topics: |  food | recipe

 Finally, there is that masterpiece of nature, the egg.
						- p.303

This book is concerned more with the overall notion of basic cooking
techniques rather than recipes, though there are some 300 of them.  Also has
practical advice on the selection of pots and pans, knives, and other
kitchen essentials.


In terms of cooking theory, there is no substitute for Harold McGee's fabulous
"On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen" (1987) - which gives
the science behind the cooking like nothing I have seen so far.   No other book
does theory as well.

But Beard's strength is that not only does he know the stuff, he also draws
the reader in:

	Cooking starts with your hands, the most important and basic of all
	implements. They were the earliest tools for the preparation of food,
	and they have remained one of the most efficient, sensitive, and
	versatile. Hands can beat, cream, fold, knead, pat, press, form, toss,
	tear, and pound.

On an aside, like many aesthetes, Beard was gay. The Beard website mentions
Jose Wilson as a friend, he is listed for "assistance"; they collaborated on
several books.

The first chef to have a TV show in the 1950s, he quickly became the most
influential chef, the "Dean of American Cuisine".