All Manner of Food

by Michael Field, Michael Feild

Michael Field (1915 – 1971) was an American food writer and critic. Earlier in his career he had been a concert pianist, but from 1964 until his death he concentrated on his work as an author and teacher of cooking. This book, published shortly before his death, is more than a cookbook. Its 150 superb recipes are the final garnish of a feast of food lore served up by one of America’s most celebrated cooking teachers. From pasta to nuts to the nature of the lemon (and how its juices can make a stew-cut of beef tender and succulent enough to broil as a steak). Michael Field shares his rich knowledge of, and experience with, all manner of food. Believing that the more we know about foods – their chemistry, ideal texture, and color – the more inventively we can cook with them, he explores both the familiar and rare ingredients of international cookery. He shows us surprises in the potato, new talents in the onion, unsuspected gifts in garlic, and glamour in tuberous roots. The marvelous recipes that flow directly out of his discourse are given just as he would have taught them at his famous cooking school – with the clarity that ensures fluent cooking and memorable eating.

382 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1970