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IACP Cookbook Awards Name
The French Laundry Cookbook As Best Book of the Year

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 1, 2000) -- The recipients of the IACP Cookbook
Awards for the best books on food and beverages published during 1999 were
announced on Saturday, April 1 during the annual conference of the
International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in Providence.

An audience of more than 1,500 food professionals cheered the selection of
The French Laundry Cookbook as the Best Cookbook of the Year. The award was
presented to author chef Thomas Keller during the Academy Awards-style
ceremony. Awards were presented to the top books in each of 11 categories; a
complete list of winners is attached.

The Design Award, recognizing creativity and innovation in design, was also
given to Keller, publisher Artisan and Northern California design firm,
LEVEL. Susie Heller and Michael Ruhlman, who aided in the development of
this book, and photographer, Deborah Jones, were also recognized.

The French Laundry Cookbook features 150 recipes from chef Thomas Keller's
restaurant in Napa Valley. From innovative soup techniques, to the proper
way to cook green vegetables, to secrets of great fish, The French Laundry
Cookbook captures through recipes, essays, profiles, and photography, one of
America's most acclaimed restaurants and chefs.

The awards are sponsored by Bertolli Olive Oil, California Table Grapes,
Geyser Peak Vineyards, Gourmet magazine and KitchenAid.

Other book awards presented during the evening include the Jane Grigson
Award, honoring distinguished scholarship, which was given to David M.
Gitlitz and Linda K. Davidson for A Drizzle of Honey and to Alan Davidson
for The Oxford Companion to Food.
-more-

The Bert Greene Award for food journalism was presented in the newspaper
category to Janet Fletcher of the San Francisco Chronicle for her article,
"Allergic to Your Dinner? Food Sensitivities Can Make Dining Out a
Nightmare." Jeffrey L. Steingarten who is the food editor for Vogue
magazine, received top honors in the magazine category for his article, "Pig
Out."

This annual award was established in memory of the late Bert Greene,
nationally acclaimed cooking teacher, cookbook author and syndicated food
columnist, who was vice president/ president-elect of the IACP until his
death in 1988.

As the premier program for recognition of excellence in cookbook writing and
publishing, the IACP Cookbook Awards were judged by 33 respected food and
beverage writers, totally independent of each other and the IACP. Eligible
contenders for the awards included any cookbook published in English during
1999. More than 450 books were entered in the competition by publishers in
the United States, Canada, England and Australia.

These annual awards encourage and promote quality and creativity in both
writing and publishing, and at the same time, expand the public's awareness
of culinary literature. IACP assumed administrative responsibility for the
cookbook awards program in 1986 when the R.T. French Company ended its
support for the former Tastemaker Awards. IACP is dedicated to promoting the
highest level of culinary professionalism.

There are 4,000 IACP members worldwide, representing virtually every
profession in the culinary field. Literally a "who's who" of the food
profession, members are cooking teachers, food writers, chefs, caterers,
restaurateurs, TV cooking personalities, editors and publishers, marketing
professionals, vintners and leaders of major food corporations. This unique
diverse membership sets trends, shapes opinion, and influences buying habits
of millions of consumers.

# # #

International Association of Culinary Professionals

IACP Cookbook Award Winners
For Books Copyrighted and Published in 1999

American Category
Cookbooks that focus on ethnic, cultural or regional cooking in the United
States of America.

"American Home Cooking"
Author: Cheryl Alters Jamison & Bill Jamison
Publisher: Broadway Books
Editor: Harriet Bell; 212-782-9842
Contact: Tammy Blake; 212-782-8370
Price: $30.00

Bread, Other Baking and Sweets Category: KitchenAid Award
Cookbooks that focus on desserts, confections and sweets or savory pastries
or doughs.

"Simply Sensational Desserts"
Author: Francois Payard
Publisher: Broadway Books
Editor: Harriet Bell;212-782-9842
Contact: Tammy Blake; 212-782-8370
Price: $30.00

Chef and Restaurant Category: California Table Grape Association Award
Cookbooks by or about chefs, collections of recipes from chefs, or books
that focus on the cuisine of a specific restaurant.

"Chez Panisse Café Cookbook"
Author: Alice Waters
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Editor: Susan Friedland; 212-207-7697
Contact: Karole Riippa; 212-207-7570
Price: $34.00

First Book Category: The Julia Child Award

"The French Laundry Cookbook"
Author: Thomas Keller with Susie Heller and Michael Ruhlman
Publisher: Artisan
Editor: Ann Bramson & Deborah Weiss; 212-614-7510
Contact: Elizabeth Hermann; 212-614-7503
Price: $50.00

Food Reference/Technical Category
Reference books of culinary terms, histories, techniques, or ingredients.

"The Oxford Companion to Food"
Author: Alan Davidson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Editor: Steve Maikowski; 212-726-6116
Contact: Kathryn Hamilton; 212-726-6142
Price: $60.00

General Category
Multiple-subject books, all purpose cookbooks and personal recipe
collections.

"Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home"
Author: Julia Child & Jacques Pepin
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Editor: Judith Jones; 212-572-2121
Contact: Sarah Russo; 212-572-2299
Price: $40.00

Health and Special Diet Category: Bertolli Olive Oil Award
Cookbooks that focus on healthy eating, nutrition, dietary concerns and
special or restrictive diets.

"A Spoonful of Ginger"
Author: Nina Simonds
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Editor: Judith Jones; 212-572-2121
Contact: Sarah Russo; 212-572-2299
Price: $30.00

International Category
Cookbooks that focus on particular geographical regions or cultural
identities outside the United States of America.

"The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen"
Author: Grace Young
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Editor: Janice Easton; 212-698-7357
Contact: Mary Ellen Briggs; 212-698-7157
Price: $27.50

Literary Food Category: Gourmet Magazine Award
Non-fiction or fiction food and beverage books that are distinguished by the
quality of their prose.

"The Cook and the Gardener: A Year of Recipes and Writings
from the French Countryside"
Author: Amanda Hesser
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company
Editor: John Barstow; 802-388-2145
Contact: Louise Brockett; 212-790-4266
Price: $32.50

Single Subject Category
Cookbooks that focus on specific, cooking methods, techniques or appliances.

"Martha Stewart's Hors d'oeuvres Handbook"
Author: Martha Stewart with Susan Spungen
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Editor: Lauren Shakely & Kathleen Hachett; 212-572-6162
Contact: Leigh Anne Ambrosi; 212-572-2542
Price: $35.00

Wine, Beer or Spirits Category: Geyser Peak Winery Award
Books on the history, evaluation, or production of alcoholic beverages;
mixology; serving or pairing with food.

"Italian Wines 1998"
Editor: Daniele Cernilli and Carlo Petrini, eds
Publisher: Gambero Rosso, Inc.
Contact: Fabio Parasecoli; 212-253-5653
Price: $24.95