Holiday gifts for foodies

Whether it's a $30 cookbook, a new $25 gadget or a more pricey kitchen appliance, foodies will appreciate gifts that make life in the kitchen a little easier while making them look smart and trendy. Here are a few ideas for the foodie in your life.

Keurig coffee brewers and K-cup coffees. Call it the K-Cup craze. The Keurig brewers, which let coffee and tea drinkers make one cup at a time, has gained a lot of ground in the coffeemaker market. Keurig makes its own coffee but also partners with others, such as Millstone and Folgers, offering another affordable option for coffee drinkers. The K-Cup portions are available in hazelnut cream, black silk, Colombian and Vanilla Biscotti at your local supermarkets for $6.99-$9.99 for 12 to 18 cups. Keurig brewers are $89.95 and up at retail outlets and keurig.com.

"1001 Ways to Cook Southern" – This fall, Oxmoor House published a mammoth 928-page cookbook that is being called one of the most comprehensive collections by Southern Living magazine. As the name indicates, it features more than 1,000 Southern recipes with a list of equipment (cast-iron skillet, mason jars, etc.) along with cooking techniques that Southerners have mastered. $34.95 at book stores; includes six-month subscription to Southern Living magazine.

Top Chef University course – Based on the Bravo TV series of the same name, Top Chef University is an online culinary academy with more than 200 lessons in 12 courses covering skill levels from the basic to the advanced. Courses cost $24.95 per month or $199.95 for the entire curriculum at topchefuniversity.com.

"How Easy Is That" – The Food network's Ina Garten of "Barefoot Contessa" offers simple, elegant recipes in a new cookbook that will help boost your confidence in the kitchen by avoidingreducing stress and the time it takes to prepare food that looks and tastes good. Featured are easy techniques and dozens of recipes, including smoked salmon deviled eggs, roasted shrimp salad, truffled popcorn, red velvet cupcakes and Parmesan risotto. "How Easy Is That" retails for $35 at book outlets.

Whip'n Prep Chef – 'Tis the season for Holidays mean dessert, and this new item from Tupperware can help. It whips creams, sauces, egg whites, pancake batter and salad dressings as fast a traditional mixer but requires no electricity. The Whip'n Prep features three four-pronged whisks that whip 27 times with one full spin. Comes in a gift box with a dessert recipe booklet. $52.50 at Tupperware.com.

Metrokane Electric Rabbit Corkscrew. Gone are the days of twisting and pulling the corkscrew to get to your favorite wine. This easy-to-use mechanism slips over the wine bottle and, with a press of a button, easily removes the cork. $24.99 at Tuesday Morning stores.