James Beard Awards celebrates 25th anniversary with announcement of 2015 cookbook winners

The 2015 James Beard Awards for Best Cookbooks were presented on April 24. The James Beard Foundation’s mission is “to celebrate, nurture and honor America’s diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire.” On its website, the Foundation says:

Food matters. You are what you eat not only because food is nutrition, but also because food is an integral part of our everyday lives. Food is economics, politics, entertainment, culture, fashion, family, passion...and nourishment. The James Beard Foundation is at the
center of America's culinary community, dedicated to exploring the way food enriches our lives.

And the Awards went to:

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2015 Cookbook of the Year

Yucatán: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition by David Sterling

David Sterling was a chef in New York City for 25 years before moving to Mérida in 2003 to open Los Dos. According to his website, Sterling “spends his hours there researching, experimenting and preparing wholly traditional cocina Yucateca.” He is also the founder and chef of Los Dos cooking school.

Cookbook Hall of Fame

Barbara Kafka was inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame.

Recognized for lifetime achievement, Kafka is the author of The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food Without Gluten & Lactose; Vegetable Love; Roasting: A Simple Art (and a staple in my own kitchen); Soup: A Way of Life and The New York Times bestseller, Microwave Gourmet.

Other winners include:

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American Cooking

Heritage by Sean Brock

Baking and Dessert

Flavor Flours: A New Way to Bake with Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-Wheat Flours by Alice Medrich.

Beverage

Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold

Cooking from a Professional Point of View

Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes byNicolaus Balla and Cortney Burns

Focus on Health

Cooking Light Made Delicious – The Science of Making Healthy Food Taste Amazing by Keith Schroeder

General Cooking

The Kitchen Cookbook: Recipes, Kitchens & Tips to Inspire Your Cooking by Faith Durand and Sara Kate Gillingham

International

Yucatán: Recipes from a Culinary Expedition by David Sterling

Photography

In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World by Gabriele Galimberti

Reference and Scholarship

Butchering Poultry, Rabbit, Lamb, Goat, and Pork: The Comprehensive Photographic Guide to Humane Slaughtering and Butchering by Adam Danforth

Single Subject

Bitter: A Taste of the World's Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes by Jennifer McLagan

Vegetable Focused and Vegetarian

At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen: Celebrating the Art of Eating Well by Amy Chaplin

Writing and Literature

The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food by Dan Barber