There are bigger farmer's markets, but on a Sunday, the farmers market on 5th Avenue near 4th Street in Park Slope is the right mix lazy and happening. It's the equivalent of a block and a half and is bringing on new vendors round out the produce, bakery and pickle stands Amazing Real Live Food Co., Raaka Chocolate, GoGo's Skordalia, and the unrelated  Go-Go Pops. With standby brunch options, Belleville and S'nice nearby plus a half dozen new restaurants, most with gardens, this is a laid-back brunch then market option for Sundays. If it's a full-blown food spectacle you are after, get to Smorgasburg on Saturdays.

A hiatus is in order to work on other types of food writing. But since you are here, please feel free to look around the archives. If you have a cooking, food, or culinary travel story idea, please email use the submit a product link to contact. For continued food and cooking musings, please follow Cooking Little on Twitter.

Folds Flat, Works Great

Don't be skeptical. This is a well-designed improvement on a classic. By squeezing the sides of the masher the disc swivels and locks into place for mashing. Flip it back for storage. This is a winner and an exclusive at Sur la Table. Or you can buy it direct from the Prepara web site, makers of all manner of herb contraptions and the salad prep set.

$20. AT SUR LA TABLE

For four generations the Lucero family has been growing and selling olive oil very locally. In 2004, they expanded beyond their lucky circle of friends in Northern California and started marketing their heritage extra virgin olive oils, mono-varietal extra virgin olive oils, flavored oils and traditional balsamic and flavored vinegars. Once the Lucero products officially hit the market they started collecting awards from the California Olive Oil council and fans such as the folks a Dean and Deluca and William Sonoma. Anthony's Blend from Lucero is now the house oil at William Sonoma. This is not surprising since the olive oils are are all rich and buttery and the vinegars have bright and complex flavors. Anything from the Lucero grove would make a satisfying gift for someone with an educated palate or at least one that is eager to learn. For full immersion into everything Lucero has to offer try the sampler. Shop at the Lucero web site and you can purchase single bottles or fill customized gift boxes according to individual tastes.  Just click on a picture of a bottle and it pops into a box. (Several people on our lists are getting what we are calling the "Mission Fig" custom box -- Fig Vinegar matched with the Mission Oil.) Single 8.5 oz bottles start at are around $8.00, the sampler is $40., the custom boxes are priced as you mix and match bottles. 

starting at $8.00 AT LUCERO OLIVE OIL

Cast iron cookware has been popular for decades because it is inexpensive, conducts heat well and is long lasting. Recently, cooks have been embracing pre-seasoned cast iron as a safe nonstick alternative. Among all the hardworking pre-seasoned cast iron pieces made by Lodge, the 5 qt Double Dutch Oven stands apart. The lid also functions as a 10 ¼ skillet or bake pan that is terrific for cornbread, tartin, frittata and anything that you may start on the stove and finish in the oven. Pot and lid together create the “oven in an oven” system used in Jim Lahey’s no-knead bread technique, and is pictured on the cover of his book, My Bread. Shop around for this one because prices vary from $35 to $55.  

$37.96 Lodge Double Dutch Oven On Sale at Amazon

Thanks to this book, and the tenacious curiosity of baker Jim Lahey that gave way to its contents, tables all over the country are studded with home baked loaves of bread made with his revolutionary no-knead method. Here, in Brooklyn, it is THE thing to bring to a dinner party. Handing your host a wrapped loaf of homemade bread made from Lahey’s no-knead method, is simultaneously showy and humble. It looks like more work than it was and it probably set you back less than the $2.50 subway ride you took to the party. There is also something hugely restorative to making a loaf of bread. If you haven’t made yeast bread for a while or never done it, My Bread, is for you. The primer no-knead recipe, made famous by Mark Bittman, is a straight forward whole wheat boule. The Coconut-Chocolate Bread is a spectacular end to a meal as part of a cheese and dessert course or simply accompanied by a strong cup of coffee. This book is a wonderful gift for anyone who appreciates fine food, even the small-kitchen cook. If your kitchen can accommodate a full sized cooking board, you can make pretty much any bread in this book. Starting November 2nd Barnes and Noble is offering the member price on select books to non-members. Save $12 off list price on My Bread now. 

$17.51 AT BN.COM

Stand Up Gifts

Sure they stack, but even if you give a gift of just one jar of something wonderful from Vervacious it still rates as a stand up gift. This is because the flavors in their cheese complements, savory preserves, finishing salts, table sauces and mignonettes are transformative. High praise, for sure, but when we sampled the black truffle pineapple conserve with goat cheese and dark bread, we paused for a moment of silence. If you know someone who is fond of nibbling shards of parmesan cheese then the Espresso Balsamic Drizzle is a must. Vervacious also offers loose teas and spiced cocoa mixes with low-sugar. And you can mix and match a stack of flavors to suit your taste or be guided by the wide variety of gift sets such as Spain Favorites, Best of the Med or Caribbean Grill Stack. If you feel like going big,  there is the Vervacious Explorers Club for $300. This is a year of monthly surprises from the Vervacious to inspire your kitchen adventures. 

from $6.50 AT VERVACIOUS

Make an entrance at your next potluck dinner with the industrial chic of the Round Baker from the All-Clad. This nine inch pan is the right size for cakes, fruit crisps, frittatas, gratins, small roasts or a pair of Cornish Game Hens. Try it for one-pot oven recipes such as the Caramelized Onion Butternut Squash dish, a vegetarian Thanksgiving side-dish classic in the making from the Veganmonicon cookbook. For petite baked dishes, the All-Clad Soufflé/Soup Ramekins, also from the Gourmet Ovenware collection, are right for individual baked entrees, onion soup or a small shared side dish. Pair the round baker with the ramekins and you have an oven-to-table set – think main dish cooked and served in the round baker and the garnish and finishing sauce warmed in the ramekins. If it is a late night dessert that you are after, the ramekins stand in beautifully for the bulky fondue pot that you don't have room for anyway. They measure 4 1/2 by 2 1/4 inches and, if you have one handy, will sit squarely on a votive candle stand. The All-Clad Soufflé/Soup Ramekins come two in a set and cost around $54 and make enduring vessels for those homemade food gifts that will soon be delicious memories.

$89.95 AT SUR LA TABLE

"Beyond Toast" Cookbook

Officially, the book is titled "The Gourmet Toaster Oven, Simple and Sophisticated Meals for the Busy Cook"  A fine enough title, but if you are relying on a toaster oven for your meals, the title doesn't even hint at how happy this collection will make you. Instead of another open-faced grill cheese sandwich, how about Artisan Whole Wheat Walnut Loaf spread with Savory Cheesecake?  Toaster ovens are no longer the exclusive domain of dorms. People are using then to save energy. The new models use 30-50% less energy than stoking up the big oven for small dishes. With recipes such as Eggplant with Tomato and Cream Sauces, Foccia Doppia, Macaroni and Cheese with Tapenade, and Chocolate Lava Cakes, conservation is no sacrifice. 

$18.95 AT BN.COM

Built NY Original

Built on the utility of neoprene and pared down design, Built NY has been delivering fantastic products for toting food, drink and gadgets for years. Long before our collective minds turned to reusable grocery bags for environmental reasons and bringing lunch from home for recessionary reasons, Built NY was there designing the way. So, I loathe saying anything less than glowing, but as cute as they are I will not be partaking in the fishnet two-bottle wine totes that are such the rage. My loyalty will remain with the original two bottle tote in "Ski Patrol Red" for nostalgic reasons and for this item’s unrelenting usefulness. The first year they were available the two-bottle wine tote saved me at Christmas time. Every wine fan on my Christmas list got one, filled with two of their favorites decorated with a ribbon and a card. The gift and the gift-wrapping in one. Since then I’ve learned that the two-bottle tote is much more than a smart gift for a wine lover or a discrete, clink-free way to carry wine to a dinner party. The two bottle tote can also pull its weight when trying to travel light. It's a no brainer for packing wine discovered on vacation for the ride home. Pack a baguette sandwich on one side and thermos or water bottle in the other. And it also makes quite a resourceful ice bucket for chilling drinks and an ice pack for minor first aid. Still, the fishnet totes are adorable… nope, it is the original for me.

$15.95 AT WRAPABLES.COM

Small Kitchen Joy

The Kalorik Espresso Maker is an outstanding gift for anyone with a micro-kitchen. In a tiny six by nine inch footprint, this intuitively designed, 3.5 bar boiler pressure espresso machine uses steam to make 2 to 4 cups of espresso in a flash. The swivel jet frother is simple to use and makes substantial froth. For the price of about a dozen specialty cuppas from a coffeehouse, one can have a daily espresso or cappuccino for years. If your typical morning demands that copious amounts of coffee are ready and waiting for you and you have some extra space, the Kalorik Coffee Maker Grinder Combo is worth a look. It grinds and brews 10 cups of coffee in a nine by twelve inch footprint.

$43.00 AT AMAZON.COM

Escaping from reality by flipping through the photo essays of food and travel magazines can only keep a city dweller sane for so long. Living the fantasy is actually possible and affordable, even if only for a week or two at this quintessential Tuscan Farmhouse. With terraces on several levels, a pool in an olive grove, four bedrooms and two bathrooms -- a group can commune in this gorgeous spot and still spread out. The town of Lucca, the birthplace of Puccini, is fifteen minutes away. It is a mostly pedestrian town with incredible food, antique and craft shops. Olive oil, truffles and mushrooms are a few of the the local culinary stars and the middle of October is the start of truffle hunting season. Wander the streets around Via Filungo to find small grocery stores, butchers and bakeries. There is a store named Le Sorrelle, that does not sell food, but has housewares and gifts such as olive oil soap that will provide terrific local color to your shopping trip. Then back to the farm house to shoot photos your own magazine-worthy Tuscan feast. 

$1900/week and up AT HOMEAWAY.COM

It is time to nibble a 1000 year old culinary tradition. Grana Padano D.O.P, an authentic Italian cheese made to exacting standards, is also the sponsor of two New York Autumn traditions – the Columbus Day Parade and the New York City Marathon. Not Italian or a runner? That’s OK, all are welcome to try Grana Pando cheese at several tastings listed here. Touted as the first hard cheese and Italy’s favorite, there are numerous ways to cook with Grana Pandano. No matter what recipe you choose, remember to reward the cook and try a chard on a slice of apple drizzled with balsamic vinegar while the dish is cooking. Read on for the information on the free Grana Pandano tastings in NYC

Find locally  AT MURRAYS CHEESE AND AT iGOURMET.COM

Digital Thermometer

Don’t kill the Flavenoids! Be precise about tea temperature and strength to get your perfect cup of tea along with the optimum health benefits. This tea thermometer is easy to use. It comes with battery installed and 18 preprogrammed temperatures for popular tea types such as green, black, white.  You just adjust the setting according to the strength that you prefer. Works with cups, pots, loose tea, tea balls and tea bags.

$19.95 AT COOKING.COM