James Beard's American Cookery by James A. Beard

    • Categories: Dips, spreads & salsas; Appetizers / starters; American; Vegetarian
    • Ingredients: sour cream; parsley; chives
    show

Notes about this book

  • senzler on December 23, 2022

    James Beard was one of my mother’s go to. She had a number of his books. Sadly all but one disappeared and though well worn with a number of great recipes sadly the cookbook I inherited was missing a few of my favorites. In fact the book I inherited is the only one I use for a standing rib roast. I bought this in the hopes that this book would have some of the other recipes she made and it does. Can’t wait to explore this book!

  • damazinah on October 25, 2015

    For me, the real value of this cookbook lies in the documentation of the history of American cooking. It contains recipes from the 18th century onward, with interesting commentary on the ways we used to cook. The flip side of the coin, however, is that a lot of the recipes are very dated. Several, of course, have withstood the test of time, but there are still far too many that remind me of 1950's dinner parties. Overall, a good reference to have on your cook book shelf, but not one I'd reach for very often.

  • casun on March 14, 2015

    1972 paperback ed.; ISBN 0316085669

  • featherbooks on April 18, 2013

    Notable Recipes per 101 Classic Cookbooks (2012): Baked Ham, p.536, Baked Stuffed Artichokes, Baking Powder Biscuits, p. 590, Cherry Pie, Cream Biscuits, Favorite Hamburgers, Fresh Fruit Pie (Two-Crust), p.599, Oyster Stew, p.376, Peach Pie, Pound Cake, p. 607, Scotch Eggs, p. 467, Stir-fried String Beans.

  • robinorig on December 18, 2011

    I have new edition ISBN 9780316098687

  • robm on July 31, 2011

    A really superb compendium of American cooking, with outstanding versions of beloved classics! A real "go-to" volume when you're looking for traditional American recipes!

  • AgusiaH on March 21, 2011

    I have a different recent edition from 2010. ISBN: 9780316098687

  • jrubotto on January 29, 2010

    This is an important work by James Beard. It is also important as one of the first large books addressing American cooking. Unfortunately, it was overshadowed by other important books of its era including Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking."

Notes about Recipes in this book

  • Bacon potato salad

  • Cheese fondue

    • Laurendmck on December 31, 2013

      This is a baked custard, not a French-style fondue.

  • Sauerbraten

  • Fresh carrot cake

    • baybritta on August 03, 2011

      substitute 3/4 cup flour with almond flour. no walnuts. can cook in smaller pans. freezes very well.

  • Crab salad

    • vickster on March 20, 2019

      Simple way to use some wonderful, fresh rock crab I got from local fish delivery.

  • Fish pie

    • mcvl on April 04, 2015

      An oldie but goodie. Home-made piecrust, of course, and in addition to the celery some finely chopped carrot, shallot, and sherry-soaked shiitaki mushrooms.

  • Brunswick stew

    • mcvl on July 24, 2020

      Squirrels sadly lacking, I used ham instead. I prefer thyme to rosemary in this recipe, and I wish I could have gotten my hands on some okra. A dear old favorite, something to return to again and again.

  • Swedish leg of lamb

    • mcvl on June 18, 2020

      Somebody made this for a very delightful supper party I went to nearly fifty years ago; today for some reason I remembered it. It's quite good. Memorable, one could almost say.

  • Mrs. Harland's recipe for ladies cabbage

    • mcvl on December 17, 2018

      This is delightful! I used full-fat yogurt instead of cream, because to me cabbage always tastes better with a little bit of a tang. Super-easy.

  • Hermits

    • CGNE on March 19, 2012

      Not what you'd expect. I don't think this is a New England type of Hermit. The texture is quite sticky/chewy and the flavor isn't robust. I dont' remember Hermits having nuts, but Beard says it is traditional. The use of sour cream and brown sugar is not typical of the hermit I know. Also, he instructs to make them into drop cookies, not the usual cut logs. I've had a better hermit at the local grocery store. (CGNE-Lynne)

  • Lemon cake pudding

    • CGNE on April 08, 2012

      The lemon flavor was quite good, but the texture was not for me. The cake is like wet bread and the 'pudding' not smooth enough. I served it with whippped creama dn berries. Overall, I'd rather eat a lemon square. (CGNE-Lynne)

  • Orange bread

    • CGNE on March 28, 2012

      This low fat sweet bread is easy to make with common ingredients. Can be made into mini-loaves or muffins. I added some chopped toasted pecans by request and sprinkled the tops with sanding sugar. Would be good with some chopped cranberries. Will make again. (CGNE-Lynne)

  • Blueberry grunt

    • Foodfann on June 05, 2013

      Wow this was good; very intense! My biscuit dough was maybe a little heavy because I used all butter and no shortening.

  • Roquefort cheese log

    • KissTheCook on July 05, 2016

      Excellent. Makes a lot. 1/4th recipe would make typical cheese ball/log.

  • Basic boiled beef dinner

    • Globegal on March 18, 2017

      The broth imparted a lot of flavor into the vegetables. Time consuming but simple to make.

  • Vanilla pudding

    • Globegal on July 22, 2019

      Made 7-20-19 -- didn't cook it long enough. Tastes good, though

  • Oysters casino

    • edonomics on December 20, 2015

      This recipe is missing lemon juice, parsley, and green pepper from the ingredient list. The shallots, lemon juice, parsley, and green pepper are blended with the butter before cooking.

  • Deviled ham sandwich

    • damazinah on November 15, 2015

      A good, quick alternative to boring ham sandwiches. I only used mayonnaise and mustard since I was serving it on homemade herb bread, but if I were using crackers instead, I'd definitely add some mango chutney.

  • Butter cream frosting II

  • Cream cake

    • damazinah on November 13, 2015

      My batter was way too thick, had to spread it into the pan. I'm wondering if I beat the cream too much, although the instructions say to beat until fluffy. To me, that's whipped cream consistency. The flavor was quite good, although the crumb was coarse.

  • Brownies

    • njp on December 08, 2016

      Too much sugar.

  • Sautéed pork tenderloins

    • heatherlee on December 01, 2019

      The recipe calls for the sautéed tenderloins to be flamed with brandy, after which a sauce is made using heavy cream and reserved pan drippings. I thought this dish was rather bland. Ground pepper was really the only seasoning called for in the recipe. I would make this again but would add either shallots or mushrooms to the sauce.

  • Hungarian chicken

    • heatherlee on January 27, 2019

      This had a very mild flavor to it - milder than what I recall my mother having made in the 70s and 80s. I think this would benefit from sautéing a couple cloves of garlic along with the onions. Also consider using a blend of sweet paprika and hot paprika. The sweet paprika I used may have been past its prime, so I will try this recipe again after I purchase sweet paprika again.

  • Pot roast with tomatoes

  • Pork chops Creole

    • boberonicus on February 16, 2021

      About 8 minutes per side to brown the chops. Used habanero tobacco, double the amount.

You must Create an Account or Sign In to add a note to this book.

Reviews about this book

  • Bibliocook

    This is not for reading from cover to cover – with almost 900 pages that could take a while – but it’s the perfect take-a-dip-into-while-having-breakfast book.

    Full review
  • Fine Cooking

    Venerated food writer James Beard wrote more than 20 books over the course of his life, but this is the one that no self-respecting cook should be without: It’s the best of Beard.

    Full review
  • ISBN 10 031609868X
  • ISBN 13 9780316098687
  • Published Oct 25 2010
  • Format Hardcover
  • Page Count 877
  • Language English
  • Countries United States
  • Publisher Little Brown and Company
  • Imprint Little Brown and Company


Other cookbooks by this author