Baby, You’re the Grater

You can grate nutmeg on an ordinary grater (watch your fingers!) or in a special nutmeg grater that looks like a pepper mill. For exact control, though, nothing beats this grater, which works a little like a French mandoline slicer--or to be more precise, like the combination garlic slicer-grater that came on the market a couple of years ago. The nutmeg is enclosed in a housing that allows you to control how much pressure you want as you grate back and forth. There’s a sort of holster for storing nutmegs at one end. At Cookin’ Stuff in Torrance.

Quiet Tables

Sometimes you just want your coasters, place mats and table runners to be in quiet, natural colors. These Japanese woven grass mats, above, fit the bill. The Philippine raffia mats, below, are a little splashier, with their broad stripes and colored horn beads. Both available at Feast in Pasadena.

Dashing Stands

These metal serving stands with glass insert bowls have an impressive Renaissance or Spanish Colonial glamour, and they come in an unusually wide variety: nine colors, 10 designs. The glass inserts are available in 14 colors--all lead-free, incidentally, so you can serve or keep any kind of food in them safely. At Aldona in Santa Monica.