Perennially viewed as both a utopian land of abundant resources and a fallen nation of consummate consumers, North America has provided a fertile setting for the development of distinctive foodways reflecting the diverse visions of life in the United States. Immigrants, from colonial English Puritans and Spanish Catholics to mid-twentieth-century European Jews and contemporary Indian Hindus, have generated innovative foodways in creating “new world” religious and ethnic identities. The Shakers, the Oneida Perfectionists, and the Amana Colony, as well as 1970s counter-cultural groups, developed food practices that distinguished communal members from outsiders, but they also marketed their food to nonmembers through festivals, restaurants, and cookbooks. Other groups—from elite male dining clubs in Revolutionary America and female college students in the late 1800s, to members of food co-ops; vegetarian Jews and Buddhists; and “foodies” who watched TV cooking shows—have used food strategically to promote their ideals of gender, social class, nonviolence, environmentalism, or taste in the hope of transforming national or global society.   This theoretically informed, interdisciplinary collection of thirteen essays broadens familiar definitions of utopianism and community to explore the ways Americans have produced, consumed, avoided, and marketed food and food-related products and meanings to further their visionary ideals. These gift books make for presents of mind by Rebecca Oppenheimer   Holiday shopping frenzy got you down? One of these new literary releases may be just the thing for that avid reader on your gift list. Or pick one up for yourself as a reward for your present-hunting tenacity.   A mainstay of cold-weather holidays from Thanksgiving turkey to New Year's champagne is the feast. In "Eating in Eden" (University of Nebraska, $34.95), editors Etta M. Madden and Martha L. Finch have compiled 13 lively, original essays on American culinary culture. This is a trendy subject, but "Eating in Eden" is broader, deeper and more eclectic than other recent volumes. The contributions explore immigrant foodways, ideological struggles within utopian communes, counterculture cookbooks and cooking on public television -- to name only a few topics. History buffs and food enthusiasts will relish these journeys off the beaten path of American cuisine.   "The Frozen Ship" by Sarah Moss (BlueBridge, $24.95) is a perfect choice for armchair adventurers on a winter's night. Moss delves into a topic that has fascinated humanity for centuries: polar exploration. By examining narratives of expeditions from the Vikings to Winnie-the-Pooh, Moss opens a window on the deepest of human desires and fears in the world's coldest places. Moss has a gift for extracting memorable details -- from harrowing accounts of cannibalism and poisonings, to strangely humorous anecdotes such as one about a naval officer more concerned about his dog than his pregnant wife. For those who really want to travel far, there's "Blindsight" by Peter Watts (Tor, $25.95), which takes readers to the edge of the galaxy. In the late-21st century, when the living can visit Heaven and romantic relationships are considered perverse, a delegation sets off for deep space to respond to alien communications. The crew members of the Theseus are not your average earthlings: they include a vampire, a linguist with multiple personalities, and Siri Keeton, the narrator, who's had half his brain replaced by an empathetic computer. Watts combines linguistics and science with fascinating characters in a novel that is challenging, clever and thought-provoking.   Turn to "A Good Day to Die," by Simon Kernick (Minotaur, $24.95), for a thrill ride that's closer to home Ð that is, if your home is the seedier side of London. Disgraced English police officer Dennis Milne is living in the Philippines, killing bad guys for a price. When Milne receives word that his former partner on the force has been murdered, he returns to London to ensure that the killers reach a very bad end. Kernick's gifts for pulse-pounding prose and tough-as-nails characters will please readers who like their novels hard-boiled.   Kelly Braffet's "Last Seen Leaving" (Houghton Mifflin, $23) is also a thriller, of sorts; its terrain is the murky places in human relationships that no amount of light can clear. Anne Cassidy is still tormented by the death of her husband years ago on a covert flying mission. She lives in Arizona, hoping the psychic energy of her environment will help her contact him. Anne's daughter, Miranda, has disappeared. Inspired by George, a mysterious man who gave her a ride, she is living "off the grid" in a seaside town. Anne becomes convinced Miranda is in danger and travels cross-country to find her, as Miranda begins to suspect George is a serial killer. Braffet's brilliance lies in her willingness to avoid easy answers or reassuring conclusions. Unease ling