Barbara Lynch – Drying Out for the Holidays

What do you get the culinarian who has everything? We asked Barbara Lynch – with six restaurants (No. 9 Park, B&G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Sportello, Drink and Menton) she’s probably got access to just about every kind of culinary gadget under the sun – and this holiday season she’s hoping there’ll be a fun and functional food dehydrator under the tree. A great way to utilize fruits, veggies and herbs, this versatile kitchen tool allows Lynch make flavorful powders like rosemary or thyme for soups and vinaigrettes, and walnut or almond powders to sprinkle on ice cream. Dried fruit slices can double as a healthy snack for the kids or a great garnish on a favorite cocktail. The Sedona Food Dehydrator that caught Lynch’s eye features nine trays, a glass door to monitor progress and a quiet setting for overnight use, but there are less pricey models for the dabbler on your gift list.