Are you looking for the perfect gift for your favourite cook or food lover? Avoid the gift anxiety with these 5 tasty holiday gift ideas for foodies:

1. Wine. Ok, I know, such a cliché, but as much as I would love to yap about how dull this is, every time someone gets me a bottle of wine, my eyes just light up. Add your personal touch by including the recipe of a dish that would work well with this wine. And don’t panic! If you’re unsure of which dish goes with what, just ask someone at the liquor store. You can look up the recipe on line, and write it down on a nice piece of paper, roll it up and secure it with a small ribbon, then tie it around the neck of the bottle as if the wine came with a little ‘message’.

2. Homemade butter. Yes! Forget about the typical gift basket. Instead, try flavoured homemade butter. All you need to do is chop up your favourite herbs and spices very finely, mix them with some butter, and put it in a small container. I recommend small glass containers, and you can get them at the dollar store. Make three or more batches of assorted flavours, fill each glass container with a different flavour and place them in a little basket or a Christmas box. Feel free to add a fresh cut baguette, or some pita bread cut in to triangles for a more appealing presentation.

Here is my suggestion: Mediterranean butter.

You need:

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp black olives, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp garlic, minced

Combine all the ingredients; place the butter in a small container and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

3. Organic Coffee. Now, here’s a more socially conscious gift idea. Because the vast majority of coffee beans are grown in developing countries, it is important to buy a brand that is certified organic and fair trade by TransFair or Equal Exchange. Here are a couple of options:

• Deans Beans – Massachusetts organic based, fair trade coffee company
• Global Exchange’s online store

4. Balsamic Vinegar. This could well be the perfect gift for the person that has everything. A good bottle of Balsamic Vinegar can go anywhere from $10 up to $200 or more. You can buy it online or at any local gourmet stores and the variety is incredibly wide.

5. Recipe Books. Ok, I admit it, this is my personal favourite gift idea… but really, if you are a foodie like me, then chances are you have your own recipe library. Whether it‘s just a couple of magazines, or shelves loaded with cookbooks, you can never go wrong with this gift idea.

Make the most of your money; go to a second hand bookstore and discover the hundreds of cookbooks that go for one third of their original price. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see the majority of books are brand new! A foodie can never have enough cookbooks.

These ideas are stylish, affordable and are sure to please even the most demanding foodie.

Feel free to share your own gift ideas with us.

Happy Holidays!