Christmas Gifts for Foodies

Fabulous food shared with our nearest and dearest is at the very heart of Christmas ...

... all that rich goodness is just what's needed in the midst of a bleak mid winter ...

... and after the hard work preparing the Christmas food, the cooks deserve some special foodie treats of their own.

So this is my list of must have Christmas gifts for foodies ...

... it's half wish list of foodie stuff I would love to receive and half foodie Christmas gifts I have got my eye on for others.

I do hope you enjoy ... and if you're looking for more Christmas inspiration do check out all the brilliant Christmas ideas from other bloggers at the bottom of this post ...

New Cookery Books

I have found cooking with seasonal, locally sourced food actually encourages me to be much more innovative with my cooking.

So this year I am dying to get my hands on 4 new cook books in particular that in different ways celebrate seasonal food and local sourcing ... Nigel Slater's latest Notes from the Larder, Ann Quatrano's Summerland, Rebecca Lando's Working Class Foodies and Ottolenghi ...

Vintage Cookery Books

New cookery books are brilliant but a bundle of vintage cookery books has even more style.

You can find great classics like Elizabeth David's French Provincial Cooking, out of print editions from favourite authors such as the brilliant Arturo der Haroutunian's Patisserie of the Eastern Mediterranean, historical tomes like The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Tillypronie or if you search on Abe Books just a random selection from a particular period ...

Kitchen Herb Planter

I've found that even with a herb garden I still need some herbs in the kitchen either because some don't last the winter and others just don't like my London soil ... these Ikea Fintorp Planters on a rail in front of the kitchen window would be perfect for a small kitchen herb collection ...

A Clad Stainless Steel Saucier Pan

Not cheap but a clad stainless steel saucier is a must for making everything from risottos to delicate sauces that don't end up stuck to the bottom or suddenly over heated and anything that needs plenty of room for whisking ...

A Real Expresso Pot & Milk Frother

Oh I have such a love-hate relationship with coffee ... but when I'm drinking it, you can't beat a traditional expresso pot for the stove. I am after a tiny one that will keep my caffeine levels in check and a classic frothing jug so I can make something more milky ...

Cooking Classes

Craftsy.com has brilliant on-line cooking classes by expert instructors on everything from icing cakes and making bread to perfect French food and have gift cards available that can be used against any class.

Stoneware Utensil Pot

I've come to the conclusion you can never have enough utensil pots and random little jars don't cut it. I like this yellow one from Le Creuset but would really love an old Dundee Marmalade crock from eBay ...

Pastry Board

Currently everything gets rolled on my very old, very battered kitchen table as I don't have work top space ... it's not great for the table and it's not great for the pastry.

I am so hoping to finally get a new table this year which means I need a great pastry board if I am going to keep the table intact ...

Smaller Kitchen Aid

No Kitchen Aid is going to be small but if you're tight on space in a small kitchen you might still be able to find room for the Ultra ...

Serious Balsamic Vinegar

Yep this Reggio Emilia Cavalli Silver Seal balsamic vinegar is ridiculously expensive, but heh Christmas is about the luxuries you could never afford to buy for yourself and Christmas lists are licence for a little bit of day dreaming ... right ;-)

Genuine Italian Pasta Maker

We rely on pasta for yummy but super quick lunches so when I am cooking pasta properly I really want it to be special so would love this Cucina Pro Imperia Pasta Maker

Le Creuset Garlic Keeper

There's nothing so frustrating as reaching for the garlic and finding it has gone soft and yucky ... this little garlic keeper from Le Creuset keeps out the light but lets just enough air to circulate to keep it going ...

Dansk Kobenstyle Butter Warmer

I need a little pan for small amounts of butter, chocolate and the like and as my arms aren't up to lifting a le Creuset pan I love the look of this Danish-style but American made Dansk Kobenstyle Butter Warmer which has lots of the merits of le Creuset but is a lot lighter ....