The photography in this Four Seasons cookbook from 1971 is deliciously extra: nature’s son, high rise, cheeky surrealism, everything bursting with life and taking the pleasure and sustenance of food VERY seriously
I have been wanting to learn more about James Beard! I don’t know Charlotte Adams but she did a fine job on this, “her 17th and most important cookbook.” The recipes are seasonal, omnivorous, somehow unfussy. The “fancy” (requiring specific unusual ingredients or a lot of time) dishes aren’t there to be proper, but to celebrate the joy of the fruits of the land and sea.
The ethos (and great attention to wine) reminds me of Deborah Madison. Wherever Deborah has a fancy ingredient, she’s like “I know it’s unusual/hard to get/only briefly available, and here’s how you could do without but it’s So worth it!” And she ain’t never lied.
Michelin came to Philly this year and their picks were ass. Whereas have you ever been to a James Beard-awarded restaurant or read a James Beard-awarded cookbook that let you down?
To life!
