Earlier this month, the James Beard Foundation Awards were announced.

I love using this list of award winners AND nominees to highlight items from our collection. Many of our patrons are familiar with book awards, such as Newberry and Caldecott. Few seem to be aware of the Beard awards, which have been referred to as “the Oscars of the food world,” by Time magazine. Also, people tend to mistakenly think the books that receive awards are only cookbooks, which is not the case. For example, a winner from last year, The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan,  is a thoughtfully written book about methods used to grow our foods, informing us as to what we are actually eating. At times his information delves into some rather nitty gritty details, which may change the way readers look at their food choices.

So, take a look at this year’s winners. You may be surprised in the diversity of the recipients.

Added Note: I just realized that Pollan won another James Beard Foundation Award this year — In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto.