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The
Father of American Cooking. One of Several Culinary
Superstars in our
Galaxy In
Puerto Rico, he roasted a forty-five pound pig,
letting the juices drip on a bed of plantains. The
cracking skin became an hors d'oeuvre. His
Caribbean tour resulted in a love for barbecued
pork and a Brazilian banana dessert. From Morocco,
he learned to eat hot food with his fingers, and in
Naples, he discovered an uncommon Neapolitan pasta
sauce, made from the juice of pine trees. In
Marseilles, small eggplants, fragrant rosemary, and
a plethora of garlic were transformed into a
memorable luncheon dish. After World war II, James
recognized that many amateur cooks, through often
far removed from the country side, have never lost
their love for the taste of food grilled in the
wild. Beard's Cook it Outdoors was popular a
generation before the fast food craze arrived. A
basic American delight, the Hamburger was not left
out. The book features a dozen variations on the
ground meat theme, from the Gourmet Burger, nestled
in an English muffin, to the Baghdad, with eggplant
and Escoffier sauce. Opens
a Cooking School Representing
France's National Association of Cognac Products,
he showed American cooks for the first time, how
spirits could add to home menus. This traveling act
was called Cooking with Flair. He also organized a
vineyard tour by forty food professionals,
sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of Andre
Simon's Wine and Foods Society. In Paris Cuisine,
the subject of ordering French wine in Paris is
addressed. It is a guide to local wines, to be
drunk young as a rule, from districts such as the
Rhone, the Jura, and the Loire, which are lesser
known to Americans, than Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Writing about wine in popular magazines with upward
mobility readership, he reached more Americans than
anyone else in his field. Food
as Art James
Beard's Fish Cookbook was the first to reflect his
early history, visiting Meccas like Seattle's Pike
Place Market, where giant crabs and shrimps and
fish lay on beds of ice. He cites his good fortune
to have grown up in a region that's remarkable for
its range of both salt and freshwater fish. "Many
American eat fish regularly without knowing what
kind of fish they are eating", he states. In a
booklet called Recipes for Cuisinart Food
Processor, Beard tells the story of how that French
kitchen tool became a necessity for American cooks.
The immediate success of this tool caused Beard to
say "I realize that there are still some kitchen
snobs who will not accept the fact that modern
technological perfections are to be used and talked
about." James
Beard frequented the finest continental hotels and
restaurants, and was a personal friend of Charles
Ritz. He taught American cooking in Venice's Grutti
Palace, led tours of British inns and German spas,
and discovered how Northern Italians make and
embellish their pasta. This enriched his own book
Beard on Pasta. "But we are American", he told his
readers, "we don't have to do things the classic
way. We can do as we please." In
art, there was Picasso; in science, Einstein; in
food , James Beard was the trailblazer of American
cooking. His peers saw him, not only as the one
person who had contributed most to a new era of
gastronomic awareness, but as a human being in a
class by himself. His championing of wine on
America tables, and his continuing encouragement of
French Standards in American kitchens, earned him
the Medaille d'Ordre du Merite Agricole, a unique
honor. James Beard was exactly what the new wave of
American cooks was looking for; a grand vintage
superstar who had instant rapport, a role model
with the sort of style which permeated the ideas
most of them held. Many consider James Beard as the
true father of American
cooking............................ Superstar
Chefs of the Future About
Muguette Goufrani: Muguette is a professional
travel counselor who has travelled and worked
around the world. She is Associate Editor for Air
Highways and Africa Travel Magazines, with a focus
on Francophone topics and destinations. No
one who has enjoyed couscous, the national dish of
Morocco, in all its meat varieties, will dream that
in many peasant homes this delicacy is prepared
solely from vegetables and semolina. These toilers
of the soil who never taste meat for weeks at a
time prepare, not only their couscous, but almost
all their dishes from grain and vegetables. With
the right amount of herbs and spices they create
incredibly tasty meals, forming an important part
of the Moroccan kitchen - a cuisine with an
illustrious history. A great number of the
Moroccans firmly believe that no other country's
culinary art has reached the exalted heights of
their cooking. A number of travellers support this
assessment, stating that if the food of this North
African country is not the greatest in the world,
it stands near the top as one of the world's
eminent cuisines. In
that spellbinding land with its long sandy coasts,
rich plains, towering mountains , and endless
deserts, many civilizations have come and gone.
Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Arab's, Spanish
Muslims, and the Berbers, the original inhabitants
of the country, all had their day. They ruled the
country for awhile then faded into history. Their
cuisines, with a touch of Portuguese, Turkish and
Jewish influences, helped in the creation of the
modern Moroccan. Well-known
culinary experts have written that great food and
glorious civilizations complement each other. They
go on to say that what creates a noteworthy cuisine
are: abundance of ingredients; outside influences;
a noble civilization; and refined palace life.
Hence,
in the elegant palaces of the rich in Fez and
Marrakesh where the great Arab-Islamic civilization
of Spain had its greatest impact, the culinary art
of Morocco reached its epitome of perfection. Paula
Wolfert in her book, Couscous and the Other Good
Foods From Morocco, writes that Moroccan cooking is
the last of the great undiscovered cuisines.
Included
in this relatively unknown kitchen with a
distinguished past are the tasty dishes of the
workers and peasants. In their daily Menues, little
meat is utilized. The grains and vegetables are
combined with numerous herbs and spices to produce
savory and satisfying meals. The
herbs: chervil, garlic, fresh coriander leaves,
mint and parsley are blended with the spices:
aniseed, cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, paprika,
pepper, saffron, turmeric and ras el-hanout (a
blend of spices) to produce mouth-watering dishes.
To give these non-meat creations even more zest,
onions, olives, pickled lemons, almonds and sesame
seeds are utilized extensively. Soups,
the mainstay of the poorer peasants and at times
their only meal of the day, are based mostly on
chickpeas and lentils. Infused with herbs and
spices, they become delightful creations. The most
widely prepared of these soups is harira - the
ultimate of Moroccan soups. In the cities, the
wealthy, in addition to the vegetables, utilize all
types of meat to create their mouth-watering
hariras. Yet, the peasants' meatless hariras are a
match for any of these soups.. Moroccan
salads differ to some extent from the usual
well-known salads. They are, in most cases,
prepared from cooked vegetables and are somewhat
zesty but not spicy hot. In the homes of the
affluent, they are served at the beginning of the
meal as appetizers. However, for the poor, like the
soups, they are usually the main course. As
to stews, the Moroccan kitchen would be much poorer
without the delectable vegetable tajines. Fragrant,
zesty, spicy or sweet, they are always delicious
and inviting. Simmered to produce tasty sauces,
their enticing aromas, as they cook, makes even the
one who has just eaten yearn to sample the
simmering dish. Perhaps,
more than any other food, couscous, Morocco's
national dish, is cooked by the peasants solely
from vegetables. A Berber dish embellished by the
Arabs and Spanish Muslims, it is prepared in
endless varieties. Pleasing to the eye, it is
served on a platter and the couscous is heaped
pyramid style with a hollow on top which is filled
with the stew. Known as the king of the Moroccan
kitchen, it is served at the end of diffas (great
feasts) to satiate the hunger of guests. Hence,
complying with Arab hospitality that 'no guest can
go home hungry'. For
sweets, the Moroccans are known for their creations
based on honey, almonds, sugar and flaky dough. The
honey and almonds have always been utilized in
Moroccan pastry. The sugar and flaky dough were
introduced by the Arabs to North Africa and Spain.
With
an illustrious background and centuries of
evolvement, Moroccan cuisine has made for itself a
notch in the cooking of the world. In all strata of
society, the housewife prepares her dishes so
perfectly that it is considered vulgar to place
salt on the table. Usually, she keeps secret her
own recipes and improves them with the passing
years until they reach perfection. For
one visiting Morocco there is not much chance to
try these home-cooked meals. Nevertheless,
travellers should not leave the country without
having a meal in restaurants set in a converted
Moorish-Andalusian palace which are to be found in
every large city. Here, with haunting Arab music as
a background, one can enjoy a sumptuous Moroccan
repast which always includes a number of tempting
vegetarian dishes. Such a meal will leave with most
visitors, when they return to their native lands, a
deep nostalgia for that country's food . On
the other hand, if a person cannot journey to the
enchanting and fascinating land of the Moors, these
few vegetarian foods will give an insight into
their great cuisine. VEGETABLE
HARIRA / Serves about 12 5
tablespoons olive oil 2
medium sized onions, chopped 3
cloves garlic, crushed 1/2
cup finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
small hot pepper, finely chopped 1
cup lentils, soaked overnight 2
cups cooked chickpeas 2
cups stewed tomatoes 8
cups water 3
teaspoons salt 2
teaspoons ginger 1
teaspoon paprika 1
teaspoon pepper 1
teaspoon cumin 1
teaspoon turmeric 1/4
cup rice 4
tablespoons lemon juice In
a large saucepan, heat oil, then sauté
onions over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add garlic,
coriander leaves and hot pepper, then stir-fry for
a further 5 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients,
except the lemon juice, then bring to a boil. Cover
and cook over medium heat for 35 minutes or until
the rice and lentils are well done, adding more
water if necessary or if a more liquid soup is
desired. Stir in lemon juice, then
serve. BROAD
BEAN PURÉE - BIESAR / Serves about
8 2
cups large dried broad beans, soaked for 24 hours,
then skinned 5
cloves garlic, chopped 1
teaspoon ground cumin 4
tablespoons olive oil 3
tablespoons lemon juice 1
1/2 teaspoons salt 1
teaspoon oregano 1/2
teaspoon thyme 1/8
teaspoon cayenne 1/2
teaspoon paprika In
a pot, place broad beans, garlic and cumin, then
cover with water and bring to boil. Cover saucepan,
then cook over medium heat for 50 minutes or until
beans are cooked. Drain, but reserve the
water. Place
beans and the remaining ingredients, except
paprika, in a food processor, then add 1 1/2 cups
of the bottom part of the reserved water with the
sediment and purée. Place
purée in a pot, then heat. Spread on a
serving platter, then decorate with paprika and
serve immediately. EGGPLANT
PURÉE - DANJLAL / Serves about 8 1
large eggplant 4
tablespoons olive oil 1
large onion, finely chopped 1
medium sweet green pepper, seeded and finely
chopped 2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 2
cloves garlic, crushed 1
1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2
teaspoon pepper 1/2
teaspoon paprika 1/2
teaspoon cumin l/4
teaspoon chili powder 3
tablespoons lemon juice 1
tomato, finely chopped Place
eggplant in a 375 F preheated oven, then bake until
skin begins to blacken and becomes blistery. Remove
and allow to cool. In
the meantime, heat oil in a frying pan, then
sauté onion over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the green pepper, then sauté for further
10 minutes. Peel
eggplant, then mash and add, along with remaining
ingredients, except tomato, to frying pan contents.
Thoroughly mix, then place on a flat serving
plater. Decorate with tomato, then
serve. PARSLEY
SALAD - SHLADA MADNOUSSE / Serves from 4 to
6 1
large bunch of wide leaf parsley (Italian), washed,
stemmed and chopped 2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
large Spanish onion, finely chopped 1
medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped 2
cloves garlic, crushed 3
tablespoons olive oil 3
tablespoons lemon juice 1
teaspoon dried mint 1
teaspoon salt 1/2
teaspoon pepper 1/2
cup black olives, pitted and halved Place
all ingredients, except olives, in a salad bowl,
then thoroughly mix. Decorate with olives, then
serve immediately. CARROT
SALAD - SHLADA DISJADA / Serves 4 to 6 1
pound carrots, scraped, washed, then sliced into
thin rounds 4
cloves garlic, crushed 1
1/2 teaspoons salt 4
tablespoons olive oil 4
tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 3
tablespoons lemon juice 1
teaspoon paprika 1/2
teaspoon cumin l/8
teaspoon chili powder Place
carrots, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a
saucepan, then cover with water and bring to boil.
Cover, then cook over medium heat for 20 minutes
and drain. In
a frying pan, heat oil, then stir-fry carrots over
medium heat for 10 minutes or until the carrots are
cooked. In
a salad bowl, mix the remaining ingredients,
including the remainder of the salt. Stir in
carrots, then serve hot or cold. In
Morocco, a mallow called beggoula is used when
preparing this dish. However, spinach, although not
as tasty, is a good substitute. 2
packages spinach (10 oz 284 g), washed and
chopped 1/2
hot pepper, finely chopped 1
teaspoon oregano 4
tablespoons olive oil 2
cloves garlic, crushed 1/2
cup finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
teaspoon salt 1/2
teaspoon pepper 1/2
teaspoon cumin 4
tablespoons lemon juice Place
spinach, hot pepper and oregano in a pot, then
cover with water and bring to boil. Cook
over medium heat for 3 minutes, then remove from
heat and drain. In
a saucepan, heat oil, then add spinach and
remaining ingredients, except lemon juice. Stir-fry
for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Stir in lemon
juice, then place on a platter. Serve hot or
cold. ZUCCHINI
STEW - AL-GHARA BI TOMATOM / Serves 6 to
8 4
tablespoons olive oil 2
medium onions, chopped 4
cloves garlic, crushed 2 zucchini, 2
zucchini, 8 to 10 inches long, diced un-peeled into
1 inch cubes 3
medium tomatoes, finely chopped 1
1/2 cups water 1
teaspoon salt 1
teaspoon ginger 1
teaspoon paprika 1/2
teaspoon ground coriander seeds 1/2
teaspoon pepper In
a saucepan, heat oil, then sauté onions over
medium heat for 15 minutes or until they turn
golden brown. Add remaining ingredients, then bring
to boil. Cover and cook for 25 minutes over medium
heat, then serve hot or cold. GREEN
BROAD BEANS IN OIL - FOOL BI ZAYT / Serves from 4
to 6 1
pound green freshly shelled or frozen broad or lima
beans 1
1/2 cups water 2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 2
cloves garlic, crushed 3/4
teaspoon salt 1/2
teaspoon paprika 1/2
teaspoon pepper 1/4
teaspoon cumin 3
tablespoons olive oil 1/8
teaspoon cayenne 2
tablespoons lemon juice In
a saucepan, place all ingredients, except the lemon
juice, then bring to boil. Cover and cook over
medium heat for 25 minutes or until the beans are
done. Stir in lemon juice, then serve hot or
cold. BEAN
STEW - LUBIA / Serves 6 to 8 2
cups dried navy or similar type bean, soaked for 24
hours, then drained 4
tablespoons olive oil 2
medium onions, chopped 4
cloves garlic, crushed 1/2
cup finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
small hot pepper, finely chopped 3
cups stewed tomatoes 2
teaspoons salt 1
teaspoon paprika 1
teaspoon pepper 1/2
teaspoon allspice 1/2
teaspoon cumin pinch
of saffron 4
tablespoons lemon juice In
a saucepan, place beans and cover, up to 2 inches
above, with water, then bring to a boil. Cover and
cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium heat or until the
beans are cooked, adding more water if
necessary. In
the meantime, in a frying pan, heat oil, then
sauté onions over medium heat for 15
minutes. Add garlic, coriander leaves and hot
pepper, then stir-fry for further 5 minutes. Add
frying pan contents and remaining ingredients to
beans, then bring to boil, adding more water if
necessary. Re-cover, then cook for 30 minutes,
adding a little more water if necessary. Stir in
lemon juice, then serve hot or cold. VEGETABLE
TAJINE / Serves 6 to 8 4
tablespoons butter 2
medium onions, chopped 4
cloves garlic crushed 4
tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
small hot pepper, finely chopped 4
medium potatoes, peeled, the sliced into l/4 inch
thick slices 2
medium sized carrots, scraped, then cut into thin
rounds 1
can chickpeas (19 oz 540 ml), with its
water 2
cups stewed tomatoes 1
teaspoon salt 1
teaspoon ginger 1/2
teaspoon pepper 1/4
teaspoon cumin pinch
of saffron 1
lemon, quartered, then sliced into thin
slices 1/2
cup pitted green olives In
a casserole, melt butter, then sauté onions,
garlic, coriander leaves and hot pepper over medium
heat for 10 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients,
except the lemon slices and olives, then place in a
3500 F preheated oven, then cover and bake for 1
hour, or until vegetables are cooked. Place lemon
slices and olives evenly overtop, then re-cover and
bake for a further 10 minutes. Serve hot from the
casserole. VEGETABLE
COUSCOUS / Serves about 12 A
couscousiere is needed for this recipe. However if
one is not available a double boiler with a
perforated top may be substituted. 2
cups couscous 5
tablespoons butter, melted 4
tablespoons cooking oil 1
large onion, chopped 4
cloves garlic, crushed 1/2
cup finely chopped fresh coriander
leaves 1
hot pepper, finely chopped 1
can chickpeas (19 oz 540 ml), with its
water 2
cups stewed tomatoes 1/2
cup lentils 2
medium carrots, scraped and quartered, then cut
lengthwise into 2 inch long pieces 2
medium parsnips, peeled and quartered, then cut
lengthwise into 2 inch long pieces 2
medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch
cubes 1
small turnip, about 3 inch in diameter, peeled and
diced into 1 inch cubes 1/4
cup raisins 3
teaspoons salt 1
teaspoon pepper 1
teaspoon ginger 1/2
teaspoon cinnamon 1/2
teaspoon allspice pinch
of saffron 6
cups water 1
teaspoon paprika 1/4
cup toasted sesame seeds Place
couscous and butter in a bowl, then thoroughly mix
until all kernels are coated. Place in top part of
the couscousiere, then set aside. In
the bottom part of the couscousiere, heat oil, then
sauté onion, garlic, coriander leaves and
hot pepper over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add
remaining ingredients, except paprika, and sesame
seeds, and bring to a boil, then fit the top part
of the couscous filled couscousiere with the
couscous on the bottom part and seal the two parts
together with a piece of cloth impregnated with
flour. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes,
stirring couscous once in a while to make sure no
lumps are formed, then slowly sprinkle, while
constantly stirring, a cup of water over couscous.
Cook for further 30 minutes, continuing to stir
couscous every few minutes. Remove top part of the
couscousiere and ensure the vegetables are cooked.
If not, cook for further few minutes. Place
couscous on a large serving platter, pyramid shape,
then make well on top. Place cooked vegetables with
a little of the sauce in the well, then decorate
couscous with paprika and sesame seeds. Serve
immediately with remaining sauce in a gravy bowl
and remaining vegetables in a separate
bowl. Habeeb
Salloum .More
on food from GourmetSpot (www.gourmetspot.com). |
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There
have been many well traveled experts on fine wines,
good food and great restaurants in North America's
media, but the standout person is James Beard , an
icon of the past century. We salute Portland's
native son, who some have called "The father of
American Cooking." Beard spearheaded the food
revolution, converting a gastronomic wasteland,
making North Americans aware of their bountiful
heritage and the joy of cooking. An acceptance of
all kinds of foods, of every ethnic origin,
launched him on a remarkable lifetime
voyage.OOriginally attracted to the stage, Beard
gained fame by making theater out of cooking.
Traveling in New York's posh circles, he taught
cooking hands-on, and gave dramatic demonstrations.
He invented the role of Food Consultant,
crisscrossing the USA like a country doctor, on
call to everyone, from the Jolly Green Giant to
major restaurants. Beard authored many cookbooks,
including America's first best-selling paperback,
which inspired generations of fledging chefs.
