About the Tournament of Cookbooks

Inspired by The Morning News' Tournament of Books, we got together with our friend Charlotte Druckman and created the Tournament of Cookbooks. Here on food52, you can watch the action and weigh in on the results as the 16 most notable cookbooks of 2009 vie for the coveted Piglet trophy. The tournament features 17 top food writers and chefs as judges. Play will take place over the course of 4 weeks, with a decision published each weekday. The festivities will culminate in a celebratory event, open to the public, at Astor Center in New York City on November 9, 2009. For tickets, go here. The event will be sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

• View the Bracket
• View the Judges

Round 1

• My New Orleans vs Real Cajun
• Well-Preserved vs Babycakes
• Simple Fresh Southern vs Momofuku
• Canal House Cooking vs Salt to Taste
• Ratio vs Lobel's Meat Bible
• I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti vs The Sweet Life in Paris
• Seven Fires vs Serious Barbeque
• The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook vs Ad Hoc at Home

Round 2

• Well-Preserved vs I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
• Momofuku vs Real Cajun
• Ratio vs Seven Fires
• Canal House Cooking vs The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook

Round 3

• Real Cajun vs Well-Preserved
• Seven Fires vs Canal House Cooking

Wildcard Round*

• Momofuku vs Seven Fires
• Canal House Cooking vs Real Cajun

Final Round

• Canal House Cooking vs Seven Fires

*In the wildcard round, Charlotte, Amanda and Merrill add back two books that they think were eliminated too early.