Santa's Big Cookbook Bag

The literary tastes of our Chronicle food contributors are as diverse and eclectic as their palates. This year Mick Vann, Kate Thornberry, Wes Marshall, MM Pack, Rachel Feit, Melanie Haupt, Jessi Cape, Margaret Shugart, and Anna Toon helped me sift through an avalanche of new fall cookbooks and literary food writing to come up with some worthy holiday gift suggestions.