Cookbook Awards 2

The Beard nominees were announced yesterday and I am very pleased to be included. My thoughts are the same as when the IACP nominees were announced in February. Also the same are the two other nominees for Single Subject cookbook. I always keep good company.

Cookbook Awards

I'm not sure how I feel about awards, but I know I love to be nominated and love it even more when I win. Single subject is always a tough category and this year I am shortlisted with my friend Molly Stevens and Yotam Ottolenghi who I don't know personally, but I do like his recipes. This is an interesting mix of cookbooksw All About Roasting: New Approach to a Classic Art, Odd Bits and Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes From London's Ottolenghi. Whoever wins, I think we are all winners if we have encouraged our readers to cook.

Odd Bits Dinner in Waterloo

Last night I was at Nick and Nat's Uptown 21 in Waterloo. I met Nick last year at Savour Stratford, when we were both judging the Best Chef competition. Nick asked if I would participate in a cookbook dinner at his restaurant sponsored by the local bookstore Wordsworth Books. I said yes,  Nick had told me he loved my Fat book, authors always fall for flattery. Also I love this type of event, the chef does all the work and I have time to meet people who like my books and I can continue my mission of convincing people to try odd bits. Nick made my food shine and alas my photography doesn't do it justice - I had a camera incident - my flash had a mind of its own deciding when it would and wouldn't work, but I've posted the snaps anyway.

Here and gone?

A photo of what I've been eating. No I haven' turned vegetarian it's just the salads look prettier than the grilled sausages.

This is hello and goodbye. The manuscript for my next book  ODDBITS went to the publisher this week and I leave for Australia on Saturday. I hope to post from down under and describe what I discover and even make use of my twitter account so watch this space. And anyone complaining about this hot humid summer remember that winter is just around the corner. Enjoy sweating while you can I'm off with my winter coat, long underwear and gloves to wintery Melbourne.
Au revoir et bientôt.