"james beard awards" news and stories

• You know you've done it -- buying beer solely for the label. Beer makers design their labels with that in mind.
• And as long as we're talking about beer, want some beer candy? The dessert tray is growing a beer belly.
• Caffe Roma, like other Beverly Hills residents, recently had a face lift -- but the menu didn't.
• Looking for Creole cooking? Bayou Grille in Inglewood has your back. (The po' boy is "nothing short of magnifique.")
• When the James Beard nominations were announced, L.A. got the cold shoulder.

The nation's top chefs and restaurants nominated for the highly coveted James Beard Foundation food and restaurant prizes were announced Monday.

There were five nominees in for the top chef prize, ABC News reported. Nominated this year are: Tom Colicchio of Craft in New York City, Gary Danko of San Francisco's Restaurant Gary Danko, Suzanne Goin of Lucques in Los Angeles, Jose Andres of Minibar in Washington, D.C. and Charles Phan of The Slanted Door in San Francisco.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Baked Alaska isn't as fancy-pants as it might seem, even though it's being served at the Governors Ball.
• Marcela Valladolid, star of the Food Network's Mexican Made Easy, wants you to give chilaquiles a screen test.
• Wolfgang, Alton and Lidia are tapped to host the culinary Oscars.
• What is your headlining cooking oil?
• Do you have a D-list herb?
• The home-cooking big wigs at "America's Test Kitchen" get set to release a video-game adaptation.
• The sidecar is a sparkling marquee cocktail.

A few of the best links on the Web this week:

• Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain got themselves a radio show on Martha's Sirius channel, and it sizzles.
• Are you anxious about how much to tip the pizza guy when he rings your bell? Check out this guide.
• From the people that bring you the Food Network, another 24-hour food TV channel is on its way.
• The many wonderful uses for humble coffee filters.
• The James Beard Award semifinalists were announced. Is your favorite chef or restaurant among them?

Got a spare hundred bucks on hand, a delicious dream in your heart and a keyboard at your fingertips? Then hie thee to jamesbeard.org and download entry forms for the 2010 James Beard Foundation's Book, Journalism, Broadcast Media and Design Awards.

Veteran entrants of the Journalism Awards will note that there are a few alterations from previous ballots (full disclosure -- I'm the vice chair of the committee that oversees the Journalism Awards), namely that the Restaurant Review award has been redubbed the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award, the former Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes and With Recipes categories have been combined into single category, and there's no requirement for the Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer, Food-related Columns, or Reporting on Health, Environment and Nutrition entrants to have ever appeared in print. Online's just fine.

Why the changes? Funny thing - we cracked a window in the Beard House's Peter Kump Boardroom during our last meeting and noticed it was 2009 outside. Oops.

Restaurant devotees also may submit their favorite chefs and restaurant for inclusion in the James Beard Restaurant Awards via a handy online form at jamesbeard.starchefs.com.

[Via: jamesbeard.org]