James Beard Nominees 2019

If The Piglet is the appetizer to cookbook awards season, the James Beard Foundation Cookbook Awards nominee list is a hearty main course,  which was just served this morning. As I perused the list (thanks to Jenny for assembling this during the live tweeting this morning), it looked like the JBF’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity is more than just lip service. More cookbooks than ever from persons of color and women are represented. 

On to the nominees – it will be difficult to choose winners as the competition is fierce. This is a testament to what a phenomenal year 2018 was for cookbooks. Heavyweights Dorie Greenspan, Yotam Ottolenghi and Christopher Kimball are duking it out in the General category, and I am thankful that I don’t have to choose just one out of that amazing group. 

Other perennial favorite authors nominated include Anissa Helou, Cal Peternell, and Peter Gilmore. Let’s not forget the relative newcomers that have wowed us with their debut cookbooks, like Nik Sharma and Nicole Ponseca. In addition to the well-matched General category, other competitions to watch include Baking, International, and Photography.

Below you’ll find a list of nominees for which Jenny has done a review (plus a couple of giveaways). You can find the full slate of nominees on our James Beard Award 2019 page. 

• A Common Table: 80 Recipes and Stories from My Shared Cultures by Cynthia Chen McTernan (review and giveaway)
• Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing by Jerrelle Guy ( review)
• Pie Squared: Irresistibly Easy Sweet & Savory Slab Pies by Cathy Barrow (review)
• SUQAR: Desserts & Sweets from the Modern Middle East by Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf (review)
• Cocktail Codex by Alex Day, Nick Fauchald, and David Kaplan (review and giveaway)
• Everyday Dorie by Dorie Greenspan (review)
• More with Less by Jodi Moreno (review)
• Tokyo New Wave by Andrea Fazzari (review)
• Rich Table by Evan Rich and Sarah Rich (review)
• Bread & Butter: History, Culture, Recipes by Richard Snapes, Grant Harrington, and Eve Hemingway (review)
• Vegetarian Viet Nam by Cameron Stauch (review)