In 1935, Brennan was born into a family of the British Raj in India. Her mother and her maternal grandmother were born in Calcutta. Her father was posted on the Northwest frontier at the time of  her birth.  She was raised in the Punjab and Mysore.

As an adult, Brennan lived all over the world.

Creative in earning a living, she played “host to the Beatles during their trip to Hong Kong.”

She also taught Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine at her Los Angeles cooking school, The Asian Experience. Her weekly column on Asian food and cooking appeared in Los Angeles Herald Examiner for about five years. She also contributed to various food magazines and  co-owned Curries and Bugles, a British Raj restaurant, in San Diego.

Her cookbooks:

• The Original Thai Cookbook. 1981.
• The Cuisines of Asia. 1984.
• One-Dish Meals of Asia. 1985.
• Curries and Bugles: A Memoir & Cookbook of the British Raj. 1990.
• Tradewinds And Coconuts: A Reminiscence And Recipes From The Pacific Islands. 2000.

The IACP chose Brennan’s extraordinary cookbook-memoir, Curries and Bugles, as ‘Best Book in Literary Food Writing’ for 1990.’ In the book, Brennan superimposed her Indian childhood against the historical backdrop of the British Raj with photographs, drawings, recipes and memories of hers own; interjecting quotes from the literary British Raj, and excerpts/recipes from culinary texts of the time.

40 Years of Chez Panisse : The Power of Gathering by Alice Waters and Friends, an album that chronicles the life of Chez Panisse from germination to the maturity with “archival material and photographs—menus; invitations; pictures of Alice at the restaurant and around the world, with those who have passed through her life—and interviews from public figures and cooks who have been inspired by or mentored at the restaurant.”

The “30 Minutes” part provoked some controversy on the other side of pond.

I suspect the change in title came about because advanced British cooks claimed it took up to 90 minutes to prepare some of the book’s featured dishes.

A Covert Affair

Jennet Conant has written extensively on World War II and the intelligence community in her previous books:  The Irregulars: Roald Dahl and the British Spy Ring in Wartime Washington; Tuxedo Park: A Wall Street Tycoon and the Secret Palace of Science That Changed the Course of World War II; and 109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos. Her articles have appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ, Newsweek, and The New York Times.

Read this informative piece regarding the author and A Covert Affair at the History News Network.


 

Dorie Greenspan’s Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours, received the the award for General Cookbook as well as the Book Of The Year Award.

In honor of IACP’s 25th anniversary, the Culinary Classics award was created to recognize works that have altered the way food is thought about and contributed in a meaningful way to the field of culinary literature.

The five inaugural Culinary Classics recipients are:

A Book of Mediterranean Food
Elizabeth David

On Food & Cooking
Harold McGee

The Classic Italian Cook Book
Marcella Hazan

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (2 volumes)
Julia Child, Simone Beck, Louisette Bertholle

Joy of Cooking (1975 edition)
Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker

Here are the rest of the 2011 winners:

American
The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern
Matt Lee, Ted Lee

Baking: Savory or Sweet
Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies
Alice Medrich

Culinary History
Culinary Ephemera: An Illustrated History
William Woys Weaver

Compilations
The Essential New York Times Cookbook
Amanda Hesser

Chefs and Restaurants
Flying Pans: Two Chefs, One World
Bernard Guillas, Ron Oliver

Children, Youth and Family
Sara Moulton’s Everyday Family Dinners
Sara Moulton

First Book
Fried Chicken & Champagne: A Romp Through the Kitchen at Pomegranate Bistro
Lisa Dupar

Food Matters: TIE
American Wasteland
Jonathan Bloom

Good Meat
Deborah Krasner

Food Photography and Styling
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine
René Redzepi

General
Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes From My Home To Yours
Dorie Greenspan

Health and Special Diet
Essentials of Nutrition for Chefs
Catharine Powers, Mary Abbott Hess

International
The Country Cooking of Ireland
Coleman Andrews

Literary Food Writing
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child & Avis DeVoto
Joan Reardon

Professional Kitchens
Wedding Cake Art and Design: A Professional Approach
Toba Garrett

Food and Beverage Reference/Technical
Food Styling: The Art of Preparing Food for the Camera
Delores Custer

Single Subject
Meat: A Kitchen Education
James Peterson

Wine, Beer or Spirits
Asian Palate
Jeannie Cho Lee

Design
Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine
René Redzepi

Jane Grigson Award TIE
Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares: The Love, Lore, and Mystique of Mushrooms
Greg Marley

What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets
Peter Menzel, Faith D’Aluisio

People’s Choice
Flying Pans: Two Chefs, One World
Bernard Guillas, Ron Oliver

Book of the Year

Bert Greene Award

Culinary Writing about Beer, Wine, and/or Spirits
Drinking in Islamabad
Lawrence Osborne
Playboy Magazine

Blog
Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Hank Shaw
www.honest-food.net

Culinary Writing That Makes a Difference
The Future of Milk
David Goodman
EatingWell

Culinary Writing: Restaurant and/or Chef with or without Recipes
Spirit of the Bistro
Alexander Lobrano
SAVEUR Magazine

Culinary Writing with Recipes
Roots of the Deli
David Sax
SAVEUR Magazine

Culinary Writing without Recipes
Grecian Formula
Alan Richman
enRoute

Photography and Food Styling Contest Winners

Best in Show
Supper Club
Jody Horton

People’s Choice
Supper Club
Jody Horton

Awards of Excellence

Avocational Cooking School of the Year
Tim Donnely
Corporate Chef, Publix Aprons Cooking Schools

Consumer Educational and Communication Materials of the Year
Wendy Brannon
Executive Director, Vidalia Onion Committee
Ogres and Onions: Shrek Forever After, Vidalias Forever Sweet!

Corporate Marketing Campaign of the Year
Kyle Rosenbaum
Account Executive, Lewis & Neale
Launch of Celery Sensations’ Red Celery

Culinary Tour Operator of the Year
Judith Von Prockl
Founder/Managing Editor, Gourmet on Tour

Entrepreneur or Business Person of the Year
Rick Smilow
President/CEO, Institute of Culinary Education

Marketing Communicator of the Year
Wendy Brannon
Executive Director, Vidalia Onion Committee

Wine Steward or Sommelier of the Year
Albert Schmid
Professor/Chair, Beverage Management, Hotel-Restaurant Management & Hospitality Management, Sullivan University’s National Center for Hospitality Studies

Special Recognition Award Recipients

Humanitarian Award
Michel Nischan
Chef/Owner, Dressing Room: A Homegrown Restaurant/President and CEO, Wholesome Wave Foundation

Lifetime Achievement Award
Martin Yan
Master Chef and Television Host, Yan Can Cook

Volunteer of the Year Award
Carla Snyder
Writer, Cookbook Author, Culinary Instructor

Community Service Award
Carol Ann Sayle and Larry Butler, Boggy Creek Farm