Cooking in a PanI don’t know about you, but I have several ‘foodies’ on my holiday list. You know the ones. They love to cook, eat out and discuss cuisine. They cook with truffle oil and prosciutto. Being friends with those people, I now know what those two ingredients are, but I never use them because I have a feeling they are not microwave friendly.

Thus, when it comes to giving them a gift, I am usually lost. What if they already have that cookbook? Do they need another one? How do I even spell mascarpone?

So if you have similar friends, and are in a similar culinary conundrum, here are a couple of ideas from a foodie friend.

Gift Ideas for Foodies

  • Cookbooks are great. Don’t worry about whether they already have it. Just include a gift receipt and you are good to go. Apparently in the foodie world, you can never have too many cookbooks.
  • If books aren’t your thing, a culinary magazine subscription is also fabulous, especially for high end ones like Cooks Illustrated. Depending on your budget, you can just get them one magazine, a special edition for the holidays, or a subscription for three months, six months or a year.
  • Gift certificates to places like Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table, or Crate and Barrel are coveted. They can then get that new kitchen tool or appliances they want to try out.
  • Another idea for a gift certificate is to Restaurant.com. You want to stay away from a particular restaurant in case they have already tried it (and maybe didn’t find the food up to par). A Restaurant.com certificate gives the recipient a variety of options to use it where ever they want.
  • A basket filled with foodie goodies is always fun. Whether you go with a theme like baking and include flour, sugar, chocolate, etc, or a cheese theme with crackers, cheeses and jams, anything goes. And don’t worry about including anything unusual. On one hand, they may not think it unusual. On the other hand, it can be a challenge to figure out how to use it.

 

So hopefully these gift ideas help with the cook or food lover in your family or circle of friends. Who knows, maybe you’ll get invited to dinner? If not, then console yourself with this giveaway as part of my 12 Days of Holiday Giveaways – over $75 worth of cookbooks (and a couple of fun cooking utensils too!) Dole them out to your cooking friends or make your own dinner masterpiece! Just leave a comment below and enter to win!
Congrats to Laura for winning the Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received no compensation or product for this post.

Image Credit: ReneS from Flickr Creative Commons

 

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22 Comments

  1. Beth Feinberg Keenan says:

    LOVE this one! I really like getting food related gifts or even cooking experiences with a food tasting or a cooking class. Stonewall Kitchen, Harry & David and William Sonoma Outlet are my go to places for fun and creative food gifts holidays and other special occasions.

  2. you are totally right, you can never have enough cookbooks! even better is try to get them signed by the chef/author!

  3. Another great list! And you are so right, you can never have too many cookbooks — however, you can have too little shelf space. Not complaining though!

  4. I love to give homemade gifts! They are the best! I’m making my step-dad homemade biscotti as his x-mas gift!

  6. Awesome! Want to give some of these as gifts, thanks!

  7. I love cooking magazines. Great ideas for the Foodie!

  8. I’d love a chance to win, my mom is a foodie, she’d love it.

    Thanks!

  9. I don’t cook…I burn. I would love to win this though, I have many foodie friends and this would make a great gift.

  10. what a yummy gift idea!!

  11. Love cookbooks and cooking utensils – my favorite stop is Sur la Table – usually the sale rack first!

  13. Cookbooks are wonderful gifts – there is always something inside to please everyone!

  14. I love cookbooks. There is something so special about flipping through the pages and owwing and awwing at all the beautiful pages that you could great on your own, if you are patient and willing to spend the time. I just cooked tonight using my iphone meal ahead app thingy- it just was not the same- I missed the cookbook and I

  15. Love it! Some of my favorite gifts have been cookbooks and Cooks Illustrated and other high end foodie magazines are an excellent idea. Thanks!

  16. Love this and love food!! Cookbooks are such a great starting place in the kitchen!

  17. I love the cookbook and cooking utensils idea 🙂

  18. A great list! Got some ideas for my future sister-in-law!

  19. As a food-lover, love this list! I’m always thrilled to receive cookbooks, an annual Cook’s Illustrated subscription and any old, restored kitchen gadgets from local antique stores. The best part of receiving them as a gift is you think of the giver every time you create a new feast!

    For your readers with foodie friends in Boston, another idea is to get signed copies of Stir (by restaurant owner/chef Barbara Lynch) or Spice (by restaurant owner/chef Ana Sortun) at the new Siena Farms shop in the South End. They’re doing a book signing this weekend: http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/chowder/2011/12/07/a-peek-inside-the-brick-and-mortar-siena-farms-shop/ Am so bummed that I can’t make it, they’re two of Boston’s top chefs and their food is incredible! =)

    Thanks again for a great list!

  20. I love cookbooks. While I do find recipes online, there is nothing like opening up your favorite books and looking at all the wonderful options. I actually sit with my girls and we look through them to find things we’d like to make.

  21. Food baskets are some of my favorite gifts to give (and receive)!! Great list!

  22. Would LOVE to add to my beloved cookbook collection!

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