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Masters of American Cookery: M.F.K. Fisher; James Beard; Craig Claiborne; Julia Child
Ever since American soldiers returned home after World War II with a passion for pâté and escargots instead of pork and beans, our preferences have moved from cooked to raw, from canned to fresh, from bland to savory, from water to wine. And guiding us through our culinary revolution have been four of the world's finest food Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and M.F.K. Fisher.
In Masters of American Cookery , Betty Fussell demonstrates vividly how each of these chefs has made a unique and invaluable contribution to the American way of cooking and eating. In more than two hundred recipes—in chapters on appetizers, soups, salads, sauces, meats, poultry, fish, breads, cheeses and wines, and desserts—Fussell shares the artistry of these culinary masters. She also traces the evolution of each dish and provides insightful, often witty asides about the origins of the recipes.
In the tradition of Waverley Root and M.F.K. Fisher herself, Fussell has combined elements of history, memoir, and the cookbook to create a food lover’s delight. As entertaining as it is instructive, Masters of American Cookery belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about good food.
In Masters of American Cookery , Betty Fussell demonstrates vividly how each of these chefs has made a unique and invaluable contribution to the American way of cooking and eating. In more than two hundred recipes—in chapters on appetizers, soups, salads, sauces, meats, poultry, fish, breads, cheeses and wines, and desserts—Fussell shares the artistry of these culinary masters. She also traces the evolution of each dish and provides insightful, often witty asides about the origins of the recipes.
In the tradition of Waverley Root and M.F.K. Fisher herself, Fussell has combined elements of history, memoir, and the cookbook to create a food lover’s delight. As entertaining as it is instructive, Masters of American Cookery belongs on the bookshelf of anyone who cares about good food.
424 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
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About the author
Betty Fussell
25 books33 followersBetty Harper Fussell is an award-winning American writer and is the author of eleven books, ranging from biography to cookbooks, food history and memoir. Over the last 50 years, her essays on food, travel and the arts have appeared in scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers as varied as The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Vogue, Food & Wine, Metropolitan Home and Gastronomica. Her memoir, My Kitchen Wars, was performed in Hollywood and New York as a one-woman show by actress Dorothy Lyman. Her most recent book is Raising Steaks: The Life and Times of American Beef, and she is now working on How to Cook a Coyote: A Manual of Survival in NYC.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 6, 2022
Betty Fussell's gift for writing is as appetizing as the cuisines she has meticulously researched. A must read for anyone who appreciates cookery, the history of dishes and how they have evolved but also remain timeless.
July 20, 2015
Fussell brings her analytical mind to the lyrical and scientific notions of the culinary work of four masters. It's a great read. First, she reviews the culinary contributions of MFK Fisher, James Beard, Craig Claiborne and Julie Child, placing them in the context of their era and also their relationship to each other. Then Fussell moves into a cookbook of sorts with chapters on food groups, except these are much more than recipes. Fussell's unique approach is to take a recipe that is characteristic of one of the masters and trace its use and changes through the other masters, explaining how and why the differences. Ingenious! Then she takes what she likes from each and crafts her own approach to the dish.
Really well done, especially given my fear of Fussell after reading My Kitchen Wars.
Really well done, especially given my fear of Fussell after reading My Kitchen Wars.
July 9, 2009
Having returned this to the library, I realize that I need to buy a copy for myself (to respectfully dog-ear and underline all to hell). It is an intricate and exciting book chock full of interesting historical anecdotes and good humor. I especially like that Mark Twain is referenced so freely.
May 16, 2018
This is great, not just for the recipes, but the stories and evolutions behind them. Betty Fussell takes the reader through each of the four food experts considered to have changed the course of how we cook and eat in America: MFK Fisher, James Beard, Craig Claiborne, and Julia Child.
The first part of the book is in essay form, one for each of the Masters - describing their food lives in brief. What follows are 200 recipes, with a mini history of each, how the masters tackled them, and then Ms. Fussell's version, incorporating some attributes and perhaps adding her own spin.
Recommended for cooks as well as anyone who enjoys a little food history.
The first part of the book is in essay form, one for each of the Masters - describing their food lives in brief. What follows are 200 recipes, with a mini history of each, how the masters tackled them, and then Ms. Fussell's version, incorporating some attributes and perhaps adding her own spin.
Recommended for cooks as well as anyone who enjoys a little food history.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews