Preempt some of the holiday lunacy by scooping up some of these food-oriented gift items. We found five gifts that are perfect for someone who loves to cook or who maybe just appreciates food a bit more than your average eater. All these items are under $50, and all available online.

Olive Wood Mortar and Pestle from Sur La Table. Great for making guacamole, pesto or grinding up spices. Also looks lovely on your kitchen counter. $39.95. Crate and Barrel and Muji carry them, too.

Bubby’s Homemade Pies. If the rats and roaches that prompted the recent Bubby's closure make you reluctant to have your holiday dinner there, this cookbook promises all of the taste with none of the rodent droppings. The book is filled with both sweet and savory pie recipes and useful tips from one of New York’s great pie-makers. They've got recipes for dumplings, knishes, and empanadas, too, not to mention an apple-roquefort-bacon pie that makes our mouth water. $29.95.

Crock of Stilton from Murray’s. For the cheese freak, get Stilton--a traditional Christmas cheese--from the best cheese shop in town, in a reusable blue crock. Fun fact: this cheese can also cause strange dreams. In a 2005 U.K. survey, 75% of men and 85% of women had bizarre dreams after eating it 1/2 hour before bedtime. $25.

Teema Coffee Mugs from the Apartment Therapy Store. We love these mugs: they’re practical, functional, big and beautiful. Made by Finnish design company Iittala. $16.

Weck Jars. For the canning geek, these jars look so much nicer than Ball jars lining your shelves. Stare at the proof of your summer industriousness all winter long. Cases start at $10.60.

What gifts do you recommend for the gourmand in your life?