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Food

Holiday gifts under $20

Essentially nothing more than a ring fitted with a flat layer of fine mesh, this deceptively simple kitchen tool can be used in a variety of ways, from straining to sifting, doubling as a food mill or simple sieve. The flat mesh is often easier to use than a rounded strainer or cone-shape chinois. Tamis are typically metal or wood, fitted with a variety of different types and gauges of mesh. Prices vary but usually start at about $15; widely available in cooking stores and online.

Essentially nothing more than a ring fitted with a flat layer of fine mesh, this deceptively simple kitchen tool can be used in a variety of ways, from straining to sifting, doubling as a food mill or simple sieve. The flat mesh is often easier to use than a rounded strainer or cone-shape chinois. Tamis are typically metal or wood, fitted with a variety of different types and gauges of mesh. Prices vary but usually start at about $15; widely available in cooking stores and online.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Suits & Knives coffee

William Miyazaki launched downtown L.A. micro-roaster Suits & Knives in July, selling coffee wholesale and online (“order before roast day Thursday, coffee in your cups by Monday”). Miyazaki selects green beans and roasts them in what he calls the Japanese style, which is a lot slower, he explains. “It’s not about punching a button on a machine.” Several varieties include beans from Central and South America and Ethiopia, with an espresso blend called Dempsy that marries both, “sweet and complex.” $14 to $21 online.   (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

"Lust for Leaf: Vegetarian Noshes, Bashes and Everyday Great Eats"

This super-fun vegetarian cookbook by Evan George and Alex Brown, the food-blogging duo Hot Knives, has chapters detailing “Bro-tein,” “BBQ Mosh Pits” and more. It will make any meat-free dinner party a blast and any aspiring vegetarian cook happy. Beer and music pairings come with each recipe. $19.99 online.  (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Assorted pickles from Bruce's Prime Pickle Co.

Chef Bruce Kalman left the Churchill in West Hollywood to start his own gourmet pickling business, and the results have all the right vinegary snap. Garlic Dill Horsey Cukes, Sweet Cab Onions, Bloody Mary Asparagus, Cucumber Kim Chee, Curried Cauliflower and Chi-Town Giardiniere are all locally sourced and hand-packed. They can be mixed and matched for the perfect pickle-lover package. $11.95, at the Cheese Store of Silverlake, 3926-28 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 644-7511.   (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Trufflebert Farm hazelnuts

They’re organic, they’re sustainable and they’re certified by Oregon Tilth. They’re roasted to about a minute and a half short of full incineration. They are also about the most delicious hazelnuts you will ever taste, almost coffee-like in their intensity. You could order giant bags of them online from trufflebertfarms.com, but they’re $9 a pound plus shipping with a minimum order of 10 pounds. Or you can pick up handy 1-pound jars for $15 at Mozza2Go, 6610 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 297-1130.  (Rick Bowmer / Associated Press)

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