For those who love cookbooks, spring is a happy time as our favorites from the past year receive national recognition (and create a list of must-buy options), and new books flood the market in time for Mother's Day sales.
Last week the James Beard Foundation announced its roster of winners from those published in 2016, and they make this cook want to hit the road (Appalachia and Persian culinary regions), break out the rum, bake a cookie and eat my vegetables (and cheese).
Author Ronni Lundy of Asheville, N.C., won the top prize for both Book of the Year, along with the category of American cooking.
Book of the year: "Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, With Recipes," by Ronni Lundy (Clarkson Potter)
Cookbook hall of fame: Judith Jones (the legendary editor from Alfred Knopf)
American cooking: "Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, With Recipes," by Ronni Lundy (Clarkson Potter)
Baking and dessert: "Dorie's Cookies," by Dorie Greenspan (Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Beverage: "Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki," by Martin Cate with Rebecca Cate (Ten Speed Press)
Cooking from a professional point of view: "Classic Koffmann," by Pierre Koffmann (Jacqui Small)
General cooking: "Eat in My Kitchen: To Cook, to Bake, to Eat, and to Treat," by Meike Peters (Prestel)
Health: "You Have It Made: Delicious, Healthy, Do-Ahead Meals," by Ellie Krieger (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
International: "Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan," by Naomi Duguid (Artisan)
Single subject: "Milk. Made: A Book About Cheese. How to Choose It, Serve It and Eat It," by Nick Haddow (Hardie Grant)
Vegetable cooking: "The Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookbook," by Salma Hage (Phaidon Press)
Nonfiction: "A Square Meal: A Culinary History of the Great Depression," by Jane Ziegelman and Andrew Coe (Harper)
Photography: "Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking," photos by Chris Court; authors Naomi Pomeroy and Jamie Feldmar (Ten Speed Press)
Reference and scholarship: "The Oxford Companion to Cheese," by Catherine Donnelly (Oxford University Press)
From earlier awards
The International Association of Culinary Professionals presented its list of winning cookbooks earlier this year. The occasional overlap of winners with the James Beard Foundation is enticing (you know a book must be good when it lands on both lists), as is its expanded number of categories (even more winners!).
The surprising development for the competition is that one author — Vivian Howard — won four categories, including Cookbook of the Year. Howard, chef/owner of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, N.C., is star of the PBS series "A Chef's Life," in its fourth season.
Cookbook of the year: "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South," by Vivian Howard (Little, Brown and Co.)
American: "Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, With Recipes," by Ronni Lundy (Clarkson Potter)
Baking, savory or sweet: "Bread Illustrated: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Bakery-Quality Results at Home," by the editors at America's Test Kitchen (Penguin Random House)
Chefs and restaurants: "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South," by Vivian Howard (Little, Brown and Co.)
Children, youth and family: "The Young Chef: Recipes and Techniques for Kids Who Love to Cook," by the Culinary Institute of America (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Compilations: "James Beard's All-American Eats: Recipes and Stories From Our Best-Loved Local Restaurants," by the James Beard Foundation (Rizzoli New York)
Culinary travel: "Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan," by Naomi Duguid (Artisan Books)
Julia Child first book: "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South," by Vivian Howard (Little, Brown and Co.)
Food matters (tie): "Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients That Fuel Brainpower, Boost Weight Loss, and Transform Your Health," by Drew Ramsey (Harper Wave); and "Two If By Sea: Delicious Sustainable Seafood," by Barton Seaver (Sterling Epicure)
General: "Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes From My Corner of the South," by Vivian Howard (Little, Brown and Co.)
Health and special diet: "Alternative Baker: Reinventing Dessert With Gluten-Free Grains and Flours," by Alanna Taylor-Tobin (Page Street Publishing)
International: "Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes From an Ancient City," by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill (Clarkson Potter)
Literary or historical food writing: "Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain's Food Culture," by Matt Goulding (Harper Wave)
Reference and technical: "Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food," by Ali Bouzari (Ecco)
Single subject: "The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables From Artichokes to Zucchini," by Cara Mangini (Workman)
Wine, beer and spirits (tie): "How to Drink Like a Billionaire: Mastering Wine With Joie de Vivre," by Mark Oldman (Regan Arts); and "I Taste Red: The Science of Tasting Wine," by Jamie Goode (University of California Press)
Jane Grigson award: "Food City: Four Centuries of Food-Making in New York," by Joy Santlofer (W.W. Norton)
Judge's choice: "Molly on the Range: Recipes and Stories From an Unlikely Life on the Farm," by Molly Yeh (Rodale Books)
People's choice: "The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice, and Masterfully Cook Vegetables From Artichokes to Zucchini," by Cara Mangini (Workman)
Food photography and styling: "Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking," photos by Chris Court; styling by Naomi Pomeroy and Ellen Laing; authors Naomi Pomeroy and Jamie Feldmar (Ten Speed Press)
Cookbook design (tie): "Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos (With Recipes)," by Issac Fitzgerald and Wendy MacNaughton (Bloomsbury); and "Nanban: Japanese Soul Food," designer Charlotte Heal, author Tim Anderson (Clarkson Potter)
More for the bookshelf
IACP also announced its Culinary Classics, cookbooks with a significant history:
• "Authentic Mexican," by Rick Bayless
• "Jewish Cooking in America," by Joan Nathan
• "The Cake Bible," by Rose Levy Beranbaum
• "How America Eats," by Clementine Paddleford
• "Spoonbread and Strawberry Wine," by Norma Jean and Carole Darden
