NEW YORK (AP) — Dan Barber, a pioneer of the so-called farm-to-table restaurant movement, was named the nation’s top chef Monday by the James Beard Foundation.
Dan Barber was lauded for using his New York restaurants — Blue Hill New York and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills — to highlight the difference seasonal and sustainable agriculture can make on the plate.
Barber sees his cooking — which he calls American seasonal — as an effort to raise awareness about everyday food choices. At Stone Barns, which is set on a working farm, the menu is a simple list of fresh ingredients.
Barber, who was named one of the nation’s best new chefs in 2002 by Food & Wine magazine, previously was recognized by the Beard Foundation as the top New York chef in 2006. He also was a finalist for the top chef last year.
The James Beard awards are the Oscars of the food world, and honor those who follow in the footsteps of Beard, considered the dean of American cooking when he died in 1985.
Other winners include Michael Symon, owner of Cleveland’s Lola restaurant and a Food Network “Next Iron Chef” champion. He was named best chef in the Great Lakes region.
Barber’s award comes at a time when much is being made of the importance of reconnecting Americans with food at its source. For example, first lady Michelle Obama recently planted a vegetable garden at the White House, a move long sought by proponents of sustainable agriculture.
Michael Pollan, a vocal critic of conventional agriculture, got a similar nod from the foundation Monday. His “In Defense of Food,” an examination of the American diet and food system, won a Beard book award.
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s New York restaurant Jean Georges was honored as the nation’s top restaurant. The restaurant was a finalist in the category last year.
David Chang, who has received numerous accolades for his Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam Bar restaurants in New York, earned “Best New Restaurant” for his Ko, which has been celebrated for its tasting menu-only offerings. The foundation honored Chang as best New York chef last year.
The foundation’s award for rising star went to San Francisco chef Nate Appleman, whose restaurant A16 features the foods of Italy’s Campania region.
In the cookbook categories, Jennifer McLagan’s “Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient,” won two awards — cookbook of the year and single subject cookbook.
Last year’s top chef, Grant Achatz, won a book award this year for “Alinea,” a cookbook based on his Chicago restaurant of the same name. The book won the professional cooking category.
The organization’s Lifetime Achievement award went to Ella Brennan, whose family has been a virtual dynasty in the New Orleans restaurant scene for decades.
Food
Dan Barber named top chef in US at food ‘Oscars’
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Harvest food is just around the corner
The calendar says it’s almost autumn, and that means time for harvest festivals and good food.
The word is out — pumpkins may be scarce this year, so if you need pumpkin for that pie, buy now so you won’t be without when Halloween and Thanksgiving roll around. -
School ‘daze’
I can’t believe summer is over for thousands of kids. Now begins nights of homework, tests and maybe sports of some kind.
My grandson, Jeffrey, started school in Plano Monday and came home with homework in four subjects. I can’t ever remember having homework assigned on the very first day of school. Things have really changed. -
Pretty peachy in Parker County
As a cook, I look forward to certain times of the year. One is pecan time in Texas, and the other is Parker County peach season.
There is nothing any better on a summer day than a juicy, fresh peach. Peaches are versatile as well, and there are peach recipes that have been around for years. -
El Rey Taqueria — the small restaurant with big taste
At 1213 Fort Worth Highway, there is a little jewel of a restaurant. El Rey Taqueria has been open four months serving good homestyle Mexican food.
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Sis-boom-bah
I cannot believe June is almost gone and July is waiting in the wings. We are in he middle of a heat wave as far as I’m concerned. I love summer, but I don’t want the temperature to go above 90 degrees. Of course, Mother Nature doesn’t listen to me, and she gives us what she wants us to have.
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Summer’s bounty is here!
I love the months of June, July and August. School is out and I will get to see my grandkids who live in Plano more often. It’s also swim time at our place, cookouts, family get togethers and shopping for those lovely, luscious vegetables and fruits that are in the markets and stores.
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Brother Ed and Brother John
I’ve written many times about the fun I had whenever I got to be around my cousins in Comanche County. I always hoped we would go on a Friday evening. That way June, John, Claudia, Gary and I would have a chance to play all day Saturday. On Sunday more cousins would show up.
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Have we gone too far?
Late night TV is a vast wonderland for those of us who have trouble sleeping at night or choose to stay up late.
Last night I saw the ultimate, most useless item being hawked on one of the shopping networks. It was for an automobile automatic lap top computer. -
The best friend I ever had — May 11, 2011
As a child, I never knew the joy of having a dog. My mother didn’t think a dog should live in the city. I accepted her feelings, but when I had a family and my girls wanted a dog, they got a dog. Whiskey, a stray, was named by the family who first found her because of her color. When their son went away to college, they didn’t want to keep her, so we got her. She fit in just fine, and for 11 years she was a part of our family.
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Wow, what a week it was!
This past week, in my estimation, was momentous. First, the royal wedding of Kate and Wills (as he is known in England). It was a beautiful wedding with all the pomp and circumstance of royalty.
Wills and his brother Harry gave it a little comic relief. Harry was very cheeky as the English called him. Wills had a grin on his face as if he was enjoying himself. - More Food Headlines
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