16 of the best cookbooks of 2010 have faced off in an NCAA-style bracketed tournament, and a winner will be crowned on food52 this Wednesday, December 1st -- but we're going to let the cat out of the bag at tonight's Piglet Party at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca in New York City.
Besides this sneak peek (and getting to hang out with A&M and the food52 gang), here are 5 reasons you don't want to miss the party:
1) The delightful Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts playing emcee.
2) Frank Bruni hosting a lively panel on the topic of Food Porn (with the likes of Deb Perelman, Ben Leventhal and Frank Falcinelli weighing in).
3) An eye-opening slideshow from the Editors of The New York Times on the history of said Food Porn.
4) Beer, wine and a special Piglet cocktail.
5) Snacks from some of our favorite New York vendors (including a pop-up cookie stand from Dorie Greenspan!).
Learn more about the The Piglet Party and get tickets here. And to review the past 16 days of heated decisions, peruse the judges & cookbooks below and see where the bracket stands here.
The Judges
Christine Muhlke, food editor of the New York Times Magazine
Ezra Klein, staff writer at The Washington Post
Chris Cosentino, chef at Incanto
Francis Lam, writer at Salon.com
Lockhart Steele, president of Curbed Network
Corby Kummer, editor of The Atlantic Food Channel
Aleksandra Crapanzano, screenwriter and food writer
Ree Drummond, creator of The Pioneer Woman
Peter Kaminsky, co-author of Seven Fires
Soraya Darabi, co-founder of Foodspotting
Todd Carmichael, CEO and co-founder of La Colombe Torrefaction
Deb Perelman, creator of Smitten Kitchen
Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune
Meg Hourihan, co-founder of Blogger
Susan Orlean, staff writer for The New Yorker
Michael Ruhlman, author of Ratio
Mario Batali, chef, cookbook author and founder of Eataly
The Books
Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Jonathan Lovekin
Harvest to Heat by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer
The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson
The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway
A Cook's Journey to Japan by Sarah Marx Feldner
Thai Street Food by David Thompson
Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen
The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo and Peter Meehan
Urban Pantry by Amy Pennington
Cook Italy by Katie Caldesi
Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis
The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark
Cakewalk: A Memoir by Kate Moses
My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson
Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce with Amy Scattergood
15 Comments on UPDATE: Piglet Party Tonight!:
Food52 keeps pushing the bar out for me - it just shows what can happen when you're passionate about something.....food is such a cool thing to love. Sigh. I wish I could come party too. Have fun
Oh! I wish that I could be there! Great judges.. Great books..no losers!! (however, I am rooting for plenty)
Just got tickets!! See you at the party!
It's going to be a fun few weeks! Would love to jet in for the party. : )
Can't wait to get my "pig" on!
Love it! The judges...amazing. I'm a HUGE fan of Deb Perelman. As soon as I saw Ree Drumand was included, I thought that Deb HAD to be on the list. I love Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook. I hope it wins- though I'm curious about Good to the Grain, Cook Italy,and Urban Pantry as well.
I vote for PLENTY & I love Frankie's Handbook, it's a great read and the recipes are terrific.
Looking forward to the event on 11/30! How exciting!
Stacey Snacks
When I first heard about Forgotten Skills of Cooking, I purchased it right away. While I haven't had time to cook from the recipes, it brought me right back instantly to my roots. Anyone who aspires to cook like their Grandma should have this cookbook. Now that I have just retired yesterday, you can believe I will be cooking from this book!
"Urban Pantry" hands down
What a tough decision the judges will have to make! I lean toward Dorie Greenspan's book, but that may be because I have always infused a lot of fantasy in with her books. I always imagine, when I am following one of her recipes, that I am living in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower out of my kitchen window, of course!
I do not know how one could choose from these fabulous looking cookbooks. I have a leaning towards savory themed cookbooks over dessert ones. Wishing I could go to the party, but what foodie likes to miss out on a party?
I agree with you mcs3000, each book is remarkable and unique...but as you I have my fave, I hope Cook Italy wins the prize!
Ditto @tiggybee. A+ list of judges and books. Each book is a winner, but I hope Good to the Grain goes all the way. Go Kim!
I'm too excited for this. Look forward to the party!!
I so love food52! It's really just about the coolest thing ever.
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