The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The Manual Holiday Gift Guide: The Foodie

By Ann Binlot December 14, 2013

For the Foodie Who Is Short on Time: Blue Apron
This subscription meal service does all the shopping and measuring for him, so all he’ll have to do is cook.
$9.99 per person, per meal, at blueapron.com

For Salt Lovers: Chef Salt Fab Premium Holiday Collection
This kit will make sure their food is always perfectly seasoned.
$30 at fab.com

For the Morning Person: Galaxy Desserts Morning Buns
What better way to wake up than with a warm gooey morning bun?
$44 at williams-sonoma.com

For the Home Cook: Glass Herb Keeper
This will make sure herbs stay fresh for a long time, so that their meals will be full of flavor.
$19.95 at crateandbarrel.com

For the Guy Who Eats Avocado Toast: Harold Import Company Avo Saver
Avocado toast was one of the trendiest food items last year and this handy contraption will help you keep them fresh.
$7.43 at amazon.com

For the Spendthrift at the Bar: Personalizable Leather Wrapped Flask
He’ll always have a swig ready so he won’t have to spend big bucks at the bar.
$29.95 at gifts.com

For the Aspiring Mixologist: Craft Cocktails
This recipe book will teach them everything they need to know about mixing the perfect craft cocktail.
$35.08 at amazon.com

For the Cheese Obsessed: Bedford Cheese Shop Regional Box
This box will have a fine selection of cheeses from all over the world.
$45 at bedfordcheeseshop.com

For the Oenophile: The California Wine Club Signature Series
They’ll have a new bottle of fine wine every month thanks to this subscription service.
Visit cawineclub.com

For the Fine Foodie: Savory French Macarons
Foie Gras, Black Truffle and Roquefort macarons will be sure to blow their minds.
$19 at richart-chocolates.com

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Ann Binlot is a New York-based freelance writer who contributes to publications like The Economist, Wallpaper*, Monocle…

Food & Drink

Plant-based diet facts: A beginner’s guide to this lifestyle

Find out how this diet compares to vegetarian and vegan

Plant-based noodle salad

There are a lot of debates within the world of diets of nutrition: Are low-carb diets or low-fat diets better for weight loss? Does saturated fat increase the risk of heart disease or not? Do foods high in cholesterol increase your cholesterol levels? Is red meat healthy or should it be eaten sparingly? That said, there are a couple of things most nutrition experts and wellness gurus agree on: It’s important to eat vegetables. Therefore, a diet that puts vegetables and plants as the central tenet of the diet must be at least somewhat healthy—and this is precisely where plant-based diets come into play.
It used to be that vegan diets and vegetarian diets were the only diets that excluded animal products and focused on eating plants, but in recent years, “plant-based diets” have entered the scene. But what exactly is meant by a plant-based diet? Is it different from a vegan or vegetarian diet? Can you eat only plants on a plant-based diet? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about plant-based diets, the benefits of plant-based diets, and what you can and can’t eat on plant-based diets to see if following a plant-based diet may be something you want to try.

What is a plant-based diet?
“Plant-based” is a broad term used to describe any diet that is composed of mostly but not necessarily exclusively, plant foods. In other words, vegan diets and vegetarian diets fall under the umbrella of plant-based diets, but there is also some flexibility to include some amount of animal products as well. Plant-based diets emphasize vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains, legumes, and nuts. Foods that are grown or cultivated are meant to be the centerpiece of every meal, with the option to have meat, dairy products, eggs, poultry, fish, seafood, and animal-derived ingredients as accouterments. In other words, animal products aren’t necessarily prohibited, but they are to be limited.
There are no strict definitions or exclusions with a general plant-based diet. Of course, within the umbrella of plant-based diets, there are more restrictive specific diets, such as the vegan diet, which excludes all animal products entirely. On the other end of the spectrum, the Mediterranean diet can also be considered a plant-based diet because the true emphasis is on plant-based foods even though fish and poultry are consumed. When following a plant-based diet, your goal is simply to focus on eating mostly plant-based foods.

Food & Drink

Rum 101: An enthusiast’s guide to understanding the different types of rum

After you read this rum guide, you'll know which are your favorites

Rum's importance in the grand history of American drinking stretches back to before the U.S. became a country. Rum was a necessity in the Colonial days, both as an item for trade and as one of the primary means of getting good and wasted. When the country was just getting on its feet, whiskey as we know it hadn't quite made an impact yet. That left, rum and hard cider and other imports.

Nowadays, rum is crafted in many parts of the globe, with producers employing traditional rum-making methods and a multitude of blending and aging techniques. Given its strong influence in the world, it’s important to know what rum is, how it’s made, as well as the different types of rum that are available out there.

Food & Drink

What is Cognac? A quick guide to the classic French spirit

Learn all about Cognac in our entry-level guide to the classic Frenc spirit

Brandy in the sunlight

Cognac is somewhat simpler than its name suggests. The best way to understand the French spirit is to treat it like its closest cousin: wine. In short, Cognac is a type of brandy made in its namesake commune in western France.

Similar to the best wine, it is tied to a specific place on the map and must be made from a select list of grapes in a particular style. There are aging and blending requirements tied to Cognac, much like a Chianti Italian wine or Bordeaux. Further, Cognac is best enjoyed in a particular kind of Cognac glass (the wine comparisons continue) that allows you to drink Cognac the right way. Get in there and sniff and savor the stuff.