The James Beard Foundation Book Awards were established in 1966 as the R.T. French Tastemaker Awards. When funding by R.T. French was discontinued, the awards were sponsored by a number of organizations until they found a home as part of the James Beard Foundation Awards in 1990. Winners are announced each May for original, English-language books on culinary topics published the previous year.

Entertaining 101 : Everything You Need to Know to Entertain With Style and Grace
by Linda West Eckhardt
Hardcover - 320 pages 1 Ed edition (November 1, 1997)
Doubleday; ISBN: 0385485425
Book Description:
Dinner parties are back. Cocktail parties are back. Cigars and martinis are back. Before you know it, even pillbox hats may be back! But some things have changed forever. There was a time when celebration meant days of planning, days of cooking, and days of recuperation. But no more! Today, the very thought of preparing one of those sumptuous multicourse extravaganzas has become no more than a fleeting nightmare.

Entertaining Light and Easy : Lower-Fat Recipes for Festive Meals - Winner!
by Laurie Burrows Grad
Hardcover - 384 pages (January 1998)
Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 068482714X
Synopsis:
From the author of "Make It Easy, Make It Light" comes a banquet of 175 recipes for luscious, lean fare that will royally entertain guests at holiday time and year-round--without pangs of guilt or expansion of waistlines National & local author publicity. National radio campaign.



How to Cook Everything : Simple Recipes for Great Food - Winner!
by Mark Bittman
Hardcover - 832 pages (September 1998)
Macmillan General Reference; ISBN: 0028610105
Review:
The New York Times Book Review, William Grimes
This is a cookbook whose pages are destined to become stuck together from constant use.



Jean-Georges : Cooking at Home With a Four-Star Chef - Winner!
by Jean Gorges-Vongerichten
Hardcover 1 Ed edition (September 8, 1998)
Broadway Books; ISBN: 076790155X
Book Description:
The cooking of Jean-Georges Vongerichten--sophisticated yet startlingly uncomplicated, hinting at French and Asian influences yet entirely original--has earned endless raves and accolades from every quarter. Why? Because Vongerichten has invented a culinary style that is highly creative and intensely flavorful but uses few ingredients and is remarkably simple.



Nathalie Dupree's Comfortable Entertaining : At Home With Ease and Grace - Winner!
by Nathalie Dupree
Hardcover - 336 pages (September 1998)
Viking Pr; ISBN: 0670878855
Synopsis:
Through 250 new recipes, much-loved cook and television personality Dupree gives readers permission--at long last--to entertain in a less-than-perfect world. Color photos.



Saveur Cooks Authentic American - Winner!
by The Editors of Saveur Magazine
Hardcover - 320 pages (November 1998)
Chronicle Books; ISBN: 0811821609
Review:
New York Times
"No matter what the recipes here may produce, the results appear irresistible in this pictorial celebration of American regional cooking. Even the macaroni and cheese made with good old Wisconsin cheddar, looks like a gourmet special."



Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread & Scuppernong Wine : The Folklore and Art of Southern Appalachian Cooking - Winner!
by Joseph Earl Dabney
Paperback - 336 pages (September 1998)
Cumberland House; ISBN: 1581820046
Synopsis:
A scrumptious slice of Smoky Mountain and Blue Ridge hill country folklore, handed down from Scotland, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, and the Cherokee Nation, this book covers the art, foods, blessings, and legends of the people of this fascinating region.

Clarke & Spurrier's Fine Wine Guide : Growers, Wines, Vintages - Winner!
by Oz Clarke & Steven Spurrier
Hardcover - 320 pages (October 1998)
Harcourt Brace; ISBN: 0151004129
Review:
San Jose Mercury News, November 4, 1998
"Here's yet another pocket wine guide, this one by two respected authorities. (Spurrier is the fellow who put together the Paris tasting of 1976 that was won by two Napa Valley wines, putting California wines on the world map.) The guide has A-to-Z listings of the best producers, divided by country - or in the case of France, by region - and offers detailed vintage information.



Exploring Wine: The Culinary Institute of America's Complete Guide to Wines of the World
by Steven Koplan, Brian H. Smith
Hardcover - 673 pages (July 1, 1998)
John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0471286265
Synopsis:
Designed for both serious and amateur wine buyers, as well as apsiring culinary professionals, this lively guide demystifies every aspect of wine. It explores wines, country-by-country, and provides excellent coverage on pairing food and wine, how to purchase, store, and serve wine. Also includes chapters on wine management, wine list development, and wine marketing. Illustrations throughout.


Wine Companion, 1999 : Australia & New Zealand
by James Halliday
Paperback - 496 pages (November 1998)
Harpercollins Australia; ISBN: 0732258529
Customer Comment:
This is a great book. Not only is it quite up-to-date (with tasting of recent vintages), it also covers the majority of the good-to excellent producers. It's written in a 'Parker'-style with many details of the individual wineries - and several of their different bottlings. A (vague) complaint is the absence of general vintage charts. Anyway... definitely recommendable !