Holiday Gift Guide for Foodies 2017

I’ve created this list of holiday gift ideas for foodies to help you give something special to the foodie in your life. They will be so thrilled that you went to to the effort to get them a foodie related gift. Surprise your favorite foodie with something unexpected under the tree this year.

Buying Christmas gifts is such a joy to me, but it can also be a chore. There are so many hobbies that I don’t know much about, like golf and tennis and knitting. All of these hobbies require various tools, but if I were to try and buy a golf club for a golfer in my life, I wouldn’t have a clue which one to buy!

[tweetthis]Find the perfect gift for the foodie in your life with this easy to follow list of #giftideas #holidaygiftideas[/tweetthis]

Le Creuset Oval Cast Iron Skillet

Every cook needs a good cast iron skillet and this Le Creuset Cast Iron Skillet would make a great gift. It comes in a variety of colors and Le Creuset is all about quality and details. Your favorite foodie will recognize the brand and will know you think they are pretty special when they open their package.

This skillet features:

• Spacious cooking surface for multiple servings and larger ingredients
• Le Creuset’s durable black enamel finish (no seasoning required)
• Even heat distribution and superior heat retention
• Colorful, long-lasting exterior enamel that resists chipping and cracking
• A strong iron handle provides a steady grip during use and transfer

 

It’s dishwasher safe and great for cooking meat or baking cornbread or biscuits. Cast iron can go right from the stove to the oven and gets better over time as it gets seasoned. This one is $$$$ at $260 but will last for years and can be used for a variety of different recipes. If this one is out of your budget, there are less expensive cast iron skillets on the market!

Le Creuset Oval Cast Iron Skillet

Pioneer Woman Harvest Bakeware Set

You all know that I’m a huge fan of the Pioneer Woman. She makes incredible recipes and is an absolute delight. I watch her show and follow her online and on social media. She also has fantastic taste. I’m gradually filling my kitchen cupboards up with all things PW and this bakeware set is on my wish list. Every cook needs a good bakeware set and I’ve found that not only are Dree’s products affordable, but they are of excellent quality. I don’t know how she does it, but when you use her products they feel more like something from Williams Sonoma than something from Walmart.

This set includes:

• Loaf pan
• Rolling pin
• 4-piece measuring bowls
• 4-piece measuring spoons

 

Everything is beautiful and dishwasher and microwave safe and the entire set is only $44.97.

Pioneer Woman Harvest Bakeware Set

 Williams Sonoma Double Mezzaluna

Speaking of Williams Sonoma, although their products run on the pricey side, their quality is unmatched in my opinion. When you buy a product from Williams Sonoma, it’s going to last pretty much forever. This unique looking tool is great for chopping fresh herbs, garlic, onions and shallots. The blade is super sharp and the two handles provide easy control. Help keep your fingers out of the way and avoid slicing yourself. I may or may not have been known to cut my fingers a time or two in the kitchen. Retail price is $39.95, so not bad for a really sharp blade.

Pretty much anything from Williams Sonoma makes a great holiday gift for foodies.

Some great features of this tool:

• Using an easy, two-handed rocking motion, you can swiftly chop or mince onions, garlic and herbs, significantly reducing prep time.
• Two curved, hand-sharpened stainless-steel blades glide easily through herbs, vegetables and nuts.
• Strong beechwood handles are easy to grip and keep your hands and knuckles away from the blades.

Williams Sonoma Double Mezzaluna

Kozy Kitchens Retro Aprons

Being a small business owner myself, I love to support small businesses. Etsy is my go-to place for unique, handmade gifts that help women and men provide for their families. Wearing an apron while cooking helps protect clothing and I have a small collection hanging on the back of my pantry door. Retro is definitely making a huge comeback and I think these retro aprons from KozyKitchens on Etsy make the perfect gift for the female foodie in your life. They are $29.95 and come in a huge variety of patterns and colors. There are currently 46 different designs to choose from. Who says you can’t be stylish when wearing an apron? I would totally rock this look!

Pair a retro apron with one of the cookbooks listed below for the perfect holiday gift for your favorite foodie.

Kozy Kitchens Retro Apron

Flavor Infused Olive Oils

Make a statement with olive oil from the Olive Tap. I have received several gifts of different flavor infused olive oils from the Olive Tap and they are all amazing! Made with 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil and flavors include Garlic, Tuscan Herb, and Basil to name a few. A few of the citrus olive oils include Lemon, Orange and Lime. I’m super anxious to try the Herbes de Provence.  Retail price is $17.95 per bottle and includes free shipping with orders of $100 or more. Olive Tap also has brick and mortar stores, so check to see if they have a location near you. Include a couple of bottles of olive oil with a nice bottle of balsamic vinegar and some pretty dipping bowls and a dish towel in a basket for a nice presentation.

Olive Tap Flavor Infused Olive Oils

Food Mill

Next on my list of holiday gift ideas for foodies is a food mill. Food mills are great for making mashed potatoes, soups, and purees. They separate the seeds from fruits and vegetables and are easy to use. This one from Williams Sonoma is really well made and would make an excellent gift. It’s $79.95, so not super inexpensive, but the quality makes it worth the price.

Here are some of the features:

• Purees and strains ingredients at the same time for a smooth, uniform texture.
• Quickly separates seeds and skin from the pulp of fruits and veggies.
• Includes fine, medium and coarse discs for customizing the texture.
• Ergonomic soft-touch handle provides a comfortable grip.
• Stainless-steel construction ensures top performance and durability.
• Perfect for everything from creamy soups to mashed potatoes and apple sauce.
• Also makes great dips and salsas – plus fresh, wholesome baby food.

 

Williams Sonoma Food Mill

Smitten Kitchen Every Day Cookbook

You’ll notice that I feature a cookbook in my holiday gift guide for foodies every year. I like to read cookbooks like a novel and read the stories from the author. All of the beautiful pictures draw me in and I mark the pages of the recipes I want to try. My soul sister Sarah introduced me to the Smitten Kitchen a couple of years ago and I’ve been a fan ever since. She’s a home cook like myself and has the most beautiful photography and makes everything in her small New York City kitchen. Her blog is an inspiration to me (smitten kitchen.com) and this is her second cookbook.

From Amazon “Deb thinks that cooking should be an escape from drudgery. Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites presents more than one hundred impossible-to-resist recipes—almost all of them brand-new, plus a few favorites from her website—that will make you want to stop what you’re doing right now and cook. These are real recipes for real people—people with busy lives who don’t want to sacrifice flavor or quality to eat meals they’re really excited about.”

Deb and I share the same philosophy that good food shouldn’t take hours and hours to prepare and you shouldn’t have to own a culinary degree to be able to make good food for family and guests. The book is $21 for a hard cover, 352 page copy. Support a blogger turned author and give this gift to everyone you know that likes to cook!

Smitten Kitchen Every Day Cookbook

French Brunch at Home Cookbook

I’d be remiss if I didn’t include French Brunch at Home by my friend Leah Johnson. Leah is a fellow resident of Colorado Springs and I had the pleasure of working with her on the food photography in this book. We met through a mutual friend and worked hours on end together styling food as I took the photographs in her home. She created this cookbook on a shoestring budget and it’s absolutely beautiful!

I can also personally attest to the incredible, decadent, delicious recipes. Leah makes making French pastries achievable for the home cook. You don’t have to be a pastry chef and because she lives at altitude, she includes high altitude directions. If you have tried baking at altitude, it can be a challenge, but she did all of the testing and has perfected the recipes. In addition to pastries, you can find recipes for jams and dressings and everything you need to serve an impressive brunch.

From Amazon, “WINNER OF THE 2017 SILVER MEDAL, “LIVING NOW” AWARDS. Celebrate the holidays, special occasions, or just the weekend with this collection of tried-and-true recipes from Le Petit Croissant. Appropriate for novice through experienced bakers, this gorgeous full-color cookbook is printed on premium paper and offers more than 30 recipes for croissants, scones, brioche, quiches, salads, crème fraîche, granola, and jams for all seasons. Look for baker’s tips, how-to photographs, adjustments for high altitude bakers, make-ahead tips, fascinating histories, and lovely photography. Perfect as a gift, or for yourself.”

Help support my friend Leah and check out my photography in this affordable book that will be a welcome surprise under the tree. Retails for $24.95.

French Brunch at Home Cookbook by Leah Johnson

Atlas Marcato Red Pasta Machine

There is absolutely nothing like homemade pasta. The texture and flavor are incomparable and making pasta is a fun adventure! One of the beauties of making pasta yourself is 1) you control the ingredients and 2) you can create your own fillings in stuffed pasta and get as creative as you like. Making pasta isn’t difficult, but you do need a proper pasta machine and this one from Sur La Table will make an excellent holiday gift for the foodie in your life. At a price point of $99.95, it’s a gift that’s still under $100, but is probably something that most people wouldn’t invest in for themselves.

Pasta makers are a fantastic holiday gift idea for foodies. Yours truly would love a pasta maker if you’re feeling generous.

Some of the features of this model:

• Lets home cooks of all levels prepare their own delicious pasta quickly and easily
• Simple to use and solidly constructed
• Authentic Italian machine produces smooth sheets of fresh pasta from homemade dough
• A complete set of attachments lets you create more than 15 types of different types of pastas
• Nine-numbered adjustable dial on the opening between the flat rollers allows you to roll your pasta exactly to the desired thickness (from .8mm to 4mm)
• Body of the machine is made of nickel-plated and chrome-plated steel for long-term resistance to corrosion
• Features flat rollers for making the dough sheet, as well as an easy-to-remove double-cutter
• Rollers are constructed of special nickel-plated steel with a double-slotted opening for the handle and motor unit
• Gears are in case-hardened and tempered steel for extra-long life
• Handle and table clamp have handgrips made of ABS plastic suitable for food use
• Includes the pasta machine, a table clamp, handle, 12-page booklet with color photos, detailed instructions and recipes

Atlas Marcato Red Pasta Machine

Patisserie Dessert Truffles

To complete my list of holiday gift ideas for foodies, I’m including something sweet.

Truffles are a splurge and make a great holiday gift for foodies and non-foodies alike. They are rich and decadent and a treat most people don’t like to splurge on for themselves. Chocolate truffles are a holiday treat for me and it’s hard for me to avoid ordering the truffle fries in restaurants. I even make truffle fries at home on special occasions. You can’t go wrong with a gift of Godiva Chocolates and a box of truffles will be sure to get you a kiss under the mistletoe. These retail for $32 for 12 pieces.

They come in four different flavors:

• Tiramisu
• Red Velvet Cake
• Creme Brulee
• Caramel Apple Tarte

Godiva Patisserie Dessert Truffles

I hope you enjoyed this post and found some great gift ideas for the foodies in your life! I know that I love looking at gift guides to help me come up with ideas. Please leave a comment and let me know which of these gifts you’d like to see under your tree this year.

Thank you for stopping by my kitchen, where everything, without exception (including gift guides!) is made from the ♥

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Happy holidays friends!