Saint Lucian celebrity chef Nina Comptonβs debut cookbook, π²ππΜππΜπ / πͺπππππ: πΉππππππ, πΊππππππ, πππ π»ππππ ππππ π πΊπ. π³πππππ πͺπππβπ π±ππππππ: π¨ πͺπππππππ, has been nominated for a major honour. The book is up for the 2026 James Beard Book Award in the US Foodways category.
Compton worked with award-winning food writer Osayi Endolyn on the book, which includes recipes, cultural insights and personal stories.
The James Beard Book Awards are among the most respected honours in food writing. They celebrate authors, publishers and storytellers who help us better understand food culture. This yearβs ceremony is set for Saturday, June 13, at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Compton became internationally known after finishing as the runner-up on Top Chef Season 11 in 2014. She was also voted fan favourite and has since earned praise in the food world, receiving many nominations and awards during her career.
In 2023, she was nominated for the James Beard Foundationβs Outstanding Chef Award. In 2018, she won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South, and the year before, Food & Wine Magazine named her Best New Chef.
In 2015, Compton opened her own restaurant, Compère Lapin, in New Orleans, which was named Restaurant of the Year in 2016 by The Times-Picayune.
Earlier in her career at Miami’s Scarpetta, she cooked for VIPs such as Mariah Carey and Alex Rodriguez. Many celebrities have also been spotted at CompΓ¨re Lapin.
