Food must run in the family as her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado who lives in Vermont in a tavern built in 1793, has written several cookbooks including one of my favs, My Vermont Table: Recipes for All (Six) Seasons and a new one coming out this October titled My Harvest Kitchen featuring over 200 recipes.
Fun facts about the Bullock sisters…their mother Helga Meyer was an opera singer and their maternal grandfather a rocket scientist.
“Throughout these pages, I’m going to (politely) refute the claim that Southern food is all bad for you and hopefully breathe new life into some tired, worn-out notions,” writes Lauren McDuffie in the first pages of her latest cookbook, Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, and Better-for-You Recipes From the South(Gibbs Smith). McDuffie, an advocate of Southern cuisine, wants us all to know the entire truth of this regional way of cookery that many of us dismissively think of as fried and fat.
“Once you make your way through the stereotypes, past the overwrought, done-to-death, attention-seeking heavy hitters, the archives of Southern cookery shine with a special sort of brilliance,” continues McDuffie, noting that she is a home cook who has done the majority of her culinary learning in the South ranging from the foothills of central Appalachia to the sandy, abundant low country coastline.
McDuffie, who lives in Portland, Oregon now, created the award winning food blog: My KItchen Little: Recipes, Ideas, and Inspiration for Busy Home Cooksbut her love of Southern cuisine and her ability to bring it to the fore was also apparent in her first cookbook,Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest: Recipes and Stories Inspired by My Appalachian Home. The same passion is conveyed” in this magnificent cookbook with its luscious photos–McDuffie is also a photographer and her luscious color photos are a perfect accompaniment to the recipes that show us how to enjoy the rich heritage of Southern cuisine without the guilt and calories.
Southern Lights takes us into the world that McDuffie says she loves most– the people, places, things, and flavors that evoke feelings of home.
To accomplish this, McDuffie, an advocate for fresh and healthy, took a hard look at her kitchen pantry and asked herself a series of questions such as why she was using a particular oil or cut of meat in her cooking and what substitutions would work just as well when using her favorite recipes. From there she re-created favorite dishes incorporating different ingredients but yielding the same delicious results.
Her recipe for Frico Chicken in a Buttermilk Bath is a great example. Its origins are that perennial Southern classic—fried chicken brined in buttermilk and then deep fried in lard. A definite winner when it comes to taste. Not so in other respects. So what does McDuffie? She produces a healthier and low caloric alternative that really works.
Calling it a remix and noting that frico translates to fried in Italian, she describes this dish as similar to a simple baked cheese crisp that tops a boneless, skinless, and flattened chicken thighs browned in a minimum of oil. A surprising easy-to-make but sophisticated dish, it offers the crunch and flavor of buttermilk heavily battered chicken with no grease or guilt.
Like pulled pork sandwiches. McDuffie gives us a very creative take by substituting spaghetti squash (yes, you read that correctly) for the pork in her recipe for “Pulled” BBQ Spaghetti Squash Sandwiches.
“This has got to be one of the most unusual sandwiches I’ve ever made, but man is it a hit in my house,” writes McDuffie in the introduction to this dish. “Tangled strands of roasted spaghetti squash mimic the fatty pork in a classic meaty version, making for a lighter, more nutritious way to get your fix.”
The squash mixture is then topped with Halloumi cheese (smoked Gouda or cheddar can be used instead) along with coleslaw and barbecue sauce.
Voila! A low cal, high flavor profile meal and just one of many in McDuffie’s latest cookbook.
Honey-Caramelized Tomato Upside-Down Cornbread
“People get very territorial about their cornbread in the South, a fact that I have always found completely charming,” says McDuffie. “Home cooks are devoted to their recipes and food traditions in a way that serves to sustain them, carrying them across generations. There is so much heart on the table, always. Cooks hold on tight to them, their family recipes, and it’s really the most beautiful thing. This recipe happens to be a favorite version of cornbread in my house. The jammy, juicy-sweet tomatoes suspended on top really do steal this show, and the olive oil makes it pretty special. Feel free to sub a different cooking oil, though, as olive oil ain’t cheap. I highly recommend serving this in thick slices, slathered with lots of Salty Butter–Whipped Honey.”
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Natural nonstick cooking spray
12 ounces cherry or
grape tomatoes
6 tablespoons honey, divided
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, plus
more as needed
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup cake flour
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2⁄3 cup olive oil or canola
or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1⁄4 cups buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the rack to the middle position. Spray an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper, allowing some overhang for easy removal (think of them as handles).
Put the tomatoes, 3 tablespoons of the honey, and a good pinch of salt in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes just burst and are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the cake pan, juices included, and spread in an even layer.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, remaining 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt, cake flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a mixing bowl with ahandheld m ixer, combine the oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of honey, and the eggs. Add half of the dry mixture and mix until combined. Add half of the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with the remaining halves of each and gently pour the batter into the prepared pan over the tomatoes (it shouldn’t be more than three-fourths full).
Bake until lightly golden and set, 35 to 45 minutes (use a knife or toothpick to test the doneness—it should come out clean). Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before inverting the cornbread onto a serving plate, tomatoes facing up now.
Salty Butter-Whipped Honey
Sounds sinful, right? I can assure you that this isn’t nearly as rich as it sounds. This drippy, sticky-sweet thing is my lighter take on a simple honey butter where, instead of infusing a lot of butter with a little honey, we’re going to infuse a lot of honey with a little butter. Just be sure to use a good-quality raw honey.
Makes about 1 cup
8 ounces honey
2 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
Salt to taste
In a blender, combine the honey, butter, and salt and blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a lidded storage jar or container. This buttery honey will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Frico Chicken in a Garlicky Buttermilk Bath
“I’ve taken the things I love most about classic Southern fried chicken and remixed them into something that is just as satisfying, but much lighter—a true win-win,” writes McDuffie about this recipe. “A frico (which means “fried” in Italian) is simply a baked cheese crisp, and here we’ll use them to almost mimic the salty crunch of fried chicken skin. Rather than rich bone-in, skin-on cuts, we’ll use leaner boneless and skinless thighs—my favorite protein of them all. The garlicky buttermilk-fortified bath in which they cook mimics my go-to fried chicken brine, helping the chicken stay tender and juicy. It also happens to be an easy, one-pan, 30-minute meal. So there’s that.”
Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 1⁄2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 heaping cup diced sweet onion
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1⁄2 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1⁄2 cup buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Equally space the Parmesan into 6 (1⁄4-cup) mounds on the baking sheet. Use your measuring cup to gently press down on the mounds and work them into round, circular disks (they don’t have to be perfect). Bake until flattened and just beginning to brown lightly around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and set aside. They will firm up as they cool.
Pour 2 teaspoons of the oil into a large pan over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown really well on the first side; this takes 5 to 6 minutes. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes (they will finish in the sauce). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Pour the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil into the pan. When it’s hot, add the onion and spinach and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the spinach is fully wilted and the onion is soft. During the last minute, add the garlic.
Stir in the wine (if using) and cook for about 1 minute to reduce it. Add the tomatoes and buttermilk and slide the chicken back into the pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce and to finish the chicken.
Lay the Parmesan fricos over the chicken just before serving. They will melt and sort of adhere to the chicken, mimicking salty chicken skin in the best way.
Recipes excerpted from Southern Lights: Easier, Lighter, and Better-for-You Recipes from the South by Lauren McDuffie. Photographs by Lauren McDuffie. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith Books.
The James Beard Foundation® is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 James Beard Media Awards, presented by Capital One, honoring the nation’s top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts, journalists, podcasters, and social media content creators. The full list of winners, which includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism, can be found below and on the James Beard Foundation website.
James Beard Award winner®, Emmy-nominated producer, TV host, and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi hosted the 2025 Media Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Columbia College Chicago. Presenters also included luminary food media personalities such as Nyesha Arrington, Molly Baz, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Francis Lam, Adam Richman, Alexander Smalls, Andrew Zimmern, and others.
“Congratulations to the 2025 Media Award winners, whose compelling narratives shape our food culture and set the standard of excellence in culinary storytelling and reporting,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “We’re honored to celebrate phenomenal work that will surely impact how people cook, think about food, and engage with our shared culinary landscape for years to come.”
2025 marks a notable milestone: the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. This year’s ceremonies commemorate the transformative role the Awards have played in recognizing excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture, while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to leading and supporting the industry for years to come.
“The Media Awards celebrate all those who expand our understanding of food through exceptional storytelling thateducates, entertains, and inspires,” said Dawn Padmore, VP of Awards, James Beard Foundation. “A heartfelt thanks to our subcommittee members and judges for their dedication and the thoughtful consideration they put into these awards. Their time and expertise are deeply appreciated.”
The James Beard Foundation began honoring excellence in food media more than 30 years ago, with the first Book Awards presented in 1990. This year’s Book Awards recognize cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024.
“Congratulations to this year’s winners, who have taken us on journeys through kitchens and communities worldwide,” said Genevieve Villamora, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards program. “From technical mastery to cultural storytelling and preservation—these books represent the very best in culinary publishing, proving that great food writing comes in many forms.”
The 2025 James Beard Book Award winners are:
Baking and Desserts: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts, both sweet and savory items, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions
Beverage without Recipes: Books without recipes that focus on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices; or books that cover these subject areas where recipes are not the focus of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region.
Bread: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of making bread, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.
Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Henrietta Lovell, and Laurie Woolever (Clarkson Potter)
Food Issues and Advocacy: Books that focus on investigative journalism, food policy, food advocacy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape around food.
General: Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region, and are accessible to a general audience.
International: Books with recipes focused on presenting cuisines of the world in their cultural context: their history, distinctive characteristics, and techniques.
The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans, Irina Janakievska (Quadrille)
Literary Writing: Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary travel, culinary tourism, biography, reflections on food in a cultural context, and personal essays.
Professional and Restaurant: Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, the use of specialty ingredients and professional equipment, including culinary arts textbooks.
More information about the Book Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.
BROADCAST MEDIA AWARDS
The Broadcast Media Awards were established in 1993 to recognize nonfiction works in English that exemplify excellence and keep with the mission and values of the James Beard Foundation. This year’s winners spotlight food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024 across digital and terrestrial media—including radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, and social media.
“We’re honored to recognize those whose thoughtful production and authentic storytelling bring our dynamic food culture to life,” said Cynthia Graubart, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Broadcast Media Awards program. “Congratulations to the 2025 winners for offering a unique lens into the people, trends, and traditions that shape how we experience food and dining.”
The 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Award winners are:
Audio Programming: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related radio or podcast program.
Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry
“Cream Pie with Telly Justice” Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms
Audio Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in reporting and narratives about food and/or food issues in radio or podcasts. This work is issue or deadline-driven, investigative, topical, or timely in nature.
Post Reports
“Bacon: The Best-Kept Secret in Washington” Airs on: Post Reports
Commercial Media: This award recognizes excellence in food- or beverage-related media including video production, audio programming, or other media that is clearly developed and marketed with prominent visual branding, is sponsored or commercially funded, and/or contains paid advertising. It may be broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.
La Mera Mera Tamalera, Airs on: YouTube
Documentary Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related documentary that is at least 15 minutes long.
MARCELLA, Airs on: PBS American Masters
Docuseries Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related docuseries.
World Eats Bread, Airs on: National Geographic Channel
Instructional Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related video production with instruction and/or education as its primary intent, whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.
G.O.A.T., Airs on: MasterClass
Lifestyle Visual Media: New in 2025, this category honors excellence in food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes. Entries can range from interview-based shows featuring chefs and food personalities to those that delve into food history, science, and culture. This year, submissions to the Competition Visual Media category were included for consideration within the Lifestyle Visual Media category.
Relish, Airs on: PBS, Passport, TPT, TPT-2 and YouTube
Social Media Account: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related social media account or platform.
Little Fat Boy, Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube
Travel Visual Media: New in 2025, this category celebrates excellence in food- or beverage-focused travel shows. Entries should showcase the unique culinary culture and traditions of a specific region or country, highlighting the connection between people, food, regions, and communities.
Drink: A Look Inside the Glass, Airs on: Apple TV, Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku
More information about Broadcast Media Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.
JOURNALISM AWARDS
The Journalism Awards were established by the James Beard Foundation in 1992. This year’s Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium.
“The reporting by the 2025 Journalism Award winners shows so poignantly how food plays an integral role in every aspect of our lives,” said Rochelle Oliver, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Journalism Awards program. “Thank you to these journalists for their dedication to deepening the conversation around culture, history, community, and sense of identity from a culinary lens.”
The 2025 James Beard Journalism Award winners are:
Beverage: This award recognizes distinctive style, thorough knowledge, plainspoken prose, and innovative approach in a single article on alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
“Want to Make Spirits in Thailand? Good Luck.” by Craig Sauers, Punch
Columns and Newsletters: This award recognizes the work of an individual or team/group that demonstrates thought-provoking opinion and a compelling style on food- or drink-related topics.
“The farm bill hall of shame”; “The essential workers missing from the farm bill”; “Tribal nations want more control over their food supply” by Teresa Cotsirilos, Bridget Huber, and Claire Kelloway, Food & Environment Reporting Network and Mother Jones
Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award: This award recognizes discerning criticism or commentary that contributes to the larger discourse on food, drink, and related topics. An entry consists of three pieces that can include restaurant reviews, cultural critiques, or analyses that demonstrate thought-provoking opinion and compelling style.
“New tasting menu dinners at Honeysuckle Provisions are provocative and delicious”; “The enduring, confusing, and always delicious Octopus Cart is still puffing along after 34 years”; “Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad, swings big and misses” by Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer
Dining and Travel: This award recognizes exemplary and comprehensive service journalism that relies on both critical voice and thorough research to bring a variety of dining options into perspective, whether in a single city, a region, or a country.
“Gastro Obscura’s Feast” by Anne Ewbank, Diana Hubbell, and Sam O’Brien, Gastro Obscura
Feature Reporting: This award recognizes excellence for engaging writing and in-depth reporting in food and/or drink features.
“We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s” by Adam Reiner
TASTE
Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication: This award recognizes excellence in food and/or drink writing, reporting, and presentation in a general interest site or print publication. Judges evaluate each entry for overall breadth and depth of coverage.
The Bitter Southerner
Foodways: This award recognizes the importance of culture and history in food journalism. Entries in this category explore the connection between what we eat and who we are, with an emphasis on reporting.
“As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past” by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press
Health and Wellness: This award recognizes excellence in food- and/or drink-related health and wellness coverage. Entries explore a variety of topics that may include (but are not limited to) addiction, aging, chronic disease, diet, mental health, mind-body connection, nutrition, and reproductive health.
“Florida Banned Farmworker Heat Protections. A Groundbreaking Partnership Offers a Solution.” Grey Moran. Civil Eats
Home Cooking: This award recognizes excellence in service journalism with a practical focus for the home cook. The award honors imaginative and substantive entries that use fresh, innovative approaches—both written and visual—to illuminate cooking methods, ingredients, and recipes.
“The Art and Science of Kimchi” by Andrea Geary, Cook’s Illustrated
Investigative Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in investigative reporting on environmental, political, business, or policy issues regarding food and/or drink.
“The North Koreans behind global seafood”; “The Whistleblower” by Ian Urbina and the Staff of The Outlaw Ocean Project, The Outlaw Ocean Project and The New Yorker
Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award: This award recognizes the work of an individual who engages readers through enterprising food and dining coverage in a specific region, which also displays versatility in form, including reviews, profiles, cooking, quick hits, and hard news reporting.
“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA” by Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago
MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: This award recognizes a single article of exceptional literary merit on the subject of food and/or drink published in any medium.
“The City that Rice Built” by Jeff Gordinier and George McCalman, Food & Wine
Narrative Photography: New in 2025, this award recognizes exemplary storytelling through the use of photography within food culture. An entry is composed of images from one published piece that captures a visual narrative with skill, perspective, and style.
“The Only Constant is Chuck’s” by Rory Doyle (Self-published)
They’re ideal books for people who love canning but don’t always know how to make the most of their homemade goodies. Here are some fun recipes to try.
Pesto
Makes 1 cup pesto
I make pesto with herbs, such as basil, parsley, or cilantro, as well as flavorful, tender greens, such as arugula, mustard, or young kale. This formula should work regardless of what kind of green you’re using as your base. A combination of greens is also nice, particularly if you’re trying to stretch a bundle of herbs. As far as the nuts go, I like to use walnuts, cashews, blanched almonds, or pine nuts.
2 cups packed greens or herbs, tough stems removed
½ cup nuts, toasted
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 garlic cloves
½ cup olive oil, plus more if needed to top
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
In the work bowl of a food processor, combine the greens, toasted nuts, Parmesan cheese, and garlic. Pulse until a paste begins to form. Remove the lid and scrape down the bowl, if necessary.
Once you’ve gotten to a chunky paste, slowly stream in the olive oil with the motor running and process until well combined. Taste and add the salt and pepper to taste.
Use the pesto immediately, or pack it into 4-ounce/125 ml freezer-safe containers to preserve for a longer period of time. Top the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent freezer burn and discoloration. It will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 year.
Jam-Glazed Nuts
Makes about 4 cups
Recommended Preserves: Choose preserves that you’d like to eat on a peanut or almond butter sandwich. My absolute favorite jam to use is pear vanilla, but grape is also wonderful.
1 pound raw almonds, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, or pecans (or a combination thereof)
6 tablespoons jam or marmalade
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons flaky finishing salt
Preheat the oven to 350°FLine a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a large, dry skillet, toast the nuts over medium heat, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn.
In a small saucepan, melt the jam and butter together. When the nuts are looking lightly toasted and are smelling nutty, pour the jam mixture over the nuts and toss to coat.
Spread the toasted nuts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, checking regularly, until the bits of glaze have started to brown.
Remove the nuts from the oven and dust them with salt. Let them cool completely so that the glaze has a chance to harden and adhere. Once cool, break apart any nuts that are stuck together.
Store the finished, cooled nuts in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Adaptable Chutney
Makes 3 pint-size
This chutney will work with apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, or plums. I typically peel the apples and peaches before stirring them into a batch of chutney, but all the other fruits can keep their skins. Remove the pits and cores as needed.
4 pounds fruit, prepped and chopped
1 medium-size yellow onion, minced
2 cups golden raisins
1 ¾ cups red wine vinegar
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon mustard seeds (any color is fine)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pot. Bring to boil over high heat and then lower the heat to medium-high. Cook at a brisk simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly, or until the chutney thickens, darkens, and the flavors start to marry.
While the chutney is finished, remove the pot from the heat. Funnel the chutney into the prepared jars, leaving ½ inch/1.25 cm of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
When the time is up, remove the jars and set them on a folded kitchen towel to cool. When the jars have cooled enough that you can comfortably handle them, check the seals. Sealed jars can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 year. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly.
About Marisa
Marisa McClellan is a food writer and canning teacher and is the voice behind Food in Jars.
Her writing has appeared in many places, including Better Homes and Gardens, New York Times, and AllRecipes. Born in Los Angeles and raised in Portland, Oregon, she has lived in Philadelphia since 2002. She lives with her husband, Scott and their twin boys.
You can also find her on her personal blog and a variety of social media channels.
Announcing the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the Impact, Lifetime Achievement, and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees, for the James Beard Awards®presented by Capital One. Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Eliesa Johnson Photography / JBF
Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the James Beard Awards® is upholding its role as the nation’s foremost culinary honors by evolving its awards structure. The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards is introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.As an extension of the James Beard Foundation’s impact work and advocacy policy priorities, we are also proud to inaugurate the Impact Awards, which recognize individuals and/or organizations advancing standards for a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. Impact Award honorees will be acknowledged at a ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 15, as well as on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, along with the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees.
Tickets for the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago can be purchased here beginning at 3 P.M. ET on Wednesday, April 2. The Awards will be broadcast live on Eater. We encourage you to learn more about the James Beard Awards® categories, policies, and procedures here.
Check out the nominees and honorees below!
Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN. Galdones-Photography.
The 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree is Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, a Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant with multiple locations nationwide dedicated to equipping justice-involved teens aged 15-19 with skills, education, and employment opportunities in the culinary industry.
A Mother-Daughter Love Story in 100 Recipes, Where Every Step of the Cooking Process is an Expression of Love
“Umma offers a jaw-dropping master class on Korean home cooking brought to you by a mother and daughter duo whose passion for Korean cuisine comes second only to their devotion to each other. You will love this book and fall in love with the women who made it.”Joanne Lee Molinaro, James Beard Award winner and creator of The Korean Vegan.
Photo courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen/Kritsada Panichgul.
America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) is proud to announce the highly anticipated release of Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom & 100 Family Recipes by Sarah Ahn and her mother Nam Soon Ahn. Set to hit shelves on April 1, 2025, this heartfelt cookbook captures the flavors, traditions, and stories of multigenerational Korean cooking.
When ATK social media manager Sarah Ahn started her website Ahnest Kitchen to showcase her mother’s cooking via real-time videos of their home life, her work resonated with millions on Instagram and TikTok. Ahn’s experience living at home with her immigrant parents, reconnecting to her heritage, experiencing her mom’s love through her cooking, and the recipes that reflect the heart of Korean cuisine had a deep impact on her followers.
Now, in this 384-page deep dive into Korean home cooking, mother and daughter share decades of wisdom and techniques that help anyone cook like a Korean umma with approachable chapters that cover essentials such as building a Korean pantry and over 100 recipes that range from simple banchan and savory soups to comforting rice and noodle dishes, kimchi, street foods, desserts, and more.
Every recipe has a story, some profoundly moving (read A Conversation about Kimchi and Life on page 123) as Nam Soon shares memories of her own mother’s cooking in Korea while Sarah ties foods to family life and growing up in Southern California. Few cookbooks offer such a level of intimacy and candor, and few combine such rigorously tested technique with such rich narrative—a testament to the fact that every small step of the cooking process is an expression of love.
Accompanied by vibrant photography, Umma isn’t just a cookbook—it’s a heartfelt tribute to the love, resilience, and culinary legacy of the women who have shaped cuisine: the Korean umma.
I started Ahnest Kitchen in 2018 during my “quarter-life crisis.” I was very unhappy and unfulfilled in my first full-time job, and I hoped this wasn’t something that I just needed to get used to and accept as an adult. During those years, one thing made me feel fulfilled: Umma’s food. It wasn’t just the taste and flavor that comforted me; the process of making these dishes also fascinated me. Learning and replicating the recipes felt like therapy, and sharing and cooking these recipes for others brought me joy, just as it does for Umma.
This newfound practice was exactly what I needed during this phase of my life, and it eventually motivated me to collect all of Umma’s recipes to keep forever.
Initially, I documented them in my notebook until I decided to upload them online to share with enthusiastic cooks around the world. Soon enough, people took notice of our work, and traction followed. We eventually received our first opportunity to collaborate with a Korean food brand we both grew up with. Umma and I felt beyond excited and determined to develop a unique recipe that would not disappoint. When we took our first bites of the final dish—after multiple rounds of testing and critiques—we both nodded in agreement and said, “This is it!”
That very dish was this unique noodle masterpiece, which relies on gochujang to create a sauce that delivers the perfect balance of spice, tang, and sweetness. Here we opt for angel hair pasta instead of somyeon (thin wheat noodles) for a different flavor and texture, as well as added convenience.
Umma’s Kitchen Wisdom
I use a mandoline to slice the cabbage about ⅛ inch thick. You can substitute fish sauce for the tuna extract sauce: Use 2 tablespoons fish sauce and reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons.
Ingredients
½ cup (176 grams) gochujang
½ cup maesil cheong (plum extract syrup)
¼ cup tuna extract sauce
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons gochugaru
12 ounces (340 grams) angel hair pasta
3 Persian cucumbers (240 grams), cut into 3‑inch matchsticks, divided
4 cups (226 grams) very thinly sliced green cabbage, divided
4 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 or 3 hard-boiled large eggs, halved
Lemon wedges
Directions
1. Whisk the gochujang, maesil cheong, tuna extract sauce, vinegar, oil, garlic, sugar, and gochugaru together in a large bowl; set aside.
2. Bring 2½ quarts water to a boil in a large, wide pot. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water until chilled. Drain and gently squeeze the noodles to remove excess liquid.
3. Add the pasta, two-thirds of the cucumbers, and two-thirds of the cabbage to the bowl with the sauce. Using your gloved hands, gently toss the mixture until the noodles and vegetables are evenly coated with the sauce. Divide the pasta among individual serving bowls. Spoon any sauce left in the mixing bowl around the pasta, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Top with the remaining cucumber, remaining cabbage, and egg halves. Serve with lemon wedges.
Photos courtesy of Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom & 100 Family Recipes (America’s Test Kitchen)
Cover photo courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen/Kritsada Panichgul.
Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridian Baker, will be in Chicago on Saturday, March 1st at 2 p.m.- at The Book Stall, Winnetka, IL, to talk about his latest book, The Scottish Cookbook. And yes, he will be wearing a kilt.
2 balls of stem ginger and syrup, finely chopped and drained
Four large eggs, lightly beaten
Four and a quarter ounces self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
Brush your bundt tin evenly with melted butter and lightly dust with cocoa powder. Next line in a large pan, melt the butter along with the chocolate, sugar black treacle and golden syrup. Stir until smooth then allow the mixture to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 340°F.
Add the chopped stem ginger and beaten eggs to the chocolate mixture, stirring thoroughly until combined.
Stir the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and a pinch of salt into the chocolate mixture. Fold in gently.
Pour the batter into your prepared bundt tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely. For an extra treat, serve with cream or ice cream.
“In this book, Simone and Inés Ortega offer us a wealth of gastronomic experience and wisdom and it will quickly transport you to the heart of Spain,” writes Ferran Adrià, former head chef of the legendary El Bulli restauranthttp://www.elbulli.info/ who is considered one of the best chefs in the world, in the introduction toSpain: The Cookbook(Phaidon Press). “This is a timeless book. When you read it, you suddenly realize the glories of the food in front of you, those that, until now, you’ve not fully appreciated. Ours is a splendid cuisine, born out of the pleasure of eating, and it is also one that is perfect for those who have little time to cook., but who don’t want to give up the enjoyment of eating well and, thus, of feeding their souls as well as their stomachs.”
A huge and wonderful door-stopper of a book with almost 1000 pages, much of which are recipes, drawings, and photos, this is the definitive book on Spanish cookery. It’s hard to imagine a recipe or one similar that can’t be found within the pages. Because the information contained here is so voluminous, finding what you want is made easy in the way the recipes are divided into such chapters as “Cold Plate Suggestions,” “Fried Dishes, Savory Tartlets, Little Turnovers and Mousses,” and “Eggs, Flans and Souffles.”
In the chapter, “Menus from Celebrated Spanish Chefs,” there are recipes from chef/restauranteur José Andrés who has restaurants in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and Las Vegas, José Manuel Pizarro, restauranteur and author of such cookbooks as Spanish Home Kitchen, and Carme Ruscalleda, the chef-owner of Carme Ruscalleda near Barcelona. Among the recipes she shares are those for her Apricot Sponge and Quick Prawn Soup.
Lively sketches by Javier Mariscal, some 500 in all, accompany full-color food photos and illustrate not only such dishes as Caviar canapes and roasted mixed vegetables but also how to cut up an octopus or de-fin a fish.
The 1080 recipes vary in complexity though many are exceedingly accessible. Sausages in Cloaks (Salchichas Encapotadas) and Eggs en Cocotte with Mushrooms both have only five ingredients and Soft Cheese and Paprika Canapes just three. Some of the dishes won’t be familiar to most American home chefs such as Hare with Chestnuts, Woodcock with Cognac, and Lambs’ Feet with Tomato. But even if we’re not going to cook such fare, it takes us further into our exploration and understanding of Spanish cuisine.
Originally published over 40 years ago under the title 1080 Recetas de Cocina, millions of copies have been sold and it’s easy to understand why. The cookbook is both compelling—a page-turner as the authors take us into the home kitchens of their country—and informative with menu plans, cooking tips, and a glossary.
Author Simone Ortega was considered to be one of the foremost authorities on traditional Spanish cooking and had a career in food writing that spanned more than half a century. Her daughter, Inés Ortega, is also a food writer and collaborated with her mother on subsequent editions of the cookbook.
It’s easy to see why the popularity of this cookbook, which is said to be found in almost every home in Spain, endures. Its recipes and illustrations beckon us to expand our skills in Spanish cuisine.
The following recipes are from Spain: The Cookbook published by Phaidon Press.
Brussels Sprouts Au Gratin (Coles de Bruselas Gratinadas)
2 1/2 to ¾ pounds Brussels sprouts
1 classic Bechamel sauce (see recipe below)
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
Preheat the oven to 350°F
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and drop the Brussel sprouts into the water, cooking until tender but not falling apart. Remove from heat, rinse in cold water.
Make Bechamel sauce.
Place Brussels sprouts in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately straight from the dish.
Classic Bechamel Sauce (Salsa Bechamel Corriente)
2 ounces butter
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons plain all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
Salt
Melt the butter with the oil in a pan and stir in the flour. Gradually stirring the milk, a little at a time and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add salt to taste and simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly for eight to 10 minutes.
If a thinner sauce is needed, add more milk. If the bechamel needs to be thicker, simmer the sauce longer until it reaches the required consistency.
Bechamel’s Tricks
To prevent lumps forming when making bechamel, remove the pan from the heat when stirring in the flour. Stir briefly with a wooden spoon, return the pan to the heat and proceed as normal.
Cover the surface with a disc of wax paper lightly greased with butter to avoid skin forming on top of the bechamel sauce prepared in advance. Bechamel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen.
To reheat, put into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water oops come on
Raw Mushroom Salad
1 pound 10 ounces mushrooms
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
Juice of two lemons
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Separate the mushroom caps and stalks. Slice the stalks and caps and put into a bowl. Pour in the oil and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Sprinkle with the parsley and shell in the refrigerator for two hours 24 servings.
Nancy Singleton Hachisu dives deep into the Japanese food scene, having married a Japanese farmer and learning the intricacies of cooking various vegetables and other ingredients that most of us aren’t familiar with.
For those who want to learn, Hachisu’s recipes require attention to detail and buying foods we may have trouble sourcing. But the results, for those who like a kitchen challenge, are well worth it and as someone who has been following Hachisu and using her cookbooks for years, I can assure you it gets much easier.
It’s a fascinating take on Japanese cuisine from Hachisu, a native Californian who moved to Japan to stay there just for a year and immersed herself in Japanese food culture. Love intervened and after meeting an organic farmer, she married and moved to the rural Saitama Prefecture.
That was more than 30 years ago, time enough for Hachisu to raise a family in an 85-year-old traditional Japanese farmhouse and become proficient in both culture and cooking.
The book is so very niche that it’s almost like being in her kitchen and on her farm, giving us an amazing insight into a tiny slice of Japanese farm culture.
CHILLED UME-TOFU SQUARES IN DASHI
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 2-3 hours pressing and chilling
Cooking times: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4 squares
Vegan, Dairy-free, Nut-free
Junsai, harvested from ponds from May to September, are baby water lily buds called “water shield” in English. They have a natural gelatinous covering so add a cool, slippery element to summer dishes. They might be available at Japanese markets, otherwise just omit or substitute with blanched julienned green beans or cooked edamame. Salted sour “plums” (umeboshi, see page 350) have been prepared in Japan for a millennium, since the Heian period (794–1185), and are purported to have many health-improving qualities, including aiding digestion and combatting summer fatigue during the rainy season. The combination here makes a subtle, but lovely little bite.
INGREDIENTS
• 101⁄2 oz (300 g) cotton tofu or Japanese-style soft block tofu • 1 tablespoon hon kuzu • 2 medium umeboshi • Canola (rapeseed) oil, for greasing the pan • Generous 3/4 cup (63/4 fl oz/200 ml) Konbu Dashi • 1⁄2 tablespoon shoyu • A pinch of flaky sea salt • Scant 1⁄2 cup (31⁄2 fl oz/100 ml) baby water lily buds • Boiling water
DIRECTIONS
Place the tofu on a dinner plate and weight with a small cutting board for 1 hour.
Smash the kuzu to a fine powder in a Japanese grinding bowl (suribachi, see page 354). Squeeze the tofu by handfuls to express excess moisture and drop into the suribachi. Mash into the kuzu until well incorporated.
Cut out the umeboshi pits (stones) and discard. Finely chop the umeboshi and fold into the smashed tofu.
Dampen a folded-up piece of paper towel with the oil and grease the bottom and sides of a 5 1⁄2 × 4 1⁄2 × 2-inch (14 × 11 × 4.5 cm) nagashikan mold (see page 353) or a 4 3⁄8 × 8 1⁄2-inch (11.5 × 21 cm) loaf pan (bottom lined with parchment paper). Scrape the ume-tofu mixture into the pan and rap smartly on the counter to eliminate air pockets and make sure the tofu is evenly distributed into the pan.
Set a bamboo steamer over a large wok filled one-third of the way with water and bring to a boil. Place the pan in the steamer, cover, and steam over high heat for about 10 minutes until set. Remove from the steamer, blot off accumulated moisture, and lay a piece of plastic wrap (cling film) on the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to chill.
In a small saucepan, stir the dashi, shoyu, and salt together over medium heat to dissolve the salt. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill.
Place the junsai in a wire-mesh sieve and pour boiling water over for 10 seconds. Refresh by running the sieve under cold water. Shake off excess water and set the sieve over a bowl to drain. Store in the fridge for 1 hour to chill.
Unmold the umedofu, cut into 4 squares, and place each on a small shallow individual dish. Stir the junsai into the cold dashi and spoon around the umedofu. Serve immediately as a light, palate-cleansing bite.
Extensive collection of national outlets name Louisville a top place to visit
As fans of Bourbon City raise a glass to mark the end of 2024, it’s time to recap and celebrate a momentous year in the city’s dynamic tourism industry.Louisville was frequently in the winner’s circle over the past 365 days, earning top travel accolades from national travel media heavyweights such as TripAdvisor, Travel + Leisure, and Airbnb, among others.
Louisville started out 2024 on a high note, being named to Travel + Leisure’s list of ‘50 Best Places to Travel to in 2024.’ Contributing to Louisville’s historic year was the back-to-back hosting of the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby and the 106th PGA Championship, helping Louisville earn a spot on Travel Pulse, Condé Nast Traveler, and The Manual’s lists of ‘Best Places to Travel to in May.’ Both TripAdvisor and Airbnb marked Louisville as a top “trending destination” in the United States, with the online platforms using reviews and booking data to affix Louisville to the prestigious lists.
Throughout 2024, Bourbon City upheld its status with an outpouring of accolades for its vibrant culinary and cocktail scene. Louisville’s restaurant reputation is sizzling, with Travel + Leisure highlighting it as one of the ‘Best Food Cities in the U.S.’ and Cheapism proclaiming it as one of ‘America’s Best Food Cities.’ The hip and artsy NuLu neighborhood earned recognition from AFAR magazine as one of the ‘Best Food Neighborhoods in the USA,’ with numerous NuLu restaurants also receiving individual accolades.
The LEE Initiative, co-founded by Top Chef contestant and recent ‘Culinary Class Wars’ competitor Edward Lee, received a James Beard Humanitarian award, marking the Louisvillian’s second James Beard Award win. Lee also received a shout for his Butchertown restaurant Nami, which was named to USA Today’s ‘2024 Restaurants of the Year’.
Several of Louisville’s beer and bourbon festivals were also recognized nationally. The sixth annual Bourbon & Beyond music festival hada record attendance of 210,000 attendees over the four-day weekend, including 60,000 on a single day. This marked the festival’s highest single-day attendance ever.
Fort Nelson Distillery. Photo Jane Simon Ammeson.
Garden & Gun magazine highlighted festivals Bourbon & Beyond, Garden & Gun Distilled and the Bourbon Boule as three of the ‘Seven Standout Southern Bourbon Festivals,’ while Tailspin Ale Fest captured a spot on USA Today’s 10Best ‘Beer Festivals in the US.’
Louisville’s powerful reputation as a convention destination was also widely recognized with a trifecta of awards including winning the Groups Today Readers’ Choice U.S. ‘Destination of the Year,’ a MeetingsToday’s ‘Best Destination Marketing Organizations in the South,’ and a ConventionSouth Readers’ Choice Award.
Some of Louisville’s top national accolades for 2024 include:
“Best Places to Travel in 2024” – Travel + Leisure
“Best Places to Go in 2024” (Kentucky) – Frommer’s
“The World’s Best Travel Destinations in 2024” – Culture.org
“The South’s Best Cities 2024” – Southern Living
“Trending Destinations – United States” – TripAdvisor
“Top Trending Destinations Locals Love” – Airbnb
“Most Up-and-Coming Neighborhoods in the U.S.” (Butchertown) – TravelMag
“Best Places to Travel in The South This April” – Southern Living
“Best Places to Travel in May” – Conde Nast Traveler
“Where to Travel in May 2024” (Churchill Downs) – Travel Pulse
“Best Places to Visit in May”– The Manual
“Best Places to Honor Black History in 2024” – U.S. News
“These 10 Destinations Elevate Black Culture Year-Round” – The Points Guy
“Awesome and Unique Bachelorette Party Destinations” – Purewow
“Best Vacations in the U.S. to Explore America’s Adventure Capitals” – Men’s Journal
“2024 Readers’ Choice Awards” (Destination of the Year) – Groups Today
Visit the city’s official tourism website for the complete list of Louisville-based accolades received in 2024, including those for hotels, restaurants, and festivals.
