NEW YORK, March 8 — The food literati in the US have bestowed the lofty title of “cookbook of the year” to first-time author chef Vivian Howard, a familiar face among US TV audiences for her award-winning show A Chef's Life.
If you're looking for a new cookbook to add to your collection, take the word of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, which named Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South the best cookbook of 2017 this week.
Based on the foods and recipes of Howard's hometown of Deep Run, North Carolina, the cookbook features classic and modernised flavours of the south like creamed collard-stuffed potatoes, fried yams with five-spice maple bacon candy, and tempura-fried okra.
Cheese grits are flavoured with pimento cheese, salsa and pork rinds, and barbecue chicken sweetened with blueberries.
Recipes also include dishes served at her restaurant Chef & Farmer in North Carolina.
In her own words, Howard describes the cookery title as “part story, part history, part recipes.”
“This is a storybook as much as it is a cookbook, where the ingredients are characters that shape my life,” she wrote.
The awards, now in their 39th year, were presented in Louisville, Kentucky recently, and honoured the best in digital media, food photography and styling and food writing.
Over in digital media, the long-running recipe blog Epicurious was named the best culinary group blog, while Lucky Peach, a publishing endeavor spearheaded by Momofuku chef David Chang, was named the best culinary website.
Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City by Katie Parla and Kristina Gill took the title of best international cookery book.
And Chef Jose Andres received the 2017 IACP Lifetime Achievement award that recognizes a culinary professional who has made noteworthy and lasting contributions to the industry and demonstrated a continuing commitment to the culinary arts.
Looking for more good food and gastronomy reads? Here are a few more winners:
Culinary Travel Writing: Kim Cross “The Crossing” Cooking Light November 2016
Food-Focused Column: Francis Lam “From Grandmother's House to Hers; Shamelessly French; Korean Comfort Food;” Casa Calamari The New York Times Magazine April 10, May 8, August 21, December 4, 2016
Publication of the Year: The New York Times “The Breakfast Issue;” “The Restaurant Preview;” “An American Feast”
Food Matters: Eat Complete: The 21 Nutrients That Fuel Brainpower, Boost Weight Loss, and Transform Your Health, Author: Drew Ramsey — AFP-Relaxnews
