the helm of Washington-based ocean-advocacy group Oceana, CEO Andrew Sharpless talks about what the world needs to do now. Daphne Ewing-Chow reports.

Chloe Sorvino leads coverage of food and agriculture as a staff writer on the enterprise team at Forbes. Her book, Raw Deal: Hidden Corruption, Corporate Greed and the Fight for the Future of Meat, will publish on December 6, 2022, with Simon & Schuster’s Atria Books. Her nearly nine years of reporting at Forbes has brought her to In-N-Out Burger’s secret test kitchen, drought-ridden farms in California’s Central Valley, burnt-out national forests logged by a timber billionaire, a century-old slaughterhouse in Omaha and even a chocolate croissant factory designed like a medieval castle in northern France.

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