james beard wrap-up

Earlier this week, The James Beard Foundation bestowed its highest honors on a variety of food industry professionals. From the JBF website itself, the awards are described as "the Oscars of the food world," and are "the country’s most coveted honor for chefs; food and beverage professionals; broadcast media, journalists, and authors working on food; and restaurant architects and designers."

I, for one, am especially interested in learning more about the Journalism award recipients, and look forward to adding some of these people to my reader. One name I did recognize was LA Weekly's food critic, Jonathan Gold who won the Distinguished Writing award! His restaurant reviews no longer apply to me since I moved back to Boston, but I've been listening to him for years as a featured guest on KCRW's Good Food, hosted by another one of my favorite food people, Evan Kleiman.

Here is the full list of JBF winners. Have you eaten at any of these restaurants, cooked from any of these books, or otherwise experienced the work of any of the following culinary winners?

NATIONAL CHEF AWARDS

Best new restaurant: ABC Kitchen in New York, Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Outstanding chef: Jose Andres, Minibar by Jose Andres in Washington, D.C.
Outstanding pastry chef: Angela Pinkerton, Eleven Madison Park in New York
Outstanding restaurant: Eleven Madison Park in New York, Owner: Danny Meyer
Outstanding service: Per Se in New York, Chef/Owner: Thomas Keller
Rising star chef of the year: Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon in Portland, Ore.

COOKBOOKS

Cookbook Hall of Fame: "On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee
Baking and dessert: "Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours" by Kim Boyce
Beverage: "Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World's Top Wine Professionals" by Jordan Mackay and Rajat Parr
General cooking: "The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century" by Amanda Hesser
Healthy Focus: "The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook" by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen
Reference and scholarship: "Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes" by Mark Bitterman
Single subject: "Meat: A Kitchen Education" by James Peterson
Writing and literature: "Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food" by Paul Greenberg

BROADCAST MEDIA

Audio webcast or radio show: CBC Ideas: "Pasta: The Long and Short of It"
TV food personality/host: Alton Brown
TV program (in studio or fixed location): "Top Chef: Season 7"
TV program (on location): "Avec Eric" (Host — Eric Ripert)
TV special/documentary: "Milk War"

JOURNALISM

Publication of the Year Award: Edible Communities
Cooking, recipes or instruction: Amy Thielen, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "A Good Catch," "Low-Tech Wonder," "From the Bean Patch: Plenty"
Food culture and travel: Rick Bragg, Francine Maroukian and Robb Walsh, Garden & Gun: "The Southerner's Guide to Oysters"
Food-related columns and commentary: Tim Carman, Washington City Paper: "Ignore the Pizza Police," "Supply and Da Men," "Schmeer Campaign"
Food section of a general interest publication: San Francisco Chronicle
Group food blog: Grub Street New York
Health and nutrition: Rachael Moeller Gorman, EatingWell: "Captain of the Happier Meal"
Individual food blog: Politics of the Plate, Politicsoftheplate.com by Barry Estabrook
M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly: "A Movable Beast"
Multimedia food feature: Michael Gebert and Julia Thiel, The Chicago Reader, Key Ingredient: "Kluwak Kupas," "Chinese Black Beans," "Geraniums"
Personal essay: Tom Junod, Esquire: "My Mom Couldn't Cook"
Wine and spirits: Jon Fine, Food & Wine: "Natural Wine: Weird or Wonderful?"