37th Annual IACP Award Winners Announced in Washington, D.C.

NEW YORK, March 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) unveiled the winners of its highly-coveted awards, including the IACP Cookbook Awards, Bert Greene Awards, Digital Media Awards, First Book: Julia Child Award, and the IACP Special Recognition Awards at its 37^th annual conference centered on the theme "Culinary Communications." IACP award recipients are chosen through an intense judging process, with winners being acknowledged as trailblazers in the global culinary community.

This year's winners include cookbook authors Christopher Kostow (Cookbook of the Year, presented by Cuisinart) and Sean Brock (First Book: Julia Child Award, presented by KitchenAid) and popular print publications and websites such as Food & Wine Magazine, Fine Cooking Magazine, EatingWell, Bon Appétit, and Food52. For a complete listing of all award winners, click here. The awards were hosted by chef, restaurateur, New York Times bestselling cookbook author, and television personality Curtis Stone.

"We're excited to honor and celebrate our 2015 award winners – they represent the food and culinary community's best in class," said Meredith Deeds, Chief Executive Officer of IACP. "This year's conference has been an overwhelming success with inspiring speakers, top-notch sessions, and a constant flow of festive events and activities including multiple toasts for Jacques Pépin's 80^th birthday with an '80 Cakes' party. Additionally, acclaimed chef and culinary innovator José Andrés provided a motivating keynote presentation on embracing good causes and making strides to improve food quality."

A highlight for this year's conference has been celebrating Jacques Pépin's 80^th birthday. A culinary pioneer and original founder of IACP, Jacques Pépin was honored by IACP with the event, "80 Cakes for Jacques Pépin," which featured 80 birthday cakes contributed by some of the world's leading chefs, tastemakers, and organizations. Cakes were auctioned to support IACP's philanthropic arm, The Culinary Trust. More than $8,000 was raised for the trust, including a generous donation by Chef Andrés. Pastry Chef Jacques Torres prepared and served chef Pépin's favorite "Jacques Torres Oreo Cake" for attendees, and numerous celebrity chefs and culinary luminaries shared toast after toast. Additional details, along with a full list of cake contributors, can be found here.

The 2015 conference assembled culinary thought leaders to the eclectic food scene of Washington, D.C. Food media, cookbook authors, chefs, dietitians, food photographers, food marketers, food stylists, bloggers, culinary tourism experts, educators, and farmers gathered to connect, learn, and share their career and personal journeys in their collective love for food. This unique meeting of the food minds convenes annually providing unmatched educational sessions, culinary tours, cooking classes, and networking opportunities. The 2016 IACP conference is planned for Los Angeles from April 1-3, and a call for educational session proposals will be issued in the coming months.

Photos from this year's IACP Conference, including Jacques Pépin's 80 Cakes celebration, the awards program, and conference highlights, can be found here.

About The International Association of Culinary Professionals

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is committed to excellence in all aspects of communication by the culinary industry, including journalism, publishing, digital media, visual media, marketing communications, and teaching. IACP's greatest resource is its multi-faceted membership, which includes writers, bloggers, photographers, stylists, marketers, chefs, restaurateurs, nutritionists, and academics, as well as its culture of support and connectivity. IACP is the group where culinary professionals can gain the skills and connections to get good work and do it well. Visit www.iacp.com

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SOURCE International Association of Culinary Professionals