Holiday 2026
: The Holiday Guide Gifts, treats and nights out from the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires, every one picked and written by me.
Featured Indulgences
$38
Clover, goldenrod and buckwheat, four ounces each, from three different yards around Claverack. Taste them side by side and you will understand terroir faster than any wine class could teach you. The buckwheat is dark, malty and a little funky. It’s my favorite, and it is wonderful on toast with salty butter.
$220
Four plates, four bowls and four mugs, all thrown, glazed and fired by one potter in her Philmont studio. The glaze is a cloudy oatmeal that makes ordinary pasta look like a restaurant dish. Every set comes out a little different, which is the point. This is the gift for the couple who finally bought a table big enough for guests.
$140
Fifty people at one long table in a heated barn, five courses built from what the farm put up this year, and a bonfire for the walk back to the cars. The menu follows the harvest, and the farm’s cellar pours generously. It is the one night out I am planning my December around. Saturday, Dec. 19.
Paid placement. Bluestone Farm Kitchen paid to be featured. The pick and the words are mine.
Stocking stuffers and thank-yous that still feel considered.
$14
Quince is the fruit nobody buys and everybody should. Orchard Row cooks it down slowly with black pepper until it turns the color of a good sunset, then jars it in small batches. Spoon it over sharp cheddar, stir it into yogurt or hand it to the friend who claims to be impossible to shop for.
$16
A slim winter collection small enough to fit in a coat pocket and good enough to read twice on the same walk. These are poems about woodstoves, plowed roads and the odd relief of an early dark. Pair it with a good tea and you have made a gift without wrapping a single pair of socks.
$19
Medium-dark, chocolatey and built for the first cup of a cold morning. Valatie Roasting Co. roasts in small lots every Thursday and ships in a bag handsome enough to leave on the counter. I have gone through three pounds of this since September. Ask for whole bean if the person on your list owns a grinder.
$18
Eleven short stories about farm auctions, bad marriages and one very persuasive heifer, written by a retired dairy inspector. Taconic Press prints in small runs, and this paperback has the kind of cover that makes strangers ask what you are reading. I finished it on a single train ride to Albany and immediately wanted to lend it out.
$12
A flaky sea salt cold-smoked over maple wood and packed in a tidy tin. I sprinkle it on roasted squash, chocolate chip cookies and, once, a perfectly boiled egg at midnight. It is the cheapest way I know to make a home cook feel like a professional, and it slips into a stocking without any fuss.
$16
Three pocket-size notebooks in a kraft sleeve, with thread-bound spines and paper that takes fountain pen ink without bleeding. I carry one everywhere for overheard conversations and grocery lists. These are not local, but nothing else I tried at this price held up half as well. A fine gift for any writer on your list.
$24
Silos, drive-ins, a bowling alley with the lanes still waxed: this guide catalogs the beautiful ruins of the valley, with directions and a few stories about who left them behind. It is the right gift for the friend who pulls over to take photographs. Ordering through an independent shop keeps the money close to home.
$22
I burned this one all through last November, and the house smelled like a woodpile that had gone to finishing school. Hemlock, a little cedar and a thread of woodsmoke, poured by hand in Chatham into a heavy amber jar you will want to keep. It burns about 50 hours, which is a lot of Sunday afternoons.
Jars, tins, loaves and a few things I ate standing up.
$14
Quince is the fruit nobody buys and everybody should. Orchard Row cooks it down slowly with black pepper until it turns the color of a good sunset, then jars it in small batches. Spoon it over sharp cheddar, stir it into yogurt or hand it to the friend who claims to be impossible to shop for.
$38
Clover, goldenrod and buckwheat, four ounces each, from three different yards around Claverack. Taste them side by side and you will understand terroir faster than any wine class could teach you. The buckwheat is dark, malty and a little funky. It’s my favorite, and it is wonderful on toast with salty butter.
$46
Hot-smoked trout, peppered mackerel and a tub of smoked bluefish pâté, shipped on ice from the coast of Maine. I am including one pick from outside the region because every holiday spread needs something salty. It arrives in an insulated box, keeps for two weeks and feeds a crowd with crackers and a lemon.
$19
Medium-dark, chocolatey and built for the first cup of a cold morning. Valatie Roasting Co. roasts in small lots every Thursday and ships in a bag handsome enough to leave on the counter. I have gone through three pounds of this since September. Ask for whole bean if the person on your list owns a grinder.
$12
A flaky sea salt cold-smoked over maple wood and packed in a tidy tin. I sprinkle it on roasted squash, chocolate chip cookies and, once, a perfectly boiled egg at midnight. It is the cheapest way I know to make a home cook feel like a professional, and it slips into a stocking without any fuss.
$32
Dense with rum-soaked cherries and marzipan, then buried in powdered sugar, this loaf is built to last through a long December. The bakers start the dough in October so the flavors have time to settle. Slice it thin, toast it lightly and eat it with strong coffee while nobody else is looking.
Made, baked, printed or poured within a short drive of my front door.
$14
Quince is the fruit nobody buys and everybody should. Orchard Row cooks it down slowly with black pepper until it turns the color of a good sunset, then jars it in small batches. Spoon it over sharp cheddar, stir it into yogurt or hand it to the friend who claims to be impossible to shop for.
$38
Clover, goldenrod and buckwheat, four ounces each, from three different yards around Claverack. Taste them side by side and you will understand terroir faster than any wine class could teach you. The buckwheat is dark, malty and a little funky. It’s my favorite, and it is wonderful on toast with salty butter.
$19
Medium-dark, chocolatey and built for the first cup of a cold morning. Valatie Roasting Co. roasts in small lots every Thursday and ships in a bag handsome enough to leave on the counter. I have gone through three pounds of this since September. Ask for whole bean if the person on your list owns a grinder.
$28
Two seats to any show at the single-screen theater I wish I could carry home. Real butter on the popcorn, a velvet curtain that still rises and a Friday late show that rarely sells out. The pass arrives by email, so it works as a last-minute gift, and it never expires. Dinner afterward is on you.
$185
Woven on a century-old loom from regional Merino and finished with hand-knotted fringe. Pick one of six colorways, then wait about three weeks. Mine lives on the arm of the couch, and my cats have not stopped fighting over it. It is heavy, warm and exactly the sort of thing that gets handed down.
$140
Fifty people at one long table in a heated barn, five courses built from what the farm put up this year, and a bonfire for the walk back to the cars. The menu follows the harvest, and the farm’s cellar pours generously. It is the one night out I am planning my December around. Saturday, Dec. 19.
$18
Eleven short stories about farm auctions, bad marriages and one very persuasive heifer, written by a retired dairy inspector. Taconic Press prints in small runs, and this paperback has the kind of cover that makes strangers ask what you are reading. I finished it on a single train ride to Albany and immediately wanted to lend it out.
$12
A flaky sea salt cold-smoked over maple wood and packed in a tidy tin. I sprinkle it on roasted squash, chocolate chip cookies and, once, a perfectly boiled egg at midnight. It is the cheapest way I know to make a home cook feel like a professional, and it slips into a stocking without any fuss.
$32
Dense with rum-soaked cherries and marzipan, then buried in powdered sugar, this loaf is built to last through a long December. The bakers start the dough in October so the flavors have time to settle. Slice it thin, toast it lightly and eat it with strong coffee while nobody else is looking.
$220
Four plates, four bowls and four mugs, all thrown, glazed and fired by one potter in her Philmont studio. The glaze is a cloudy oatmeal that makes ordinary pasta look like a restaurant dish. Every set comes out a little different, which is the point. This is the gift for the couple who finally bought a table big enough for guests.
$22
I burned this one all through last November, and the house smelled like a woodpile that had gone to finishing school. Hemlock, a little cedar and a thread of woodsmoke, poured by hand in Chatham into a heavy amber jar you will want to keep. It burns about 50 hours, which is a lot of Sunday afternoons.
$65
Two hours at the wheel, a glass of wine and an instructor who will not let you quit after the first collapsed bowl. Kiln & Co. fires your piece and calls when it is ready. Mine looks like a shy hat, and I treasure it. Book it for a date night or a group of friends who need a reason to get together.
Gifts that take an evening, not a box.
$28
Two seats to any show at the single-screen theater I wish I could carry home. Real butter on the popcorn, a velvet curtain that still rises and a Friday late show that rarely sells out. The pass arrives by email, so it works as a last-minute gift, and it never expires. Dinner afterward is on you.
$140
Fifty people at one long table in a heated barn, five courses built from what the farm put up this year, and a bonfire for the walk back to the cars. The menu follows the harvest, and the farm’s cellar pours generously. It is the one night out I am planning my December around. Saturday, Dec. 19.
$250
A night for two at a nine-room inn with wide-plank floors, a fireplace in every room and a breakfast whose scrambled eggs people discuss for weeks. The certificate is good for any midweek night and applies to the whole bill. It is the biggest gift in this guide, and the one most likely to be remembered.
$65
Two hours at the wheel, a glass of wine and an instructor who will not let you quit after the first collapsed bowl. Kiln & Co. fires your piece and calls when it is ready. Mine looks like a shy hat, and I treasure it. Book it for a date night or a group of friends who need a reason to get together.
Small presses, independent shops and a few good spines.
$16
A slim winter collection small enough to fit in a coat pocket and good enough to read twice on the same walk. These are poems about woodstoves, plowed roads and the odd relief of an early dark. Pair it with a good tea and you have made a gift without wrapping a single pair of socks.
$65
Forty years of black-and-white photographs of the river towns, printed large enough to lose an afternoon in. The pictures of the old ferry crossing alone are worth the price. This is a coffee-table book that earns its spot, and a handsome gift for anyone who has moved away and wants to remember exactly how the light looked.
$18
Eleven short stories about farm auctions, bad marriages and one very persuasive heifer, written by a retired dairy inspector. Taconic Press prints in small runs, and this paperback has the kind of cover that makes strangers ask what you are reading. I finished it on a single train ride to Albany and immediately wanted to lend it out.
$24
Silos, drive-ins, a bowling alley with the lanes still waxed: this guide catalogs the beautiful ruins of the valley, with directions and a few stories about who left them behind. It is the right gift for the friend who pulls over to take photographs. Ordering through an independent shop keeps the money close to home.
For the big year, the big birthday or the person who has everything.
$185
Woven on a century-old loom from regional Merino and finished with hand-knotted fringe. Pick one of six colorways, then wait about three weeks. Mine lives on the arm of the couch, and my cats have not stopped fighting over it. It is heavy, warm and exactly the sort of thing that gets handed down.
$140
Fifty people at one long table in a heated barn, five courses built from what the farm put up this year, and a bonfire for the walk back to the cars. The menu follows the harvest, and the farm’s cellar pours generously. It is the one night out I am planning my December around. Saturday, Dec. 19.
$220
Four plates, four bowls and four mugs, all thrown, glazed and fired by one potter in her Philmont studio. The glaze is a cloudy oatmeal that makes ordinary pasta look like a restaurant dish. Every set comes out a little different, which is the point. This is the gift for the couple who finally bought a table big enough for guests.
$250
A night for two at a nine-room inn with wide-plank floors, a fireplace in every room and a breakfast whose scrambled eggs people discuss for weeks. The certificate is good for any midweek night and applies to the whole bill. It is the biggest gift in this guide, and the one most likely to be remembered.
Showing 18 of 18
$14
Quince is the fruit nobody buys and everybody should. Orchard Row cooks it down slowly with black pepper until it turns the color of a good sunset, then jars it in small batches. Spoon it over sharp cheddar, stir it into yogurt or hand it to the friend who claims to be impossible to shop for.
$38
Clover, goldenrod and buckwheat, four ounces each, from three different yards around Claverack. Taste them side by side and you will understand terroir faster than any wine class could teach you. The buckwheat is dark, malty and a little funky. It’s my favorite, and it is wonderful on toast with salty butter.
$16
A slim winter collection small enough to fit in a coat pocket and good enough to read twice on the same walk. These are poems about woodstoves, plowed roads and the odd relief of an early dark. Pair it with a good tea and you have made a gift without wrapping a single pair of socks.
$46
Hot-smoked trout, peppered mackerel and a tub of smoked bluefish pâté, shipped on ice from the coast of Maine. I am including one pick from outside the region because every holiday spread needs something salty. It arrives in an insulated box, keeps for two weeks and feeds a crowd with crackers and a lemon.
$19
Medium-dark, chocolatey and built for the first cup of a cold morning. Valatie Roasting Co. roasts in small lots every Thursday and ships in a bag handsome enough to leave on the counter. I have gone through three pounds of this since September. Ask for whole bean if the person on your list owns a grinder.
$65
Forty years of black-and-white photographs of the river towns, printed large enough to lose an afternoon in. The pictures of the old ferry crossing alone are worth the price. This is a coffee-table book that earns its spot, and a handsome gift for anyone who has moved away and wants to remember exactly how the light looked.
$28
Two seats to any show at the single-screen theater I wish I could carry home. Real butter on the popcorn, a velvet curtain that still rises and a Friday late show that rarely sells out. The pass arrives by email, so it works as a last-minute gift, and it never expires. Dinner afterward is on you.
$185
Woven on a century-old loom from regional Merino and finished with hand-knotted fringe. Pick one of six colorways, then wait about three weeks. Mine lives on the arm of the couch, and my cats have not stopped fighting over it. It is heavy, warm and exactly the sort of thing that gets handed down.
$140
Fifty people at one long table in a heated barn, five courses built from what the farm put up this year, and a bonfire for the walk back to the cars. The menu follows the harvest, and the farm’s cellar pours generously. It is the one night out I am planning my December around. Saturday, Dec. 19.
$18
Eleven short stories about farm auctions, bad marriages and one very persuasive heifer, written by a retired dairy inspector. Taconic Press prints in small runs, and this paperback has the kind of cover that makes strangers ask what you are reading. I finished it on a single train ride to Albany and immediately wanted to lend it out.
$12
A flaky sea salt cold-smoked over maple wood and packed in a tidy tin. I sprinkle it on roasted squash, chocolate chip cookies and, once, a perfectly boiled egg at midnight. It is the cheapest way I know to make a home cook feel like a professional, and it slips into a stocking without any fuss.
$32
Dense with rum-soaked cherries and marzipan, then buried in powdered sugar, this loaf is built to last through a long December. The bakers start the dough in October so the flavors have time to settle. Slice it thin, toast it lightly and eat it with strong coffee while nobody else is looking.
$220
Four plates, four bowls and four mugs, all thrown, glazed and fired by one potter in her Philmont studio. The glaze is a cloudy oatmeal that makes ordinary pasta look like a restaurant dish. Every set comes out a little different, which is the point. This is the gift for the couple who finally bought a table big enough for guests.
$16
Three pocket-size notebooks in a kraft sleeve, with thread-bound spines and paper that takes fountain pen ink without bleeding. I carry one everywhere for overheard conversations and grocery lists. These are not local, but nothing else I tried at this price held up half as well. A fine gift for any writer on your list.
$24
Silos, drive-ins, a bowling alley with the lanes still waxed: this guide catalogs the beautiful ruins of the valley, with directions and a few stories about who left them behind. It is the right gift for the friend who pulls over to take photographs. Ordering through an independent shop keeps the money close to home.
$22
I burned this one all through last November, and the house smelled like a woodpile that had gone to finishing school. Hemlock, a little cedar and a thread of woodsmoke, poured by hand in Chatham into a heavy amber jar you will want to keep. It burns about 50 hours, which is a lot of Sunday afternoons.
$250
A night for two at a nine-room inn with wide-plank floors, a fireplace in every room and a breakfast whose scrambled eggs people discuss for weeks. The certificate is good for any midweek night and applies to the whole bill. It is the biggest gift in this guide, and the one most likely to be remembered.
$65
Two hours at the wheel, a glass of wine and an instructor who will not let you quit after the first collapsed bowl. Kiln & Co. fires your piece and calls when it is ready. Mine looks like a shy hat, and I treasure it. Book it for a date night or a group of friends who need a reason to get together.
Nothing matches that combination.
