A vegetable cookbook penned by a chef described as “the vegetable whisperer” has won the title of Cookbook of the Year.
Winners of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards were announced over the weekend, honoring the best in English-language food writing, food journalism, digital media and cookbooks published in 2017.
For his cookbook “Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables,” chef Joshua McFadden of Ava Gene’s trattoria in Portland, Oregon, took top honors, all the more impressive given that the title is his first cookbook.
Spanning six seasons — spring, early summer, mid-summer, late summer, fall and winter — each chapter starts by working with vegetables in their early, raw form. As the weeks progress, McFadden turns up the heat, showing readers how to grill, steam, sauté, pan roast, braise and stew the seasonal ingredients.
All told, the book features 225 recipes like braised eggplant and lamb with yogurt and spiced green sauce; kale and mushroom lasagna; and corn and tomato salad with torn croutons.
For fans of strong, engaging food and travel writing, you might want to earmark some time to read Bianca Bosker’s Tokyo-based story “Why Should a Melon Cost as Much as a Car?” published in Roads & Kingdom, which was named best culinary travel writing.
Looking to be enlightened and moved, or to add more cookbooks to your collection? Here are a few of the standout winners from the 2018 edition of the IACP awards:
Narrative Beverage Writing with or Without Recipes
Sam Riches
“The Story of Heady Topper, America’s Obsession-Driving Double IPA”
Foodandwine.com
March 1, 2017
Culinary Travel Writing
Bianca Bosker
“Why Should a Melon Cost As Much as a Car?”
Roads & Kingdoms
March 27, 2017
Personal Essays/Memoir Writing
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“The Laws of Return”
SAVEUR
August/September 2017
Publication of the Year (Circulation of 300,000 or Less)
The Coastal Table
Karen J. Covey
Publication of the Year (Circulation of 300,000 or More)
The Washington Post Food
Joe Yonan; Bonnie S. Benwick and Matt Brooks
Digital Media Awards
Best Corporate Food Instagram Account
Healthyish
@healthy_ish
Best Personal Food Instagram Account
David Hagerman
@davehagerman
Culinary Website Serious Eats
Ed Levine
Group Blog
A Tie Between
Epicurious
Eric Gillin; David Tamarkin and the Editors of Epicurious
New Worlder
Marie Elena Martinez; Nicholas Gill
Individual Blog Food
Nouveau
Marie Asselin
Podcast or Radio Show
Gimlet Creative & Blue Apron
Why We Eat What We Eat
Cookbook Awards
American
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Author: Samin Nosrat
Editor: Emily Graff
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Baking
Candy Is Magic: Real Ingredients, Modern Recipes
Author: Jami Curl
Editor: Jenny Wapner
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Chefs & Restaurants
Cheers to the Publican, Repast and Present: Recipes and Ramblings from an American Beer Hall
Author: Paul Kahan with Rachel Holtzman
Editor: Lorena Jones
Publisher: Lorena Jones Books
Culinary Travel
Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar
Author: Michael Harlan Turkell
Editor: Michael Sand
Publisher: Abrams
The IACP Julia Child First Book Award, Presented by The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
Author: Samin Nosrat
Editor: Emily Graff
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
International
King Solomon’s Table: A Culinary Exploration of Jewish Cooking from Around the World
Author: Joan Nathan
Editor: Lexy Bloom
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Wine, Beer & Spirits, Presented by Kendall-Jackson
Champagne: The Essential Guide to the Wines, Producers, and Terroirs of the Iconic Region
Author: Peter Liem
Editor: Kelly Snowden
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Cookbook of the Year, Presented by Cuisinart
Six Seasons: A New Way with Vegetables
Author: Joshua McFadden with Martha Holmberg
Editor: Ann Bramson
Publisher: Artisan Books
JB
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