James Beard finalists named for chefs, cookbooks

The finalists for the James Beard Foundation awards were announced Monday, and several Minnesotans made the list.

Lenny Russo, chef/owner of Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market in St. Paul, made the roster of five for Best Chef: Midwest. It's the third consecutive year for Russo as a finalist. The award is one of 10 that honor regional chefs.

Russo will be competing against Colby Garrelts of Bluestem in Kansas City, Justin Aprahamian of Sanford in Milwaukee, Tory Miller of L'Etoile in Madison, Wis., and Gerald Craft of Niche in St. Louis. A Minnesota chef has won the competition for the past three years: Tim McKee of La Belle Vie (2009), Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma (2010) and Isaac Becker of 112 Eatery (2011).

In other award categories, Andrew Zimmern, TV host of "Bizarre Foods," is a finalist in the on-location television category.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift, host and producer, respectively, of American Public Media's "The Splendid Table," were finalists for their book "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends."

The winners will be announced May 4 (for books and TV) and May 7 (chefs). For more on the winners, see startribune.com/tabletalk or www.jamesbeard.org.

For many cooks, the finalists in the 11 cookbook categories are as important as any chef designations.

• "A New Turn in the South: Southern Flavors Reinvented for Your Kitchen," by Hugh Acheson.

• "American Flavor," by Andrew Carmellini and Gwen Hyman.

• "Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes From an Uncommon Life in the Country," by Suvir Saran with Raquel Pelzel and Charlie Burd.

International Cooking

• "The Country Cooking of Italy," by Colman Andrews.

• "The Food of Spain," by Claudia Roden.

Baking and Dessert

• "Baking Style: Art, Craft, Recipes" by Lisa Yockelson.

• "Cooking With Chocolate: Essential Recipes and Techniques," by Frederic Bau.

• "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home," by Jeni Britton Bauer.

• "An Ideal Wine: One Generation's Pursuit of Perfection -- and Profit -- in California," by David Darlington.

• "Bitters: A Spirited History of a Classic Cure-All, With Cocktails, Recipes & Formulas," by Brad Thomas Parsons.

• "The Oxford Companion to Beer," edited by Garrett Oliver.

Cooking From a Professional Point of View

• "The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts," by Jennifer May, Frédéric Morin and David McMillan.

• "Modernist Cuisine," by Nathan Myhrvold with Chris Young and Maxime Bilet.

General Cooking

• "My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking," by John Besh.

• "Ruhlman's Twenty," by Michael Ruhlman.

• "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Weekends," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Sally Swift.

• "Comfort Food Fix: Feel-Good Favorites Made Healthy," by Ellie Krieger.

• "The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food Without Gluten & Lactose," by Barbara Kafka.

• "Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes From My Natural Foods Kitchen," by Heidi Swanson.

Reference and Scholarship

• "The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional's Guide to Butchering and Merchandising," by Kari Underly.

• "Turning the Tables: Restaurants and the Rise of the American Middle Class," by Andrew P. Haley.

Single Subject

• "All About Roasting," by Molly Stevens.

• "Odd Bits: How to Cook the Rest of the Animal," by Jennifer McLagan.

• "Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes From London's Ottolenghi," by Yotam Ottolenghi.

• "Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef," by Gabrielle Hamilton.

• "Day of Honey: A Memoir of Food, Love, and War," by Annia Ciezadlo.

• "Extra Virginity," by Tom Mueller.

Photography

• "The Cheesemonger's Kitchen: Celebrating Cheese in 75 Recipes," by Chester Hastings, photography by Joseph De Leo.