The ‘Oscars' of the food journalism in the US world have been handed out and Saveur magazine, Modernist Cuisine and Los Angeles Magazine emerged as the big winners this year.
At the James Beard Foundation Awards in New York, Saveur magazine beat out rivals Bon Appétit and Gilt Taste in the category of Food Coverage in a Food-Focused Publication, while Los Angeles Magazine bested The Christian Science Monitor and New York Magazine for articles like "Chinese Food in LA," "Breakfast in LA," and "Food Lovers Guide."
Former Microsoft chief technology officer-turned-cookbook author Nathan Myhrvold's 2,438-page six-volume culinary encyclopedia Modernist Cuisine was named the winner in the category of Cooking From a Professional Point of View and was likewise named the Cookbook of the Year, adding to a string of existing accolades garnered since its publication last year.
Gabrielle Hamilton, chef-owner of New York eatery Prune, was given the Writing and Literature award for her much vaunted book Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef, while Michael Ruhlman's Ruhlman's Twenty, which tries to distill the mastery of cooking into a set of 20 techniques, won for General Cooking.
And former New York Times food editor Amanda Hesser's site Food52, which she runs with Merrill Stubbs was also named Publication of the Year, along with Darra Goldstein's Gastronomica.
Earlier this year, the International Association of Culinary Professionals named Aussie chef Christine Manfield's Tasting India Cookbook of the Year.
The restaurant and chef winners of the James Beard Foundation Awards, meanwhile, will be announced May 7.
