The James Beard Awards, often called the “Oscars of the food world,” are the most prestigious honors in the culinary world.
This year, Iowa had two contenders: Andy Schumacher of Cobble Hill in Cedar Rapids, a semifinalist for Best Chef in the Midwest, and Simon Goheen’s restaurant Simon’s in Des Moines, a semifinalist for Best Hospitality. Neither advanced to the finals, but the buzz around the annual awards ceremony always reminds me of the time I cooked lunch for a table full of Beard winners.
Back in 2016, when I lived in Minnesota, I got an email from my friend Greg Reynolds of Riverbend Organic Farm. He asked if I’d be willing to cook lunch for a visiting Swedish chef and a few other guests using his farm’s produce. I said yes before I knew who was coming…