Gift Guide: What to Buy a Foodie

Anyone whose extra-curricular interest borders on unhinged obsession is hard to shop for, whether that interest is golf, video games or Louboutins. Food lovers are no exception. First, divide them into three groups: the cooks, the eaters who who wish they cooked more, and the eaters who don’t cook. (Plus a  splinter group: the wine lovers, a.k.a. the “winos.”)

As a rule, you are better off shopping at specialty stores for anyone with a specific interest, i.e., just as you probably shouldn’t shop for high-tech golf clothes at Macy’s, you’re better off going into Sur La Table and asking  what’s new and cool than getting another fondue set from Crate & Barrel. (I have three of them.) Here’s a full list of gift ideas for foodies, starting at $5.50, after the jump.

HotSpot Silicone Egg Poachers ($6.95). Silicone has revolutionized cooking tools, so if in doubt, get it in silicone. These make it easy to cook poached eggs without dealing with putting vinegar in the water. Good for: Cooks.

8” French Whisk ($7.25) Whisks are always handy, and this one is small enough to tackle a prep bowl. Good for: Cooks.

Le Creuset Mini Cocotte Set with Cookbook ($79.95) These miniature casserole dishes are adorable and will inspire even novices to get in the kitchen. They can hold individual portions of mac and cheese, French onion soup and chocolate desserts. Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wish They Cooked More.

Western Red Cedar Grilling Planks ($14.95) Hard core grillers – and fishing enthusiasts – know that everything tastes better when grilled on smoking wood. Good for: Cooks.

The Food Loop Silicone Trussing Tool ($14.95). Remember that scene in Bridget Jones where the soup turns blue because she boils leeks bound together with blue twine? If she had this silicone trussing tool, that never would have happened. It’s also great for tying up roasts. Good for: Cooks.

Bouquet Garni Bags ($7.95). Ditto. Good for: Cooks.

Fleur de Sel French Sea Salt ($12.50) This salt, harvested from the sea in France, is the ideal finishing touch for delicate foods like a caprese salad. Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wish They Cooked More, Eaters.

“The Paddle” – Cheese Selection from Bedford Cheese Shop ($75). Cheese, glorious cheese! The Bedford Cheese Shop sources artisan cheese from Europe and America and delivers it to your door, complete with this handy petite cheese board. Good for: Eaters.

Dean & Deluca Hot Pimenton ($5.50) If there is such a thing as an “it” spice of 2009, this would be it. Spanish smoked paprika livens up eggs, fish, and meats – sprinkle it on anything that could use some smoky oomph. Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wish They Cooked More, Eaters.

Gift certificate, the Institute of Culinary Education. No, a cooking class doesn’t have to be an insulting gift, especially if you know the recipient already has a decent grasp of cooking or wine. The ICE offers hundreds of classes, from a Basic Knife Skills class with Norman Weinstein ($95) to a specialty class on Impressive Historic Desserts ($205). Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wished They Cooked More, Winos.

Molecular Gastronomy Starter Kit ($69.99) (via TrendCentral). It says “starter kit,” but this one’s for experts only – or at least the type of person who needs to know how to make pearls out of Coca-Cola or noodles from hot chocolate. Good for: Cooks.

The Pig Next Door Bacon of the Month Club ($99). Unlike some other bacon clubs, this one delivers only artisan bacon, none of the mass market stuff. Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wish They Cooked More, Eaters.

Jacques Torres Signature Chocolate Collection ($110). This hat box stuffed with sweets from master French chocolatier Jacques Torres is a chocoholic’s wet dream. Good for: Eaters.

Cleaving by Julie Powell ($24.99). The author who brought food blogging to the big screen with Julie & Julia just came out with a second book, this one based on her new obsession with butchering. Good for: Cooks, Eaters. Not recommended for: Vegetarians.

Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York by William Grimes ($30). Any loyal reader of Eater knows that the New York restaurant world is nothing if not faddish. But like legwarmers, oysters have been trendy once or twice before. NYT writer William “Biff” Grimes takes us back. Good for: Eaters.

Far Flung and Well Fed: The Food Writing of R.W. Apple, Jr. “My wife, Betsy, and I traveled everywhere and ate almost everything.” A tale of life on possibly the best expense account ever. Good for: Eaters.

How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking by Michael Psilakis ($18.90). This new cookbook is picking up some awards already. How to get into Greek food without resorting to a lamb on a spit in the front yard. Good for: Cooks.

Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller ($31.50). This is the must-have cookbook of 2009. Though these recipes spring from the brain of master chef Thomas Keller (Per Se, French Laundry), they’re surprisingly easy to follow and produce gourmet results. Good for: Cooks, Eaters Who Wish They Cooked More.

Red Hook Beef Jerky ($10). Delicious, smoky beef jerky with a spicy finish, made in Brooklyn. Good for: Eaters.

Food & Wine Wine Guide 2009 ($14.95). Even your wine-expert friend has to admit: The world of wine changes every year. Keep them up-to-date with the 2009 Food & Wine guide, which also suggests pairings. Good for: Eaters, Winos.

Take Out Menu Organizer ($20). They love food, but their refrigerator contains only a bottle of champagne and a jar of olives. This is the present for that person. Good for: Eaters, Winos.