Hear from the 2020 James Beard Media Award Winners

The James Beard Foundation recently announced its 2020 media awards, recognizing exemplary cookbook authors, journalists and broadcasters. HRN has proudly hosted many of these industry leaders to discuss their award-winning projects. Learn everything you need to know about the books, articles, and documentaries that have shaped our food system over the past year when you listen to this playlist of HRN episodes. These in-depth interviews illuminate what makes their work unique, as well as the personal and professional journeys that took them where they are today. 

Book Awards For cookbooks and other non-fiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2019.

American Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking, Toni Tipton-Martin

Inside Julia’s Kitchen: Meet Toni Tipton-Martin: Host Todd Schulkin welcomes award-winning food writer Toni Tipton-Martin. Todd and Toni discuss her new cookbook, Jubilee, as well as her previous book, The Jemima Code. As always, Toni shares her Julia Moment.  

Beverage without Recipes World Atlas of Wine 8th Edition, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson

The Grape Nation: Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson “The World Atlas of Wine” 8th Edition: Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson are wine writers and journalists…that sounds a bit pedestrian! Jancis and Hugh are collectively the most awarded, influential, and respected writers in all of wine. Their awards, books, articles are too numerous to mention. Jancis and Hugh have revised “The World Atlas of Wine” and the 8th Edition is now available.  

General Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook, Carla Lalli Music

Eat Your Words: Where Cooking Begins with Carla Lalli Music: Cathy is joined in the station with Carla Lalli Music, Food Director of Bon Appetit magazine who recently published her first cookbook: Where Cooking Begins. Carla describes how she came up with the theme of her book—food shopping and how to make it work for your lifestyle—and how she turned that philosophy into a cookbook with more than 70 recipes and a half-dozen techniques. Carla challenges the wisdom of shopping for all your ingredients for the week on the weekend and advocates for a more flexible routine, which will probably lead you to more fun in the kitchen.  

Single Subject Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy's Best Home Cooks, Vicky Bennison

A Taste of The Past: Pasta Grannies: Secrets of Italy’s Best Home Cooks: Who ever thought a video series about watching old Italian grandmothers making pasta would become a hugely successful YouTube channel? Food writer Vicky Bennison saw something special and spent over five years filming and interviewing the women who became “Pasta Grannies.” Traditional regional recipes and techniques will be preserved thanks to her foresight and work. And now there’s a companion cookbook that shares not only the recipes but also the extraordinary stories of these endearing women. Vicky shares with us the behind-the-scene tales.  

Vegetable-Focused Cooking Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat with 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar, Amy Chaplin

The Food Seen: Amy Chaplin: Amy Chaplin grew up in the bush of Australia, 30 miles away from your closest supermarket. Her family built their own home, had a wood-burning stove, baked bread, kept bees, brewed ginger beer, made tofu, and ground wheat into flour, buying much of their dried goods in bulk … This sense of preparedness mixed with her mother’s affinity for entertaining, enlivened Amy’s spirit as a home cook. After years of working in restaurants, most notably the groundbreaking organic plant-based Angelica’s Kitchen in NYC, Amy returned to her own stove to create, At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, a cookbook that sets you up for a healthy, happy lifestyle, allowing you to celebrate the art of eating well. From stocking a pantry full of whole grains, to introducing super foods to your meals, you can wake up to a bowl of black rice breakfast pudding, or awaken your tastebuds with miso soup with lemon, turmeric lemonade, pistachio pumpkin seed dukkah, and deeply satiate your soul with butternut squash lasagna with sage tofu ricotta, and heirloom bean bourguignon. Come feel the healing benefits of food.  

Writing Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer, Bren Smith

The Farm Report: Restorative Ocean Farming: While many forms of aquaculture have wreaked havoc on ecosystems, fisherman-turned-ocean farmer Bren Smith says farming the world’s oceans could help solve the climate crisis—if we do it right. In the wake of the dire report on the state of the oceans from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), host Lisa Held talks to Smith about his method of 3D restorative ocean farming (which requires zero inputs and can sequester carbon), his new book, Eat Like a Fish, and how he’s training other young farmers to grow food at sea, via his non-profit organization GreenWave.  

Cookbook Hall of Fame Jancis Robinson

In the Drink: Jancis Robinson: Jancis Robinson is one of only a handful of wine writers with an international reputation. Her multi-award-winning books, including the hugely successful Oxford Companion to Wine and Wine Grapes, are among the most important landmarks in wine literature. Jancis is the Financial Times wine correspondent and writes a bi-monthly column that is published around the world. She also writes daily for www.JancisRobinson.com, which has subscribers in 100 countries and was voted the first-ever Wine Website of the Year in the Louis Roederer International Wine Writers Awards 2010. Find out more about Jancis, her latest book, The World Atlas of Wine, and more about winemaking in general, on today’s episode of In the Drink.  

Broadcast Media Awards For radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, webcasts, and documentaries appearing in 2019.

Online Video, Fixed Location and/or Instructional Grace Young – Wok Therapist, Airs on: GraceYoung.com and YouTube

A Taste of The Past: Heritage of Chinese Cooking: The Wok: This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda is joined by author and wok master Grace Young. Her latest book is Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge, a book that explores everything from the origins and health benefits of stir-frying to the technique’s great economy of time and fuel. Linda and Grace discuss the history of both stir-frying and the wok, and how American culture has reshaped how we see both. Tune in to learn which cookware is the best to stir fry with, how immigrants adapt when they can’t find ingredients of their native cuisine and what happens when Chinese and Jamaican chefs work side by side.  

Online Video, on Location Handmade – How Knives Are Made for New York's Best Restaurants; How a Ceramics Master Makes Plates for Michelin-Starred Restaurants, Airs on: Eater and YouTube

The Food Seen: Jono Pandolfi Designs (Plateware) With Will Guidara, GM of Eleven Madison Park: On today’s wintery mix episode of The Food Seen, we chat with Jono Pandolfi, whose whimsical tablewares grace the tables of NYC’s hottest restaurants. Joined by Will Guidara, GM of Eleven Madison Park, hear how Jono navigated his potter’s world, and ended up “throwing” together a signature line for elite chef’s amuse bouches.  

Outstanding Personality/Host Roy Choi, Broken Bread with Roy Choi, Airs on: Tastemade and KCET

Snacky Tunes: Broken Bread with Roy Choi: Roy Choi is one of America’s most innovative, respected and successful chef-restaurateurs. Outside of the kitchen, he’s well-known for his activism and work in regards to social justice and food. Roy joins us to talk about his new multi-media series, Broken Bread, which explores neighborhoods across Los Angeles, and profiles individuals and organizations who make a difference in their communities through food.  

Television Program, in Studio or Fixed Location Pati's Mexican Table – A Local's Tour of Culiacán, Airs on: WETA; distributed nationally by American Public Television

Inside Julia’s Kitchen: Meet Pati Jinch: Meet Pati Jinch: This week on Inside Julia’s Kitchen, host Todd Schulkin talks to Pati Jinich, host of the Award-winning PBS television series, Pati’s Mexican Table. Todd and Pati dive into this season’s focus, Baja, Mexico, and do some myth-busting about Mexico and Mexican Cooking. As always, Pati shares her Julia moment.  

Television Program, on Location Las Crónicas del Taco (Taco Chronicles) – Canasta, Airs on: Netflix

Snacky Tunes: Meet me Downtown at Sonoratown: Since making its debut in 2016 in Downtown Los Angeles, Sonoratown has been wowing everyone with its chargrilled carne asada tacos, perfectly sized chivichangas and what have become widely regarded as the best flour tortillas in the city. With a feature on Netflix’s Taco Chronicles, and a No. 5 ranking on the Los Angeles Times’ annual “101 Best Restaurants” list, Sonoratown now routinely has customers lined up down the block. Co-owners Jennifer Feltham & Teodoro Diaz-Rodriguez, Jr. sit down with us to explain what the Sonoratown journey and phenomenon have been all about.  

Visual and Audio Technical Excellence Chef's Table, Adam Bricker, Chloe Weaver, and Will Basanta, Airs on: Netflix

Inside Julia’s Kitchen: Meet David Gelb: On the latest episode of Inside Julia’s Kitchen, host Todd Schulkin talks to David Gelb, an Emmy and Grammy-nominated producer best known for his documentary feature Jiro Dreams of Sushi and the award-winning Netflix series, Chef’s Table. Go behind the scenes and find out why chefs make fascinating subjects. Plus, David shares his #Juliamoment.  

Visual Reporting (on TV or Online) Rotten – The Avocado War, Reporters: Christine Haughney, Erin Cauchi, and Gretchen Goetz, Airs on: Netflix

Eating Matters: Rotten: Christine Haughney, food and agriculture writer at Politico, joins the show to talk about her work as the investigative reporter of Rotten, Netflix’s new food crime docu-series. Rotten covers some of the “greatest hits” in food crime and fraud and shines a light on the pervasive greed and misconduct behind some of the world’s biggest corporations and the global food production industry. From honey to chicken to cod, this series will surprise and shock you, and hopefully encourage you to become more informed consumers.  

Journalism Awards For articles published in English in 2019.  

Columns Power Rankings: “The Official Fast Food French Fry Power Rankings”; “The Official Spicy Snack Power Rankings”; “The Official Domestic Beer Power Rankings,” Lucas Kwan Peterson, Los Angeles Times

Snacky Tunes: Off the Menu with Lucas: Lucas Kwan Peterson introduces us to his new Los Angeles Times Food show “Off Menu.” Traversing L.A. with a camera in tow, Lucas meets up with some of the city’s most notable restaurateurs, and gets an in-depth look at their careers, their lives and their cultures.  

Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award “Peter Luger Used to Sizzle. Now It Sputters.”; “The 20 Most Delicious Things at Mercado Little Spain”; “Benno, Proudly Out of Step With the Age,” Pete Wells, The New York Times

Taste Matters: Experiences as a Restaurant Critic: On a special episode of Taste Matters, host Mitchell Davis discusses taste with New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells, a man who holds one of the most influential and tastemaking positions in the food world. Find out what it means to be a restaurant critic in today’s modern age of dining and food media. Pete discusses the inherent challenges that come along with being a high profile critic; maintaining anonymity, staying objective and finding balance in criticism. Did you know in order for a restaurant to be considered for a starred review, the critic must dine there a minimum of three times? Learn more about everything that goes into the prestigious New York Times restaurant review and get an insiders perspective on the life of a food critic.  

Health and Wellness “How Washington Keeps America Sick and Fat”; “Meet the Silicon Valley Investor Who Wants Washington to Figure Out What You Should Eat,” Catherine Boudreau and Helena Bottemiller Evich, Politico

What Doesn’t Kill You: The Great Nutrient Collapse: Veteran agricultural reporter Helena Bottemiller Evich delves into an obscure but highly impactful aspect of climate change; the loss of nutrients from plant life. As temperatures rise, the nutritional content of the plants we eat including staples such as rice or wheat are declining in proteins and minerals. This could have devastating consequences for human health in future decades particularly as the planet continues to warm. Scientists are only now beginning to investigate this troubling trend, and certainly not fast enough to evolve new plant varieties in time to stave off the worst effects.  

Home Cooking “Fry Time,” Nancy Singleton Hachisu, Saveur

Speaking Broadly: Relationships and Recipes in Japan: The Secrets of Nuns, Grandmothers, and Countrymen: California-born Nancy Singleton Hachisu went to Japan in 1988 in search of sushi and stayed for love. Over these past three decades she’s become an expert in the cuisine of her adopted homeland. For her latest book, Japan: The Cookbook, Hachisu spent years cultivating relationships with those who understood the traditions of Japanese cooking, from nuns to grandmothers. Listen in to this episode of Speaking Broadly to hear entertaining stories about cross-cultural understanding, food, starting out as the “resident bride” in her in-laws house and more.  

Innovative Storytelling “Food and Loathing on the Campaign Trail,” Gary He, Matt Buchanan, and Meghan McCarron, Eater

Meat and Three: Democracy Sausage: A Sizzling Super Tuesday: This week on a special Super Tuesday-themed Meat and Three, we get ready for a big day at the polls by looking at the intersecting worlds of food and electoral politics. We’ll bring you everywhere from Australian voting booths with a special sizzle, to a diner in New Hampshire that regularly plays host to future presidents. Hear from Gary He in a story about candidates’ attempts to woo voters with food on the campaign trail.  

M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award “My Mother's Catfish Stew, ”John T. Edge, Oxford American

Inside Julia’s Kitchen: Meet John T. Edge: On the latest episode of Inside Julia’s Kitchen, host Todd Schulkin speaks with John T. Edge, delving into the uncomfortable but important history of Southern food as John T. discusses his latest book, The Potlikker Papers: A Food History of the Modern South and his column for the Oxford American 100th issue replete with video supported by the Foundation. John T. shares his #Juliamoment.  

Profile “The Provocations of Chef Tunde Wey,” Brett Martin, GQ Magazine

All in the Industry: Brett Martin, GQ; and Diella Allen, Food & Wine’s The Classic in Aspen: Host Shari Bayer is joined by Brett Martin, Food Critic and Correspondent for GQ magazine, who recently compiled GQ’s annual Best New Restaurants in America. Brett is the author of Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution, From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad (2014) and the forthcoming Fuck You, Eat This (Crown). He is a two-time James Beard Award winner and a six-time selectee of the annual Best Food Writing anthology.  

Emerging Voice Award L.A. Taco

A Taste of the Past: Gustavo Arellano & Taco History: This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio welcomes guest Gustavo Arellano [now editor at L.A. Taco] to discus the history of the taco. Gustavo is the author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America, an editor at OC weekly, and a contributing editor to the LA Times. Linda and Gustavo discuss the evolution of the meal we now know as the taco, and how the taco differs around the U.S.