Two Australian Cookbook Authors Win James Beard Media Awards
Helen Goh and Yoko Nakazawa have each won a James Beard media award in their respective categories, marking a major achievement for Australian cookbook authors on the international stage.
The awards were announced in Chicago on Saturday evening local time, recognizing outstanding books, media, and journalism covering food and drink published or broadcast in the United States.
The Winners
Helen Goh won the Best Baking and Desserts Book for Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to Find Joy in 100 Recipes. A Melbourne-raised pastry chef, Goh is a three-time James Beard award nominee.
Yoko Nakazawa, who lives in Victoria, won the Best Single Subject Book for The Japanese Art of Pickling & Fermenting. This is her debut book.
In Their Own Words
"Baking is in the end a small thing."
In her acceptance speech, Goh acknowledged that the title of her book was "admittedly a little grandiose." She emphasized that sharing baked goods can offer "a moment of joy or comfort, of care or connection, of community and belonging."
"The main purpose of this book was to preserve the techniques and knowledge of the past."
Nakazawa explained her motivation for writing: "Pickles are not a main food and people often forget about it… And I hope this book will help spread their good word."
Background
The James Beard awards, established in 1990, are among the most prestigious honors in the culinary world. This year's nominees included five Australian cookbooks, among them Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun and The Madrusan Cocktail Companion by Zara and Michael Madrusan.