Gourmet World Cookbook Awards 2011

The Gourmet World Cookbook Awards will take place in Paris at the Cookbook Fair from 3 - 6 March 2011. Thousands of cookbooks are published every year in France not all written by chefs or professional culinary bodies. An increasing number of cookbooks are now written by complete amatures who combine a love of great food with an interest in regional cuisine and travel generally. You don't have to be a qualified chef to be a great cook and a good writer could be hopeless in the kitchen. But when the two elements come together there is fusion which gives rise to some great culinary writing. I am thinking of authors like Kimberley Lovato with "Walnut Wine and Truffle Groves - Culinary Adventures in the Dordogne" or "So French" by Dany Chouet and Patricia Hobbs in Australia.

People used to learn to cook from their parents. The cooking school will always be the next best alternative to learn such skills today but there will always be a place for the good cookbook. One can become familiar with the methodology of the cuisine and the recipes can be a joy to follow particularly if you have the basic skills to manage the knowledge learned. Add a sense of humour and up to date travel information and you can have a great book. The first famous French cookbook was Le Guide Culinaire by Auguste Escoffier published in 1903. It is still the bible of French cuisine today. If you are planning to be in Paris for the bookfair in March, do look out for chefs including Alain Dutournier from Carré des Feuillants (http://www.carredesfeuillants.fr) and Alain Ducasse (http://www.alain-ducasse.com/fr) who are likely to be out and about. Or just browse the numerous book aisles and find yourself a real culinary bargain in the process.