Father's Day Gifts for the Gourmet Dad

Does a dad in your life love to cook, or just love good food? Try these Father's Day gift ideas!

Collection of Gourmet Spices and Seasonings

Head to your local specialty food store. Here you will find all sorts of goodies any chef would love to have in their spice cupboard. Choose items you dad would like - perhaps a variety of meat seasoning blends, fancy mustards, dried herbs, fancy sea salt. Add some delicious gourmet antipasti or chutnies, plus maybe some fine dark chocolate to enjoy while thinking about what to make! (cost: $30- $50)

Good Quality Chef's Knife and Butcher's Block Cutting Board

There's nothing like having the right tools for the job. A good quality knife will last a lifetime, and is an essential tool for the serious cook. Remember to include a coin with the gift to counter the "bad luck" of gifting a knife - even if you're not superstitious it's a fun tradition. Depending on your budget (good knives can cost $80 -$100 or more) you could also include a sharpening steel. (cost $100 - $150)

Jamie Oliver Cookbook

See Amazon.com for descriptions of Jamie's various books, which are entertaining and have recipes that your man might actually want to cook. A recent one is Cook with Jamie: My Guide to Making You a Better Cook . You could even check out a recipe in the book, and purchase the ingredients to make it to include with the gift. (cost $25 - $40)

Wine and Food Pairings

Your local wine merchant can give you advice on what wine goes with what food. Often wine labels will have suggested pairings in the description. Buy one or two good quality wines, and include food items that will enhance a meal with them - gourmet pasta, herbes de Provence for fish, etc. (cost $40 - $60)

Cooking Class

Find a cooking workshop and sign Dad up for it; you could accompany him to for some special time together. You can find classes through your School District's Adult Education/ Continuing Education department, or through community colleges. (cost $40 - $60)

Take Dad Out for Dinner

People who like cooking love to eat good food. Splurge and take Dad to a "better then usual" restaurant - one with a well-known chef or signature cuisine. (cost $60 - $100)

I hope these ideas have helped guide you to finding a special gift for Dad this Father's Day - but remember that love and attention are the best gifts of all!