The James Beard Foundation's list of restaurant and chef award semifinalists was just released and there was a strong showing from the Triangle and the entire state.

• Durham's Mateo Tapas is a semifinalist for Best New Restaurant.
• Phoebe Lawless of Scratch Bakery in Durham is a semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef.
• Lantern Restaurant in Chapel Hill is a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant. (Owner and chef Andrea Reusing won a James Beard award for Best Chef Southeast in 2011.)
• Angus Barn in Raleigh is a semifinalist for Outstanding Wine Program.
• Sean Lilly Wilson of Durham's Fullsteam brewery and Eric Solomon of European Cellars in Charlotte are semifinalists for outstanding wine, spirits or beer professional.
• Katie Button of Curate in Asheville is a semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year.
• The semifinalists for Best Chef Southeast are Ashley Christensen of Raleigh's Poole's Diner among other restaurants; Scott Crawford of Herons at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary; Vivian Howard of Chef & the Farmer in Kinston; Scott Howell of Nana's in Durham, Elliot Moss of The Admiral in Asheville; and Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto in Hillsborough.

To see the list of all the semifinalist nominees, go to jamesbeard.org/awards

The semifinalist nominees will be narrowed to finalists and those will be announced March 18 at a press conference in Charleston, S.C. The winner will be announced May 6 at a gala reception in New York City.

This how the awards work: The foundation puts out a call for nominations in the fall and this year more than 44,000 entries were received. A committee narrows the entrees to a list of semifinalists in each category. Then more than 600 judges across the country -- regional restaurant critics, food and wine editors, culinary educators and past James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award winners -- vote for the five finalists and then choose a winner in each category.

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit that recognizes excellence in the culinary field from chefs and restaurants to journalists and cookbook authors. James Beard was a television personality and food writer who championed regional American cuisine. The foundation was created by his friends after his death in 1985.

An all-star lineup of chefs will be serving up a special fundraising dinner in Raleigh to benefit Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger.

The chefs include: John Currence of City Grocery in Oxford, MI; Alon Shaya of Domenica in New Orleans; Ryan Smith of Empire State South in Atlanta; Tandy Wilson of City House in Nashville; Andrea Reusing of Lantern in Chapel Hill and Anthony Guerra of Bella Mia in Cary.

Chef Ashley Christensen is hosting the event at her restaurant, Poole's Diner, in Raleigh at 6 p.m. July 23. Diners can pay $3,000 for a table of 10, $1,000 for a table of four or $175 for an individual reservation.

To purchase tickets, go to http://ce.strength.org/events/no-kid-hungry-dinner-raleigh.

To learn more about Share Our Strength, go to http://www.strength.org/.
 

In case you missed my profile of chef Andrea Reusing that ran Labor Day weekend, go HERE to read it.

I have a story today profiling the second-in-command in well-known Triangle kitchens. Meet Jimmy Alfano and Jim Long of the Angus Barn, Amanda Forsyth of Magnolia Grill, Miguel Torres of Lantern and Sunny Gerhart of Watts Grocery.

Greg Cox gives 3 1/2 stars to The Pig in Chapel Hill. HERE is his review.

And Greg explores the Triangle ethnic food world with a new Cheap Eats column. His inaugural column explores Mongolian barbecues.

Chef Andrea Reusing of Chapel Hill's Lantern Restaurant was named the Best Chef of the Southeast Monday night at the James Beard Foundation's annual awards gala.

Reusing, 42, is only the third chef in North Carolina to win a James Beard award. From the stage Monday, she thanked her husband, Mac McCaughan, a singer and guitarist in the rock band Superchunk and co-founder of Merge Records, based in Durham Chapel Hill. And she joked about her decision to wear high heeled shoes: "You can tell I'm surprised to win by my shoe choice - not the most practical for climbing [to the] stage."

Reusing appeared on the Triangle's culinary scene in 1999 when she became the chef at the now closed Enoteca Vin in Raleigh. She was known for her seasonal cuisine and use of ingredients from local farmers. In 2002, she and her brother Brendan Reusing opened Lantern, which focused on using local ingredients to produce Asian-influenced dishes. In 2006, the new defunct Gourmet magazine named Lantern as one of the top 50 restaurants in the country. In 2009, Greg Cox, restaurant critic for The News & Observer, named Lantern as the Triangle's restaurant of the year.

Reusing also just published her first cookbook: "Cooking in the Moment." 

The state's two other James Beard award winners are the husband-wife chef owners of Magnolia Grill in Durham: Ben and Karen Barker.

James Beard was a cookbook author, cooking instructor and food writer known for his championing of America's regional cuisine. After his death in 1985, friends founded the foundation in his name to honor chefs, restaurants, wine professionals, cookbook authors and food journalists. The annual awards are often described as the Oscars of the food world.
 

Chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern in Chapel Hill has a new book out: "Cooking in the Moment." It's not a restaurant book. It's more about her life outside the restaurant kitchen as a mother of two and a career woman. The recipes are very approachable. Here are her upcoming book events:

• 2 p.m. Saturday, Flyleaf Books, 752 Martin Luther King Blvd., Chapel Hill
• 7:30 p.m. April 14, Quail Ridge Books, 3522 Wade Ave., Raleigh
• 11 a.m. April 16, McIntyre's Books, 2000 Fearrington Village, Pittsboro
• 7 p.m. April 19, Country Bookshop, 140 Northwest Broad St., Southern Pines
• 7 p.m. April 22, Regulator Bookshop, 720 Ninth St., Durham
• UPDATED EVENT: 1:30 p.m. April 23, book signing at A Southern Season, University Mall, Chapel Hill.

Check out my interview with Reusing in Wednesday's paper.

Chapel Hill chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern is a finalist again for the James Beard Foundation's best chef in the southeast award.

The James Beard awards are often compared to the Oscars of the food world. The other finalists include Hugh Acheson of Five & Ten in Athens, Ga.; Craig Deihl of Cypress in Charleston, S.C.; John Fleer of Canyon Kitchen in Cashiers, N.C.; and Edward Lee of 610 Magnolia in Louisville, Ky.

The winners will be announced May 9 at a gala at the Lincoln Center in New York City.

This is Reusing's second year as a finalist.

In 1999, Reusing, 42, became the chef at the now closed Enoteca Vin in Raleigh. She was known for her seasonal cuisine and use of ingredients from local farmers. In 2002, she and her brother Brendan Reusing opened Lantern, which focused on using local ingredients to produce Asian-influenced dishes. In 2006, the new defunct Gourmet magazine named Lantern as one of the top 50 restaurants in the country. In 2009, Greg Cox, restaurant critic for The News & Observer, named Lantern as the Triangle’s restaurant of the year.

Reusing also just published her first cookbook: “Cooking in the Moment,” a cookbook devoted to seasonal cooking that will be available for sale starting April 5.
 

Reusing was among seven Triangle chefs who were among this year's semifinalists, the largest regional contingent among the 20 semifinalists. Those included Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner in Raleigh; Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto in Hillsborough; Chip Smith of Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill; Scott Crawford of Herons at the Umstead Hotel in Cary; Scott Howell of Nana's in Durham; and Shane Ingram of Four Square in Durham.

James Beard was a cooking instructor and cookbook author who championed regional American cuisine. After his death in 1985, the foundation was created to honor excellence in restaurants, chefs, wine service professionals, cookbook authors and food journalism.

The James Beard Foundation announces its award finalists starting at 2 p.m. today, and seven Triangle chefs will learn if they made the cut.

Among the semifinalists for Best Chef in the Southeast are Andrea Reusing of Lantern in Chapel Hill; Ashley Christensen of Poole's Diner in Raleigh; Aaron Vandemark of Panciuto in Hillsborough; Chip Smith of Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill; Scott Crawford of Herons at the Umstead Hotel in Cary; Scott Howell of Nana's in Durham; and Shane Ingram of Four Square Restaurant in Durham.

Durham's Magnolia Grill also is a semifinalist in the Outstanding Restaurant category. Its chef-owners Ben and Karen Barker are the state's only James Beard award-winning chefs.

James Beard was a cookbook author, cooking instructor and champion of regional American cuisine. The foundation  honors excellence in restaurants, chefs, wine service professionals, cookbook authors and food journalism.

To follow the announcement live, follow @beardfoundation and #jbfa on Twitter.

Ryan McGuire, culinary trainer for Chapel Hill Elementary Schools, will be serving up green rice, eggs and ham at the Carrboro Farmers' Market starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The recipe developed by McGuire and chef Andrea Reusing of Lantern is a semi-finalist in a Recipes for Healthy Kids contest. Culbreth Middle School could win money if the recipe is voted to be the best. Go HERE to vote.

Or head to the market tomorrow for a taste and decide if the recipe is worth your vote.
 

The list of James Beard Foundation semifinalists came out today and seven local chefs are on the list for Best Chef Southeast:

• Ashley Christensen, Poole's Diner of Raleigh
• Andrea Reusing, Lantern of Chapel Hill
• Chip Smith, Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill
• Aaron Vandemark, Panciuto in Hillsborough
• Scott Crawford, Herons at Umstead Hotel in Cary
• Scott Howell, Nana's in Durham
• Shane Ingram, Four Square in Durham

"Nice! When it rains, it pours," said Vandemark, a first-time semifinalist who yesterday learned he was in the running for Food & Wine magazine's People's Choice Best New Chef 2011. (To read about that nomination and to vote for Vandemark, click HERE.)

Smith who has been named as a semifinalist several times before said he tries not to get too worked up about it. "We're just honored to be given a nod," he said.

Several of these chefs have been semifinalists before. This is Christensen's second year. Howell has been a semifinalist many times before. And last year Reusing (pictured left) progressed to finalist, as well as Bill Smith of Crook's Corner, but they lost to Sean Brock of McCrady's in Charleston, S.C.

Two other North Carolina chefs are semifinalists: Keith Rhodes of Catch in Wilmington and John Fleer of Canyon Kitchen at Lonesome Valley in Cashiers, N.C. That means North Carolina chefs made up almost half of the Southeast semifinalists.

The only other North Carolina semifinalist is Eric Solomon of European Cellars in Charlotte for Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional.

These chefs and Solomon will learn on March 21 if they are among the five finalists in their categories. The winners will be announced May 9 at a gala in New York City.

Durham's Magnolia Grill also was nominated in the Outstanding Resturant category. Its chef-owners Ben and Karen Barker are the state's only James Beard award-winning chefs.

James Beard was a cookbook author, a cooking instructor and a champion of regional American cuisine. The Foundation, founded after his death, honors excellence in restaurants, chefs, pastry chefs, wine service professionals, cookbook authors and food journalism. The awards have often been described as the "Oscars of the food world."