Two Things about The James Beard Awards
red carpet glam + the state of the culinary industry
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Dear Not So Secret Agent readers,
Two things can be true at once.
I often find comfort in this mantra when I am experiencing life’s experiential disassociation. Like when my stomach turns with equal parts pride and fear as I watch Maybelline speed off on her bike. Or when the world is at war and I am sitting at my computer negotiating cookbook deals.
Last week, I flew to Chicago for the four days of high glam and celebration that were The James Beard Awards. I got to be fancy and stay up late (the after-afterparty scene is real, people).
After I returned home (to my own pillows and my best gal!), I had a funny introspective moment that often happens when the whiplash of life hits. I walked down the street to our local hardware store just as our local bike shop owner (shout out to Jay!) walked by and complimented me on what looked like a super fun and fancy time in Chicago. It genuinely took me a minute to realize what he was talking about as he remarked on the joy he saw in my IG pictures. I smiled and thanked him, but I couldn’t help but laugh. I was in full homeowner mode, lugging around insect infestation spray and garden stakes while just 48 hours earlier I had been getting my hair blown out in preparation for the red carpet.
Two things can be true at once.
1) I’m work/NSSA/James Beard Sally
2) I’m Mama Sally
I am both of these Sallys, and I bet you are more than just one thing too.
The James Beard Foundation awards weekend was spectacular. The JBF awards are often referred to as “the Oscars of food.” It certainly felt that way as I got to attend the media awards on Saturday and the chef awards the following Monday.
I got glammed up and I brushed elbows with some major players in the writing and culinary landscape. It felt like everyone I met was the literal best of the best, at the very top of their craft. There were journalists making waves in food advocacy, chefs landing their third Michelin star, and authors changing the landscape of our bookshelves for eternity.
I got so many compliments on my dress (thank you btw!) that I started to feel inauthentic: I’m a person who mostly wears leggings and her Everything Cookbooks t-shirt to close book deals. Thank goodness for dress rentals, amIright?!
Was it fun?! ABSOLUTELY. Was it exhausting? 100%. I have no idea how celebrity chefs attend event after event, always being “on” and somehow changing from chef whites to heels and back again and again.
***Not So Secret Side Note: Shout out to the Capital One Lounge for having a literal “shoe check” where you could trade in your heels for flip flops! Had I actually worn heels (ha, that Sally was retired in her 20’s!), I would have absolutely done that.***
I urge you to head over to the list of nominees and winners for all the media, impact, and chef awards if you want a snapshot of what is being recognized across our industry.
Is this an all-encompassing list of what’s happening across food and culinary media? Of course not. That’s impossible. Is this a deserving and diverse cohort of winners whose work is breaking new ground? Absolutely.
Two things can be true at once.
Below is a short list of Not So Secret Agent observations that I hope offer a bit of insight into the state of the culinary industry.
None of these should be surprising, but their recognition and impact still feels important to acknowledge.
Though publishers are historically/generally reluctant to publish a cookbook with an illustrated cover, it is happening and it’s winning awards.
Cuisines or countries that publishers once deemed “too niche” for a cookbook are winning awards.
Mediums beyond books are major players in the food media landscape.
Visual storytelling, such as video or photography, is very dynamic and it’s often times an important complement to print.
Exceptional recipe development and testing matters. Conversely, sloppy recipe development and testing still gets negative attention.
Self-publishing can be a successful and viable option for authors.
Rogue guerrilla marketing stands out.
Fine dining can be approachable and excellent at the same time.
Though it’s nice to be celebrated, authors aren’t motivated by awards. They’re driven to produce trailblazing work.
Global, diverse, and marginalized voices are the majority.
Conflict fuels compassion and community.
Fresh voices matter and immigrants help feed this country, across this Native land.
To sum it up: If the James Beard awards weekend is a microcosm of where our community is at, it means that our industry is comprised of hardworking, diverse, and complex individuals with rich stories and incredible talent.
Readers, you mean the world to me, and I’ve become passionate about sharing a window into the many roles I occupy. My aim is to offer tangible industry tidbits that help you with whatever you may be working on in this moment.
As such, I hope you will consider becoming a paid subscriber to this corner of Substack.
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Upcoming Not So Secret Agent Paid Reader programming:
What: Recipe AMA and Offer & Ask Session
When: July 30th from 1-2:30ET
Where: on Zoom
Who: special guest Afton Cyrus and yours truly
Did you know I can look at a recipe and, 9 times out of 10, instantly know if it will work? Same goes for the editors I sell book proposals to. Did you know that if you don’t write all your recipes in a consistent format I will likely pass on your proposal? There is so much more to recipe writing than jotting down your ingredients and method!
On July 30th from 1-2:30ET, join me and Afton Cyrus, a freelance food editor and recipe developer, for an essential AMA session all about recipe development and testing (which are not the same thing!) exclusively for paid NSSA subscribers.
Afton Cyrus is a freelance food editor and recipe developer based in coastal Maine. Afton began her food writing career at America's Test Kitchen, where she developed and edited recipe content for nearly two dozen cookbooks, including many which became New York Times bestsellers and received multiple IACP awards. She has since gone on to work on cookbooks for Ten Speed Press and Rebel Girls, and her food writing and recipes appear online for Serious Eats, The Kitchn, and King Arthur Baking Company. Today, she is a recipe editor for Simply Recipes and a food blogger at The Reader’s Kitchen, where she specializes in creating inventive and engaging recipe content for kids and book lovers of all ages.
This session is for paying readers only. You will be sent Zoom info the week of June 28th. Want to join? Upgrade your subscription HERE.
Much like the last gathering, our first hour will be reserved for questions and information sharing. Then our final 30 mins will be an OFFER & ASK networking session facilitated by yours truly. The Offer & Ask is not recipe specific, which means anyone who wants to network should attend!
Want to join? Upgrade your subscription HERE.
And remember, you can be great at recipe writing and still attend the NSSA zoom session. The goal is to gather in community and learn, network, and support one another in all that we are.
I hope you join the Zoom and share a bit about the many wonderful things that make you who you are!
After all, while I am your Not So Secret Agent, I am also vacuuming sun-faded crunched-to-dust goldfish out of my backseat.
Two things can be true at once.
~Sally~
I feel like each one of these observations could be its own newsletter topic! Thank you for bringing us to the Awards in spirit, if not in person.
Sally, I love how you thread together the red carpet and the garden stakes. What a vivid reminder that we’re all juggling many selves!
As someone navigating both the literary and literal kitchen while raising a family, it’s grounding to hear an agent speak with such transparency and warmth about this industry and its shifting pulse.
It’s heartening to come across a voice that holds space for grit, grace, and everything in between. Now we see the whole Sally: heels, hardware store, and all.
Thank you for that. 💛🌴