When Sohla El-Waylly joined Bon Appétit, in 2019, she quickly became a beloved character on the magazine’s popular Test Kitchen series on YouTube. Her role was that of quirky sidekick, her co-hosts relying on her wit-laced explanations when stumped by an ingredient or a technique. The show suggested Bon Appétit’s workplace was enviably fun, but this summer, amid allegations of racism and unequal pay, the magazine lost several staffers, including El-Waylly, who was not paid for her appearances on Test Kitchen. Striking out on her own, she has launched several solo projects. October’s debut, Off-Script with Sohla, is a monthly video and column series for Food52 that aims to teach the basics, the core skills needed to go rogue in the kitchen, and the confidence to riff on recipes rather than rigidly follow them. The first episode focuses on perfect chicken and rice and is full of technical wisdom, delivered with bone-dry wit. If El-Waylly was once sidelined, stepping out of the shadows only to save a colleague in a pinch, she and her expertise now lead. (youtube.com) —Clementine Ford

The blokes at the London-based technology company Swytch are on a mission to turn any and every bicycle on the planet into an electronically powered e-bike. Your nephew’s BMX that he forgot at the house last summer? That can be an e-bike. Your dad’s old Fuji in the basement? E-bike. Your great-great-great-grandfather’s old penny-farthing you put aside before the estate sale? That, too, could become an e-bike. The concept is simple: switch out the front wheel with a Swytch motor wheel, hook up some sensors to the pedals, then wire all that to a small handlebar-mounted computer, and zip! Swytch has you hurtling down the road like a bee off its leash. (swytchbike.com) —Alex Oliveira

Facing a long winter of dining (mostly) at home, I’ve decided it’s time to improve upon the experience, beginning with the table itself. Stylist turned fashion designer Vita Kin specializes in highly covetable ready-to-wear that shows off vyshyvanka, a traditional embroidery technique from Kin’s native Ukraine. Now she is turning her attention to table-scapes with a series of new dining sets, consisting of napkins, place mats, and coasters, which are all made by hand at the brand’s atelier, in Kiev. Even if you’re serving only leftovers, these beauties are sure to elevate the experience. ($368, matchesfashion.com) —Ashley Baker

I’ve found myself getting excited about all kinds of unusual things this year. (Has the prospect of a new vaccine ever been so thrilling?) Now, the thought of a new toothbrush might not get you jazzed up, but the Nano-Silver from Linhart is nothing to shake your toothpaste at—actually, in a manner of speaking, it is. Other than coloring it an attractive orange, Linhart has not attempted to improve on a design that’s long been sufficient. But behind the brush’s aesthetic simplicity is hidden complexity: the namesake bristles, which are soft but stalwart, kill 99 percent of bacteria. No need for recharging its body or replacing its head. In other words, if the past year has left you with nightmares about your teeth falling out, Linhart’s no-frills brush will give you gleaming fangs, at a low cost and with no stress. ($8, linhart.com) —Nathan King