Image: Chris Schaer from Zofingen, Schweiz · CC BY-SA 2.0
Hors d'Oeuvre and Canapes
- Year
- 1940
- Era
- 20th century
- Origin
- USA · Americas
- Language
- English
- Category
- American
Hors d'Oeuvre and Canapés marks James Beard's debut in print, a slim volume devoted to the small savouries then central to American cocktail entertaining. Drawing on his experience with a New York catering firm, Beard codified a repertoire of appetisers for the home host. The work launched the writing career of a figure who would become the foremost authority on American cookery, and remains a touchstone of mid-century gastronomic literature.
Cooking from this book
Onion Sandwich
Signature dishThe little onion sandwich became something of a calling card for James Beard, and this debut volume is where his enthusiasm for it first reached print. A round of thin white bread, sweet onion, a smear of mayonnaise and a roll of the edge in chopped parsley: it is almost absurdly simple, yet it captures the Beard philosophy of treating modest ingredients with a host's generosity. Few canapes from 1940 have proved so enduring.
An editorial note on a dish associated with this book, written for The Coquinist. It is not a reproduction of the book's recipe.
