It can be really hard to buy gifts for someone who is into something you have no idea about. When it comes to foodies and chefs, for example, I would not recommend trying to buy them a pan for Christmas. Most foodies have very staunchly held opinions about pans, and unless you have specific instructions, buying them a pan is a sure ticket to a returned or regifted item.
1. Fancy salt
Find a gourmet and/or spice store and buy a bunch of fancy, weird salts. The weirder the better. There are a lot of weird salts out there! Some of the most popular kinds are smoked salts, artisanal salts from France, pink Himalayan salt, and reddish-orange Alaea salt from Hawaii.
These serve as a fun and interesting garnish, so it's better to buy small amounts of a lot of different salts than a large amount of just one kind.
2. A cheese board
I have seen several slate cheese boards priced around $20, which is a good target for a gift. Slate cheese boards are nice because you can write the name of the cheese on the slate in chalk. I know this sounds dumb, but this is the kind of thing that excites a cheese fanatic.
(Note: probably not a good gift if your foodie is vegan or lactose-intolerant.)
3. Kitchen towels
Tea towels, dish towels, printed, plain, or colorful - a foodie will be able to find a use for even the most unwanted kitchen towel. Try to find some that match their décor sensibilities, or go for a plain white flour sack-style towel. A big stack of fresh new flour sack towels is a true delight to a kitchen fanatic.
4. Herb infusers
These are basically big rubber teabags for herbs, so that you can flavor your soups without having to pick all the leaves out afterward. Every foodie can use at least one, and extras will not go wanting.
Image courtesy Flickr/Renee S. Suen
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