Best Holiday Gift Ideas Under $20 for Gourmets

They like the best of everything, from the finest wine to the newest chic restaurant. But how can you buy the gourmet in your life a gift worthy of his or her taste while staying on a budget? Here are some ideas.

1. Gourmet Food Items

A gourmet treat can be a savored treasure and doesn't require a treasury to purchase. Try one of these:

• Yes, nearly everyone gives chocolate at Christmas, but I'm willing to bet that none are as good as Krause's Homemade Chocolates. This is a family-run business in New York's Hudson Valley, and for the past 76 years, they have been making hand-dipped chocolates with the freshest ingredients. Available in milk, dark, or white varieties, including sugar-free alternatives. Buy these on-line (web site below), or at their stores if you are lucky enough to live near one (Saugerties, Albany, Poughkeepsie). $12.45 for a pound of pre-assorted chocolates. Voted "Best of the Hudson Valley" for the last four years straight.

• A good-sized bottle of real maple syrup is affordable and has so many uses in cooking-as a marinade, salad dressing, drizzled over homemade ice cream, and more-that it probably won't even make it onto the pancakes. Buy at a gourmet-foods store or (most likely) at your grocery store.

• Bottled infused vinegars and oils look dramatic on a kitchen shelf and are wonderful when used in salads or as a dip for crusty bread. While you can get them at stores like Target and Marshall's, I'd try a gourmet foods store (like Williams Sonoma) or kitchen store (like Linens-n-Things or Bed Bath and Beyond) to assure their quality.

• Buy an excellent bottle of extra-virgin olive oil from a gourmet food store for $20 or less and package it in a velvet wine bag for a nice presentation.

• If they like sweets, the gourmet preserves and fruit butters from American Spoon Foods can make a great gift. They also have a lot of other fruit-based goodies, like fruit/spice mixtures, as well as gift assortments if you want to spend a little more. My favorite is their classic Red Spoon Peppers, a sweet-spicy jam that's great as an appetizer with cheese and crackers or brushed over chicken on the barbecue. (If it lasts that long!) A 9 oz. jar is $6.95.

• Or if they live on the spicy side, try hot sauces and salsas that will melt their utensils. For example, check out the line of barbecue sauces, hot sauces, salsa and other goodies from Danger Men Cooking. Order from their main web site, or check out their list of distributors for a retail location near you. A 7-ounce bottle of their "Tough Guy Hot Sauce" is only $6.95.

• Another spicy gift for the adventurous cook is Thai Curry Paste from Nittaya. Anyone who has tried to make curry at home (like me) knows that authentic ingredients are hard to find, then must be pounded in a mortar. Save yourself the effort with these pre-made packets that according to Epicurious.com, are the "finest brand we've found." $8.95 for a 1.1-pound bag. Available from Temple of Thai's web site.

2. Fun Gifts from Williams Sonoma

• Mulling Spices
Simmer in cider or wine for a soothing holiday treat, or just boil this fragrant mix of spices plain to make your gourmet cook's abode smell even more wonderful than it already does. I've been giving these out for years and have gotten nothing but compliments. Comes packaged in an attractive brass tin. Available only at Williams Sonoma stores, $10.

• Striped Dish Towels
Anyone who has used Williams Sonoma's original dishtowels knows how soft and absorbent they are, and how no other cloth is quite the same. Now they are available in cheerful stripes to dress up the kitchen, in four varieties: Navy/Natural, Butternut/Dark Olive, Red Pepper/Chocolate, and Spice/Wine. Woven in Turkey from sturdy, soft cotton that resists fading and is machine-washable, with a loop for convenient hanging. Each towel is 30" x 20". Set of 4 for $16.00. Available on the web site or at their stores.

3. Subscriptions to "Gourmet" or "Bon Appetit".

A fresh set of recipes and entertaining ideas each month. Both magazines are running a subscription deal at Epicurious.com: 12 issues for $12.00. Gourmet also gives you a free chef's apron with your order.

4. Something From The Bar?

Most cocktail shakers are stainless steel and utilitarian, but this one from Pier 1, made of glass in a swirled-color pattern, deserves a prominent place on a bar shelf. $20.00.