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By JANET K. KEELER
Published February 28, 2007

CORDON D'OR HONORS FEATURE GLOBAL FLAVOR

The Cordon d'Or culinary awards, honoring chefs, cookbook authors, recipe developers and other food professionals, were handed out last month in St. Petersburg. Noreen Kinney is founder of the group and organizer of the ambitious awards program. For about 25 years, beginning in 1960, Kinney, who now lives in St. Petersburg, traveled across her native Ireland to encourage cooking with regional ingredients.

Among the winners of the second annual awards were Antonia Allegra, cookbook author and TV personality; photographer Ignacio Urquiza of Mexico; chef and TV personality Jim Coleman; and Edward Leonard, for the book he helped write, Cooking with America's Championship Team.

For a list of complete winners and information about the group, go to www.gold ribboncookery.com.

Not fit for a dog

No matter how much you pamper them and treat them like family, pets aren't people. And that means they can't eat everything you do. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has put together this list of foods to avoid when preparing a home-cooked meal for your pet.

- Alcoholic beverages

- Avocado

- Chocolate

- Coffee

- Fatty foods

- Macadamia nuts

- Moldy or spoiled foods

- Onions and onion powder

- Raisins and grapes

- Salt

- Yeast dough

- Garlic

- Products with xylitol

For your protection

The Agriculture Department plans to begin beefed-up inspections at about 250 U.S. meat and poultry plants in April. The program is an effort to address E. coli and other food safety concerns.

The new system is based on the amount of risk. A plant that makes hamburger and has had repeated violations would face more scrutiny than a plant that makes cooked, canned ham and has a clean track record. The changes would apply only to processing plants and not to slaughter plants.

Good for your soul

Soul food cookbooks rarely disappoint when it comes to sharing family tales and damn-the-calories recipes.

Harlem Really Cooks: The Nouvelle Soul Food of Harlem by Sandra Lawrence (Lake Isle Press, $16.95) reflects the author's residential immersion in multicultural cuisine. New York's city streets brought the flavors of Senegal, Ivory Coast, Trinidad and Puerto Rico to her door, while her roots in North Carolina soul food grew deep and strong.

Patty Pinner's Sweets: Soul Food Desserts & Memories (Ten Speed Press, $24.95) reminds us that every now and then, everybody deserves a sliver of fancy cake with a soulful memory. The paperback offers the same recipes found in the 2003 hardcover edition.

Miami restaurateur signs TV deal

Ingrid Hoffman, host of the cooking and lifestyle show Delicioso on Univision and owner of the popular Miami restaurant Rocca, has signed a multiyear deal with the Food Network. The network has not said when her show will start.

Compiled by Janet K. Keeler from staff reports and the Associated Press and Washington Post.

[Last modified February 27, 2007, 11:10:36]