Thanksgiving is just around the corner and if you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year or having friends over for the holidays, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our stress-free guide to sprucing up your humble abode for the holidays and making your guests feel right at home.

1. Rustic Chalkboard – A fun way to showcase your Thanksgiving dinner menu.

2. Turkish Pestemal Towels – Looks so elegant draped as a tablecloth.

3. Linen Tea Towels - Used as placemats or to wrap up loaves of bread, these score top marks for versatility and artfulness.

4. Reclaimed Wood Board and Hand Carved Wooden Spreaders – Makes an elegant cheeseboard or serving platter for hors d’oeuvres.

5. Ceramic Cake Stands – Display sweet treats and fruits with bright pops of color.

6. Magnet Bottle Opener – A clever, earthy option to open that bottle of sauvignon blanc.

7. Woodland Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers – For extra flavor and a dash of delight, these add charm to your table setting.

8. Little Dove Vase – No time to create an elaborate centerpiece? This delicate vase looks so calming on any table.

9. Faux Tin Ceramic Mugs – Add a cinnamon stick to each cup of apple cider for a heartwarming drink.

10. Bright Times Tealight Candleholder – Nothing creates coziness more instantly than the soft, warm glow of candlelight.

11. Wild Harvested Room Spray – Envelop your home in the soothing scent of nature.

Donut holes… Cafe Dulce style… they’ll be at our Halloween Letterpress event on October 29th. RSVP here.

Guisados in Boyle Heights…

A very rustic blackberry poundcake from Sunday Suppers at Lucques… we have this book at the Poketo brick and mortar!

The Beef Roll that Jonathan Gold made famous at 101 Noodle Cafe…

This past weekend, we were at Create and Cultivate at The Ace Hotel. It was a weekend of meeting new friends and learning new things. Throughout the two days, there were a variety of workshops ranging from finding inspiration in film, to making flower crowns, to making macrame planters. Chelsea Mathews of No Subject LA (the organizers of Create and Cultivate) invited us out there to talk about Poketo and do a creative, hands on workshop.

For the win! Angie and Catherine. Doing a fake class, a test run of “The Making Kim Chi” class before the event.

Talking about Poketo, no problem. We’ve done it a number of times at Universities, art schools, and even Creative Mornings. The hands on workshop was going to be something brand new for us. After a little brainstorm, we knew we wanted to teach something fun, something we love, and something that probably not too many people (except for Korean mothers) know about. So, it was decided, a Kim Chi workshop!

Kim Chi is a traditional Korean dish that is pickled and fermented. As you may or may not know, there are close to two hundred different kinds of Kim Chi made from cabbage, radish, scallion, cucumber, and other deliciousness. We had a limited time for the workshop, so, we decided on an easy cucumber and chive recipe from Angie’s mom. This recipe is easy to make and takes very little time. Other recipes like, a traditional cabbage Kim Chi, takes hours of prep and patience.

Angie’s mama (wearing an old school Poketo x Hannah Stouffer tee!)

As a test run for the Create and Cultivate class, our friend Catherine of CakeIsSweet came over and we all learned from the best…. Angie’s mama. So, here we go… some pics that go through some of the step by step, a fairly detailed written instruction (below), some pics from the test run at our house, as well as, the real deal at Create and Cultivate. The recipe below will make about 4 (16 ounce) jars. Enjoy!

Here are the photos of the real deal! Use a little washi tape and tag for cuteness on the outside of the jars.

Fresh Cucumber and Chives Kim Chi (a recipe from Angie’s mom)

Ingredients:
Persian cucumbers, 8
Chives, 2 handfuls
Kosher salt, pinches and sprinkled

Ingredients for the dressing:
Fish sauce, 2 TBSP
Korean ground red pepper, 2 TBSP
Garlic, 2 TSP
Ginger, 1 TSP (Optional)
Onion, 1/4 of a whole (Apple can substitute)
Sugar, 1 TSP

Tools:
Knife
Fine grater or food processor
Spoon
Mixing bowl

Servings: 4 (enough for approximately 4 medium sized jars)

Cut and Prepare cucumber and chives:
1. Bathe and scrub cucumbers in a bath of kosher salt, lightly scrubbing the skin with your hands and salt water.

2. Cut Persian cucumbers in thirds widthwise, then in quarters lengthwise (length is about 2 inches). Put in medium/large size bowl and sprinkle kosher salt, layer by layer and stir. Let this sit for about 20 minutes, stir it up and let sit for 10 more minutes. The cucumbers should bend, but, not snap. Gently rinse cucumbers of excess salt.

3. Take two handfuls of chives and cut at approx 3 inch lengths.

The dressing:
1. Mince 2 TSP garlic and 1 TSP ginger
2. Finely grate ¼ of a whole onion (apple can be substituted).
3. In a mixing bowl, mix/stir together fish sauce, korean ground red pepper, garlic, ginger, and onion.

Once dressing is made, add the cucumber and chives and mix it all up with your hands. They are now ready to eat. Jar it, refrigerate and enjoy the days and weeks to come.

We are super excited to launch a brand new collection of kitchen linens with artist Kate Bingaman Burt. This is our first step into linens and we are thrilled to be offering something this special with Kate’s distinctive and signature style. Kate drew from a set of veges, desserts, and kitchen utensils. The results are nothing less than whimsical, fun, and perfect for your dinner parties and to brighten up your foodie life.