From Toasted Sister and Friends

By: Andi Murphy / Toasted Sister Podcast

Gift shopping can either be a chill day orchestrated by a well thought-out list and fueled by three $7 caffeine drinks or three agonizing weeks with non-starter ideas and doubts about how well you really know the people around you.

If the person you’re shopping for is a foodie and one who loves to be in the kitchen, this is a gift guide for you.

I asked my Native friends and acquaintances, many of whom are chefs, farmers and storytellers who’ve joined me on a Toasted Sister episode.  

Before you start looking around at this list, I’d like to offer a few gift-giving tips.

  • Be familiar with your person’s aesthetic. Some folks have a very serious attachment to the colors and styles that are part of their identity. Say, me, for example. If it comes in black, it automatically matches me and my goth home.
  • Find out if your person is open to kitchen challenges. Gifting novelty ingredients can totally be intimidating for folks who don’t exactly consider themselves to be aces in the kitchen. I’m glad many novelty foods come in small sizes, though!
  • Before buying appliances (or specific kitchen tools), make sure it’s something they don’t already have. You could start a conversation like, “hey, dude. How long do I have to knead pizza dough if my elbow is killing me right now? Do you use a mixer?” And they might respond with, “What happened to your elbow?” … eventually get them tell you whether or not they have a mixer or want one.

Easy enough, right? Good luck out there, have fun shopping, and I hope this gift list from fellow Native foodies helps you out:

My short list:

Sugar scrub by Dancingbutterfly Naturals: After an hour or a few hours in the kitchen, this product is a reward for my hands. There’s nothing quite like cooking a delicious meal, washing all the dishes, rinsing the sugar from the sugar scrub off your hands in a clean sink and then felling how soft your skin is afterwards.

KitchenAid immersion blender(cordless or not): I got this as a gift by my mom. We know each other’s kitchen wish list like it’ll be on a test some day. It’s so good for soups, salad dressings and sauces.

When in doubt, a cool measuring spoon set. Measuring spoons are one of those kitchen tools that stick around for a long time and we usually get a plain set or collect a mix of our parent’s and ex’s measuring spoons and cups. When someone is using these, they’re most likely in a good mood and baking something awesome. When your foodie friend sees these fancy/cute/pretty measuring spoons, they’ll think about you.

A cake stand: The baker in your family will most likely love a pretty cake stand to show off their work. I know I do! (I purchased this one for myself because $30 is a steal and CB2 is one of my favorite shops!)

Gift suggestions from friends

“Marcy Green,” THC infused finishing oils. —Dana Noelle Thompson (Wahpeton-Sisseton and Mdewakanton Dakota descent), restauranteur, co-creator of Owamni

“Corn Mafia corn of course” —Hominy, grits, cornmeal, masa from small batch company run by chef Dave Smoke-McCluskey (Mohawk)

“Molcajete” —Moises Gonzales (Genizaro), associate dean at the University ofNew Mexico’s School of Architecture and Planning

“Tortilla presses and masa!” —Jacob Schott (Mohawk), farmer

These guys didn’t mention a specific brand. You can find these items in Mexican grocery stores, easily. But, here’s this new company: Masienda

Wabanaki maple sugar, Ramona Farms cob roasted pima corn, Native seed saver [Native Seed Search] seeds, acorn oil, ulus, cutting boards from high rez wood company Knu’u Customz, glass tableware from California Native Glass, Seka Hills elderberry balsamic vinegar & tribal blend olive oil, steelhead [extra pale ale] beer from the Yurok brewery on the mad river [Mad River Brewing], OhGahPa Coffee is so good, a teapot with cup set from sacred circle and they used to have these really cool salad bowls made from recycled materials in their sea-tac shop. I love this idea 💛 ” —Sara Calvosa Olson (Karuk), home cook and author of “Chími Nu’am: Native California Foodways for the Contemporary Kitchen“ 

“The Good Berry Cookbook” by Tashia Hart —Jamie Holding Eagle, public health worker – Minnesota

“The Good Berry Cookbook” and her “Native Love Jams” —Melissa Baehr, personal chef and caterer of Indigenous Deliciousness

++ Indigenous-owned bookstores ++

“Ulu and “The Pueblo Food Experience Cookbook’” —Daniel Bird (Santo Domingo Pueblo), research assistant for the Wildlife Biology Program at the University of Montana

“Hands down, Ahán Heȟáka Sápa and I recommend the Wonder mill Jr! This is a hand cranked grinder that doesn’t require electricity, but will grind chokecherries into a fine paste … pits and all. It’s also amazing for corn, nuts, acorns, and even dried meat! It’s a bit of an investment, but ours is a few years old and still in perfect condition.” —Linda Black Elk (Catawba descent), Indigenous foraging genius

—Miranda Due, project manager and storyteller at Illuminative

Lakota Made dish soap bar “These keep my hands in tip top shape after all the hand washing and use… gotta take care of the biggest tool!” . She also recommends Cru Chocolate, Ioway Bee Farm honey, Bedré chocolate, Achukma pecan oil, and kitchen gifts from Native Northwest. —Stacy Laravie (Ponca), National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers

“Biscochitos because everyone loves cookies!!!” —LaShon Cate (San Felipe Pueblo), owner and baker at Just Peachy Biscochitos

“Unique beans from the southwest. Cheap and easy and healthy. And because they are beans 🫘” Tepary beans from Ramona Farms. –Russell Albert Daniels (Diné and Ho-Chunk), badass photojournalist

“Mnopgwad Preserves and Charger Foods hotsauce” —Charles Catchpole (Anishinaabe), chef, caterer and farmer at Gitigaanes

“Tocabe spice rubs and Saraki salt blends” —Jennifer Weston

“Rice cooker for busy college students and Spirit Lake Native Farms wild rice!” —Tawny Savage, co-owner of Spirit Lake Native Farms

“Jarred smoked salmon” She suggests Haines Packing Co. —Clara Natonabah (Diné), recent Alaska transplant

“Mortar and pestle: It’s so vital to getting the right consistency with your ingredients. Example: dry-smoked shellfish ground up fine for a base broth in a traditional chowder. Lunar/ulu knife: The best tool for all around butchering and cooking. Even scraping materials down for recipes. I love mine for tanning skins too. Hot and cold smoker: smoke for preserving and flavoring of food and spices is necessary for many of our Northeastern plates. Maple sugar and syrup, Seaweed, Dried cranberries, Dried blueberries, Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, Sumac. All delicious and this is just the tip of the iceberg.” —Jonathan Perry, councilman for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Nation

“Cheap coffee grinder to quickly grind herbs and spices.” -Nicoli Poitra

“Steam juicer”-Vanessa Besha Casillas, a lady of all trades and a love for cooking

“Teas!!! Peppermint, cedar, huckleberry” —Tamara Birdsbill

“Pumpkin seed oil, black ash corn husking basket, corn grinder” —Carrie Chesnik (Oneida), sustainability consultant

“Cast iron skillets. Can be used for anything; breads, frying,ect.” —Meagen Baldy (Hupa), Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative   

“Pueblo/Navajo/Native stirring sticks”—Shannon Romero

“Seeds!” —Anne Thundercloud