8 Smart, Unexpected Gifts for Your Foodie Girlfriend or Boyfriend

First of all, I think we can agree the term “foodies” is awful — but it’s here to stay. And man, my boyfriend and I are total foodies. We have a tiny (tiny!) Manhattan kitchen, so we are obsessive about the equipment we allow in. It has to be worth its mettle to gain a spot. Here are some of the gifts that pass muster.

Plus: 8 Great Gifts for the Cocktail Enthusiast

Himalayan Salt Slabs are as beautiful as they are functional. They can be chilled in the freezer to serve crudo or heated in an oven to sear steak or salmon. They impart a subtle salt flavor — and since salt is naturally antiseptic, cleaning is easy. Comes in many sizes and prices.

Modernist Cuisine at Home: last year, my boyfriend’s big gift to himself was Modernist Cuisine. He’s been working his way through it ever since, chapter by chapter. This is the much more affordable version — and it still has plenty to keep your Wylie Dufresne-wannabe busy through 2013.

Samplrs is a subscription food service that delivers unusual, handmade products to your door. Once your better half gets hooked on a new product, they can get their fix from Samplr’s online Marketplace.

Indian cooks keep a stainless-steel spice box by the stove for quick access to the key flavors that make the cuisine so extraordinary. Encourage a bit of experimentation in the kitchen with this box, filled with cumin seeds, ground coriander, turmeric powder, red chile pepper, garam masala, kala namak, and white table salt.

Plus: What To Get: The Sophisticated Man Who Has Everything

ISI Profi Whipped Cream Maker whipped cream is just the beginning. With the ISI you can make savory foams, chocolate mousses, and frothy cocktails. Don’t forget to stock up on nitrous cartridges so your little whippet can get straight to work.

Goat Milk Caramels by Big Picture Farm, handmade in Vermont, stand out in a sea of artisanal products.

The Prepara Herb-Savor is an elegant way to keep herbs fresh in the fridge.

At Alinea, they make dashi (Japanese broth) at the table with this very siphon. At Intelligentsia, they use a similar one to make coffee. It can also be used to make unusual teas and warm, wintry cocktails — and it’s lovely enough to display.

Nora Sherman blogs about food, cocktails, and anything that strikes her fancy at Thought for Food. Her better half, Mayur Subbarao, is a partner in Bittermens Spirits and Brand Manager for Blueprint Spirits — and he makes a mean martini (always stirred, never shaken).