It's a case of local boy makes good — make that two local boys — at this year's James Beard Media Awards. Our own Jonathan Gold won the MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award while Patrick Kuh of Los Angeles magazine won the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award. In the first ever Humor category, odds-on favorite Ruth Bourdain won. (She did not publicly accept her award.)

Other noteworthy awards went to Diana Kennedy, who won best cookbook of the year for Oaxaca al Gusto, which our cookbook reviewer described as “her best cookbook to date.” Top Chef won best TV show while Politics Of The Plate won Best Individual Food Blog. Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas won American Cooking, and Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by former Los Angeles pastry chef Kim Boyce and Squid Ink editor Amy Scattergood won in the Baking and Dessert category.

The chef and restaurant winners will be announced tonight in New York.

[Full list of cookbook and writing winners after the jump.]

Winners of the 2011 James Beard Media Awards

COOKBOOKS

— Cookbook Hall of Fame: On Food and Cooking: The Science & Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee

— Cookbook of the Year: Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy by Diana Kennedy

— American Cooking: Pig: King of the Southern Table by James Villas

— Baking and Dessert: Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce

— Beverage: Secrets of the Sommeliers: How to Think and Drink Like the World's Top Wine Professionals by Jordan Mackay and Rajat Parr

— Cooking from a Professional Point of View: Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by Rene Redzepi

— General Cooking: The Essential New York Times Cook Book: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser

— Healthy Focus: The Simple Art of EatingWell Cookbook by Jessie Price & the EatingWell Test Kitchen

— International: Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories by Grace Young

— Photography: Noma: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine by Rene Redzepi (Photographer — Ditte Isager)

— Reference and Scholarship: Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes by Mark Bitterman

— Single Subject: Meat: A Kitchen Education by James Peterson

— Writing and Literature: Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food by Paul Greenberg

BROADCAST MEDIA

— TV Food Personality/Host: Alton Brown

— Television Program (in studio or fixed location): Top Chef: Season 7

— Television Program (on location): Avec Eric (Host — Eric Ripert)

— Television Segment: 60 Minutes: Chef Jose Andres

— Television Special/Documentary: Milk War

— Audio Webcast or Radio Show: CBC Ideas: “Pasta: The Long and Short of It”

— Video Webcast: GrapeRadio

DESIGN AND GRAPHICS

— Outstanding Restaurant Design: Design firm: Aidlin Darling Design

— Outstanding Restaurant Graphics: Design firm: Love and War

JOURNALISM

— Publication of the Year Award: Edible Communities

— Cooking, Recipes or Instruction: Amy Thielen, Minneapolis Star Tribune: “A Good Catch,” “Low-Tech Wonder,” “From the Bean Patch: Plenty”

— Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award: Patric Kuh, Los Angeles: “Animal Magnetism,” “Making Their Move,” “Time for a Redo?”

— Environment, Food, Politics and Policy: Carl Safina, EatingWell: “Sea Change”

— Food Culture and Travel: Rick Bragg, Francine Maroukian and Robb Walsh, Garden & Gun: “The Southerner's Guide to Oysters”

— Food-Related Columns and Commentary: Tim Carman, Washington City Paper: “Ignore the Pizza Police,” “Supply and Da Men,” “Schmeer Campaign”

— Food-Related Feature: Dan Koeppel, Saveur: “Fruit of the Future”

— Food Section of a General Interest Publication: San Francisco Chronicle

— Group Food Blog: Grub Street New York

— Health and Nutrition: Rachael Moeller Gorman, EatingWell: “Captain of the Happier Meal”

— Humor: Ruth Bourdain

— Individual food blog: Politics Of The Plate by Barry Estabrook

— M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: Jonathan Gold, LA Weekly: “A Movable Beast”

— Multimedia Food Feature: Michael Gebert and Julia Thiel, The Chicago Reader, Key Ingredient: “Kluwak Kupas,” “Chinese Black Beans,” “Geraniums”

— Personal essay: Tom Junod, Esquire: “My Mom Couldn't Cook”

— Profile: Benjamin Wallace, New York: “The Restaurant Auteur”

— Wine and Spirits: Jon Fine, Food & Wine: “Natural Wine: Weird or Wonderful?”

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