Cookbook award winners in New England

Last week I attended the 3rd Annual Readable Feast, a celebration of the best of culinary writing in New England. For those not familiar with this area of the USA, it comprises the northeastern states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It was a fun evening, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and applauding the worthy winners listed below. 

In addition to the awards there was a cooking demo by Lydia Shire, who surprisingly has never written a cookbook, despite being the chef/owner of numerous lauded restaurants in Boston. Lydia was awarded the Food Voice Pathfinder Award and Nancy Harmon Jenkins received the Culinary Icon Award for Literary Achievement.

General Cooking
Winner
My Kitchen Chalkboard: Seasonal Menus for Modern New England Families by Leigh Belanger
Honorable Mentions
Myers + Chang at Home: Recipes From the Beloved Boston Eatery by Joanne Chang with Karen Akunowicz
Homegrown: Cooking from My New England Roots by Matt Jennings

Single Subject
Winner
Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy
Honorable Mentions
Drink Progressively: From White to Red, Light- to Full-Bodied, A Bold New Way to Pair Wine with Food by Hadley & TJ Douglas
Secret Sauces: Fresh + Modern Recipes, with Hundreds of Ideas for Elevating Everyday Dishes by Vanessa Seder

Memoir & Food Writing
Winner
The Wine Lover’s Daughter: A Memoir by Anne Fadiman
Honorable Mentions
Fasting & Feasting: The Life of Visionary Food Writer Patience Gray by Adam Federman
Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food by Rachel Herz

Aesthetic Achievement
Winner
Kristen Kish Cooking: Recipes and Techniques by Kristen Kish
Honorable Mentions
The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine by Erin French
American Seafood: Heritage, Culture & Cookery From Sea to Shining Sea by Barton Seaver

Socially Conscious
Winner
Good Apples: Behind Every Bite by Susan Futrell
Honorable Mentions
A Precautionary Tale: How One Small Town Banned Pesticides, Preserved Its Food Heritage, and Inspired a Movement by Philip Ackerman-Leist
Recipes From the Herbalist’s Kitchen: Delicious, Nourishing Food for Lifelong Health and Well-Being by Brittany Wood Nickerson

People’s Choice Award
The Volante Farms Cookbook: A Century of Growing by Ryan Conroy and Todd & Jen Heberlein

Book of the Year
Winner
Homegrown: Cooking from My New England Roots by Matt Jennings
Honorable Mentions
The Wine Lover’s Daughter: A Memoir by Anne Fadiman
The Lost Kitchen: Recipes and a Good Life Found in Freedom, Maine by Erin French