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December 18, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 19
Gift ideas for foodies
Some people are a cinch to shop for
come the holiday season, while others can
be more of an enigma. When it comes to
the latter, shoppers should determine what
tickles their mysterious friend or family
member’s fancy, such as a favorite hobby or
even something to do with his or her profes-
sion. Food is a passion for many people and
provides holiday shoppers with a great
opportunity to make a loved one’s holiday
season even more special. Perhaps thanks
to the increase in food-oriented cable net-
works, foodies, those with an appreciation
and passion for cuisine, have grown in
number in recent years, and holiday shop-
pers with foodies on their lists have a host
of potential gift options at their disposal.
Cooking class: Many foodies like to
eat and love to cook their favorite cuisine.
For those who like to get their hands dirty
before filling their bellies, consider paying
for a cooking class. This can be a great way
for foodies to learn something new and meet
fellow food aficionados along the way.
Specialty spices: Spices can make the
difference between an ordinary meal that is
devoid of flavor and a meal that is so flavor-
ful it won’t soon be forgotten. When spicing
things up for a foodie, don’t just buy “regu-
lar” spices at the grocery store. For exam-
ple, instead of standard cinnamon, buy a
specialty spice like Mexican or Vietnamese
cinnamon. Such specialty spices can add
extra flavor to a meal while becoming the
go-to spice.
Pressure cooker: Many foodies are fawn-
ing over pressure cooking, which can cut
down on cooking times without sacrificing
nutrition. Some recipes may take half the
time to prepare with a pressure cooker as
they might with a more traditional cooking
method, an important time-saving element
that is attractive to foodies who want to enjoy
their favorite foods but feel pressed for time
on weeknights. While pressure cookers
employ steam to cook foods quickly, that
steam also traps flavor, whereas boiling can
wash away flavors.
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