Cookbooks are one of the classic holiday gifts for foodies, but roughly 90 percent of them end up sitting on the shelf, looked at and dusted occasionally but never really used. Maybe they're from a celebrity chef who talks better than he or she writes recipes. Maybe they're so ultra-gourmet that the ingredients are available only at one small grocery store in Greenwich, Conn., that's only open every other Thursday in months ending in Z. Maybe they're written in Sanskrit.

For whatever reason, they're about as useful as Chia pets, only not quite as cute.

This year, I've done your research for you. I've got a shelf of six promising tomes, two from celebrities, one for sports fans, one for anyone who's ever baked anything, one nifty ethnic work and, finally, what's quite possibly the finest seafood cookbook I've ever seen.

Then, after you've read about the books, you'll get dessert.

The Complete 15-Minute Gourmet, Paulette Mitchell's latest offering is the pinnacle of her world-famous 15-Minute Gourmet series. Here, in one handy volume, you'll find her award-winning vegetarian fare along with meat, fish, poultry, pasta and some of the most decadent desserts on the planet. And unlike some supposedly "quick" cookbooks, the recipes in here actually are quick to prepare. You'll find yourself meeting new ingredients, too! While not every recipe will send you scurrying to the gourmet store, when you do go it will be for good reason. Some chefs toss in gourmet ingredients seemingly at random, almost as if they're trying to prove something by making every recipe cost $50. Paulette won't do that to you.

Cooking From The Hip, by Cat Cora, has what may be the most sensible layout for a cookbook I've ever seen. Rather than the usual divisions of appetizers/main dishes/desserts or seafood/poultry/pasta, Cat's recipe chapters are titled Fast, Easy, Fun and Phenomenal. And the recipes in each chapter actually fit the designations. If you cook with kids, you'll find quite a bit in here that they can help with, as well as knockout dishes that will make you look like you're a far better cook than you actually are ... which is what we expect from any cookbook, don't we?

Bakewise: The Hows And Whys Of Successful Baking: In a recent appearance at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, "Good Eats" and "Iron Chef America" host Alton Brown referred to the publication of author Shirley Corriher's latest book as Moses coming down from the mountain with five more commandments. It's been 10 years since the publication of "Cookwise," and this book shows that the wait was well worth it. Even if your idea of baking is opening the Duncan Hines box and mixing in the oil and egg to make brownies, you need this book. Sure, there are fantastic recipes, but even more important is the way Shirley explains, in language anyone can understand, the nuts and bolts of baking, the chemical reactions that make things happen and why certain recipes work while others fail.

If you enjoy the way Alton brings the science on "Good Eats," you'll eat this book up. If you've never seen the show, don't worry, you can buy it just for the recipes and still come out ahead!

Football Food: This is one of those cookbooks that I look at on the shelf and slap myself in the head. Why didn't I think of this? Here, in one handy book, is a treasure trove of recipes for everything from breakfast before the game to dessert after (win or lose) that will take your food game to a whole new level. Kellie Lawless and Maili Brocke (yes, guys, two women wrote the book you'll be buying to learn your game food) are rabid football fans with an encyclopedic knowledge of the game who just happen to also be fantastic cooks. Even the way the book is put together is game-friendly: Rather than being some wide, hardcover, insanely expensive book that you'll be scared to take out tailgating, this is a softcover, slim volume that will slide into an apron pocket or the back pocket of your jeans with ease.

For those of you with little to no knowledge of the game, there's even a chapter that will give you a brief but detailed introduction about the game that will at least allow you to know why everyone is shouting at various times. Drinks are covered, too, with all the classic game-time cocktails along with a few that you've likely never seen before. There are even whole menus pre-set if you'd just like to let the ladies do the planning for you.

Slovak American Touches: Every time I do one of these cookbook review columns, I try to bring you one "small" cookbook that you'd likely never have found if not for my tireless research. This year's selection is a combination cookbook and history reference that will give you a great storehouse of rock-solid ethnic Slovak recipes that will wake up any menu. These are accessible, largely easy-to-prepare dishes that specialize in rich flavors and textures that will please any palate. You've got to love any cuisine that features things like Dumplings with Bacon and Roast Goose with Pork Sausage Dressing. Bring your appetite and buy the book!

Ralph Brennan's New Orleans Seafood Cookbook: And now we arrive at the Cadillac of the collection, a book that will look as good on your coffee table as its recipes will taste in your mouth. New Orleans has produced some of the greatest seafood cookery in the world for many years, and Brennan's has been one of its standard-bearers. People come from all over the world and make reservations months in advance to eat there, and this book will quickly show you why.

For the seafood neophyte, there are detailed instructions on buying, storing and handling all types of seafood as well as information on pairing wines with the dishes. You'll find substitution information, inside prep tips and everything else you'll need to turn out restaurant-quality dishes from your four-burner kitchen stove. While the dishes come from one of the most high-end, top-shelf seafood kitchens in the world, most of them can be prepared by someone who doesn't know which end of the shrimp is the tail. If you've got any interest in seafood at all, you have to have this book in your collection. If you know someone who loves seafood, they need this book. This is one gift you can guarantee won't gather any dust.

And now, dessert ...

Gifford's Ice Cream may just be the best ice cream on the planet.

Yes, you've read me extolling the considerable virtues of my Texas favorite Blue Bell, and seen me show serious love for Southeast favorite Mayfield, but neither of them have been able to get me to do what Gifford's did: love ice cream with fruit in it.

Let me explain. When it comes to ice cream, I am strictly a no-fruit-added guy. I don't want chunks of frozen peaches, hunks of strawberry, bits of banana or any other identifiable bits of fruity goodness whatsoever. It's primarily a texture thing. When I'm enjoying lovely, creamy ice cream and perhaps crunching the occasional toasted nut or chewing the random bit of chocolate goodies, I don't want some ice-crusted hunk of fruit ruining the show. So imagine my surprise when I opened the tasting box from Gifford's to discover Wild Maine Blueberry, Blue Ribbon Strawberry and Black Raspberry along with the traditional vanilla.

Being a professional, I did my best to put aside my anti-fruit bias and taste objectively. I didn't need to worry. From the first bite of the Wild Maine Blueberry, with the richest ice cream base I've ever tasted, to the fruit itself, which somehow managed to taste sweet and fresh without the whole "lump of icy fruit" effect, I was sold. The other flavors were just as great.

The real test, though, as with any ice cream brand, was the vanilla. For years, the ne plus ultra of vanilla ice creams has been Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla, with a buttery-rich texture and a subtle but unmistakable vanilla flavor that tastes just as good straight as it does adorning a slice of warmed pecan pie. All apologies to the cows in Brenham, Texas, but they've got competition. The vanilla flavor was more pronounced than I'd ever tasted before, with the same amazingly rich mouth feel of the fruit flavors.

Order now and you can top your Thanksgiving pecan pie with high-grade stuff!

Speaking of Thanksgiving, next week we're going to look at my favorite holiday through the eyes of a class full of 3- and 4-year-olds. Be ready to take notes.

Got a question? Comment? Topic you'd like to see covered? Drop me a line, anytime!