In May 2011, Nathan received a Special Recognition Award from the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research for her contribution to preserving Jewish culture.
In 1985, An American Folklife Cookbook won the R.T. French Tastemaker Award (now the James Beard Award). The New American Cooking won the James Beard and IACP Awards for Food of the Americas and Best American Cookbook. She was guest curator of Food Culture USA at the 2005 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which was based on the research for her book.
Two decades later, in 2005, Jewish Cooking in America won the Julia Child Award for Best Cookbook of the Year, and the James Beard Award (again) for Food of the Americas.
In January 2009, she began choking on a piece of chicken at the Art.Food.Hope dinner in Washington, D.C. but was saved by chef Tom Colicchio, who performed the Heimlich maneuver.
In May 2011, Nathan received a Special Recognition Award from the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research for her contribution to preserving Jewish culture.
