The 2009 James Beard Award winners were announced recently, and the Cookbook of the Year is unusual, to say the least. Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes won the grand prize. Two of the book’s blurbs sum up its appeal nicely:

• “An unapologetic celebration of its title ingredient and a compelling argument that explains not only why fat is a fundamental flavor but also fundamental to our health.”–salon.com
• “Fat isn’t simply a cookbook: it’s a celebration of the ingredient that makes everything we eat taste better.”–Fine Cooking

You can bet we’ll be getting copies in soon.–David E