We're thrilled to announce the six finalists in the second Sunday Times Food Weekly Cookbook Awards in association with Pick n Pay You could have heard an egg crack at the Pick n Pay Good Food Studio in Sandton last Tuesday, as five judges frowned over the 30 cookbooks entered in the second Sunday Times Food Weekly Cookbook Awards in association with Pick n Pay. The silence lasted for about five minutes."Look how long this Caesar salad recipe is," said Fresh Living magazine editor, Justine Drake. "By the time you've finished reading it, you may not end up making the salad." A snort from another corner: "A tot of butter? Really?"South African cookbooks published between September 2014 and December 2015 were eligible for entry. Judging spans the look and feel of the cookbook, the topic, photography and size of book. Is the book easy to use? Are the measurements and methods standardised and in order and recipes accurate?Nompumelelo Mqwebu, head chef at Africa Meets Europe Cuisine, said she was looking for something unique. "Some of it has been done over and over again. You can't tell if this is their previous cookbook or the new one."story_article_left1With her first cookbook, My Little Black Recipe Book (Metz Press), due out in December, Siphokazi Mdlankomo, MasterChef SA 2014 runner-up, was on the lookout for "good old-fashioned meals anyone can prepare".Stephen Billingham, president of the South African Chefs Association, said he preferred judging cookbooks to meals. "Judging 10 plates of food plays havoc with your taste buds, whereas here, you have to imagine textures and flavours." Drake added: "I haven't eaten boerewors since judging a boerewors competition."There was much argy-bargy as the judges whittled down the 30 entries to a mere six. But they were all impressed with this year's focus on health. "We have a very different selection of cookbooks to last year," said Food Weekly editor Hilary Biller, "and fewer entries, which may reflect the state of the economy or the easy access to recipes on the internet." She said SA cookbooks were evolving and many of the new publications were way more than just another recipe book.Drake said the emphasis on child nutrition was interesting, especially for her as the mother of two young children. "I think it's great because we don't feed our children half the things we should."Echoing the concerns of last year's winner, Star Fish: Top 10 Sustainable Fish by Daisy Jones, "home-grown" is still a buzzword. "It comes back to the idea of teaching kids that milk doesn't come from a carton," said Mqwebu.This is the second year that the Pick n Pay Good Food Studio, a food hub offering cookbook launches and cooking classes, will host the Sunday Times Food Weekly Cookbook Awards. Manager Nicola Johnson said: " The awards are a great showcase of local talent and something we are proud to be associated with." This year's winner will receive R20,000 in cash, and a R5,000 Pick n Pay voucher.AND THE SIX FINALISTS ARE... Bitter+Sweet: A Heritage Cookbook by Mietha Klaaste as told by Niël Stemmet (Human & Rousseau) Mariana’s Country Kitchen: Food Through the Seasons by Mariana Esterhuizen (Human & Rousseau) The Supper Club by Phillippa Cheifitz (Penguin Random House) Baking for Pleasure & Profit by Christine Capendale (Human & Rousseau) The Low Carb Solution for Diabetics by Vickie de Beer and Kath Megaw (Quivertree Publications) Real Food, Healthy, Happy Children: The Low Carb Solution for the Whole Family by Kath Megaw, Daisy Jones, Phillippa Cheifitz, and Jane-Anne Hobbs (Quivertree Publications) - try some of the recipes from this cookbook. The winners will be announced at a cocktail party at the Pick n Pay Good Food Studio on November 5 2015...