Hostess Gift Baskets

Creative ideas that you can customize for her tastes―and your budget.

For the Foodie

She knows a half-dozen versions of Turkey Leftover Surprise, but does she want to eat it? Give her palate a break with ingredients for a gourmet pasta meal, all packed neatly in a colander "basket."
 
Contents shown, clockwise from top: 

• 100 Ways to Be Pasta, by Wanda and Giovanna Tornabene with Caroline Carreno (Knopf), offers inventive options, such as Tagliolini with Green Apple Pesto and Speck.
  To buy: $25, amazon.com.
• Simply Clean Flour Sacks.
  To buy: $10 for a set of 4, bedbathandbeyond.com.
• A hearty chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano adds authenticity to a pasta meal.
  To buy: About $4 for four ounces, at grocery stores.
• Metro 5-Quart Stainless Steel Colander.
  To buy: $11, kmart.com.
• Williams-Sonoma cooking class gift certificate.
  To buy: williams-sonoma.com.
• Nunez De Prado Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is from Spain, and the bottle is pretty enough to bring to the table.
  To buy: $15, wholefoods.com for store locations.
• Rustichella d'Abruzzo Bucatini have a smooth texture and homemade flavor.
  To buy: $5, manicaretti.com for store locations.
• Bella Cucina Artful Food Farmhouse Sugo Sun-Dried Tomato & Caper Pasta Sauce is almost as good as her own―but without all that simmering time.
  To buy: $20, bellacucinaartfulfood.com.
• Find more food gift ideas.

Click here for more holiday hostess gift ideas from our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide.