Top Gifts for the Food Lover Under $20

The holidays take on a special meaning for food lovers. It's the season not only for giving but also for elaborate holiday feasts. Not sure what to give your foodie friend or loved one? Here's a little guide to inexpensive holiday tidings that's sure to up the ante of the season's cheer, all for under $20.

If you're tired of the usual gift baskets, why not give a magazine subscription instead? Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazine are some of my favorites, and every month is sure to stir up some excitement as you wait for the issue to arrive at your doorstep. These are some of the best food magazines in the country, with every issue offering a bounty of luscious, tried-and-tested recipes, lots of mouthwatering, hypnotic-and-absolutely tempting, over-the-top pictures, sound cooking tips and advice, restaurant reviews, and interesting articles that promise to enlighten the gourmand in you and expand your culinary palate. A subscription is sure to be a pleaser and a unique gift without the frills and the ribbons, all for a stunning $12 (plus $ 3 shipping, while supplies last. Visit www.epicurious.com).

Cheese assortments are also a delight, especially during the holidays. Epicurious.com offers cheese assortments that have been specially assembled by their staff and guaranteed to please. To fit the budget, there's the Assortment of Grating Cheeses ($14.99 and weighs a good 1.5 pounds). This includes wedges of Grana Padano, which is a savory Italian cheese often called the "King of All Cheeses", the Argentine Saardo, another flavorful variety and the Sbrinz, a Swiss cheese that goes excellently with salads. There's also the Belgian Cheese Assortment ($19.99 and weighs 1.3 pounds). While Belgium may be more famous for its chocolates, this power trio is guaranteed to be a palate pleaser, including the Chimay Grand Cru, a creamy cheese made by the monks of Scourmont, the Capra Honey Goat, a cheese that comes from Southern Belgium that's sweet and flavorful and the Passendale, a semi-soft cow's milk cheese that could be your next comfort food. All the cheese can be ordered conveniently through their website www.epicurious.com and you could throw in a cheese board with the gift if you have extra money to spare.

Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa offers a line of specialty food products that's sure to thrill any food lover. Her Dessert Sauce Collection comes wrapped in an elegant holiday box and includes a bottle of delectable Raspberry Sauce made from the freshest raspberries and a bottle of Decadent Fudge Sauce, a devilishly chocolaty concoction that's sure to add a sparkle to your sundaes and cakes. There's also the Grill Sauce Collection that includes a bottle of Tequila Lime Marinade and Indonesian Ginger Marinade. They come in a beautiful box and are excellent for marinating or basting steaks and fishes. They're sure to bring the freshness of the Hamptons to your holiday table! Both gift sets cost $19.95 (visit www.stonewallkitchen.com). In fact, you can go to any specialty market or Mexican or Asian market and mix and match your own gift sets, whether using marinades, dips and dressings, dessert sauces, or salsas and chili blends. The possibilities are endless!

Why not give a bottle of nut-flavored oil for the holidays? They come in elegant bottles and their rich earthy flavors are sure to be a hit with any gourmand. Take a pick from a wide selection of pumpkin seed oil, pistachio oil, almond oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, hazelnut oil, and pecan oil at www.earthy.com. They're a unique gift and you can choose to give just one or mix and match your favorite oils to come up with a personalized set.

Harney and Sons makes some of the best teas sourced from all over the world. All their earthy, flavorful varieties and blends make for wonderful, elegant presents. You can give just one tin, or order different flavored tins and mix and match to come up with tea sets. There are fruit-flavored teas (cranberry is popular), traditional Eastern blends like Jasmine or Oolong, green teas, white teas, organic blends, herbal concoctions, and so much more. Whatever the occasion, the gift of tea will surely be a hit (www. harney.com).

Wild mushrooms are always a delight for any food lover. Why not purchase a pound of fresh chanterelles or lobster mushrooms from your local market and get creative by packaging them on your own? Dried mushrooms are also wonderful, but they do cost a bit more. If you purchase a pound of fresh mushrooms, you'll most likely have a bit more left over from $20. Why not throw in a tin of American caviar? That should set you back by roughly $5 and your gift set of wild mushrooms and caviar will surely imbibe all the freshness of autumn for the holidays.

You can also give the gift of rice. There are so many different varieties of gourmet rice in the market. You can give little packs of assorted rice varieties including Arborio rice (that creamy grain used in Italian risottos), Japanese rice (with its very distinct, starchy texture for Japanese rice bowls and sushi) and Basmati rice (goes elegantly with Indian or Southeast Asian cooking). Some varieties of organic rice hand-picked by Native Americans in canoes can be bought at www.awesomegourmet.com. Pack the rice in little gift baskets and you'll have an elegant present that looks like it came right from a pricey gourmet foods store.

Feel free to unleash your creative energies when making your holiday shopping list. Mix and match your own gift sets to come up with a personalized touch. The gift of food will surely add some good tidings and cheer to any grand holiday feast!