The Piglet

UPDATE: Piglet Party Tonight!

by:
November 30, 2010

The Piglet

16 of the best cookbooks of 2010 have faced off in an NCAA-style bracketed tournament, and a winner will be crowned on food52 this Wednesday, December 1st -- but we're going to let the cat out of the bag at tonight's Piglet Party at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca in New York City.

Besides this sneak peek (and getting to hang out with A&M and the food52 gang), here are 5 reasons you don't want to miss the party:

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1) The delightful Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts playing emcee.

2) Frank Bruni hosting a lively panel on the topic of Food Porn (with the likes of Deb Perelman, Ben Leventhal and Frank Falcinelli weighing in). 

3) An eye-opening slideshow from the Editors of The New York Times on the history of said Food Porn. 

4) Beer, wine and a special Piglet cocktail. 

5) Snacks from some of our favorite New York vendors (including a pop-up cookie stand from Dorie Greenspan!).

Learn more about the The Piglet Party and get tickets here. And to review the past 16 days of heated decisions, peruse the judges & cookbooks below and see where the bracket stands here.

92Y Tribeca  Piglet

The Judges

Christine Muhlke, food editor of the New York Times Magazine
Ezra Klein, staff writer at The Washington Post
Chris Cosentino, chef at Incanto
Francis Lam, writer at Salon.com
Lockhart Steele, president of Curbed Network
Corby Kummer, editor of The Atlantic Food Channel
Aleksandra Crapanzano, screenwriter and food writer
Ree Drummond, creator of The Pioneer Woman
Peter Kaminsky, co-author of Seven Fires
Soraya Darabi, co-founder of Foodspotting
Todd Carmichael, CEO and co-founder of La Colombe Torrefaction
Deb Perelman, creator of Smitten Kitchen
Gabrielle Hamilton, chef/owner of Prune
Meg Hourihan, co-founder of Blogger
Susan Orlean, staff writer for The New Yorker
Michael Ruhlman, author of Ratio
Mario Batali, chef, cookbook author and founder of Eataly

 

The Books

  • Plenty
    Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and Jonathan Lovekin
  •  

  • Harvest to Heat
    Harvest to Heat by Darryl Estrine and Kelly Kochendorfer
  •  

  • The Vegetarian Option
    The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson
  •  

  • The Art of Eating In
    The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway
  •  


  • A Cook's Journey to Japan by Sarah Marx Feldner
  •  

  • Thai Street Food
    Thai Street Food by David Thompson
  •  

  • Around My French Table
    Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
  •  

  • Forgotten Skills of Cooking
    Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen
  •  

  • The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion
    The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank Castronovo and Peter Meehan
  •  

  • Urban Pantry
    Urban Pantry by Amy Pennington
  •  

  • Cook Italy
    Cook Italy by Katie Caldesi
  •  

  • Heart of the Artichoke
    Heart of the Artichoke and Other Kitchen Journeys by David Tanis
  •  

  • The Perfect Finish
    The Perfect Finish by Bill Yosses and Melissa Clark
  •  

  • Cakewalk: A Memoir
    Cakewalk: A Memoir by Kate Moses
  •  

  • My Sweet Mexico
    My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson
  •  

  • Good to the Grain
    Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce with Amy Scattergood
  •  

    GET THE LATEST

    The Piglet—inspired by The Morning News' Tournament of Books—is where the 16 most notable cookbooks of the year face off in a NCAA-style bracketed tournament. Watch the action and weigh in on the results!

    GET THE LATEST

    See what other Food52 readers are saying.

    • Kitchen Butterfly
      Kitchen Butterfly
    • dymnyno
      dymnyno
    • drbabs
      drbabs
    • mariaraynal
      mariaraynal
    • Kiss My Braciola Goodbye
      Kiss My Braciola Goodbye
    Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

    15 Comments

    Kitchen B. December 1, 2010
    Food52 keeps pushing the bar out for me - it just shows what can happen when you're passionate about something.....food is such a cool thing to love. Sigh. I wish I could come party too. Have fun
     
    dymnyno November 30, 2010
    Oh! I wish that I could be there! Great judges.. Great books..no losers!! (however, I am rooting for plenty)
     
    drbabs November 9, 2010
    Just got tickets!! See you at the party!
     
    mariaraynal November 8, 2010
    It's going to be a fun few weeks! Would love to jet in for the party. : )
     
    Kiss M. November 8, 2010
    Can't wait to get my "pig" on!
     
    Hilarybee November 8, 2010
    Love it! The judges...amazing. I'm a HUGE fan of Deb Perelman. As soon as I saw Ree Drumand was included, I thought that Deb HAD to be on the list. I love Dorie Greenspan's new cookbook. I hope it wins- though I'm curious about Good to the Grain, Cook Italy,and Urban Pantry as well.
     
    Stacey S. November 7, 2010
    I vote for PLENTY & I love Frankie's Handbook, it's a great read and the recipes are terrific.
    Looking forward to the event on 11/30! How exciting!
    Stacey Snacks
     
    kssny5 November 7, 2010
    When I first heard about Forgotten Skills of Cooking, I purchased it right away. While I haven't had time to cook from the recipes, it brought me right back instantly to my roots. Anyone who aspires to cook like their Grandma should have this cookbook. Now that I have just retired yesterday, you can believe I will be cooking from this book!
     
    Bruce November 7, 2010
    "Urban Pantry" hands down
     
    PaulaK November 7, 2010
    What a tough decision the judges will have to make! I lean toward Dorie Greenspan's book, but that may be because I have always infused a lot of fantasy in with her books. I always imagine, when I am following one of her recipes, that I am living in Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower out of my kitchen window, of course!
     
    MyCommunalTable November 7, 2010
    I do not know how one could choose from these fabulous looking cookbooks. I have a leaning towards savory themed cookbooks over dessert ones. Wishing I could go to the party, but what foodie likes to miss out on a party?
     
    Table9 November 5, 2010
    I agree with you mcs3000, each book is remarkable and unique...but as you I have my fave, I hope Cook Italy wins the prize!
     
    mcs3000 November 5, 2010
    Ditto @tiggybee. A+ list of judges and books. Each book is a winner, but I hope Good to the Grain goes all the way. Go Kim!
     
    eatboutique November 5, 2010
    I'm too excited for this. Look forward to the party!!
     
    TiggyBee November 5, 2010
    I so love food52! It's really just about the coolest thing ever.