we are all connected

In the 1940s James Beard, a mentor to the home chef, published the first major cookbook dedicated to appetizers then followed it up with the likes of outdoor cooking, cooking on a budget and many other cookbooks. He made regular contributions to Woman’s Day, Gourmet and House & Garden. He opened his cooking schools in the 1950s and traveled the country teaching cooking classes for more than 30 years. I share a bit of his history as an introduction to his foundation’s annual awards for food journalism.

Food sections at newspapers around the country are rolling out their Thanksgiving advice these next days, so I’ve re-organized the sidebar to better connect you to the ones the experts at the James Beard Foundation have said were the best in the nation the past two years. You might be asked to register for free membership or you might have to pull down from the paper’s home page to get to the food section, but these weekly food sections are a great way to keep up with regional trends and food news (such as the big spinach recall). They also plump-up my recipe binder. You might find a new favorite resource or share your a link you use regularly. I love exploring new places for recipes.

And, as long as I’m sharing links, I offer this reminder from the major grocers in my hometown of just how connected we are. Scouting for Food is a year-round program so, if a bag wasn’t on your door last weekend, watch for it in the future.

Happy surfing … back with more starchy recipes tomorrow!