Puck, Times” Parsons Capture Beard Awards

Spago’s Wolfgang Puck tied for chef of the year in the restaurant awards announced by the James Beard Foundation and, for the second year in a row, Times Food columnist Russ Parsons received top honors in the journalism category.

In the Journalism Awards announced last Friday in New York, Parsons received the award for the best newspaper feature without recipes for his article about Southern California’s Japanese American strawberry farmers, “Our Strawberry Roots.”

In the restaurant awards announced Monday night, Puck tied with Jean-Georges Vongerichten of Jean-Georges in New York for Outstanding Chef of the Year.

Madeleine Kamman, whose “The New Making of a Cook” was named Cookbook of the Year, was also honored for lifetime achievement as an author, educator and chef.

Other winners in the journalism awards include former Los Angeles Times writers Ruth Reichl for her restaurant reviews in the New York Times and Colman Andrews, who received the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for his work in Saveur magazine.

It was a big night for New York as three of the top restaurant awards went to Le Bernardin for outstanding restaurant, Jean-Georges for best new restaurant and the Four Seasons for outstanding service. Keith Luce of Spruce in Chicago was named Rising Star Chef of the Year.

Julian Serrano of Masa’s in San Francisco was named Best Chef in California. The other California winner was Stephen Durfee of the French Laundry in Yountville, who was named Outstanding Pastry Chef.

1998 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION BOOK AWARDS

Cookbook of the Year: “The New Making of a Cook: The Art, Technique and Science of Cooking,” Madeleine Kamman (William Morrow, $40). Cookbook Hall of Fame: “Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts” (Random House, 1974, $26.95). Baking and Desserts: “The Best Bread Ever,” Charles Van Over (Broadway Books, $27.50). International: “The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence,” Georgeanne Brennan (Chronicle Books, $24.95). Food of the Americas: “Fiesta: A Celebration of Latin Hospitality,” Anya von Bremzen (Doubleday, $29.95). Food of the Mediterranean: “Marcella Cucina,” Marcella Hazan (HarperCollins, $35). Food Reference and Technique: “Cookwise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking,” Shirley O. Corriher (William Morrow, $28.50). General: “The New Making of a Cook,” Madeleine Kamman (William Morrow, $40). Healthy Focus: “American Medical Assn. Family Health Cookbook: Good Food That’s Good For You,” Melanie Barnard and Brooke Dojny with Mindy Hermann, R.D., and C. Wayne Callaway, M.D. (Pocket Books, $30). Entertaining and Special Occasions: “Entertaining 101: Everything You Need to Know to Entertain With Style and Grace,” Linda West Eckhardt and Katherine West DeFoyd (Doubleday, $27.50). Single Subject: “The Splendid Grain,” Rebecca Wood (William Morrow, $30). Vegetarian: “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone,” Deborah Madison (Broadway Books, $40). Wine and Spirits: “Co^te d’Or,” Clive Coates (University of California Press, $55). Writing on Food: “Cod, A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World,” Mark Kurlansky (Walker Publishing, $21). Best Food Photography: “The Mezzo Cookbook With John Torode,” Diana Miller and James Murphy (SOMA Books, $30).