Food Bloggers Now Eligible for James Beard Foundation Awards

James Beard Foundation

A Coveted James Beard Award

In barely the blink of an eye, food blogging has exploded. Sometimes it seems that hardly an accountant, construction worker, or production assistant is without a personal blog detailing their relationship with food, or at the very least, the organic heirloom tomato salad they bought from a food truck for lunch. While some may call food blogging an actual profession, the art of putting pen to paper, or rather digits to keyboard, is perhaps better described as an unprofitable hobby. But low bank balances aside, food bloggers can rest assured that their work is finally being recognized; this time, by the James Beard Foundation Awards.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the James Beard Foundation Awards, dubbed the "Oscars of the Food World" by Time Magazine, will no longer distinguish their food writing awards between print and online. That means food bloggers are now eligible to win the highest honor for their online musings, whether they're restaurant reviews, descriptions of a mind-blowing spaghetti carbonara, or just general food-related rants and raves.

While the 2010 list of award winners were announced in May -- The Weekly's Jonathan Gold received the Craig ClaiBorne Distinguished Restaurant Review award for his "Sauced," "Hot Birria, Cold Cerveza," and "Hare Today" pieces -- consider this your six-month warning to rev up your relationship with Wordpress (or Blogger). Interested in more info about the awards? Check out the James Beard Foundation Awards website for the full list of 2010 winners and details on 2011 entries.