Food Calendars For 2018

A new calendar is an inexpensive way to brighten up that dark corner of your kitchen—and maybe even learn how to mix your favorite classic cocktail. Whether you're a fan of dim sum, modernist food photos, pie or food puns, these are the calendars you'll want in time for January 1.

This calendar schools you in the delicious ways of dim sum. Each month presents an illustration of a classic dim sum dish like char siu bao, barbecued buns or har gau, shrimp dumplings with an almost translucent wrapper. When the month is up, the illustration doubles as a postcard to send to a friend—ideally inviting them out for dim sum.

While many save pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas, this calendar is a reminder that the dessert is best served year-round. Each month highlights a different pie with an illustration and quirky trivia. Did you know lemon meringue has its roots in Victorian England and pecan pie is the official state pie of Texas? (Please excuse us while we look up flights to Austin.)

Menu plan before you get to the farmers' market with this color wheel-inspired calendar that maps out the herbs, salads, fruits, proteins and vegetables that are in season. If you're not from New York, not to worry. Designer Jessica Hass has created calendars for California, Texas, Washington D.C. and more spots around the country.

If you can't swing the $400+ price tag of Nathan Myhrvold's magnum opus for you or your secret Santa, this calendar is a good stand-in. There are 14 photographs by Myhrvold that capture an up-close-and-personal view of Swiss chard, a kaleidoscopic view of vitamin C and a spilled cup of coffee mid-flight.

This calendar does double duty as art piece and cookbook. Each month features a hand painted illustration of foods like a blueberry-topped tart that fits into a 5-by-7 frame. When you turn the page each month, you can head to Jernej Kitchen for the corresponding recipe.

There's no need to wait for this calendar to show up in the mail. The mint green design decorated with illustrations of cheese, pears and a bowl of soup is downloaded from Etsy the moment you purchase it. All you have to do is press print.

This calendar's sassy food puns will entertain your friends while they wait for you to finish cooking before your  dinner party. A cookie claims "Oh man, I'm so baked right now," and a bowl of soup says "You're so hot, even soup be like 'Damn.'"

Every good host should have a few key cocktails in their back pocket ready to whip up when friends drop by. Each month, this calendar will ensure that you know how to make a proper drink, whether it's a mai tai, margarita, Bloody Mary, amaretto sour or mint julep.