I miss restaurants. But the good news is that I’ve been cooking more and as a result, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better. There’s still room to grow though, and what better way than with a James Beard Winning cookbook? The winners were recently announced, and for me, this is always a great time of year because it means I get to add a few more cookbooks, and hopefully a ton more recipes, to my collection. Here are the winners!
FOR THE BOOK OF THE YEAR
Josh Niland wants you to eat more fish. But fish can be kinda boring, right? Especially if you’re just baking salmon filets. The Whole Fish explores everything from the sourcing and butchering of fish to dry aging and curing, challenging everything we thought we knew about how fish are caught and prepared. It also features over 60 recipes ranging from The Perfect Fish and Chips to Cod Liver Pate on toast.
FOR THE BEST GENERAL COOKBOOK
Bon Appetit’s Food Director, Carla Lalli Music, delivers intuitive recipes that are inspired for the meals she makes at home for her friends and family. Her guide explores the six essential cooking methods that illustrate how to cook everything without over-complicating anything, to aid you in your journey towards chefdom.
FOR THE BEST AMERICAN COOKBOOK
Exploring its variety and much forgotten history, Tipton-Martin illuminates how African American cooks established much of what’s considered to be our national cuisine. From Sweet Potato Biscuits to Spoon Bread, Jubilee celebrates the rich history of African-American cuisine.
FOR THE BEST SINGLE SUBJECT COOKBOOK
If you haven’t watched Pasta Grannies, I highly recommend it. The book, like the series, is a collection of time-perfected Italian recipes from people who have spent a lifetime of cooking with love, not a living: Italian grandmothers. This cookbook has over 80 recipes, but even more so, tells the stories of these ordinary women cooking extraordinary food.
FOR THE BEST BAKING COOKBOOK
Bread has, of course, become a major talking point of 2020, but why not learn from the master. Daniel Leader is a towering figure in bread baking, and in Living Bread he offers a holistic picture of the process: from wheat farming practices to sourdough starters. Leader tops it all off with exciting bread recipes that will fill your home with that irresistible aroma.
FOR THE BEST VEGETABLE FOCUSED COOKBOOK
Should you be eating more veggies? Yes. But realistically, incorporating more and more of them into a healthy diet can be tricky. Amy Chaplin encourages readers to seek out local and organic ingredients with her easy-to-learn, very adaptable recipes that she believes are the keys to eating healthier, and feeling better.
FOR THE BEST COCKTAIL BOOK
From the award winning NoMad bar with locations in New York, LA, and Las Vegas, this revised, standalone book has more than 300 cocktail recipes. Organized by type of beverage, this guide shows secrets from bar director Leo Robistchek’s award winning cocktail program.
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