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Kendra Vaculin head shot - Epicurious

Kendra Vaculin

Associate Food Editor

Originally from the San Francisco East Bay, Kendra has worked in food media (Eater, Food52) and test kitchens (Blue Apron) across New York City since 2014, as a writer, recipe developer, and producer. Since starting at Epi and Bon Appetit, she's started a weekly newsletter about what you should make for dinner tonight, written about cooking with weed, and developed recipes for the kinds of food she loves to eat (weeknight dinners, pantry pasta, party snacks). She likes ice cream more than vegetables, but it's much closer than you'd think.

The 53 Best Kitchen and Cooking Gifts for 2020

Shop from this list of our favorite tools, books, and specialty condiments and you’ll be the hit of the holiday season.

Extra Can of Cranberry Sauce? Make This Post-Thanksgiving Snack Cake

What else is there to do on Black Friday but shop online and eat cake?

The Best Tools for Mashed Potatoes, Whichever Way You Like Them

Smooth and creamy or rustic and chunky? Labor-intensive or quickest-way-to-the-table? Whatever your mashed potato strategy, there’s a perfect tool for the job.

Cranberry-Orange Snacking Cake

This simple snacking cake could be breakfast—or an afternoon pick-me-up. It’s a great way to put any lingering cans of cranberry sauce to good use.

The Best Measuring Cups Make Baking a Breeze

We tested nine models of the kitchen staple—in a variety of materials and shapes—to find the very best set on the market.

This Easy Coconut Macaroon Crust Will Improve Any Tart

A better press-in crust with none of the crumbly letdown.

11 Essential Tools to Give Beginner Cooks

Your nephew with an Ikea futon does not need an espresso machine. He needs new sheet pans.

This Thanksgiving Calls for Mini Pie Pans

Even if your holiday gathering is scaled back this year, you don't have to choose between pumpkin and pecan.

The Case for Thanksgiving Chicken

Turkey might be traditional, but a chicken is the better bird for your wallet, stress levels, and leftovers game.

The Best Handwashing Setup for Your Kitchen, So You Never Confuse Dish Soap and Hand Soap Again

If you’re going to keep hand soap next to the sink, it better be obvious that it’s not for the dishes.

This Warming Vanilla and Spice Drink Is Going to Get Me Through Winter

It’s definitely not chai, but it makes a great cup all the same.

A Chicken-for-Thanksgiving Menu

Apathetic turkey-eaters rejoice: With this Thanksgiving menu, you need not settle for the lesser bird. 

Coasters Make Really Good Gifts, Actually

Nobody wants to buy them for themselves, so add a set or two to your holiday shopping list.

The Best Colander in Every Style, for All Your Draining Needs

Whether you’re looking for stainless steel, collapsible, or just something pretty, these colanders make cooking pasta and washing produce a breeze.

Miso-Butter Roast Chicken With Acorn Squash Panzanella

This chicken comes with a crispy, craggy bread and squash salad that has all the buttery, herby flavor of classic stuffing.

The Best Vessels for Drinking Hot Cocktails Outside

The best thermoses, mugs, and insulated tumblers for alfresco imbibing well into winter.

For This Year’s Endless Patio Season, You Need a Fire Pit

It’s this winter’s hottest accessory—literally.

A Can of Soup Is the Secret to These Stew-y Spiced Baked Eggs

Caramelized onions and a trio of spices turn an ordinary can of lentil soup into a flavorful dinner.

Spiced Lentil and Caramelized Onion Baked Eggs

The secret to these stewy baked eggs is a can of lentil soup. Any basic variety of lentil soup will work—you'll dress it up with the earthy spices and caramelized onions.

15 Cookbooks We Love to Read Outside of the Kitchen

Beautiful photography, a wild premise, bonkers impossible-to-replicate techniques—sometimes you’re in it for more than the recipes.