Entries into the Cookbooks & Culinary Academy Awards  2006, came from across the Globe, as far a field as Australia and Europe, to Canada and Mexico, and from across the United States. Many Entries were excellent, but there is only one Winner in each category.

The Culinary Academy Awards event was held on Thursday 11 January, 2007 in St. Petersburg, Florida.  The Venue at Seapointe, provided a magnificent location overlooking Tampa Bay and the famous Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  Several of the Winners flew into Florida, accompanied by family or friends.  The weather was excellent, and the Dolphins were very active that sunny morning. Our visitors were entertained to a welcome display of their leaps and dives across the Bay.

Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon was honored to introduce the Master of Ceremonies Janet Keeler, Food & Travel Editor of the St. Petersburg Times. Janet announced the Winners, and the Awards were presented by Noreen Kinney to the Winners, who accepted the Globe trophy, placed strategically on a glass hand that stands on an engraved black marble base. Turn the globe very gently and the globe spins.   The Cash Award of $1000 awarded to the Entry that the Judges feel deserves extra special recognition, was split between two winners in 2006.

All Winners were given a two year complimentary membership in the Academy of the Culinary Arts for 2007/8.  This allows them to nominate and vote for several Culinary Academy Award Winners in the next two years.  Full information on this can be found via the Academy of the Culinary Arts link on the Cordon d' Or - Gold Ribbon Website.

Noreen explained the absence of our Sponsor John Donovan, who is in hospital. Best wishes for a speedy recovery were expressed by several people.  Also present at the event was Marty Martindale, a former Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Award Winner. She represented Antonia Allegra, Winner of the Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Culinary Hall of Fame Academy Award.  And Tommy Klauber, who represented Erik Wolf, Winner of the Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Culinary Entrepreneur Academy Award. Present also was Mary Wyatt Allen, former Chairperson of the Battle of the Bay Event, that annually chose the top restaurant winners in the Tampa Bay area. Other guests came from across Florida for the event.

Winners present at the event are listed below:

John Stine    

Australia  

Cuisine of the Year

Margaret & Larry Dickenson  

Canada  

Winners of several Awards as seen below

Cookbook ‘Cover & Title’ Award

20th Century Cookbook Award

Published Recipe Award, Masterpiece Menu Award

Ignacio Urquiza

Mexico  

Culinary Lifetime Achievement

Edward Leonard

New York  

Illustrated Cookbook Award

Jim Coleman 

Philadelphia

Chef of the Year

Susan Peters

Atlanta

‘Flavors’  Magazine Award

Parisa Ambwani  

California

Special Merit Award

Maria Springer 

Baltimore

Unpublished Recipe Award

The other Magazine Award Winner ‘Sizzle’ was represented by Edward Leonard, who also represented Winner Katie Ayoub for her winning culinary article ‘Something Offal’.

The Cash Award was won by two separate Entries into the Awards Program.

Edward Leonard received a Cash Award for his excellent Illustrated Cookbook ‘Cooking with America’s Championship Team’

Margaret & Larry Dickenson received a Cash Award for their very original and impressive Menu Presentation ‘Bon Voyage – Au Revoir to Dear Friends’. The Menu was cleverly presented inside a Passport.

Winners who were unable to attend the Awards Event, made arrangements for people present to accept Awards on their behalf.

The President’s Award, presented to Baileys Irish Cream, was presented to Peter O’Connor of Baileys Irish Cream, at a luncheon in Miami, two weeks after the Culinary Academy Awards event in St. Petersburg. Diageo, the international organization who now own Baileys and Guinness among several other famous drinks brand names held a major Conference in Miami.  Peter did a presentation for the group of over 500 executives who came in from across the globe to the event. He spoke about the Culinary Academy Award won by Baileys Irish Cream, and the recent Irish Culinary Tour sponsored by Baileys in October 2006. Feedback indicates that it was very well received by all present.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE CULINARY ACADEMY AWARDS EVENT

Below is the full list of the Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards 2006. When you have finished reviewing the 2006 Winners List, take a look at the Cordon d’ Or – Gold Ribbon Culinary Academy Awards 2007 Program, seen on our Website; and think about sending in your entries before July 31, 2007, and tell your Culinary Colleagues about the Program. You, (and they) could win one or more of our beautiful Culinary Academy Awards.

Author:  Edward Leonard & the American

Culinary Championship Culinary Team

Author:  Rick Browne

Author: Parisa Ambwani