tasteMAKERS wins the M.F.K. Fisher Prize

Our Ramona Farms episode has won the 2021 M.F.K. Fisher Prize!

Les Dames d’Escoffier International recently announced this year’s M.F.K. Fisher Prize winners and tasteMAKERS took top honors. The prize supports women creators and is named in honor of renowned culinary writer M.F.K. Fisher whose trailblazing work encouraged deeper thought about the cultural significance of foodways.

“The quality of this year’s submissions was sky-high,” said M.F.K. Fisher Prize committee chair Mindy Merrell. “These women set a high bar for creating insightful, captivating content that shines a light on the intersection of food and culture. We’re proud to recognize these winners.”

We are in some pretty outstanding and humbling company, with Lisa Donovan’s "Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger: A Memoir” taking second place and fellow PBS producer Pati Jinich taking third for “Finding the Soul of Sonora in Carne Asada,” which was published in The New York Times.

The Ramona Farms episode was one of the most meaningful stories I’ve told since launching tasteMAKERS. The Button family is working to bring back the indigenous ingredients and foodways of their community and are actively involved in the Gila River Indian Community, teaching classes and hosting seminars for kids and adults alike. You can access the entire episode here, along with additional content and recipes so you can cook with their tepary beans, wheat and corn in your own kitchen.

Cheers to all of this year’s winners! And here’s to food journalism that goes deep and tells stories that matter.