A hearty congratulations to the Minnesota winners of the James Beard Cookbook Awards, held last week. Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley (who writes the Seasonal Kitchen column for Taste) won the highest honor for their book "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen" (University of Minnesota Press). Read more about the book at strib.mn/2wBp5GE
Minnesota's 'Sioux Chef' named one of the country's best cookbooks at James Beard awards
The award season is upon us, a glorious time for both cooks and those who read cookbooks like novels. This year, two local books are honored.
Check out the 2018 list of James Beard award-winning books:
American: "The Sioux Chef's Indigenous Kitchen," by Sean Sherman with Beth Dooley (University of Minnesota Press).
Baking and desserts: "BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts," by Stella Parks (W.W. Norton & Co.).
Beverage: "Meehan's Bartender Manual," by Jim Meehan (Ten Speed Press).
General: "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," by Samin Nosrat (Simon and Schuster).
Health and special diets: "Deepa's Secrets," by Deepa Thomas (Skyhorse).
International: "Nopalito," by Gonzalo Guzman and Stacy Adimando (Ten Speed Press).
Photography: "Cook Beautiful," by Johnny Miller (Abrams).
Reference: "Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region," by Peter Liem (Ten Speed Press).
Restaurant and professional: "Modernist Bread," by Nathan Myhrvold and Francisco Migoya (The Cooking Lab).
Single subject: "The Pho Cookbook," by Andrea Nguyen (Ten Speed Press).
Vegetable-focused cooking: "Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables," by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg (Artisan Books).
Writing: "The Cooking Gene," by Michael W. Twitty (Amistad).
Book of the year: "The Cooking Gene," by Michael W. Twitty (Amistad).
Cookbook Hall of Fame: Betty Fussell, for her body of work, which includes "The Story of Corn."
International Association of Culinary Professionals
Earlier this spring, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) announced its list of award-winning cookbooks. The result was a dust-up when its Cookbook of the Year designation ("Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables," by Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg, which also was the winner in the General category) was criticized — and later replaced — because Holmberg was executive director of the organization. The revised winners for both categories are included below. "Six Seasons" won its own validation with its Beard award in the category of "Vegetable-focused cooking."
IACP recognized Minnesota's Lynne Rossetto Kasper of St. Paul for her "The Splendid Table," naming it a Culinary Classic Cookbook. Her volume inspired the national radio show of the same name, which she hosted until last year. Find out more about the book at strib.mn/2njxyd3.
American: "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking," by Samin Nosrat (Simon & Schuster).
Baking: "Candy Is Magic: Real Ingredients, Modern Recipes," by Jami Curl (Ten Speed Press).
Chefs and restaurants: "Cheers to the Publican, Repast and Present: Recipes and Ramblings From an American Beer Hall," by Paul Kahan with Rachel Holtzman (Lorena Jones Books).
Children, youth and family: "Baking Class: 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake!" by Deanna F. Cook (Storey Publishing).
Compilations: "The Blue Apron Cookbook: 165 Essential Recipes and Lessons for a Lifetime of Home Cooking," by Blue Apron Culinary Team (Harper Wave).
Culinary travel: "Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar," by Michael Harlan Turkell (Abrams).
The IACP Julia Child first book award: "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking," by Samin Nosrat (Simon & Schuster).
Food matters: "Scraps, Wilt & Weeds: Turning Wasted Food Into Plenty," by Mads Refslund; Tama Matsuoka Wong (Grand Central Life & Style).
Food photography and Styling: "Simple Fare: Spring and Summer" and Simple Fare: Fall and Winter," by Karen Mordechai (Abrams).
General: "Dinner: Changing the Game," by Melissa Clark (Clarkson Potter).
Health and special diet: "The Book of Greens: A Cook's Compendium of 40 Varieties, From Arugula to Watercress, With More Than 175 Recipes," by Jenn Louis and Kathleen Squires (Ten Speed Press).
International: "King Solomon's Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking From Around the World," by Joan Nathan (Alfred A. Knopf).
Literary food writing: "Unforgettable: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert's Renegade Life," by Emily Kaiser Thelin (Grand Central Life & Style).
Reference and technical: "Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums That Forever Changed Flavor," by Maricel E. Presilla (Lorena Jones Books).
Single subject: "Hello, My Name Is Ice Cream: The Art and Science of the Scoop," by Dana Cree (Clarkson Potter).
Wine, beer and spirits: "Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region," by Peter Liem (Ten Speed Press).
Design award: "F*ck, That's Delicious: An Annotated Guide to Eating Well," by Action Bronson and Rachel Wharton (Abrams).
Jane Grigson award: "Modernist Bread," by Nathan Myhrvold and Francisco Migoya (The Cooking Lab).
People's choice award: "American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery From Sea to Shining Sea," by Barton Seaver (Sterling Epicure).
Cookbook of the year: "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking," by Samin Nosrat (Simon & Schuster).
Culinary Classics
The Culinary Classics Awards honor works that have significantly altered the way we think about food and contributed to the field of culinary literature.
"Bistro Cooking," by Patricia Wells (Workman Publishing Co., 1988).
"The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth," by Roy Andries DeGroot (Bobbs-Merrill, 1973).
"The Dooky Chase Cookbook," by Leah Chase (Workman Publishing Co., 1990).
"The Key to Chinese Cooking," by Irene Kuo (Knopf, 1977).
"The Splendid Table: Recipes From Emilia-Romagna, the Heartland of Northern Italian Food," by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (William Morrow Cookbooks, 1992).
Lee Svitak Dean • @StribTaste
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.