The winners of the James Beard Foundation awards were announced on May 2, and Chicago's Alinea took home the honors for the nation's top restaurant. So if you were planning on going there for dinner while in Chicago for BEA, hopefully you've already made your reservations.
Fourteen book awards were handed out, as well. Below, we list the winners and round up PW's coverage of them, from cookbook reviews to interviews with the winning chefs, and more
Book of the Year
Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking
By Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook (HMH/Rux Martin)
We talked with Solomonov in September ahead of his book's publication. The acclaimed chef discussed the why the book spends 50 pages on hummus, and how the death of his brother affected his life and work. Zahav also won the James Beard Award in the International category.
American Cooking
The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook
By Chris Fischer with Catherine Young (Little, Brown)
The Beetlebung Farm Cookbook was also a most-anticipated cookbook of 2015 in our poll of food bloggers.
Baking and Dessert
Sourdough: Recipes for Rustic Fermented Breads, Sweets, Savories, and More
By Sarah Owens (Roost)
Beverage
The Oxford Companion to Wine
By Jancis Robinson and Julia Harding (Oxford Univ.)
Cooking from a Professional Point of View
NOPI: The Cookbook
By Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully (Ten Speed)
When we last spoke with Ottolenghi in 2014, he had this advice for home cooks looking to get more miles out of their vegetables: "Get a nice large sauté pan, a good garlic crush, a sharp knife, a bottle of olive oil, a hot oven and have fun."
Focus on Health
Lighten Up, Y'all: Classic Southern Recipes Made Healthy and Wholesome
By Virginia Willis (Ten Speed)
General Cooking
The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science
By J. Kenji López-Alt (Norton)
López-Alt talked with us about the egalitarian nature of his cookbook, and also spoke with PW Radio about, among other things, how the book was a departure from the work he does on Serious Eats.
Photography
Near & Far: Recipes Inspired by Home and Travel
By Heidi Swanson (Ten Speed)
Reference and Scholarship
The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks
By Toni Tipton-Martin (Univ. of Texas Press)
Single Subject
A Bird in the Hand: Chicken Recipes for Every Day and Every Mood
By Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley)
We spoke with Henry in 2014 ahead of the publication of her previous book, A Change of Appetite, which focused on healthy and nutritious food that also happens to be delicious.
Writing and Literature
Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning)
By Marion Nestle (Oxford Univ.)
Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian
V Is for Vegetables: Inspired Recipes & Techniques for Home Cooks
By Michael Anthony (Little, Brown)
We last spoke with Anthony in 2013 when his previous cookbook, The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook, was published. He discussed how he had to adjust his restaurant recipes to get them to work in a home kitchen, and also all his years as a professional chef don't give him an advantage when it comes to making dinner for the family.
Cookbook Hall of Fame
Deborah Madison
Our reviews of Deborah Madison's books:
Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
The Greens Cookbook: Extraordinary Vegetarian Cuisine from the Celebrated Restaurant
Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen
This Can't Be Tofu!: 75 Recipes to Cook Something You Never Thought You Would—And Love
Every Bite
Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers' Markets
Seasonal Fruit Desserts: From Orchard, Farm, and Market
