#james beard

Happy birthday James Beard!

James was born 5 May in 1903 in Portland, Oregon. In the 1930s he settled New York, where he gained a reputation for hosting a party – specifically among New York’s queer community, where private parties were a much safer way to socialise than public bars.

He soon landed his first of what would become dozens of cookbook deals, and a gig hosting one of the US’ first ever cooking shows. He advocated for a cuisine that used fresh ingredients and encouraged joy in cooking and eating, but remained accessible to the everyday American. By 1955, he was being described by the New York Times as the “dean of American Cookery”.

In 1981, James came out publicly in his memoir, writing "By the time I was seven, I knew that I was gay. I think it's time to talk about that now."

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?

Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic 

Source: The New James Beard 1989

A Provençal recipe I taught for years in my classes-and which never failed to astonish the students. They couldn't believe we would use forty garlic cloves, but the slow braising softens the garlic to a lovely buttery consistency and delicate flavor, like the garlic purée on page 534.

Makes 8 servings 

2/3 cups oil

8 chicken drumsticks and thighs (or use 16 drumsticks or 16 thighs)

4 ribs celery, cut in long strips

2 medium-size onions, chopped

6 sprigs parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

(or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grated nutmeg

40 cloves garlic, unpeeled

Put the oil in a shallow dish, add the chicken pieces, and turn them to coat all sides evenly with the oil. Cover the bottom of a heavy 6-quart casserole with a mixture of the celery and onion, add the parsley and tarragon, and lay the chicken pieces on top. Pour the vermouth over them, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and a dash or two of nutmeg, and tuck the garlic cloves around and between the chicken pieces. Cover the top of the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and then the lid (this creates an airtight seal removing the cover. so the steam does not escape). Bake in a 375° oven for 1 1/2 hours, without removing the lid. 

Just in time for the holidays, some cooking help from James Beard.

From: Beard, James. The fireside Cook Book. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1949.

Looks like I scored a first edition. The Casserole Cookbook, Jim (James) Beard, 1955