Winning With Less
I just got back from the annual conference of the International Association of Culinary Professionals in Denver and am stoked with lots of information, particularly as it relates to sustainability, the theme of this year’s conference. More on that to come.
Part of every conference is the announcement of the cookbook awards. This year went mostly like other years, with one notable exception.
The winner in the general-subject category was a book that was not from a major writer and not from a major publisher, and it was perhaps the least-reviewed or hyped of all the nominated books.
That winner was Do It For Less! Weddings: How to Create Your Dream Wedding Without Breaking the Bank by Denise Vivaldo (Sellers Publishing). In line with its title, the book’s suggested retail is just $19.95. And it’s available for just $14.96 at Amazon.com.
Is it just a coincidence that Do It For Less! was the only nominated book targeted at recession-repressed (or is it “-depressed”?) cooks.
Is it also coincidence that Vivaldo’s was the only memorable acceptance speech of the night, complete with heartfelt wit, near tears, and an expletive for good measure?
For those who care, the overall Cookbook of the Year award went to A16: Food + Wine by Nate Appleman and Shelley Lindgren (Ten Speed Press), which is full of the rustic Southern Italian recipes served at A16, a popular restaurant in San Francisco. The book also won the Julia Child Award for a first book.
The other IACP winners are:
American
Arthur Schwartz’s Jewish Home Cooking: Yiddish Recipes Revisited by Arthur Schwartz
Baking
The Art and Soul of Baking by Sur La Table and Cindy Mushet
Chefs and Restaurants
Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic by Dave Waltuck and Andrew Friedman
Compilations
The Bon Appetit Cookbook: Fast Easy Fresh by Barbara Fairchild
Food Photography and Styling
Chanterelle: The Story and Recipes of a Restaurant Classic by Dave Waltuck and Andrew Friedman
Food Reference and Technical
The Science of Good Food: The Ultimate Reference on How Cooking Works by David Joachim and Andrew Schloss
Health and Special Diet
The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger
International
Beyond the Great Wall: Recipes and Travels in the Other China by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Literary Food Writing
Bottomfeeder: How to Eat Ethically in a World of Vanishing Seafood by Taras Grescoe
Single Subject
Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Jennifer Mclagan
Wine, Beer, or Spirits
Ciderland by James Crowden
