A Foodster's Gift Guide: For Him

It's Foodster's Gift Guide Part 3 over here, and this time we're switching it up a bit for the men in your life. Whether a husband, boyfriend, father, brother or friend, these gifts are sure to perk up any guy with a major crush on food. I even ran my picks by Shaun for the official man-approval. Heck, he even suggested a few of them. Let's take a closer look...

Krups BeerTender for Heineken Draught Keg, $99.99 (CigarExtras); Stainless Steel Water Bottle, $19.99 (Nathan Sporting Goods); Weber Rapidfire Chimney Starter, $18.00 (Grillstuff.com); J.A. Henckels Classic 2-pc. Knife Set, $65.99 (Target); Good Eats: The Early Years, $21.93 (Amazon.com); Presto Deep Fryer, $59.99 (Macy's);  Coleman RoadTrip LXE Grill, $159.99 (Target)

Krups BeerTender - I think this is a really fun item for the man in your life (provided he likes beer and it happens to be of the Heineken variety). What better way to make your beverage special than by dressing it up with one of these little guys? Now, if they only made a red wine dispenser in conjunction with this, we'd be a happy household...

Stainless Steel Water Bottle - Shaun received this in his stocking last Christmas, and it's still going strong. It's been toted everywhere - from the gym to the beach to long car rides. A great item and it's eco-friendly to boot. Oh, and let's not forget about a little thing called phthalates that this little guy eliminates from your body...

Charcoal Chimney Starter - A veritable necessity to any tailgate, this chimney starter is the only way to go when working with a charcoal grill. It heats up your coals like it's nobody's business. Case in point: Our Giants football tailgate. Even with a bit of wind (wind? Bah, it spits in the face of wind), this amazing device had no problem heating 'er up and providing us with the first step of perfectly cooked grilled meat.

J.A. Henckels Knife Set - Perhaps it's the samurai sword-esque quality of a big knife or the power that it emanates, but a giant knife is a must for men and cooking. And let's face it, a big, sharp knife is the only way to go to safely chop any sort of meat or vegetable that requires a little elbow grease.

Good Eats: The Early Years - One of Shaun's favorite FN pundits, Alton Brown is not only an individual wealth of culinary knowledge, but he pairs it with an endearing mad scientist-type quality with a humorous twist. And he knows his stuff. Because of him, we have no unnecessary gadgets in our kitchen and frying has been forever changed with his drying station techniques, which leads me to...

Presto Deep Fryer - I'm not sure what it is about men and frying, but this gift is a tried and tested winner. Since receiving this as a gift, Shaun has been frying up a storm (much to the chagrin of my waistline) in the form of corn chips, cheeseburger spring rolls, and the best wings on the planet.

Coleman Grill - This collapsible propane grill is the perfect solution for a serious tailgater or camper (note: since this is propane, the aforementioned charcoal chimney starter won't work here). A safe, tidy way to grill up his favorite eats, your guy will love this little guy. Burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, oh my...

So there you go. Seven fun items for the guy foodster in your life. See anything you like? Any other guy-approved gifts that your thinking of serving up this holiday?

Note: Most, if not all, of these gifts are not solely for men...obviously. These items could totally brighten up your fave female's holiday as well (I know I'm coveting Alton Brown's Good Eats and am a proud owner of a Nathan water bottle). I just thought that since the last two guides focused on bright colored mixing bowls and cupcake couriers, perhaps I should feature some items that sway toward the masculine side of the spectrum. Whether for guy or gal, hope you find it helpful!

A Foodster's Gift Guide: For the Dessert Lover

It's day 2 of our Foodster's Gift Guide and today we're talkin' sweets. And who doesn't have someone on their list with a mega sweet tooth? Here's the breakdown:

philosophy 'classic cook book' gift set, $35 (Nordstrom); Margot porcelain dessert plate set of 4, $22.49 (Target); Cupcake courier, $29.99 (Amazon.com); Progressive International microwavable s'mores maker, $7.65 (Amazon.com); Kitchenaid stand mixer, $224.99 (Target); Peppermint bark, $26.50 (Williams-Sonoma)

philosophy 'classic cook book' gift set - So this one is less of a food, and more of a body pampering vehicle with a sweet twist. I don't know about you, but I'm a huge philosophy fan. Ever since my first jar of cinnamon buns lotion (a holiday gift from Catherine many years ago, thank you very much C), I've been hooked on their amazing quality and mouth-watering scents. While some sweet-scented lotions can be overkill, not philosophy. It's the perfect combo of subtle, yet true-to-life smelling sweets. Swoon over six recipe-inspired shampoo, shower gel and bubble baths (for you philosophy virgins, they're an all-in-one product). Pamper yourself to the decadent fragrances of red velvet cake, cinnamon buns, spicy pear cobbler, pumpkin spice muffin, gingerbread and double-rich hot cocoa. I don't know about you, but I'm getting hungry.

Margot porcelain dessert plate set - Whether you've slaved over a hot oven or traipsed over to your favorite bakery, all delicious desserts deserve to be decked out in their Sunday best. That's why I'm suggesting pretty, chic dessert plates that aren't limited only to holiday time. Can't you see these adorb mini plates in spring or summer adorned with a lemon bar or chocolate dipped shortbread? Yup, it's a pretty picture.

Cupcake courier - An item that I quickly became obsessed with after happily volunteering to make cupcakes for Catherine's New York City bridal shower. But how to cart them to a fabulous Upper East Side soiree? The cupcake courier, of course. If you are at all into making (and subsequently carting, as seen here) cupcakes, the cupcake courier is a must for keeping your hard work in perfect place.

Stand mixer - Any baker's best friend, and one of my favorite appliances (yup, mine's red too which you may have noticed here), the KitchenAid stand mixer is an essential for the regular baker. My absolute favorite part of this item, aside from it's obviously fabulous functionality? They come in virtually every color you could think of. These mixers just aren't the kind your mom used. Instead, they provide a veritable burst of color decor to any kitchen. Case in point, my blah apartment rental kitchen is instantly bumped up with my punchy red mixer along with a matching red toaster and paper towel holder. And even better? I use it all the time. Oh, and did I mention it's on sale?

S'mores maker - The perfect gift for the marshmallow-chocolate lover on your list (I'm of the graham cracker persuasion, so this suits me just fine). Just line up your s'mores supplies, pop this little guy into the microwave, and voila - homemade s'mores without having to go in search of your local camp fire. Bonus gift: supply the fixin's, including chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows, for an instant gratification gift.

Peppermint Bark - Ok, so this is a total splurge, and yes you can easily make it yourself (check back for that tutorial coming next week). But I must admit that Williams-Sonoma Peppermint Bark is particularly fabulous and isn't holiday time the one time of year to let yourself have the goods? For one sweet food splurge, I'm going with the Bark. It's that good. And sure to satisfy the chocolate lover on your list to boot.

So there you have it. Six great gifts for the dessert fiend on your holiday list. See anything you like? Anything I've left out? What desserty gifts are you asking Santa for this year?

A Foodster's Gift Guide: When You're Just Starting Out

This week, we'll be serving up gift guides for the food-lovers in your life. Whether just starting out, a seasoned eater and cook, a dessert fiend, male, or female, we've got something for all of the foodsters on your holiday list. First up is my picks for those newbie foodsters who are trying to break into cooking at home. Though an at-home cooking collection is an ever-evolving organism, for my gift picks I've selected some fun basics that anyone can enjoy. Case in point: The Insanely Useful All-in-One Cook Prep Set. This complete set (for under $55 no less!) is screaming with fun, punchy color and is making me want to forget that I already have a beyond adorb Williams-Sonoma green mixing bowl and measuring set in my cupboard. And since I'm of the mind that gifts should be fun, useful, and something that one would not generally buy themselves, all of the items in this gift guide fit the bill. Take a look...

Kitchen Timer, Anthropologie ($12); Insanely Useful All-in-One Cook Prep Set, Delight.com ($54.50); The Joy of Cooking, Amazon.com ($20.47); Taste Test Recipe Book, Anthropologie ($28); Waffle Gift Set, Sur La Table ($49.96)

Kitchen Timer - I received this retro-looking magnetic timer as a bridal shower gift (in red of course) and use it every day (love ya Catherine!). It's the perfect stocking stuffer.

Insanely Useful All-in-One Cook Prep Set - I stumbled upon this and have since fell in love. It's the perfect set to punch up an eclectic kitchen or first apartment. The complete 8 piece set includes a large mixing bowl, colander, sieve, small mixing bowl w/ measurements, 4 measuring cups: 1 Cup, ½ Cup, 1/3 Cup, ¼ Cup. You can also snap up the 3-piece set which includes medium mixing bowl, small mixing bowl w/ measurements , juicer. What more could a girl want?

The Joy of Cooking - So fittingly, this was gift I received from my mom. Don't be discouraged by it's daunting size or lack of glossy photos. It's the ultimate, the original, and a great starting place for beginners.

Taste Test Recipe Book - Every new cook needs their own recipe book. Start your collection by gathering recipes you love from family and friends and add your own over time.

Waffle Gift Set - Does it get any more fun that this? This set includes all the trimmings and fixin's for a fabulous brunch at home. The complete set includes a non-stick waffle pan, a holiday-perfect gingerbread pancake and waffle mix, holiday syrup, and a gingerbread kitchen towel. Oh, and if that's not enough to get you going, the pan is dishwasher safe to boot. I know I'm excited...

So there you have it. A gift guide for the new cook. What do you think? Anything on this list strike your fancy? Any further giftable suggestions for the cook just beginning his or her love affair with the at-home culinary arts?