Where to start when there are 13 options calling your name?
Find your muse with the new roster of James Beard Foundation Book Awards from those written last year.
Will it be "Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking," the new book from Toni Tipton-Martin, the author of the earlier (and also Beard-winning) "The Jemima Code"?
Or maybe fish has nibbled at your attention, in which case there are two options, "The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think," by Josh Niland, or "Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer," by Bren Smith.
Then again, there are references for making bread, cocktails or pasta. This list will make you hungry — and thirsty. The categories are:
American: "Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African-American Cooking," by Toni Tipton-Martin.
Baking and desserts: "Living Bread: Tradition and Innovation in Artisan Bread Making," by Daniel Leader and Lauren Chattman.
Beverage with recipes: "The NoMad Cocktail Book," by Leo Robitschek.
Beverage without recipes: "World Atlas of Wine, 8th Edition," by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson.
General: "Where Cooking Begins: Uncomplicated Recipes to Make You a Great Cook," by Carla Lalli Music.
Health and special diets: "Gluten-Free Baking at Home: 102 Foolproof Recipes for Delicious Breads, Cakes, Cookies, and More," by Jeffrey Larsen.
International: "Ethiopia: Recipes and Traditions From the Horn of Africa," by Yohanis Gebreyesus with Jeff Koehler.
Photography: "American Sfoglino: A Master Class in Handmade Pasta," by Eric Wolfinger.
Reference, history and scholarship: "The Whole Okra: A Seed to Stem Celebration," by Chris Smith.
Restaurant and professional: "The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think," by Josh Niland.
Single subject: "Pasta Grannies: The Official Cookbook: The Secrets of Italy's Best Home Cooks," by Vicky Bennison.
Vegetable-focused cooking: "Whole Food Cooking Every Day: Transform the Way You Eat With 250 Vegetarian Recipes Free of Gluten, Dairy, and Refined Sugar," by Amy Chaplin.
Writing: "Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer," by Bren Smith.
Book of the year: "The Whole Fish Cookbook: New Ways to Cook, Eat and Think," by Josh Niland.
Cookbook Hall of Fame: Jancis Robinson.
Lee Svitak Dean • @StribTaste
