James Beard, called “the quintessential American cook” by Julia Child, laid the groundwork for the gastronomical revolution that surged in the second half of the 20th century. Beard trained as an actor but found his life’s work in food: he was the author of 27 cookbooks, founded his own cooking school, and made history in 1946 by hosting the first cooking show on television. Anointed the “dean of American cookery” by the New York Times, Beard is now associated with the best in American restaurants and cooking. His most important legacy is his celebration of American food and food traditions.

On Thursday, February 12, the third Culinary Luminaries series considered the life and work of this culinary hero, following the programs celebrations of Julia Child last summer and M.F.K. Fisher last fall. With Andrew F. Smith, editor of the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink and member of The New School faculty moderating, speakers included: Mitchell Davis, vice president of the James Beard Foundation; writers Betty Fussell, Barbara Kafka, and Judith Jones; and Dana Polan, professor of Cinema Studies at New York University.

This event was sponsored by the Food Studies program.