Like many a devoted cook, we have shelves that are crowded with cookbooks with little space for more. But the annual list of best food books of the year, as chosen by the James Beard Foundation, leaves us thinking we could squeeze in just a few more.
From Diana Kennedy’s celebration of Oaxaca’s gastronomic legacy to James Villas’ salute to the pig, the awards honor an eclectic array of books. Announced Friday during the James Beard Foundation Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards, the list presents tempting options. So many, in fact, you may need to make space in your own kitchen.
Cookbook Hall of Fame:
“On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen” by Harold McGee
Cookbook of the year:
“Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy” by Diana Kennedy
American cooking:
“Pig: King of the Southern Table” by James Villas
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Baking and dessert:
“Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours” by Kim Boyce
Beverage:
“Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World’s Top Wine Professionals” by Jordan Mackay and Rajat Parr
Professional:
“Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine” by Rene Redzepi
General cooking:
“The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century” by Amanda Hesser
Healthy focus:
“The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook” by Jessie Price & the EatingWell test kitchen
International:
“Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories” by Grace Young
Photography:
“Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine,” photographer Ditte Isager
Reference and scholarship:
“Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes” by Mark Bitterman
Single subject:
“Meat: A Kitchen Education” by James Peterson
Writing and literature:
“Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food” by Paul Greenberg