The Food52 Piglet Party

The day we were all waiting for finally came: the day of the final Piglet judgment! For weeks, we have woken up with just one thought on our minds: what will today's judge decide? We started with sixteen cookbooks, and although we enjoyed and appreciated each and every one -- along with a slew of Community Picks -- there can only be one winner. 

Last night, we threw a party to announce who'd be taking home this year's trophy, and to celebrate the cookbooks we cherished in the past year. The cider was flowing, the caramels were aplenty, and -- because the Piglet party wouldn't have it any other way -- we snacked on porchetta all night long. If you weren't able to join us last night, join us now! This is how it went down. 

 
Thanks to Strongbow, not a soul went thirsty last night. On the right, the lovely people of Terrain rolled Smitten Kitchen's Apple Cider Caramels in anticipation of the crowds. 

 
Our Piglet party planner extraordinaire, Gheanna, sipped juice (or is it a pre-party cocktail?) before the big show, and hung our welcome poster neatly by the door. 

 
Sara Jenkins and the Porchetta team got busy serving up tiny versions of their signature sandwiches, while Little Flower Candy Co. sent some sweet treats all the way from California. (Can you guess what the flavors of these marshmallows are?) 

  
One of our first stops was Cup & Compass, who poured Lemon Berry Sangria, and Rosemary Lime Juice. Then: as many mini-pot pies as we could appropriately take in one pass of Terrain's table, and some more caramels for good measure. 

 
This guy with his ham leg! Here's Raul Martin of Fermin USA, in action carving a whole Ibérico leg. The Redhead team is in the background, taking a break from serving gumbo. (If they weren't, they should probably be discussing how amazing they are for surprising us with a pre-party coffee run.) For a little sweet to match the salty, we had Liddabit's butterscotch pudding with bacon(!) caramel(!) corn(!). 

 
Here's a look at the full, happy crowds -- and to the right is Poseman Books, who were on call to meet all of our Piglet book needs. 

One of the biggest takeaways of the night (other than the winner, of course): our MC Adam Sachs is hilarious. There he is, flanked by Merrill, Amanda, and their Piglet co-conspirator Charlotte Druckman.

A Girl and Her Pig editor Libby Edelson and writer J.J. Goode, posing with the well-earned trophy. 

 
We saved the best for last -- after we drank our last glass of wine (a boisterous thank you to Lafite) and cleaned up, we turned our attention to the bracket. With the winner of the tournament sharpied in, it was time to roll it up for another year. 

Thanks so much to all of our sponsors, our guests, and everyone who had a part in the Piglet this year! Our beloved tournament would be nowhere without you. Until next year!