~~posted by Jen


Still finishing up the last minute items on your list for the holiday shopping? Me, too! Missing so much work this year, my finances aren’t as stellar as I wish they were. But that’s ok! I made lots of the “extra” gifts this year, like the Soup In A Jar and Romantic Dinner In A Basket. Those were perfect for the mail carrier, neighbors, mechanic, hairdresser, and even my boss!

I have a couple more that I’ll share with you later this week, for the last minute gifts on your list. If your money situation is anything like mine this year, some of your “big-ticket” gifts have had to wait until the very last minute. I still need to get something for my amazing StepMom, who happens to be a terrific cook AND a foodie. So I was browsing around online for some ideas, and here are a few I came across.

If there’s a special someone on your list that loves food and cooking, this is the Top 5 for you!

Top 5 Holiday Gift Ideas for the Cook or Foodie


#1. A set of really good knives. Y’all know how I am about my kitchen gear, so I consider myself something of an expert on this subject. I have this set of knives and they are awesome. They stay sharp, hold up fine in the dishwasher, and the handles are excellent when you’re doing lots of chopping. Whether you love Rachael Ray or loathe her, I have to tell you her kitchen products are excellent! I have everything from the knives to the cookware, and I absolutely adore all of it. A great stocking stuffer would be a bench scraper with a small cutting board.

 #2. A Wine of the Month Club Membership. Most true foodies also love wine, or at the very least COOKING with wine, so this would be a unique gift and open up new areas of exploration for them. Not to mention the perfect excuse for them to throw an impromptu wine & cheese tasting party every few months! The perfect stocking stuffers? A wine opening set and some cheese spreaders.

#3. A Complete Set of Cookware. This is the Rachael Ray set that I covet. I have a few of the open stock pieces, and am hoping to get myself the complete set one of these years. I am very picky about cookware (like all my skillets are either Calphalon or Farberware, I won’t use any others) and have the original Genesis set from Pampered Chef that I’ve had for probably 10 years. I do have a few pieces of Le Creuset, but even with all the cooking I do, I still don’t have a complete matched set. From my experience, very few cooks do. Some nice utensils would be a neat stocking stuffer, or maybe even Cooking Mama for Wii.

#4. Foodie Bling. These would be neat for that “Foodie Guy who Has Everything” on your list. (Is it me, or does practically everyone have at least one friend from college who fits this description?) These are sterling silver gourmet chef cufflinks! How cool! They’d be the perfect “stocking stuffer big gift”, maybe give a nice dress shirt under the tree? Perfect for a snappy dresser who also likes to cook. (Stephen from Top Chef, I’m thinking.)

#5. A Gourmet Gift Basket. Sometimes even the most dedicated cooks need a night off, and no self-respecting foodie would say no to an igourmet goody basket. This is one of those “can’t miss” gifts, and it ain’t no Hillshire Farms summer sausage basket! That special foodie on your list will appreciate the thought and consideration you put into a gift like this. The perfect stocking stuffer accompaniment? How about a subscription to Bon Appetit or Food and Wine?

There you have it, our Top 5 Ideas for a fantastic holiday gift for the cook or foodie in your life. Amazon still guarantees delivery in time for Christmas if you select 2-day shipping, so get clicking!