Satisfy their hunger with a dollop of good book

Food Network star Rachael Ray has a new cookbook out. So does superchef Thomas Keller. And Ruth Reichl's farewell "Gourmet Today" recipe collection is on the shelves.

But those are obvious choices for shoppers looking to feed the literary hunger of the gourmands on their list.

For quirky and off-the-beaten-path choices, give these titles your consideration. Those receiving them as gifts won't go hungry for culinary inspiration.

For those who love messy stories

•"Cleaving: A Story of Marriage, Meat and Obsession" (Little, Brown, $24.99) Julie Powell's follow-up to her best-selling book "Julie & Julia" (and the resulting movie) is far darker than the previous title as she immerses herself in the art of butchering while her marriage falls apart because of an extramarital affair. Oh, and there are recipes. So much for the joy of cooking.

•Gesine Bullock-Prado was a big-deal Hollywood insider. And she was miserable. She longed to be a baker, so she and her husband packed for Vermont and opened their own bakery. That story and the colorful characters they encountered became "Confections of a Closet Master Baker" (Broadway, $20). With any luck and a mixing bowl of irony, maybe Meryl Streep will play her in the movie.

For young cooks

•Kids love baking. It's messy, it's somewhat dangerous and the results are usually delicious. "Baking Kids Love" by Cindy Mushet (Andrews McMeel, $20) teaches the basics while keeping fun in the mix. We like it because there are lots of big photos of baked goods that look like someone other than an adult actually made them.

•Kids won't care that the recipes for "The Silver Spoon for Children" are from the classic Italian cookbook of the same name (sans the "for children," of course). What they will dig are the graphics by Harriet Russell and instructions by Amanda Grant that will show them how to make delicious spaghetti and lasagna.

For pork lovers

•Just as no wines are exactly the same - a Cabernet grown in France differs greatly from a Cab from California or Chile - one pig does not represent all porkers. Andy Case's "Beautiful Pigs" (St. Martin's Press, $19.99) offers a fascinating field guide to discerning your Neapolitans from your Gloucestershire Old Spots.

For kitschy cooks

•Searching for a documentary of how Americans have eaten during the past six decades? You need only look to the lucrative and prestigious Pillsbury Bake-Off. From Chicken a la Cheese Pie to Baked-In Beefburgers, the contest that started in 1949 has been a mirror of changing American tastes. "Pillsbury's Best of the Bake-Off Collection" (Wiley, $29.95) chronicles 1,000 recipes from the first 10 years of the contest. For lovers of retro recipes and vintage food photos and illustrations, this is an invaluable and deliciously fun read.

For imperfect kitchen magicians

•Residents of the blogosphere have long known the hilarity found on Cake

Wrecks.com, a cavalcade of baking hate crimes perpetrated in the name of celebratory desserts. "Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong" (Andrews McMeel, $12.99) takes creator Jen Yates' flawlessly written meme and advances it in book form. Then again, if you can't make someone laugh about a daffodil-covered sheet cake with the words "Go Die in a Car Fire" in icing, you should probably give up writing.

For those who could use a stiff drink

•Life is full of imperfect moments - especially during the holidays. Kerry Colburn's "Good Drinks for Bad Days" (Sasquatch, $12.95) pairs cocktails to those less-than-stellar moments. Tired from battling holiday traffic? Try a Sloe Driver gin concoction. Did you get back together with an ex out of holiday desperation? A Boomerang is the drink for you. Had a family fight? Then maybe alcohol isn't the best idea.

For yeasty boys (and girls)

•Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois' 2007 book "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" taught bakers that making bread knead not be a chore. (See what we did there?) Now they show how to use fresh nuts, oils and whole wheat in "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day" (Thomas Dunne Books, $29.95). The Bavarian-Style Whole Grain Pumpernickel Bread makes the book a steal on its own.

For beer buffs

•Craft beers are the new black when it comes to beverage cool. For the uninitiated, the insular world can be intimidating enough to keep drinkers from finding more adventurous flavors to quaff. Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune offer a helpful roadmap to discovery in "The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer" (Perigee, $19.95). Of interest is a list of "Beers to Drink Before You Die." Which reminds us, we have pints to go before we sleep.