Gifts for the Cook Who Has Everything

There are only nine days until Christmas. Odds are you still have a few last-minute gifts to buy. If there are foodies on your list (and why wouldn’t there be?), check out our collection of cooking-related presents.

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BEYOND OLIVE SPREAD

Pack these tapenades from California Harvest in a basket with a loaf of French bread and goat cheese and you’ve got a great holiday hostess gift.

Portabello, black olive and artichoke tapenades, 6-ounce jar, about $6 each from Bristol Farms stores or order online at www.grapevinetrading.com.

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FOR UPSTANDING COOKBOOKS

Large-format cookbooks can be so big they’ll tip over almost any bookend you can find. That won’t happen with these handsome lugs, which have a mold of a spoon at each end. Made of steel, they stand 7 inches tall and weigh almost 7 pounds each. Just try and knock these over.

Spoon mold bookends, $65 per pair from Restoration Hardware stores.

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GIVE US THAT OLD-TIME FRUITCAKE

Rich, nutty and brandy-soaked, this fruitcake is made by the monks at Our Lady of Guadalupe Trappist Abbey in Lafayette, Ore.

Old-style monastery fruitcake, 3-pound box, $24.50 plus shipping and handling. Call (800) 294-0105 or order online at www.trappistabbey.org.

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MUSTARDS PLUS

The Moustarde aux Champignons has an intense earthy flavor of wild mushrooms. The Moustarde aux Pastis has a hint of anise, and the Moustarde aux Noix is distinctly walnutty.

Mustards, 7.05-ounce jars, $9.95 each from Gourmet Imports, 921 Meridian Ave., Unit B, South Pasadena. (626) 441-9600.

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A COOK’S COVER

Do you know the Cooker Man? That’s what Winterberry calls the pattern of this apron and oven mitt set that would make a fun last-minute gift. There is also a matching kid’s apron.

Winterberry adult apron in gold or olive, $32; Winterberry kid’s apron, $17.60; and oven mitt, $8 from April Cornell stores in Pasadena, Newport Beach, La Jolla and Santa Barbara.

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GLAMOUR PANS

The same folks who make Viking Ranges have introduced these stainless steel and aluminum pans just in time for the holidays. They’ll heat up quickly and cook evenly.

Viking Professional Cookware, 2-quart saucepan with cover, $135; 9-inch skillet with cover, $165, from Cookin’ Stuff, 22217 Palos Verde Blvd., Torrance, (310) 371-2220; Sideboard, 322 Main St., Seal Beach, (562) 594-8159; and Let’s Get Cookin’, 4643 Lakeview Canyon Road, Westlake Village, (818) 991-3940.

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I’LL BE YOUR COFFEE GRINDER

This functional coffee grinder has a bright-blue grind button and a small egg-shaped handle for lifting off the top. It comes with a small brush with its own storage compartment for sweeping the grounds into the filter. Oh, did we mention it’s from Target?

Michael Graves coffee grinder by Black & Decker, $19.99, from Target stores.

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TWIGS AND EGGS

These twig wreaths decorated with real-looking brown eggs work well when hung on a wall or tucked in a hutch. You can even use pastel-colored eggs if they blend with your decor.

Egg wreath with brown or pastel eggs, $18.99 from Orchid Affair at the Southern California Flower Market, 746 Maple Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 629-3386. Or order online at www.orchids.com. Additional charge for shipping and handling.

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CHOCOLATE DENSITY

These dense fudge brownies are among the best we’ve ever tasted. Give them to the chocolate lover on your list and forget the diamonds.

Brownies, $2.50 each, from the Farm of Beverly Hills, 439 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 273-5578 or order online at www.brownies90210.com.

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PARTY IN A BOX

“A Modern Cocktail Party” box includes a book of drink and appetizer recipes and a CD of classic big-band performances. “A Recipe for Romance Dinner for Two” includes a CD of more romantic melodies.

$20 each from Joan’s on Third, 8350 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 655-2285; Sunny Brook Market, 24510 Town Center Drive, No. 110, Valencia, (661) 799-8841; and San Marino Hardware, 2134 Huntington Drive, San Marino, (626) 282-6536.

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TRIVET PURSUIT

These retro-looking beaded mats come in two sizes, a 7those-inch square that would be perfect for a trivet, and a 4through-inch square that is more coaster size.

Trivets, $12, and coasters, $6, from Anthropologie stores in Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Newport Beach.

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DON’T EAT THE CANDLES

These little candles look like fruit that has been dipped in sugar. Each set includes three pears, three apples and three plums.

Candied fruit candles, set of nine candles in a gift box, $15.95 from Designing Whims, 3788 Cerritos Ave., Los Alamitos, (562) 430-2969; Rains Department Store, 218 East Ojai, Ojai, (805) 646-1441; and all Bristol Kitchen stores.