ACADEMY SCHMADEMY. Between all the buildup, the actual event itself, and the approaching week’s debates over who got cheated, who looked classy or trashy, and so forth . . . I’m glad Oscars season is over till next year. If I have to weigh in, I’ll say brava to Mo’Nique and Sandra (though the foodie in me kind of hoped her “lover” would win!); will admit that, no, I still haven’t seen The Hurt Locker or Avatar; and I will continue to insist it’s a shame Jane Campion and her cast and crew were not in the running for more awards for Bright Star, the film about the life, work, and love of poet John Keats.

But now that we’re bereft of the Oscars, we’re left with the ever-pressing question: where will we get our dose of competition and suspense?

It’s true there’s March Madness for basketball fans, but I’d like to call your attention to another awards race—one that’s infinitely tastier than the rest: the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Awards. It’s also slightly more democratic than the Academy, since you get to play a role in determining one of the awards (yes, this is a call to action; see more on the “People’s Choice Cookbook Award” below).

The Cookbook Awards are the Oscars of culinary publishing; winners will be announced on April 22. Though we won’t have the red carpet dissection of bad outfits and celebrity gossip to view on television, the results of the ceremony will be no less exciting. Plus, I don’t know what you thought of the Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin team, but I’m sure they’ll have nothing on this year’s IACP emcees: Ruth Reichl, author and former editor of Gourmet, and Kim Severson, food writer for the New York Times.

Reichl and Severson have sixteen award categories to present, plus special recognition awards. I’ll be paying particular attention to the categories of “Literary Food Writing,” “Chefs and Restaurants,” and “First Book: Julia Child Award.” Forget the Best Film battle; that’s yesterday’s news. What about veteran food writer and former New York Times critic William Grimes, nominated for Appetite City: A Culinary History of New York, up against David Lebovitz for The Sweet Life in Paris? A great transatlantic dust-up. As far as Chefs/Restaurants go, I’m all in for Michael Psilakis’s How to Roast a Lamb (are you surprised?).

The “First Book: Julia Child Award” category is interesting this year in that the contenders all represent Spanish- or Portuguese-language cuisines: Seasonal Spanish Food by Jose Pizarro, The Brazilian Table by Yara Castro Roberts and Richard Roberts, and The New Portuguese Table by David Leite. I confess to a bias, but I must tell you that I purchased my copy of The New Portuguese Table before I became a recipe tester with Leite’s Culinaria, and I cook from this book almost weekly, without obligation. The recipes are easy to follow and beautifully photographed; the writing includes rich contextual information, but is also clever, snappy, and entertaining—even in the method steps. As a further measure of success, the book makes this foreign cuisine completely accessible to the home cook who’s never tried it before. I know, because I was one of those cooks. Couldn’t tell you Caldo Verde (Portuguese soup) from the Verde River Canyon (in Central Arizona). But now I can tell you firsthand about lots of really sensational dishes that David Leite has made his own within the culinary traditions of Portugal. His book is certainly deserving of your People’s Choice vote.

The People’s Choice Cookbook Award: VOTE NOW!

This year, for the first time, the IACP has opened up voting to the public by creating a People’s Choice Cookbook Award that cuts across all categories. You don’t have to be an IACP member or register with personal information to participate. All you have to do is click here to vote on the IACP site. One vote per person is allowed. The voting deadline is April 5.

If you don’t want to vote, that’s your business, of course. I’ve always said, however, that if you have the right to vote, you should exercise it. Too many people are deprived a voice, so use yours to speak up whenever you can. I tell you, I much prefer clicking through some web pages and casting a vote for a cookbook; it beats staring in mute frustration (though no one asked your opinion anyway) as the Academy yet again runs afoul of whatever cinematic values or preferences you happen to have.

Voting and awards aside, consider finally that you should really skip over to the IACP site and check out the list of nominees for this reason: It’s a great way to see what’s out there, and unlike sifting randomly through bookstore shelves or Amazon reviews, you already know that these books have garnered industry approval for their integrity, usefulness, creativity and/or beauty. Certainly for deliciousness. Among them, you’re sure to discover some new titles for your kitchen shelf or hit upon the perfect gift for that special culinary someone.

So I leave you with this, your chance to peek into the realm of cookbook publishing and industry accolades. It may not be Hollywood, but trust me—that’s a good thing. Happy reading, happy cooking, and good luck to all the nominees!

I first “met” Lauren McMillan of the blog Celiac Teen when she hosted the Daring Baker’s Challenge in January—and in so doing, showed me (and the whole the DB community) the bliss of Nanaimo Bars. Now, Lauren has shown us all something else: what one teenage girl can do to help others if she puts her mind to it.

Seventy-one contributors, eighty-seven recipes, and ninety pages after Lauren decided to take action to help Haiti recover from the devastation wrought by last month’s earthquake, her ebook, A Hand for Haiti, is now available for purchase and download here. 100% of ebook revenue will go to the Canadian Red Cross’s Haiti relief effort. (Lauren is Canadian, and the Canadian Red Cross has a history in Haiti, so this makes sense.)

I am very proud to be included in this cookbook, which spans the globe and brings cooks and bakers together from across the blogosphere. Lauren’s theme for the book is “comfort food,” recipes that make you feel at home. So many are now homeless in Haiti, and food is but one of many lacking comforts—though of course we’re not talking about comfort but mean survival. This ebook acknowledges the suffering of a nation with compassion and action, harnessing all that’s good about our high-tech world and using the power of community to raise awareness and funds to help.

The ebook contains recipes of all types, ranging from Lauren’s own Glorious Grain Muffins and Pumpkin Cupcakes to recipes for chili, chicken soup, curries, and even drinks like Maple Vodka. Many recipes are gluten free, others can be adapted to fit a gluten-free diet, and some are conventional (with gluten). Among the contributors, there were names I recognized but many more that I didn’t, and that’s exciting: a chance for new discoveries. Having purchased my download copy already, I can share some titles of recipes that caught my eye:

• Chai Porridge Oats & Rhubarb Pear Compote (from Lorraine Elliott of Not Quite Nigella)
• Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar Butter Sauce (from Alice Currah of Savory Sweet Life)
• Easy Vegetable Curry (from Julie Van Rosendaal of Dinner With Julie; she’s also got a charity cookbook in the works)
• Vegetarian Bean and Pumpkin Chili (from Alta Mantsch of Tasty Eats at Home)
• Poffertjes (from Simone van den Berg of JungleFrog Cooking)
• Finnish Pulla Bread (from Julia of Melanger Baking)
• Orange Tartlets with Candied Tangerines (from Deeba Rajpal of Passionate About Baking)

That’s just a small sample to whet your appetite.

As for my own contribution to the book . . . It also resides here on Feeding the Saints. I first thought about donating a recipe that couldn’t be found on the blog, but Mimi’s Buttermilk Cornbread was the recipe that said “home” to me the most when Lauren’s call for entries went out. Also, I was preparing this recipe in honor of my father’s birthday when the earthquake hit, so the association is even more powerful for me.

This might make you wonder why you should purchase the ebook if you can get my recipe here for free. Well . . . this isn’t just about me, of course. Mine is but one of eighty-seven recipes in the book, and as already explained, 100% of the ebook revenue goes toward the relief effort in Haiti. To boost the net worth of the donation, Lauren has joined a program of the Canadian government through which she will receive a matching donation for the amount raised by February 12, 2010. (The ebook is available beyond that date, and money will continue to go to Haiti; this is just the Canadian government’s matching deadline.) Additionally, Lauren’s parents have pledged to match up to $1,000 dollars. So, this is yet another simple way that you can make a big impact with a few spare dollars . . . and receive recipes to nourish yourself and your family in the process.

The ebook is a PDF file that you can print as many times as you wish once it is downloaded. The price you pay for the book is more or less up to you, starting with a minimum donation of $10.00.

Again, here’s the link to download A Hand for Haiti.

Please, if you have ever enjoyed a word I’ve written or a recipe I’ve shared, consider whether it is worth the price of $10.00. If so, then please follow the link to Lauren’s blog and make a donation for the ebook. If you can, please do so before February 12, to maximize the impact of your generosity. Enjoy the recipes, and know that you are helping to share comfort with those who need it most. Thank you.

And thank you, Lauren, for providing one more way to help.