Thursday, January 15, 2004

By Alice Demetrius Stock, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Before the popularity of celebrity chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, Wolfgang Puck or even Julia Child, there was James Beard.

Beard was host for the first televised cooking show in 1946, and by way of his program, his catering business, his cooking school and his books, he became a strong influence on American cooks and cooking.

"Hors d'Oeuvre and Canapes," published in 1940, was the first of more than 20 books he wrote until his death in 1985 at age 82.

In the book, Beard likes to be precise and quotes from Andre Simon's "French Cook Book" when he writes, "Hors d'oeuvre means 'outside the work ... or meal.' ... There is only one meal (oeuvre), so the word remains singular and should never be written 'hors d'oeuvres.' "

Hors d'oeuvre may be as simple as a can of sardines served with green onions and radishes or as involved as a pate or an aspic. They are generally served on small plates and eaten with a fork.

Canapes, on the other hand, are tidbits served on a "bread" foundation, such as toast, crackers, puff or flaky pastry. They are "finger food" to be eaten in one bite.

Either appetizer may be served hot or cold, but its mission, Beard writes, should be as a "satisfying prelude to a meal. One that does not completely satisfy the appetite, but readies it for more to come."

Julia Child, who wrote an Introductory Note to the 1999 revised edition of "Hors d'Oeuvre and Canapes," says of her friend: "James A. Beard was an American treasure. His books remain American classics."

Here are a few samples of Beard's favorite appetizers and his comments.

LOUIS DRESSING FOR SEAFOOD

"A plate of cold seafood is a very welcome addition to any cocktail party. I favor one of the sectional trays holding six or eight different types of fish and shellfish and a bowl of sauce, such as Louis Dressing."

• 2 cups mayonnaise
  
• 1 tablespoon each sweet pickle, hard-cooked egg, olive, onion, green pepper and parsley, all finely chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
  
• 1/2 cup stiffly whipped cream (not from an aerosol can)

Combine all ingredients in order given.

MUSHROOM CAPS WITH ROQUEFORT

"Cheese is the friendliest of foods. An assortment of cheese is a welcome addition to any party no matter what else is served."

• 12 nicely shaped raw mushrooms, peeled
  
• 4 ounces Roquefort cheese
  
• 4 ounces butter (not margarine)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Blend cheese, butter and mustard until smooth.

Stuff caps with the mixture and sprinkle with chopped chives or parsley.

DEVILED EGG

"At a cocktail party or a picnic, a tray of stuffed eggs will be one of the most popular items."

• 6 hard-cooked eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  
• 1 tablespoon (or more) mayonnaise
  
• Pimiento for garnish

Remove the yolks from the cooked eggs and force through a fine sieve.

Add the rest of the ingredients except garnish and beat with a fork until the mixture forms a firm paste, adding mayonnaise as necessary.

Fill the white halves (we use a pastry tube) and garnish with tiny strips of pimiento.

CHICKEN AND ALMOND CANAPES

Spread oblong toasts or thin oblong biscuits with unsalted butter. Alternate thin strips of cold chicken or turkey with rows of chopped blanched almonds and decorate with thin strips of green pepper.

HAM AND CHEESE CANAPES

Arrange rounds of sliced baked ham on toast rounds (we used a biscuit cutter to cut the rounds). Sprinkle well with chopped chives, chopped pimiento and grated Swiss cheese. Broil until cheese is melted.

"Hors d'Oeuvre and Canapes," James Beard, 1940 (revised editions 1963 and 1999)

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