Men can be difficult... to shop for. But like mother always said, the surest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. So if you find yourself at a loss for gift ideas, don't resort to the dreaded practical gift -- boxers, socks, yet another tie -- get him something to please his palate and feed his foodie soul.  

Foodie gifts for men:
• Canadian Beer of the Month Club, $30, beerclub.ca
Each month a new brew will be shipped to his door. This is the gift that keeps on giving long after Father's day has come and gone, and it will remind him that you are, truly, the most wonderful person on this earth.

• Vino de Milo, pasta sauces and vinaigrettes, $5, miloswholeworld.com
He'll be cooking like a chef in no time. Only all natural, locally sourced ingredients are used in these wine infused sauce and vinaigrette recipes. And as long as he knows how to boil spaghetti, girl's night out, here you come!

Don't miss our photographed slideshow of the 10 best Father's Day gifts.

Hot stuff and spicy treats
It's his day; he just might be expecting a little hot stuff. So don't disappoint.

• PC Chipotle and Mexican Hot Sauces, 142 mL
The perfect little add-on gift should you splash out on that BBQ or even wrapped up with a book.

• Peppermaster's Jewels of Fire and Ice sampler collection, $60, 16 x 45mL jars, peppermaster.com
There's a taste of almost everything in this box, from super hot fusion fire to flavourful jerk curry. The kit thoughtfully includes “the antidote”, though we suspect his ego won't let him use it! 

• Candeleros Mexican Sauces and Salsas, $6-$7, candeleros.net
Conduct a survey, and you'll find that for most men, Mexican food is a hands-down fave. With this in the pantry -- from roasted tomatillo to a killer habanero sauce -- you can let him get his own half-time snack.

Page 1 of 3 -- Get him an awesome foodie book he'll love; check out more great gift ideas for men on page 2
Essential foodie reading:
OK, so his tummy is full and the kitchen well-stocked, but what about his mind? Serve up some food for thought.

• The Foie Gras Wars, Mark Caro, Simon & Schuster
Because every guy likes a really good food fight!

• Food, Sex, and Salmonella, Dr. David Waltner-Toews, Greystone Books
The premise of this book is "Treating our relationship with food as a series of one-off sensual encounters is like having random sex with a blindfold on: it may be fun, but it is also full of nasty surprises." He'll never look at food the same way again.

• Barbecue Secrets Deluxe!, Rockin' Ronnie Shewchuk, Whitecap books
A barbecue "evangelist", Rockin' Ronnie's wife has called herself, "a barbecue widow". Now you can be too! Don't fret, just think how cool and tidy that kitchen will be from May to September!

• Au Pied Du Couchon, Martin Picard, Douglas & McIntyre
Montreal bad boy chef Picard takes readers into his hedonistic world of duck fat and foie with recipes from his famed restaurant and tales of culinary adventure and excess.

For the man who has everything:
Still stumped? Here are some more ideas to satisfy his foodie's soul.

• Look for men-only cooking classes in your town. He'll have fun, and you just might be the beneficiary!

• Give the beer-lover on your list the chance to brew his own. Most towns and cities have brew-your-own operations for both wine and beer.

• Send him packing... to a game farm, fishing or hunting lodge, or dude ranch, where he'll get in touch with his inner caveman, while neatly leaving you well out of it.

• Or you can both pack your bags and take off for a culinary adventure. Learn to make Pad Thai in, where else? Thailand! Or for something a little closer to home -- hey, you'll be supporting our economy -- and indulge in a weekend getaway in wine country. Some wineries offer visitors the opportunity for some real hands-on work, from vine pruning to grape-picking, and of course, tasting.

View the photo gallery of food gifts for men here.

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