What’s Your Fancy?: Olivia Muniak’s Top 10 Holiday Hosting Essentials

“Roe Caviar’s gift sets are great. It made caviar accessible to people who would not be caviar connoisseurs, and the quality is amazing. It’s very universal—not too briny, not too sweet. It goes very much with this ‘lazy-fancy’ approach to hosting. I often will make a caviar chips and dip with crème fraîche loaded with herbs and put caviar right on top. It’s all of a sudden making this dish that was once viewed as very fine food to now accessible and fun to eat at a party.”

“I have a very close family friend in Europe, who lives in Spain, and drinking vermouth is very much a part of their culture. So, I was introduced to this at great dinner. It was served as an aperitivo but not mixed with anything—I’ve always known vermouth is something that was mixed into cocktails. But what I love about this vermouth, in particular, is it has a very citrusy spicy flavor palate. I love a white Negroni, and this would be my first selection for a white Negroni. But you can also sip it over ice with a citrus peel. It’s the way they drink it in Europe and a nice pre-dinner drink.”

“As a chef, I’ve already known that most people have spice racks in their houses for years. Spices go bad—they have a 6 months-to-year shelf life and then they lose their flavor profile. When spices are harvested, there’s a lot of pesticides and chemicals used in drying them—and Evermill does not do that. It’s also so aesthetically pleasing and organized, and the quality alone is incredible. It’s such a great gift going into holiday for anybody who’s culinarily-inclined.”

“These would be the fanciest part of me; there’s an element to having some beautiful heritage silver. The look of these silver candlesticks, it’s universal. I’ve set modern tables, and they’re just so thin and elegant. I have slowly built a collection and love them.”

“The Fiore Dinner Plate has a really subtle scallop shape. I love European architecture and feel like you when you’re in Europe, you look up at these old buildings. I was like, how can I bring that to a plate where you just want to stare at it? So, that’s what we did with the Fiore collection. [It’s] something that feels as special as what would have been your grandmother’s china but feels durable enough for every day.”

“I believe napkins are the unsung hero of the table, because how many times in your life do you replace your dinner sets? I think the average consumer purchases a beautiful set of dishes and they use them day in and day out, and the easiest way I’ve found to refresh your table seasonally is through table linens. Coming from the world of events where we’re known for high-touch, intimate, sit-down dinners, the napkin and linen choices are so important. It’s a very accessible way for someone to change up everything that they already own.”

“I was a firm believer in cast iron or stainless steel cookware. I grew up in the world of restaurants and we didn’t use non-stick cookware at home. It’s super toxic. But—surprise, surprise—Gwyneth Paltrow developed a line of cookware that was free of all of these harsh chemicals. These ones converted my belief of non-stick cookware. Not only are they beautiful, but they really cook well. I think for somebody who doesn’t know how to check a cast iron pan for whether or not fish is gonna stick or how to manage heat on stainless steel pans and you’re going to be scrubbing forever, these pans make cooking a little bit easier.”

“I have tried numerous knives, but these ones feel amazing in the hands. They’re balanced and they retain their blade very well. They’re a solid, all-around knife.”

“I’m coffee-obsessed. I have tried every at-home espresso machine, I have tried every French press, and the only way I think you can get a strong, perfect hot cup of coffee in the morning is with this Alessi pot. A lot are made of aluminum and I like that this one is stainless steel. It’s healthier for you and [it makes] the perfect cup. I have them literally in every size at home. It’s foolproof coffee.”

“I cannot sing the praise of these wine glasses enough. They are a shatter-resistant and the shape is what is most universally used for champagne tastings. So I love it for that fact, that I have one glass at home that can toggle between serving sparkling wines to still wine. It’s dishwasher safe. I’ve totally knocked it over and it just bounces. It’s incredibly well priced and it feels really elegant in the hand and in the mouth. When you take a sip, it has a really delicate feel to it.”