Charles & Marie

We’ve been meaning to tell you that you need new wine glasses, and not just because that last party you threw got out of hand and people starting throwing their wineglasses in the fireplace. Stock up on these beautiful, limited edition Riedel ‘O’ stemless wine glasses and feel good knowing 15% of the sales is donated to the Living Beyond Breast Cancer Foundation.

Here’s a bright idea: Colorful colanders which are made to fit in the corner of the sink, leaving you plenty of room to prepare the rest of the meal. Perfect for pasta at 2½ liter. Dishwasher safe and did we mention the bright colors?

We love these “feet” for your hot pots. Doesn’t it look like an animated pot you’d find in a “Wallace and Gromit” short? Take a set of 6 silicone trivets, throw the tetras like dice and voila! you’ve got yourself a hot plate. For $26 you get a set of 6 (1 red piece + 5 white pieces). Made in Germany, from Designboom.

Did you know that Sake is suppossed to be drunk out of cedar vessal and sake cups, as is the tradition in Japan? Of course you do, so let us introduce you to Designer Shunji Kurimori, who is famous for using old cedar trees with a very narrow grain, which results in a low-conduction vessel that keeps cold sake cool, hot sake warm. Pair the Cedar Sake Bottle with the Cedar Sake Cup to practice another ancient tradition: sharing sake and conversation with friends. From Design Within Reach.

Just because we’re on a perennial diet doesn’t mean we don’t want a treat now and then. When we do, we go for the Cuisipro Ice Cream “Scoop & Stack” which creates cylindrical blocks of ice cream for a mix n’ match action. The scooper is easy to use with a simple twist-and-lift action and push button release. Dishwasher safe, thank goodness. $14.95 from Wrapables.

For my next dinner party, everyone can cook their own food. Since I bought the Hotspot Yakatori table grill — just like the ones Japanese vendors use — I just cut up shrimp, beef, veggies, make a ton of rice and let everyone play Benihana-chef. Made of handmade fired-clay, it offers insulation that results in high temps for a wide range of cooking. Control the heat simply by sliding the door on the adjustable ventilation holes. The 100 square inches of cooking space on the stainless steel grill makes it handy for small parties. After dinner is finished, move it outside where it doubles as a little heater.

What is this, you ask? It’s a soap-brush for the kitchen of course. Just put a few drops of detergent into the soft rubber dish, push down the spring and place the brush on top. Viola! Practical and handsome. From those Creative Danes (no, that’s actually the name of the company.)