Gastro Obscura’s favorite cookbook stories of 2023

January 14, 2024 by
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Good cookbooks have well-tested recipes that work. Great cookbooks also tell stories about the food, either personal stories about love, grief, triumph, and despair, or broader stories about the culture and people where the recipe originates. The editors at Gastro Obscura agree, and they regularly feature vignettes about cookbooks - both recent releases and historical volumes. They selected eight of… read more

The best books of 2023 by the experts

December 22, 2023 by
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Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts. They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers. When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, please think about supporting… read more

2023 Taste Canada Award winners

October 31, 2023 by
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The Taste Canada Awards were announced last evening at a soiree held at the historic Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto. The Awards are presented to outstanding Canadian cookbooks in both English and French languages. This is the biggest night of the year for Canadian cookbook authors. Unlike other cookbook awards, Taste Canada presents both gold and silver awards in… read more

2024 James Beard Book Awards Call for Entries are Now Open!

October 3, 2023 by
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The James Beard Foundation® announced today that the entry and recommendation period for the 2024 James Beard Awards® is officially open until November 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2024 Awards ceremonies will be held in Chicago on the following dates:● Media Awards: Saturday, June 8, 2024● Leadership Awards: Sunday, June 9, 2024● Restaurant and Chef Awards: Monday, June 10,… read more

IACP Cookbook Award winners

September 29, 2023 by
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The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the winners of its 2023 Cookbook Awards (along with other food media and writing awards) this evening at its 2023 Summit held in rain-soaked Brooklyn, NY. In addition to this year's winners, the IACP inducted three cookbooks into its Culinary Classics, which is a like a Hall of Fame for cookbooks. IACP also… read more

2024 Cookbook Preview

September 18, 2023 by
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Every September (this year I'm running a little behind!), I begin cataloging the following year’s cookbook releases. I do this for several reasons: 1) so our members know what is waiting down the pipeline and 2) it makes the monthly new cookbook reviews a little easier for me as I keep the original post updated when changes occur. As I… read more

Guild of Food Writers announces 2023 winners

September 6, 2023 by
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The Guild of Food Writers announced the winners of its prestigious awards at a banquet this evening at the Royal Institution’s world-famous theater. The Guild awards recognize emerging talent as well as the best-known food writers and broadcasters in the UK. The 16 categories range from books and podcasts to recipe and restaurant writing. There was a new category this… read more

Taste Canada releases shortlist for 2023 awards

August 19, 2023 by
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Now in its 26th year, Taste Canada Awards / Les Lauréats des Saveurs du Canada has announced its shortlist of cookbooks vying for a coveted culinary writing award. Seventy-six cookbooks entered the competition, written by authors from across Canada. The shortlist narrowed the competition to 41 entries, featuring authors from six provinces. The winners will be announced at the Taste… read more

Debunking the myth of a ‘national’ dish

August 12, 2023 by
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Occasionally we post an article about the (often dubious) origin stories that go hand-in-hand with a particular region or country. One example is the story of pavlova, in which two countries - Australia and New Zealand - both claim ownership of the dish. James Beard award winner Anya von Bremzen looks at origin stories like this in her latest book, National… read more

IACP 2023 Award Finalists

August 9, 2023 by
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The nominees for the 2023 IACP Cookbook and Media Awards prove that there remain deep reservoirs of culinary knowledge, cultural heritage, and cooking, baking, and drinks techniques to explore. The books cover wide-ranging subject matter and cultures and the nominees in the American category showcase the diversity of flavors found in this country: Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim… read more

Books that celebrate bean cuisine

July 22, 2023 by
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When I converted to a vegetarian diet many years ago, there were not many options on restaurant menus or in cookbooks. I remember getting a cookbook focused on beans that had recipes for varieties of beans I had never even heard of before. Unfortunately, none of those recipes were good - there were precious few seasonings called for, the timing… read more

Have your cake and read it too

July 18, 2023 by
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Even though I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, I must admit that they can be just the thing to throw in your bag when you head to the beach or other vacation destination where you will have plenty of relaxation time. They are fast paced, the best ones have some unexpected twists and turns, but everything always turns… read more

James Beard Cookbook Award winners

June 3, 2023 by
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The winners of the James Beard Media Awards were announced this evening at a gala celebration in Chicago. Chef, television star, and cookbook author Pati Jinich served as emcee for the event, and announced the first couple of winners. Gregory Gourdet, who won several awards last year, also presented awards for several categories including the General cookbook category where a… read more

James Beard Foundation 2023 Media Award Nominees

April 26, 2023 by
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The James Beard Foundation has announced the nominees for its 2023 Media Awards, which includes cookbooks. JBF again made changes to the categories including a separate category for Bread.  “As the culinary world continues to evolve, it is essential that we celebrate and uplift diverse voices and perspectives,” said Erica Skolnik, Chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards program. “With… read more

Fortnum & Mason shortlist announced

April 12, 2023 by
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Fortnum & Mason has long been a resource for English cookery, providing quality ingredients to generations of cooks since its founding in 1707. The company’s annual food and drink awards celebrate the best publications and broadcasts in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Yesterday, Fortnum & Mason announced the nominees for its 2023 Food and Drink Awards. The shortlist "acknowledges illuminating… read more

The best selling books of 2022

January 27, 2023 by
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Last month our friends at cookbook stores around the world gave us their picks for their favorite books of 2022 which we then included in our Best of the Best of 2022. Now we asked them for their top sellers of 2022 (published any year). It would be interesting to compare these charts to non-specialist store/online retailer book sales but it is very… read more

Best sleeper books of 2022

January 5, 2023 by
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Last year was a tremendous year for cookbooks so there are a lot of books to be excited about. Between Jenny's monthly new cookbook reviews, our Best Cookbooks by the Experts, Best of the Best cookbooks, and the forthcoming bestselling books of 2022, we pretty much have our Members covered for the top books. As with anything, however, sometimes there… read more

Best of the best 2022

December 30, 2022 by
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Despite the continued stresses of the worldwide pandemic, there has been no shortage of wonderful new cookbooks this year. And no shortage of best food and drink book lists celebrating the cream of the crop. We have assembled 332 lists from around the world to create our 14th annual Best of the Best. For years, each time Ottolenghi published a… read more

Best cookbooks of 2022 by the experts

December 24, 2022 by
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Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts. They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers. When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, please think about supporting… read more

Claudia Fleming’s new role is a homecoming

November 1, 2022 by
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Celebrated pastry chef Claudia Fleming wrote one of the most treasured dessert books ever, The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern. The 2001 volume was so revered that used copies were selling for hundreds of dollars before the book was reissued in 2019. The Washington Post's Daniela Galarza recently interviewed Fleming, focusing on her newly released book, Delectable: Sweet… read more

Observer Food Monthly 2022 Award winners

October 14, 2022 by
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Cookbook cover image for Nistisima by Georgina Hayden
At a gala event on October 13, Observer Food Monthly magazine announced the winners of its 2022 awards. The bulk of the honors were given to restaurants and bars, but cookbooks and food writers were also fêted at the event. Awards of interest to our Members include: The Observer Food Monthly icon award - Delia SmithBest new cookbook - Nistisima: The Secret… read more

2023 Cookbook Preview Listing

August 30, 2022 by
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Right before each September, I begin cataloging the following year’s cookbook releases. I do this for several reasons: 1) so our members know what is waiting down the pipeline and 2) it makes the monthly new cookbook reviews a little easier for me as I keep the original post updated when changes occur. This year I have organized the monthly… read more

‘Meal Prep King’ author loses publisher after online rant

August 16, 2022 by
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Penguin UK recently dropped John Clark, the self-proclaimed 'Meal Prep King', from its roster following the author's misogynistic rants during a live stream on Twitter. Clark rose to fame with his partner Charlotte Deniz, after they began sharing their diet and meal prep planning on TikTok and Instagram. The duo amassed over 1.5 million followers on TikTok and about 400,000… read more

Fall/autumn preview: Part II – Non-baking titles

August 2, 2022 by
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Last month, I shared Part I of my fall/autumn preview which highlighted baking cookbooks. I recently updated that post to include a few books which have come in. Here in Part II I will tell you a bit about the non-baking books that I’ve been fortunate to review either by galley, pdf or copy of the book and as these… read more

IACP 2022 Cookbook Award Nominees

July 29, 2022 by
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cropped images of six cookbook covers: Zoe Bakes Cakes by Zoe Francois, Ripe Figs by Yasmin Khan, Pasta by Missy Robbins, Black Smoke by Adrian Miller, Flavors of the Sun by Christine Sahadi Whelan, and Treasures of the Mexican Table by Pati Jinich
Each year when I see the lists of nominees for the various cookbook awards I am always impressed that authors are able to keep innovating and achieving great heights in writing, research, and recipe development. The nominees for the 2022 IACP Cookbook and Media Awards prove that there remain deep reservoirs of culinary knowledge, cultural heritage, and cooking, baking, and… read more
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