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MANILA, Philippines - Who is the chef and food writer considered the father of gourmet-style American cooking, and whose legacy lives on in his numerous books and writings, his foundation, and the annual awards named after him, which are considered the Oscars of the American culinary industry?
He was born on May 5, 1903 in Portland, Oregon, and his earliest memory of food was the Lewis and Clark Exposition, where he watched Triscuits, shredded wheat biscuits, being made. Influenced by the unique local foods in the Pacific Northwest, including seafood and wild berries, as well as the food prepared by their Chinese helper, he realized in 1940 that part of his mission as a food connoisseur was “to defend the pleasure of real cooking and fresh ingredients against the assault of domestic scientists.”
After living in France in the 1920s, he returned to the US and opened a catering company, Hors d’Oeuvre, Inc., which led to the publication of his first book, Hors d’Oeuvre and Canapes, a compilation of his catering recipes. 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.
In 1955, he established his own cooking school, and continued to teach cooking for the next 30 years, both at his own schools in New York City and Seaside, Oregon, and around the country in women’s clubs, cooking schools, and civic groups.
He was a tireless traveler, bringing his message of good food honestly prepared with fresh, wholesome, American ingredients, to a country just becoming aware of its own culinary heritage. He brought French cooking to the American middle and upper classes in the 1950s, and starred on TV as a cooking personality.
David Kamp notes that his show was the first cooking show on TV, and this marked the emergence of a New York-based sophisticated food culture. Beginning with Hors d’Oeuvre, he went on to write 20 books like Paris Cuisine, 1952; The Complete Book of Barbecue and Rotisserie Cooking, 1954; The Casserole Cookbook, 1955; How To Eat (and Drink) Your Way Through a French (or Italian) Menu, 1971; Delights and Prejudices, a Memoir with Recipes; Theory and Practice of Good Cooking; Simple Foods, 1993; and Love and Kisses and a Halo of Truffles, 1994.
In 1981, along with friend Gael Greene, he founded Citymeals on Wheels, which continues to feed the home-bound elderly in New York City. He died on January 21, 1985 in New York at the age of 81.
Julia Child describes him as “the quintessential American cook. Well-educated and well-traveled during his 82 years, he was familiar with many cuisines, but remained fundamentally American. An endearing and lively teacher, he loved people, loved his work, loved gossip, loved to eat, and loved a good time.”
Today, his legacy lives on in the awards named after him and his brownstone house. After his death in 1985, Julia Child had the idea to preserve his home in New York City as the gathering place that it was throughout his life. Located 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 annual awards, on the other hand, are given at the industry’s biggest party, part of a fortnight of activities that celebrate fine cuisine and his 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. In culminates in a reception featuring a tasting of the signature dishes of more than 30 of his foundation’s very best chefs.
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Last week’s question: Who is the British chef and television personality who — with a glass of wine in one hand — was regarded as a pioneer of taking cooking programs out of the studio into exotic locations like France, Spain, Italy, and India?
Answer: Keith Floyd
Winner: Maila Ignacio of Novaliches, QC
Text your answer to 0926-3508061 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.
