Longlist

Art of Eating Prize Winner

The 2023 Art of Eating Prize Longlist


The books nominated for the 2023 prize continue to dig deeper in many directions with increasing attention to the fate of the planet. The judges, as ever, have probed and chosen a strong Longlist of 12. We’re grateful for their work.

Diasporican: A Puerto Rican Cookbook
by Illyanna Maisonet (Ten Speed Press)

Eating to Extinction
by Dan Saladino (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Ghetto Gastro Presents Black Power Kitchen
by Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker, with Osayi Endolyn (Artisan Books)

Gullah Geechee Home Cooking: Recipes from the Matriarch of Edisto Island
by Emily Meggett with Kayla Stewart (Abrams Books)

Home Food: 100 Recipes to Comfort and Connect
by Olia Hercules (Interlink Books)

Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home
by Eric Kim (Clarkson Potter)

Masa: Techniques, Recipes, and Reflections on a Timeless Staple
by Jorge Gaviria (Chronicle Books)

Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook
by Melissa Thompson (Interlink Books)

The Nutmeg Trail: Recipes and Stories Along the Ancient Spice Routes
by Eleanor Ford (Apollo Publishers)

Pig Years
by Ellyn Gaydos (Alfred A. Knopf)

The Seed Detective: Uncovering the Secret Histories of Remarkable Vegetables
by Adam Alexander (Chelsea Green)

The Wok: Recipes and Techniques
by J. Kenji López-Alt (W.W. Norton & Company)

 

 

The 2022 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

 

It hardly seems possible, and yet each year the quality of nominations, already so high, seems higher than ever. The largest category of nominations is again cuisines of a particular place or people. The 2022 Longlist also embraces books focused on technique, recipes, baking, and ingredients. It’s never easy to dig in and choose, and we are deeply grateful to our judges.

The Arabesque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World
by Reem Kassis (Phaidon Press)

Black Food: Stories, Art and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora
by Bryant Terry (4 Color Books)

Bread Book: Ideas and Innovations from the Future of Grain, Flour, and Fermentation
by Chad Robertson with Jennifer Latham (Lorena Jones Books)

Cook Real Hawai’i: A Cookbook
by Sheldon Simeon and Garrett Snyder (Clarkson Potter Publishers)

Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes
by Abra Berens (Chronicle Books)

Mooncakes & Milk Bread: Sweet and Savory Recipes Inspired by Chinese Bakeries
by Kristina Cho (Harper Horizon)

My Shanghai: Recipes and Stories from a City on the Water
by Betty Liu (Harper Design)

Pasta: The Spirit and Craft of Italy’s Greatest Food, with Recipes
by Missy Robbins and Talia Baiocchi (Ten Speed Press)

Ripe Figs: Recipes and Stories from Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus
by Yasmin Khan (W.W. Norton & Company)

Rodney Scott’s World of BBQ: Every Day Is a Good Day
by Rodney Scott and Lolis Eric Elie (Clarkson Potter Publishers)

Sandor Katz’s Fermentation Journeys: Recipes, Techniques, and Traditions from around the World
by Sandor Katz (Chelsea Green Publishers)

Sumac: Recipes and Stories from Syria
by Anas Atassi (Interlink Books)

 

 

The 2021 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The year 2020 brought a much bigger surge in cookbook sales than even overall book sales, which themselves were record high (since BookScan began its tally in 2004). And certain food books were especially compelling, not necessarily to cook from — a few have no recipes — but to read cover to cover. They, like some of the cookbooks, reveal deeply engaging parts of the world that we hardly know. Judging the year’s most significant books takes a lot of time and thought, and what is on or off the Longlist can be a hard-fought near thing. The directors of the prize give enormous thanks to Sara Jenkins, Edward Lee, Maricel Presilla, Helen Rosner, Frank Stitt, David Tanis, and Nicole Taylor.

Aegean: Recipes from the Mountains to the Sea
by Marianna Leivaditaki (Interlink Books)

Baking at the 20th Century Cafe: Iconic European Desserts from Linzer Torte to Honey Cake
by Michelle Polzine (Artisan Books)

Beyond the North Wind: Russia in Recipes and Lore
by Darra Goldstein (Ten Speed Press)

Chaat: Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets, and Railways of India
by Maneet Chauhan and Jody Eddy (Clarkson Potter)

Dirt: Adventures in Lyon as a Chef in Training, Father, and Sleuth Looking for the Secret of French Cooking
by Bill Buford (Alfred A. Knopf)

Falastin: A Cookbook
by Sami Tamimi and Tara Wigley (Ten Speed Press)

The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained
by Nik Sharma (Chronicle Books)

Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
by Marcia Chatelain (Liveright Publishing)

In Bibi’s Kitchen: The Recipes and Stories of Grandmothers from the Eight African Countries that Touch the Indian Ocean
by Hawa Hassan with Julia Turshen (Ten Speed Press)

Mosquito Supper Club: Cajun Recipes from a Disappearing Bayou
by Melissa M. Martin (Artisan)

Parwana: Recipes and Stories from an Afghan Kitchen
by Durkhanai Ayubi with recipes by Farida Ayubi (Interlink Books)

Red Sands: Reportage and Recipes Through Central Asia from Hinterland to Heartland
by Caroline Eden (Quadrille)

 

 

The 2020 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The quality of the books in contention for the prize this year was especially high. The judges have selected not 12 but 13 books for the Longlist. As ever, they are highly varied, including two memoirs, two books on Mexico, two Western takes on Japanese food, two books from an African American perspective, and one on artificial meat. The judges are Julia Bainbridge, John Birdsall, Sara Jenkins, Edward Lee, Harold McGee, Helen Rosner, and Frank Stitt — all with strong backgrounds in food and writing.

Black Sea
by Caroline Eden (Quadrille Publishing)
Burn the Place: A Memoir
by Iliana Regan (Agate Publishing)
Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions from the Horn of Africa
by Yohanis Gebreyesus (Interlink Books)
The Gaijin Cookbook: Japanese Recipes from a Chef, Father, Eater, and Lifelong Outsider
by Ivan Orkin and Chris Yang (Rux Martin)
Jubilee
by Toni Tipton-Martin (Clarkson Potter)
Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook
by Hugh Amano and Sarah Becan (Ten Speed Press)
Meat Planet: Artificial Flesh and the Future of Food
by Benjamin Aldes Wurgaft (University of California Press)
Mercados: Recipes from the Markets of Mexico
by David Sterling (University of Texas Press)
My Mexico City Kitchen
by Gabriela Camara and Malena Watrous (Lorena Jones)
Notes from a Young Black Chef
by Kwame Onwuachi and Joshua David Stein (Alfred A. Knopf)
On the Hummus Route
by Ariel Rosenthal, Orley Peli-Bronshstein, and Dan Alexander (self-published)
The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think
by Josh Niland (Hardie Grant Books)
Zaitoun: Recipes from the Palestinian Kitchen
by Yasmin Khan (W.W. Norton & Co.)

The 2019 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The judges’ conversations leading to this year’s Longlist were especially insightful. Eight of the 12 are cookbooks, but there’s never a pattern in the kind of book that ends up on the list. Variously, they stand out for literary style, history that explains where we are today, significant culinary cultures that are little known, innovative fermentations (a first for the Longlist!), and of course accessible, contemporary recipes for home cooks. Our judging panel is notable for its quality: Lisa Abend, Julia Bainbridge, Tse Wei Lim, Jordan Mackay, Harold McGee, Helen Rosner, and Frank Stitt.

The Best Cook in the World: Tales from My Momma’s Table
by Rick Bragg (Alfred A. Knopf)

Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and stories from China’s Yunnan Province
by Georgia Freedman (Kyle Books)

Cooking in Iran: Regional Recipes & Kitchen Secrets
by Najmieh Batmanglij (Mage Publishers)

Eating NAFTA: Trade, Food Policies, and the Destruction of Mexico
by Alyshia Gálvez (University of California Press)

Feast: Food of the Islamic World
by Anissa Helou (Ecco)

The Food of Northern Thailand
by Austin Bush (Clarkson Potter)

Hippie Food: How Back-to-the-Landers, Longhairs, and Revolutionaries Changed the Way We Eat
by Jonathan Kauffman (HarperCollins)

How to Eat a Peach: Menus, Stories, and Places
by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley)

The Noma Guide to Fermentation
by Rene Redzepi and David Zilber (Artisan Books)

Solo: A Modern Cookbook for a Party of One
by Anita Lo (Alfred A. Knopf)

Something Old, Something New: Classic Recipes Revised
by Tamar Adler (Scribner)

Superiority Burger Cookbook: The Vegetarian Hamburger Is Now Delicious
by Brooks Headley (W.W. Norton & Company)


 

The 2018 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The longlist, as always, makes the judges’ most important statement and reflects serious, often highly specific conversations. This year’s 12 books embrace the cuisines of particular cultures, important history, the practical acts of cooking and of making cheese; they reflect an openness to fresh voices. Only five are cookbooks in a conventional sense. The competition was strong, and it wasn’t easy for the judges to narrow down to 12. They are all writers with several best-sellers among their books. Eric Asimov, Lisa Abend, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, Peter Meehan, Pim Techamuanvivit, Adam Sachs, and Frank Stitt have backgrounds in food and wine as well as writing, and in their experience and knowledge, they form an unusually knowledgeable group.

Bangkok: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of Thailand
by Leela Punyaratabandhu (Ten Speed Press)

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South
by Michael W. Twitty (Amistad Books)

The Culinarians: Lives and Careers from the First Age of American Fine Dining
by David S. Shields (University of Chicago Press)

Istanbul & Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey
by Robyn Eckhardt (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Longthroat Memoirs: Soups, Sex and Nigerian Taste Buds
by Yemisi Aribisala (Cassava Republic Press)

Pok Pok The Drinking Food of Thailand
by Andy Ricker and JJ Goode (Ten Speed Press)

The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South
by John T. Edge (Penguin Press)

Reinventing the Wheel: Milk, Microbes, and the Fight for Real Cheese
by Bronwen and Francis Percival (University of California Press)

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking
by Samin Nosrat (Simon & Schuster)

State Bird Provisions: A Cookbook
by Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski (Ten Speed Press)

The Taste of Empire: How Britain’s Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World
by Lizzie Collingham (Basic Books)

Tasting Georgia: A Food and Wine Journey in the Caucasus
by Carla Capalbo (Interlink Books)


 

The 2017 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The longlist makes the judges’ most important statement and reflects serious, sometimes intense, often highly specific conversations. As it happens, these 12 books particularly illuminate other cultures. Although the books were chosen not for their subjects but as the strongest food books of the year, the judges wish to voice their support for peoples, places, cultures, and ideas now under attack. These books, as one said, “celebrate the Other. But of course there is no Other, only so many beautiful varieties of human being and human experience.” The judges’ backgrounds are in food and wine as well as writing, and in their experience and knowledge, they form an exceptional group: Lisa Abend, Tamar Adler, Michael Anthony, Eric Asimov, Jordan Mackay, Tejal Rao, and Winnie Yang.

The Aleppo Cookbook: Celebrating the Legendary Cuisine of Syria
by Marlene Matar (Interlink)

All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China
by Carolyn Phillips (Ten Speed)

Five Morsels of Love
by Archana Pidathala (self-published)

Grape, Olive, Pig: Deep Travels Through Spain’s Food Culture
by Matt Goulding (Anthony Bourdain/Harper Wave)

Ingredienti: Marcella’s Guide to the Market
by Marcella and Victor Hazan (Scribner)

Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China
by Fuchsia Dunlop (Norton)

Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking
by Masaharu Morimoto (Ecco)

The New Mediterranean Jewish Table: Old World Recipes for the Modern Home
by Joyce Goldstein (University of California)

A Recipe for Cooking
by Cal Peternell (William Morrow)

Taste of Persia: A Cook’s Travels through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan
by Naomi Duguid (Artisan)

Ten Restaurants That Changed America
by Paul Freedman (Liveright)

Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes
by Ronni Lundy (Clarkson Potter)

 

The 2016 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

Each year, the longlist of 12 books, announced two weeks before the shortlist and a month before the winner, makes the judge’s most important statement. This year the books are again diverse, which doesn’t make judging easier. The longlist reflects serious, sometimes intense conversations and disagreements, often highly specific, although with some books the judges quickly reach a consensus. This time, late discussions focused on several books; votes were split and two books were tied. A second vote was taken to break the tie. The judges’ backgrounds are food, wine, and beer, as well as writing, and in their experience and knowledge, they form an exceptional group: Garrett Oliver, chair, Lisa Abend, Tamar Adler, Eric Asimov, Harold McGee, Tejal Rao, and Daniel Patterson.

Eating Viet Nam
by Graham Holliday (Ecco)

Fire and Ice: Classic Nordic Cooking
by Darra Goldstein (Ten Speed)

The Food of Oman
by Felicia Campbell (Andrews McMeel)

Franklin Barbecue
by Aaron Franklin and Jordan Mackay (Ten Speed)

The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks
by Toni Tipton-Martin (University of Texas)

The Mad Feast: An Ecstatic Tour through America’s Food
by Matthew Gavin Frank (Liveright)

Mexico from the Inside Out
by Enrique Olvera (Phaidon)

The Mission Chinese Cookbook
by Danny Bowien and Chris Ying (Ecco)

The Nordic Cookbook
by Magnus Nilsson (Phaidon)

Preserving the Japanese Way
by Nancy Singleton Hachisu (Andrews McMeel)

Senegal: Modern Senegalese Recipes from the Source to the Bowl
by Pierre Thiam and Jennifer Sit (Lake Isle)

Southern Provisions: The Creation and Revival of a Cuisine
by David S. Shields (University of Chicago)

 

The 2015 Art of Eating Prize Longlist

The longlist conveys the judges’ seriousness of purpose as they considered quality of writing, accuracy, depth, and longevity. This year’s books are diverse culturally, practically, and intellectually. The judges are an exceptional group of experts from the worlds of food, wine, and beer — Nancy Harmon Jenkins, Harold McGee, Garrett Oliver, Tejal Rao, Daniel Patterson, Winnie Yang, and Lucas Wittmann.

Al Dente: A History of Food in Italy
by Fabio Parasecoli (Reaktion Books)

Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor
by Jennifer McLagan (Ten Speed Press)

Charcutería: The Soul of Spain
by Jeffrey Weiss (Agate Publishing)

Cooking with Fire
by Paula Marcoux (Storey Publishing)

Cumin, Camels, and Caravans: A Spice Odyssey
by Gary Paul Nabhan (University of California Press)

Heritage
by Sean Brock (Artisan Books)

Ikaria: Lessons on Food, Life, and Longevity from the Greek Island Where People Forget to Die
by Diane Kochilas (Rodale Books)

In Search of the Perfect Loaf: A Home Baker’s Odyssey
by Samuel Fromartz (Viking)

Never Trust A Skinny Italian Chef
by Massimo Bottura (Phaidon Press)

Relæ: A Book of Ideas
by Christian F. Puglisi (Ten Speed Press)

The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food
by Dan Barber (Penguin Press)

Yucatán: Recipes From a Culinary Expedition
by David Sterling (University of Texas Press)