September's 9 Essential Culinary Finds

Ree Drummond of The Pioneer Woman recently released a kitchen collection sold at Walmart ($6-$99) that includes everything from vintage cake stands to floral dishes to blue speckled cookware. Stocking my kitchen with this cute, rustic kitchenware would make me feel like I'm living on a picturesque farm like Ree.

Like the many fans of her blog 101 Cookbooks, I've long been awaiting the release of Heidi Swanson's Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel ($30), her fourth and arguably most-ambitious cookbook to date. An object of beauty as well as an inspiring collection of plant-based recipes drawn from her home life and her far-reaching travels abroad, it's nearly as satisfying to flip through as it is to cook from. I've tabbed nearly every other page, but I especially can't wait to try her pluot-kefir-almond baked oatmeal, salt-baked sweet potatoes with olives and grapefruit, and sake-glazed mushrooms.

Hydro Flask ($25) really does keep hot things hot (for up to six hours) and cold things cold (for up to 24 hours). With a lifetime warranty, I'm looking at never having to replace my water bottle or portable mug again. I'm particularly in love with the sweat-resistant coating on the exterior.

I typically prefer my oats hot and cooked, but a recent heat wave has me turning to Kashi Overnight Muesli Sunflower Pepita ($3) on many a morning. Not only is it a tasty, chilled alternative, but it's also a major time-saver; instead of simmering up a pot of oatmeal in the morning, all I have to do is pop off the lid, add milk to the fill line, and let it soak in the fridge overnight.

I love a good, punny card, especially one that is food-themed. Seltzer ($4) makes a million (well, not quite) for every sort of theme — birthdays, thank you, etc. Each contains a beautiful illustration printed on recycled paper with eco-friendly inks. And the inside messages can't be missed. This one, for instance, says, "Have a straight up awesome Birthday!" How can you not after receiving a card like this??

I've been intrigued by the idea of making homemade custom bitters for a long time, but I never took the leap as tracking down all of the ingredients and tools seemed like too much of a hassle. Enter Darby Smart Make Your Own Bitters Kit ($35, originally $45), which takes that step out of the equation so you can get to the fun part — experimenting with flavors — faster.

It's not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving pies . . . Three Babes Bakeshop (based in San Francisco) makes a Salty Honey Walnut Pie ($40) that rivals anything you would attempt to make homemade. The crust is super buttery and flaky, and the slightly salty, nutty filling is like diving your spoon into caramel. Lucky for you, it ships nationwide.

I've long maintained that three knives — a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a bread knife — are all you need, but Zwilling J.A. Henckels Pro Hollow-Ground Nakiri Knife ($120, originally $150), a Japanese-style vegetable cleaver, has me rethinking that. While it's not absolutely essential, it's great to have if you (like me) eat a predominantly plant-based diet. Not only does it glide through dense vegetables like butternut squash, cabbage, and sweet potatoes with ease, but its squared-off blade also works like a mini bench scraper, making vegetable prep breezy.

Forget pumpkin beer! The spicy ale you should get your hands on this Fall is Not Your Father's Root Beer (5.9 percent ABV). It's syrupy and carbonated like normal root beer but will definitely leave you feeling buzzed after a few sips.