Caleb Zigas of La Cocina, Ruth Reichl, and Alice Waters, at the Good Food Awards.

Ruth Reichl was standing in front of a gigantic American flag hanging like a banner along the wall of the Ferry Building on Friday, January 13th. It was a backdrop worthy of any Presidential hopeful stumping for votes in the heartland, but here, the stars and stripes were evoking not just Mom and apple pie but Mom's apple pie, and maybe great-granddaddy's moonshine, and now their kids' apple-whiskey chutney and curried cauliflower pickles. It was time to welcome the room of makers and media, gathered in San Francisco for the 2nd annual Good Food Awards, a celebration of the best of artisanal food production from coast to coast.

"Most of you are too young to have grown up in the white-bread world that I did," said Reichl. Every cheese was sliced and wrapped in plastic, all strawberries were huge and tasted like cotton. This changed, slowly, through the work of pioneers like Alice Waters, sitting off to one side of the podium, as well as dozens of other food pioneers. Reichl remembered the first time she walked into The Cheeseboard, in Berkeley and was handed a taste of Laura Chenel's Sonoma-made fresh goat cheese. Reichl lived on it all that summer, and knew that she had to meet the woman making something so new (to American tastes) and so delicious. Then there was "Artists of the Earth," an article she wrote for California magazine in the early 1980s, profiling nine men and women making a difference in the food world and beyond. "They are some of California's most valuable resources," she wrote then, "...perfectionists who work very hard not because they expect to get rich but simply because they expect to get the best."

Walking through Chino Ranch with Alice a few years later, she was amazed at the quality of produce surrounding them. Corn so sweet it needed no cooking. Strawberries so intensely fragrant that every fellow traveler on the small plane she and Alice were taking from San Diego to Oakland came up and begged for a berry off the flats they were carrying in their laps. "Every person said, 'I forgot strawberries could smell like that! Please, can I just have one?'" she recounted. "And I watched Alice give away that night's dessert for Chez Panisse, because how could she say no?"

"Back then, I never could have dreamed how huge the change was going to be. We now live in a country that has the best produce in the world...We are reclaiming our edible heritage. "Thank you for giving us the America we once dreamed we could have."

After this came the awards, 99 products in eight categories (coffee, chocolate, charcuterie, pickles, preserves, cheese, beer, spirits). There were no single winners; instead, each category had a fat handful of top picks, from seven coffee roasters to 14 preserve-makers. The winners, like food-world Olympians, got medallions stamped in the shape of the tools of their trade--a cleaver, a canning jar--strung on wide red-white-and-blue ribbons to hang around their necks.

It was hard not to feel a little hometown, homestate pride at the fine showing the Bay Area, and California, made in the final running. Two local beers made the cut, at opposite ends of the brewing spectrum: from San Leandro, Drake's Brewing Company's high-alcohol, rich-as-devil's-food Drakonic Imperial Stout, and from Petaluma, the Lagunitas Brewing Company's spritzy, grapefruity ale, dubbed A Lil' Sumpin' Sumpin'. In the coffee category, Equator Coffees from San Rafael won for its fair trade/organic Ethiopian Watadera beans.

In pickles, California snagged three of the 11 winning picks, including Farmhouse Culture's Smoked Jalapeno Sauerkraut, Emmy's Pickles and Jams' Turmeric Cauliflower, and the Devil Sauce made by Let's Be Frank, of grass-fed hot-dog truck fame. (And we'll give a California hug to OlyKraut, which was founded by Sash Sunday, a former San Franciscan who got into the kraut biz shortly after relocating to Olympia, WA. Plus, she makes nettle kraut!)

OlyKraut, from left: Sash Sunday, Alexia Crousnillon, Nate Massé (not pictured: Summer Bock)

We tied with New York in the cutthroat preserves category, winning for Artisan Preserves' Orange Honey Marmalade, Chez Pim's Blueberry-Golden Raspberry Preserves, and Wine Forest Wild Foods' Wild Elderberry Shrub.

Wylie Whiskey, from left: Matt Jones, Garrett Hale, Sarah Swearington.

It's a cascade of riches from our part of the Golden State: Costa Rican chocolate bars from Dandelion Chocolate in SF; white whiskey from Wylie Howell Spirits in Petaluma; Carmody (my favorite!) and whole-milk ricotta from Bellwether Farms in West Marin; yogurt cheese from Sonoma's St. Benoit, pork, rabbit, and duck terrine from Fatted Calf in SF and Napa; speck from Oakland wine bar/salumeria Adesso.

Dandelion Chocolate: Alice Nystrom, Todd Masonis

Come the next morning, many of the previous night's winners were out in force at the Good Food Awards Marketplace, a tasting/selling spread of tables organized by category set up under the archways of the Ferry Building. Reichl, who now runs the specialty food (and content) site Gilt Taste, was on hand with a keen appetite, even after a late-night dinner with Alice and friends at Locanda in the Mission. Already, she's tried the chilaquiles and shrimp ceviche at the Primavera market stand, and tells me, joyfully, of the "best breakfast sandwich" she's ever had, from 4505 Meats: a soft, buttery brioche bun piled with a maple-bacon sausage patty, an oozy-centered fried egg, and a frizz of snappy peppercress. Speaking of her talk the previous night, she laughed at the thought of trying to profile just eight makers now. "At the time, it was hard to find even eight people, enough to write about. I had to include a produce distributor, a guy who was raising pigs and lambs for Chez Panisse. Now, that would be ridiculous. You'd have to write an encyclopedia!"

If anything, she thinks we're underestimating the strength and staying power of the artisan movement. Already, the food makers' landscape has changed drastically in just the past five years. In the next five, ten years, what will it look like?

Kathryn Lukas of Farmhouse Culture

There's no doubt, though, that the movement is fostering ever-closer relationships between chefs, makers and farmers. These products, from basil vodka to sea-vegetable kraut, are only as good as their raw ingredients. Recounting a cabbage blight that decimated the California crop last year, Farmhouse Culture founder Kathryn Lukas quoted Let's Be Frank's Larry Bain, laughing, "It's hard when you're in business with God."

Preserves and Pickles -- Good Food Awards. Photo: James Collier

It's the second year for the Seedling Projects' Good Food Awards -- winners announced tonight at a gala at San Francisco's Ferry Building -- and BAB contributor Karen Solomon gives us an inside peek into the national food contest, which features sustainable foods made with real, authentic ingredients by local producers.

The concept behind the food competition is to highlight best in show in various edible categories from five regions of the country, this year prizes will go to makers of beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, coffee, pickles, preserves, and -- a new area -- spirits.

As was the case last year, many Bay Area food makers are in the finalists' circle, including Lagunitas Brewing Company (a lil' sumpin' sumpin'), Cafe Rouge (duck pate), Bellwether Farms (carmody and whole milk ricotta), Sightglass Coffee (Ethiopian shakiso), Emmy's Pickles & Jams (turmeric cauliflower), and Chez Pim (blueberry and golden raspberry jam).

Dozens of judges served as blind tasters; there were 926 entries from 46 states. Last year 71 producers won the honor of adding a Good Food Awards label to their products.

We spoke with Solomon, the author of Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It and Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It, about the awards.

What's your role with the Good Food Awards and why are you involved?

This year I was a committee member in the pickles category. We helped figure out the criteria for judging. Last year, the first of the awards, I was involved from the beginning with both the pickles and preserves committees. Additionally, I was a judge in the pickles category and a co-presenter for the awards in that area. For me, anything that spotlights the achievements of conscientious food artisans is a worthy cause. I like to see the little guy win big.

What kind of criteria are judges looking (and tasting) for in this contest?

When we judge pickles, we look for balanced, quality products that reflect their excellent ingredients. We want full flavor, but not too biting. We want a welcoming appearance. And for me personally, I want the integrity of the vegetables to be in tact. I hate mushy pickles!

There are a lot of Bay Area finalists again -- is that a reflection of this region as a mecca for food producers or the simple fact that the awards are based here?

I think it's a little of both. Since the event happens here, so locally we'll have the most fuel for the fire. And while the awards are spread over numerous divisions across the country, it's undeniable that a lot of great artisan food comes from here. The Bay Area has the right combination of interest, size, a year-round growing season, and affluence to support those undertaking artisan food.

How does a Good Food Awards winner label help food artisans?

I think it draws attention to a product on the shelf. It reflects the quality under the cap.

Slightly off topic question: Have you seen the Portlandia segment "We Can Pickle That!" and what do you make of it? Is it a cruel poke at a recently rediscovered Domestic Art, a bit of food-related fun, a sign that pickling is on its way to becoming a mainstream practice again, all of the above, or something else entirely?

I have mixed feelings about it. Of course it's funny and I'm a total sucker for such great humor. The clip and the website have been all over social media within canning circles, and most of us are laughing. Still, it stings a bit -- no hipster, no matter how aging one may be, wants to think he or she is a tired joke.

Details:

GOOD FOOD AWARDS RECEPTION

The Good Food Awards ceremony is tonight, Friday, January 13, at San Francisco’s Ferry Building. A limited number of tickets are available for Gilt City members. The catered reception will be hosted by Ruth Reichl.

Time: 8:00pm-10:00pm
Location: San Francisco Ferry Building
Price: $100
Tickets: Good Food Awards or Gilt City

GOOD FOOD AWARDS MARKETPLACE

On Saturday, January 14, there's an opportunity to taste the award-winning products by sustainable food producers from around the country, including Colorado cheesemakers, Utah chocolatiers, and Ohio picklers.

Time: 8:00am-2:00pm (8:00am-9:00am Exclusive Tasting)
Location: San Francisco Ferry Building
Tickets: Exclusive Tasting: $12 through Gilt City, General Admission: $5 at the door, Beer and Spirits Garden: $12 for 5 tastings, or Good Food Awards.

Ruth Reichl is one of the most influential names in food. Her storied career includes stints at the Los Angeles Times as a restaurant critic and food editor, as well as the restaurant critic for the New York Times. She is also the author of five bestselling books, the recipient of six James Beard Awards, and spent 10 years as the Editor-in-chief of the now defunct Gourmet magazine.

But as any resilient woman will tell you, when one door closes, a few other doors open. She’s now an editor-at-large for the mega-publisher, Random House, is currently writing three new books, and on April 6th, will make her debut as one of the new judges on Top Chef Masters.

She was kind enough to carve out some time to chat with me while on a recent trip to Palo Alto for a speaking engagement. I asked her about how life has changed since the closing of Gourmet magazine, how she feels about food bloggers, and what she really thinks about Ruth Bourdain.

ELAINE: What was life like after Gourmet magazine shut its doors?
RUTH: At first I thought, “Oh my God, I’ll never have another job!” and I immediately made a deal to write three books, which I’m working on, and that’s great. I’m finishing my first fiction novel, and I promised to write a cookbook and then a memoir about my time at Gourmet and its closing.

But then about eight months after the magazine closed, I was literally getting a job offer a day. The most interesting is one I can’t talk about. Let’s just say it’ll be the food magazine of my dreams. I’m very lucky. (NOTE: We know now that Ms. Reichl will be running the Gilt Groupe’s “Gilt Taste” website.)

ELAINE: And you’re going to be on Top Chef Masters! What made you want to take that offer?

RUTH: I just thought it would be fun! I was kind of curious about how reality shows worked and it seemed like a learning experience. But I had already agreed to be a fellow at Dartmouth, so I’m not in every single episode.

ELAINE: What was the experience like?

RUTH: Top Chef Masters was such a surprise. They could not have been more passionate and respectful of the chefs, judges, guests and I loved every minute of it. And they take it all very seriously. I thought the judges would surely have to lean on the producers to make the decisions about who gets cut, and the producer probably would’ve liked a different outcome in some cases, but I never heard it from them.

And Curtis Stone (the new host) is so good looking, you’d think he had to be an idiot. But he’s so smart and has a heart of gold. He’s honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. He insisted on cooking for the entire crew a multi-course meal after the show wrapped. He’s totally for real. I was so sorry when it was all over. It felt like family. You really get to know everyone. It’s very intimate.

ELAINE: What are your thoughts on the new Gourmet Live app for the iPad?

RUTH: …I’m not going to say. It is what it is.

ELAINE: What do you think about the new generation of food bloggers? Are they changing the landscape of food writing in general?

RUTH: A lot of them are really, really good. I think it’s changed for restaurant critiquing in particular. You can read 30 reviews and make up your mind yourself. A professional restaurant critic’s word shouldn’t matter that much. People should bring their own intelligence to it. What real criticism should do is give you a better way to appreciate food and give you the tools you need to enhance your experience, good or bad. And food bloggers have put the burden back on the professionals to be good educators and good writers, and maybe even be a little bit more humble about their own opinions.

ELAINE: You’re fairly active on Twitter. Why do you use it?

RUTH: I just don’t have time to keep up with so many blogs. But if someone I follow on Twitter tells me to read something on a blog, I will! I love the social and political aspects. There are people I don’t see much but I keep up with them on Twitter. And as a writer, I feel like there’s a voice that I didn’t know I had using Twitter. There’s a real discipline to putting something into 140 characters. I’m trying to actually make a word picture in 140 characters and it’s been really fun for me. It turns out to be a very natural voice for me.

ELAINE: What do you think of Ruth Bourdain getting nominated for a James Beard Award this year for Humor?

RUTH: I think it’s great! I agree with Tony Bourdain! If we can’t have fun with food, what are we gonna have fun with? I hope he/she wins so they’ll have to get up and accept the award!

But I actually think it’s a “he,” and I don’t think it’s any of the people that have been talked about. I think all the theories about who this person is are all wrong.

ELAINE: As a former Bay Area resident, what do you miss about the area?
RUTH: At the moment, if you go to the farmers market in New York there’s not much. In the Bay Area you’re spoiled with fresh produce year round. I really miss that. And there’s an incredible energy with farmers and food producers here. There’s a great artisan food community here that you don’t get anywhere else.

Yesterday on BAB we highlighted the year's food news in food safety, D.I.Y. food, food politics, school food, and street food.

The top ten for 2010 continues:

6. Food Security

Late in the year in a cover story on class Newsweek explored the growing gap between the haves and have nots on the food front. "The Dinner Divide" noted that we are a nation where Gourmet Ghettos and food deserts co-exist, often in close proximity in places like the Bay Area. The sad truth is that while many of us indulge our "passion" for local, organic chow, an increasingly larger group of Americans simply don't have access to enough healthy food to eat. Meanwhile, another European is attempting to help Americans in need feed themselves, namely Spanish native and James Beard Award-winning chef Jose Andres, who heads up the nonprofit DC Central Kitchen, which offers professional culinary training for formerly homeless, addicted, or imprisoned adults.

Local angle: Actor Dan Hoyle skewered, among other things, hipster San Franciscans obsession with pristine produce with a politically-correct pedigree in his solo show at The Marsh The Real Americans. Meanwhile, Phat Beets Produce, a volunteer-run collective, launched a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box, nicknamed the "Beet Box," in Oakland, to help under-supported small farmers and get produce to people who don't live near a farmers' market.

7. New York Food

Lest this list be accused of being too parochial, let's turn our attention to food news out of New York City this year. There was lots, much of it of a legislative nature. Depending on your perspective, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is either a crusader for the people's health or a publicly-funded no-fun-nik: The city took a stand on sodium, introduced letter grades to evaluate restaurant cleanliness, tried to prevent food stamps recipients from using benefits to sip soda, a controversial move (even among anti-hunger and public health advocates) and outlawed alcoholic energy drink Four Loko. Furthermore, a calorie count initiative in restaurants begun in the Big Apple went national on menus across the country this year.

There was fun stuff too: Hello Eataly, a high-end food emporium boasting all things Italian, launched late summer by the city's reigning food Mafia, covered in a photographic homage recently on Bay Area Bites by Megan Gordon.

Local angle: San Franciscans welcomed Manhattan transplant Anthony Mangieri and his much-lauded Una Pizza Napoletana to town.

8. Animal Food

Meat mattered this year. The culinary conversation among carnivores, omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans continued as people pondered whether they could morally eat sustainably, humanely-raised animals and wrestled with conflicted or confused feelings about carnal consumption. Now more than ever, how much and what kind of meat we eat reflects our ethics, environmental values, economic status, as well as class, culture, and convenience.

That said, butchers made a comeback, hosting cleaving parties from coast to coast. Meanwhile, the Meatless Monday campaign, which asks folks to forgo meat once a week for health and the environment, garnered the endorsement of celebrity chef Mario Batali, long-known for serving plates laden with animal protein.

And in books and online vegetarian gals chronicled their carnal adventures as they discovered the joys of the flesh.

Then, just as the year drew to a close, New York Magazine announced that vegetables are the new meat, despite significant evidence to the contrary. Make of that what you will.

Local angle: A queen of vegetarian cuisine, East Bay resident Mollie Katzen, came out with a cookbook that included meat dishes, a decision she found herself explaining in every interview about Get Cooking.

While across the bridge the butcher's shop in Bernal Heights Avedano's Holly Park Market, run by a gaggle of self-taught gals, typifies the new-style yet old-fashioned meat market, offering cleaving classes using traditional tools and selling only local, sustainable meats. And the Oakland Unified School District hopped on the Meatless Monday bandwagon.

9. Sweet Food

Now to dessert (with all due respect to the First Lady). Move over cupcakes macarons are the new trend treat.

The Wall Street Journal reported on French fretting that these formerly high-end confections (not to be confused with chewy coconut sweets with a similar spelling known as macaroons) are finding their way onto shelves at such mainstream American stores as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. The soft, sandwich-like cookie, which resembles a pastel-hued minature hamburger, has also been popping up in patisseries and restaurant menus around the country. Natch, the blogosphere weighed in, with negative reviews for the meringue-style pastries on offer at Starbucks, and an amusing update that cupcakes are the new macarons in Paris. Go figure. For you D.I.Y.ers: Pastry chef Hisako Ogita's I Love Macarons details how to make the crunchy and chewy morsels at home.

Local angle: These dainty nibbles can be found in Bay Area bakeries including Miette in the Ferry Building, Paulette in Hayes Valley, Pamplemousse in Redwood City, and Bouchon Bakery in Yountville.

Bay Area Bites blogger Stephanie Stiavetti sung the praises of these egg white, ground almonds, and sugar concoctions in a week's worth of recipe posts on her own blog.

10. Virtual Food

Social media and cyberspace continued to impact food consumption. As noted previously (see item #5 in Part One), Twitter + new wave food trucks = content consumers and cooks. Everyone seemed very app-y happy, with Mark Bittman, the Food Network, and even Gourmet (R.I.P.) embracing the new technology. Not all old-school media, though, marveled at the development. (Ruth Reichl, writing on Twitter, ironically, called the move a "pity.") Regardless, cooking, eating, and drinking apps found fans: There are apps for wine enthusiasts, environmentally-friendly eaters, and ethnic edible adventurers, among other food-focused iFinds. And, although some people doubted it would come to pass, cookbooks made the leap to ecookbooks in a big way in 2010.

Local angle: Budding Bay Area food businesses turned to social media to cash up their new edible enterprises. Examples include Awaken Cafe in Oakland, and an olive oil press and cheese-making venture that utilized Kickstarter to, well, kick start their companies in Berkeley. Early ecookbook adapters include Marin-based chef Eric Gower.

And over at 7x7 food editor Sara Deseran wondered out loud what a lot of local food writers have been thinking: With the explosion in new media -- think Yelpers, bloggers, and Tweeters -- is San Francisco suffering from a gluttony of information on all things edible?

What say you readers: Are there too many citizen scribes (not to mention a healthy helping of professional writers) weighing in on the minutia of every meal made in this city? Or does this town have an endless appetite for food news?

And that, folks, was the year in food.

collage by Wendy Goodfriend

The Twitterverse is getting all hot and bothered over the latest Ruth Bourdain stunt. Some are wondering: food blogger and celeb Pim, should you "watch your back"?... and if so, what does that mean in the online world? Ruth Bourdain--a widely followed (4,652 as of 3 p.m. PST on April 8) and mulled over Twitter account is a funny and glam parody combo of two famous personalities: the well respected food Editrix Ruth Reichl and Culinary Bad Boy Anthony Bourdain. This week, Ruth Bourdain's identity is under closer speculation after some online Twitter mudslinging with blogger Pim Techamuanvivit of Chez Pim fame. On Thursday, Raphael Brion reported on Eater that "After blogger Pim Techamuanvivit tweeted '@ruthbourdain was funny for about a day. No parody comes close to @restaurantgirl,' Ruth Bourdain dropped the hammer, tweeting: '@chezpim Don't mess with me. Watch your back. Seriously. Because I will kick your ass, cure it, slice it thin, and eat it with baguette.' "

To us, the Ruth Bourdain tweet sounds like it's an attempt at something straight out of a teenage horror flick. The intended target does not seem scared. Pim told Bay Area Bites, "I didn't reply anything back (to Ruth Bourdain's tweet). I got offline and didn't read it 'til later today… I think it's funny." Pim added, "I don't take it seriously at all. I know it's all an act. I am familiar with Internet trolls."

Officially, Reichl and Bourdain consider the Ruth Bourdain account to be something of a mystery just like the rest of us. Bourdain and Reichl speculated last month on the gender and identity of the Ruth Bourdain Twitter account on Bourdain's Turn and Burn SIRIUS radio program, that was co-hosted by Chef Eric Ripert. Bourdain said, "It is kind of genius. I love it. I'm a total addict. I'm hooked already and, frankly, flattered and disturbed in equal measure." Anthony Bourdain told Bay Area Bites over email on Thursday, "(I have) no idea who Ruth Bourdain is --though I really enjoy her work." Perhaps there's more to that comment? Is Bourdain calling the Twitter holder a female, or falling into using "her" because the name Ruth Bourdain sounds female?

Cynics may point to the fact that Ruth Reichl has a new book out this week, titled For You Mom, Finally. If Reichl knows or is a part of the Ruth Bourdain Twitter account act, this latest dust up can only be a boon for people thinking about her and perhaps wanting to buy the latest tome. Or, she may just be having fun reading and thinking about it like the rest of us.

Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine and former New York Times restaurant critic, joined Forum Tue, Sept. 29, 2009 to discuss her latest cookbook, "Gourmet Today: More than 1,000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen." Reichl has been honored with four James Beard Awards. Her other books include "Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way."

Host: Michael Krasny

Guest: Ruth Reichl, author, editor-in-chief of Gourmet Magazine and former New York Times restaurant critic

More info: About the book "Gourmet Today: More than 1,000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen." at Amazon.com

Explore and buy Ruth Reichl's books on Amazon.com

"Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way." at Amazon.com.
Listen to Ruth Reichl discuss this book on a previous Forum.

Follow Ruth Reichl on Twitter @ruthreichl
Follow Gourmet on Twitter @gourmet
Gourmet.com website

Listen Live to Ruth Reichl on KQED 88.5FM Mon, May 11, 2009 -- 10:00 AM.

Listen to the audio archive of Ruth Reichl on KQED's Forum.

Ruth Reichl
Ruth Reichl is best known for her work as editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine, but she's also a best selling author who tackles subjects outside the world of food. Her new book, "Not Becoming My Mother: And Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way" examines her mother's life as a woman in the early 20th century.

Host: Michael Krasny

Guest: Ruth Reichl, author, editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine, former restaurant critic for the New York Times and four-time James Beard Award winner

Explore and buy Ruth Reichl's books on amazon.com
Follow Ruth Reichl on Twitter @ruthreichl
Follow Gourmet on Twitter @gourmet
Gourmet.com website