I’m of the opinion that most dishes are made better by a touch of heat. I often opt for chili crisp or hot sauce, but when it comes to meals where I don’t necessarily want the flavor of fermented soybean, Sichuan pepper, or vinegar, I’ve been leaning on Fiera’s garlic chili oil. It’s excellent drizzled over pasta, boxed mac and cheese, grain bowls, or soups, just flavorful enough to amp up a dish without leaving the taste of garlic in my mouth for hours on end after I’ve finished my meal. I also love that it comes in a cute little bottle (I never understood why most chili oils, which you’ll use only a drizzle of at a time, come in such giant quantities!) and is available in both mild and hot varieties. —Alaina Chou, commerce writer
Alaina Chou
Victorinox Swiss Classic 4.5″ Serrated Round Tip Paring Knife
Victorinox
Swiss Classic 4.5″ Serrated Round Tip Paring Knife
Now that my daughter is two, I spend an excessive amount of time cutting up food into bite-sized pieces throughout the day. Cheese quesadillas are sliced into inch-long planks, crusts are trimmed off sandwiches to stave off a potential meltdown, and even grapes are halved. The knife I use for all of these chopping endeavors is my Victorinox Swiss Classic Utility Knife. The blade is 4½ inches long and serrated, so it’s the perfect size for the tiny foods I’m prepping. The knife is lightweight and comes in fun colors like lime green, hot pink, and bright yellow, making it easy to spot in the sea of utensils in my makeshift junk drawer. I’ve become so accustomed to having it in my hand that I often forgo dirtying up a cutting board and dice up food right onto my daughter’s plate. —June Kim, executive editor
Realm Fresh Poplin Air & Fabric Spray
Realm
Fresh Poplin Air & Fabric Spray
As someone who cooks dinner at home almost nightly, one of my most consistent daily gripes is that my apartment kitchen doesn’t have an exhaust fan. That means that anytime I want to cook anything fragrant or smoky, especially if it’s on the stove, I’m plugging in the air purifier next to the stove and getting ready to open a window or wave a towel to stop the smoke detector. Lately, I’ve been loving spritzing Realm’s fresh poplin air and fabric spray in my kitchen after dinnertime. The clean, floral scent releases in a fine mist and is subtle enough that it doesn’t give me a headache. Plus, it’s formulated with natural ingredients, so I worry less about spraying this in the place where I cook and eat. The true marker of success? It manages to neutralize odor enough that my bedroom doesn’t have to take on the secondhand smell of salmon the next morning. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Forest Water
I’ve been sipping a lot of forest water in the office lately. Part of me wishes that I meant that literally, but sadly, there’s no grove of trees and babbling brook near our office building. The Forest Water I am talking about is a botanically infused soda, and it’s a superb alternative. The alpine flavor has fresh juniper and elderberry notes that are great as is, but would pair nicely with gin. The meadow flavor contains a medley of florals and birch that tastes like a more nuanced Sprite. Some people on staff weren’t as crazy about them—I think mostly because they are definitely different than typical soda. But anybody who enjoys complex botanical flavor profiles will appreciate these. —Wilder Davies, commerce writer
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