Great Mother's Day Gifts for the Mom Who Loves French Cooking

Books

Cookbooks and novels make ideal gifts. Present your mother with a classic book about French cooking. For 40 years, Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" has taught home chefs traditional techniques. Today it is still the most revered collection of authentic recipes of everything from chocolate mousse to real mayonnaise. Or give her a food-centric travel book such as "Hungry Traveler France" or the literary novel by Peter Mayle, "A Year in Provence."

Accessories

For French food lovers, you can't go wrong with gifting practical table accessories. Buy a decorative cheese board to display all your mother's favorite cheeses. Give her a Provence-inspired tablecloth or pottery with sunflowers, or perhaps buy sleek, stem-less wine glasses.

Pots And Pans

If your mother is inclined towards sweets, present her a Madeleine baking pan, crème brûlée set, or crepe pan. For mothers who love coffee, buy a French Press, and/or decorative coffee or espresso cups. Buy a colorful heavy, cast iron cooking pot such as those made by Le Creuset.

Food And Spices

Prepare a gift basket with a collection of French imported treats like mustard, chocolate, cheese, pate, macaroons, caviar, and marmalade that can be bought from most large grocery stores. Or buy dried herbs including rosemary, lavender, and herbs de Provence. Better yet, give her seeds and rustic pots to grow her own French herb garden.

Movies

DVDs about French food and cooking make fun and memorable gifts. In fact, there are many popular movie titles to choose from including "Chocolat," "Julie and Julia," "Babette's Feast" as well as the animated children's movie, "Ratatouille."

No matter what you choose to give your mother, be sure to wish her "bon appétit" after she opens her gift!