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James Beard, from the cover of his book James Beard's Menus for Entertaining (1965).

James Beard (May 5, 1903–January 21, 1985) was an American chef and food writer. James Beard is recognized by many as the father of American gastronomy. Throughout his life, he pursued and advocated the highest standards, and served as a mentor to emerging talents in the field of the culinary arts. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 456 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (462 × 607 pixel, file size: 56 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) James Beard, from the cover of his book James Beards Menus for Entertaining (1965). ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 456 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (462 × 607 pixel, file size: 56 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) James Beard, from the cover of his book James Beards Menus for Entertaining (1965). ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... For other uses, see Chef (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Gastronomy is the study of relationship between culture and food. ...

Background & career

James Andrew Beard was born in Portland, Oregon, USA, to Elizabeth and John Beard. His mother operated a boarding house and his father worked at the city's Customs House. The family vacationed on the Pacific coast in Gearhart, Oregon. Here Beard was exposed to the unique local foods of the Pacific Northwest, including seafood and wild berries. Nickname: Location of Portland in Multnomah County and the state of Oregon Coordinates: , Country State County Multnomah County Incorporated February 8, 1851 Government  - Mayor Tom Potter[1]  - Commissioners Sam Adams Randy Leonard Dan Saltzman Erik Sten  - Auditor Gary Blackmer Area  - City 376. ... The Pacific Northwest from space The Pacific Northwest, abbreviated PNW, or PacNW is a region in the northwest of North America. ...

He trained initially as a singer and actor, and moved to New York City in 1937. Not having much luck in the theater, he and his friend, Bill Rhodes, capitalized on the cocktail party craze by opening a catering company, "Hors D'Oeuvre, Inc.", which led the publication of Beard's first cookbook, Hors D'Oeuvre and Canapes, a compilation of his catering recipes. Rationing difficulties in World War II brought his catering business to a halt. In 1946, he appeared on an early televised cooking show, I Love to Eat, on NBC, and thus began his rise as an eminent American food authority. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cocktail party can mean: Primarily, a party where cocktails are served and women may choose to wear a cocktail dress. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Year 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the television network. ...

Over the next forty years, James Beard operated a cooking school out of his apartment in New York, wrote dozens of books on cooking and food, and hundreds of articles on food for many different magazines.

Beard's legacy: the James Beard House & the James Beard Foundation

Taken at the James Beard House, January 2007

After Beard's death in 1985, Julia Child had the idea to preserve his home in New York City as the gathering place it was throughout his life. Peter Kump, a former student of Beard's and the founder of the Institute of Culinary Education (formerly Peter Kump's New York Cooking School), spearheaded the effort to purchase the house and create the James Beard Foundation. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Julia Child (August 15, 1912–August 13, 2004) was a famous American cook, author, and television personality who introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her many cookbooks and television programs. ... The James Beard Foundation is a New York-based national professional non-profit organization named in honor of James Beard that serves to promote the culinary arts by honoring chefs, wine professionals, journalists, and cookbook authors at annual award ceremonies and providing scholarships and educational opportunities to cooking hopefuls. ...

Beard's renovated brownstone is located at 167 West 12th Street, in the heart of Greenwich Village. It is North America's only historical culinary center, a place where Foundation members, the press, and the general public are encouraged to savor the creations of both established and emerging chefs from across the country and around the globe. The Washington Square Arch Greenwich Village (IPA pronunciation: ), also called simply the Village, is a largely residential area on the west side of downtown (southern) Manhattan in New York City named after Greenwich, London. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ...

The annual James Beard Foundation Awards are given at the industry's biggest party, part of a fortnight of activities that celebrate fine cuisine and Beard's birthday. Held on the first Monday in May, the Awards ceremony honors the finest chefs, restaurants, journalists, cookbook authors, restaurant designers, and electronic media professionals in the country. It culminates in a reception featuring a tasting of the signature dishes of more than 30 of the James Beard Foundation's very best chefs. The James Beard Foundation Awards were established in 1990 and are often called The Oscars of Food. ...

A quarterly magazine, Beard House, is a comprehensive compendium of the best in culinary journalism. The foundation also publishes the James Beard Foundation Restaurant Directory, a directory of all chefs who have either presented a meal at the Beard House or have participated in one of the foundation's out-of-House fundraising events. In addition, the foundation produces a Directory of Fine Food and Beverage Professionals, billed as "an invaluable resource for anyone in the field."

Personal life

James Beard never married nor had any children. A closeted gay man for nearly all of his life, Beard would often voice his regret that those he found attractive (younger, slender men) rarely returned the favor.^{[citation needed]} At times, frustrated by his personal situation, he would discuss his romantic life with long-time friend and confidante Julia Child. For the small enclosed storage space, also known as a cupboard, see closet. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... Julia Child (August 15, 1912–August 13, 2004) was a famous American cook, author, and television personality who introduced French cuisine and cooking techniques to the American mainstream through her many cookbooks and television programs. ...

Bibliography

Some of Beard's better known works are James Beard's American Cookery, Beard on Bread, Beard on Food, James Beard's Fish Cookery, The James Beard Cookbook, and The Armchair James Beard.

External links

• James Beard Foundation
• James Beard Foundation Awards
• Notable Oregonians: James Beard—Food Expert/Writer from Oregon Blue Book