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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. (continued on page 20)