Cookbooks are great gifts for the foodie in your life

Publishers release dozens of cookbooks this time of year. Here are a few that are gift-worthy.

• "The Foothills Cuisine of Blackberry Farm" by Sam Beall (Clarkson Potter, $60) has seasonal recipes that are served at the resort in the Smoky Mountains in Walland, Tenn. Blackberry Farm's farm-to-table food features homegrown ingredients and artisanal products such as cheese, preserves and cured meats made on the farm.

• "Southern Living Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook" (Oxmoor House, $14.95) is the choice for the novice cook on your list. It includes dozens of recipes for turning a cooked rotisserie chicken from the deli into wholesome family meals.

• "The Science of Good Cooking" (America's Test Kitchen, $40) by the folks behind Cook's Illustrated magazine doesn't just offer "400 recipes engineered for perfection," it also covers 50 basic concepts explaining why the recipes work. Useful sidebars showcase tips and techniques — use a skillet, not a wok to stir-fry — and charts that check your measurements (a cup of all-purpose flour should weigh 5 ounces) make it a handy reference guide.

• "Muy Bueno: Three Generations of Authentic Mexican Flavor" (Hippocrene Books, $22.50), by Yvette Marquez-Sharpnack, Veronica Gonzalez-Smith and Evangelina Soza, preserves recipes spanning old world Mexican dishes like pork tamales to fusion creations like scallop and cucumber cocktail. Charming family stories are combined with richly colorful photos to make this a delightful invitation to cooking.