TOP 3 GIFTS for FOODIES!

Holiday cheer is in the air! You are probably busy baking cookies, cooking holiday meals, attending swanky parties, and seeing Santa.
There is a foodie in your family or life: someone who enjoys a new restaurant, food blogs, cooks the Thanksgiving turkey, and is an avid Food Network watcher.
Take my top 3 tip ideas to buy something fantastic for your foodie friend. The best part: They are all budget-friendly.

1) Local Author/Restaurant Cookbook.
-Many local, well-known chefs are putting out cookbooks. OR, the restaurant the chef is famous for has a cookbook on the shelves. Pick one up, most are under $30!
-Also, look for autograph copies of cookbooks. Many chefs will pre-sign their cookbook before it hits the stores.
-My faves? Lisa Dupar, Tom Douglas, and Keren Brown (blogger)all have excellent, budget-friendly books.

2) Gift Card to your local coffee (or tea!) shop.
-NOT the mass-chain coffee shop found in every block. I am talking about a true, local cafe/coffee/tea shop.
-Who gives super popular coffee store gift cards? Everyone and their cousin! Giving a someone a trip to a new and fresh coffee shop will show you care about food as much as they do. Also, since it is Seattle, it is fairly easy to find a cozy and cute shop.
-My faves? Fonte Coffee (Seattle), Victor's (Redmond), Miro Tea (Ballard), and T'Latte (Bellevue).

3) Knife Sharpening.
-I bet your foodie has a great knife (or two). You know that steel? That actually only MAINTAINS a the sharpness. It does not truly sharpen the knife.
-To sharpen a knife, I recommend going to a cutley shop and having it professioanlly sharpen. Those little hand held "knife sharpeners" don't keep it sharp and could harm your blade.
-My faves? Epicurean Edge (Kirkland).

Even if you have someone who is not a big foodie, ANYONE will enjoy a new cookbook, a fun kitchen gadget, or a bright apron.

Food-related gifts are a great gift to give because you know the person will always use your present on a regular basis.

Happy Baking!
-SC