Foodie Alert: The Ultimate Food Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

The BEST Gifts for the Foodies on your list!

Here is the ultimate Christmas List for the Foodie, Food Lover or Chef this season. These are the best of the best goodies for cooking, entertaining or presenting as host gifts for those with discriminating tastes (like you)! So here are my favorite finds for an unforgettable Gourmet Gift plus a few ideas for putting together a personalized Holiday Gift Basket.

Monthly Food Delivery Subscriptions and Food Gift Certificates
A monthly subscription from a place like ButcherBox or a gift certificate from NYC's Fulton Fish Market means the recipient will get premium grass fed, free range meats and fresh seafood delivered to their door year round. These services were once only available to professional chefs but now ship to anyone. I posted some wonderful menu ideas for these food delivery services HERE. Visit them online at ButcherBox.com and FultonFishMarket.com

Add a few grilling accessories like these from Charcoal Companion.

Fulton Fish Market's Halibut in Parchment. Convection Microwave & Grill by Cuisinart

Smoke Bar for the outdoor grilling champion.

Kyocera Ceramic Chef Knife & Antimicrobial Cutting Mat
I use these two kitchen tools perhaps more than any other equipment in my kitchen. The Kyocera Ceramic Chef Knife makes food prep a snap and the Biomaid Cutting Mat is infused with charcoal so it resists bacteria and odors. See these kitchen tools at Sur la Table or Kyocera.com and Cleancut.com

A Ceramic Chef's Knife & Cutting Board are welcome Chef's Gifts.

Is it Bigger Than a Breadbox? Brabantia's Rolltop Bread Safe
Years ago back in England, each kitchen would have a pie safe. Well Brabantia has revised this idea with this beautiful Roll Top Bread Box that really keeps breads, rolls, crackers and baked goods fresher, longer. Perfect for any kitchen decor and small counter spaces by Brabantia.com

Brabantia's Roll Top Bread Box

Stackable Storage Jars
Clear glass storage jars are something every kitchen needs and these from Brabantia are lovely. Three jars that stack easily and look good doing it. Visit Brabantia.com for the full assortment.

Stackable Glass Storage Jars by Brabantia

Mauviel of France Mini Copper Cookware
These are simply smaller versions of my Mauviel Copper and Stainless Steel Cookware pieces. Perfect for use in my Cuisinart Convection Microwave Oven and Grill as they fit perfectly on the rack. Use them for both cooking and the final presentation as they are simply gorgeous. Handcrafted in France these are heirloom pieces to pass down. See them all at Mauviel.com

Mini Copper and Stainless Steel Cookware by Mauviel of France

The Smart Steamer Lid
This is a new silicone steamer lid invented in the UK. Place it in between the pot and your glass lid. Works by letting the heat out while keeping the moisture in. Great for speeding up rice and quinoa cooking times. See it at TheSmartLid.com

The Smart Steamer Lid

Love This Kitchen Heat Shield Gloves
Speaking of steaming and hot pots, the Chef on your list will really appreciate these silicone gloves. Allows you to lift and turn a whole turkey or retrieve hot pans from the oven with ease. I use these a lot in the kitchen as they really work.  See them at LoveThisKitchen.com

Love This Kitchen Heat Shield Gloves

Top Cookbooks for Those Who Love to Cook (and Eat)
Here are a few new reads for both beginner to experienced cooks. All make lovely gifts and can be found on Amazon.com:

The Fearless Baker by Emily Luchetti & Lisa Weiss has 175 surprisingly simple yet utterly indulgent recipes. Little Brown

Scratch by Maria Rodale offers home cooking for everyone made simple, fun and totally delicious.
Rodale Press

Tea at Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly Since 1707 has everything for taking tea along with 45 recipes for all types of teatime treats: sandwiches, jam biscuits and lemon curd meringues to fruit cakes, indulgent brownies and dainty cupcakes.
Ebury Press

Top Gifting Cookbooks

Foodie Gift Baskets & Hampers
Some of my favorite ready to go foodie gifts include those from Harry & David, Fortnum & Mason and Godiva Chocolates. You really can't miss with any of these as the quality is superior. Just order online and leave the delivery to them. They will even include a personalized message with your gift order. Here are some of the TOP gift baskets to look for this season:

Fortnum & Mason's Essential English Wicker Hamper has everything for Tea Time

Fortnum & Mason serving tea at Piccadilly since 1707, this English specialty store offers everything for a proper tea including: biscuits, Shropshire Honey, Hot English Mustard, Preserves and Marmalades, teas and confections all packed in their signature wicker hamper. Comes with your personalized holiday greeting card included. They ship worldwide with only a few country restrictions. See them online at FortnumandMason.com

Soom Pantry Essentials Gift Crate

The Soom Pantry Essentials Gift Crate is for foodies looking to keep it naturally delicious. This rustic little crate comes with full sized jars of: Brine Street Pickled Green Beans, TBJ Bacon Jam, Soom Premium Tahini & St. Lucifer Habanero Blend. A very tasty sampling with the Tahini and Jing Beans being the stand outs! Order online at Soom Foods.com

Just Spices Pork Rub and Seafood Rub are blends that offer a bit of dimension to your meals. USDA Certified Organic, these would grace any kitchen or serious chef's domain. See them online at JustSpices.com

iCoffee is the perfect single cup coffee maker.

iCoffee can also brew the perfect cup of  Queen Anne Loose Tea via the Solofill K3 Cup. This is the best coffee/tea brewer in the world as it steam extracts the flavor while leaving behind and bitter aftertaste. Makes a great gift for that java-head or yourself. Available at most fine department stores.

Godiva Chocolates Gold Box of chocolates is welcome under every tree.

Godiva Chocolates offers a variety of gift box sizes and candy assortments for the most picky of chocolate lovers. Comes with a personalized holiday message card. Lovely presentation too. See them at Godiva.com

McFaddy Candy Co. Toffee Gift Crate

McFaddy Candy Co. Toffee breaks all the rules with Pecan Pie and Strawberry Kiss among other custom seasonal flavors. Using top quality gourmet ingredients such as Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract and golden blonde sugar, this toffee is in a class all its own. This generous gift box of assorted toffee would be quite welcome to anyone's holiday. Delightfully delicious! See all their flavors at McFaddyCandy.com

McFaddy's assorted gourmet toffees

Holiday Popcorn Tins with three flavors of popcorn: Cheese, Caramel and Butter.

More Sweet Things for Your Gift Basket...
You can most certainly build your own gift basket by picking out individual goods you know your foodie friend enjoys. Here are a few things you might want to include in a Holiday Breakfast or Brunch Basket. Simply add some fresh baked Scones or Biscuits and you're there.

Carmel Honey Co. Gift Set

Carmel Honey Co. hails from sunny CA and is vested in helping to "bring back the bees". This little set of four varietal sample honeys include Wildflower, Orange Blossom, Meadowfoam and Sage which can be used for recipes for added dimension and flavor. I prefer to use them alone however as the nuance and subtle flavor can be overpowered by other ingredients. A truly super natural treat from CarmelHoneyCo.com

Orange Marmalade & Pure Honeycomb

Orange Marmalade and Pure Honeycomb also make wonderful and unique additions to holiday gourmet food baskets. You can even include a biscuit, muffin or scone mix so that the recipient may make their own baked goods. Orange Marmalade by Fortnum & Mason, Piccadilly England. Pure Honeycomb by Carmel Honey Company of California

Famous Teas Breakfast Blend

Coffee or Tea? Yes! Toss in a tin or two of specialty tea or a bag of gourmet coffee to complete your foodie gift basket. You can get really creative but if you are making a breakfast or brunch basket, go with the breakfast coffee and tea blends.
So these are but a few gifting ideas for foodies and those who love them! What's on your specialty gourmet list this year?