Throwback Thursday: James Beard's Technological Kitchen

Our recent 2015 JBF Food Conference focused on the future of food, from farm to kitchen to table, and beyond. Featuring leading experts in agriculture, gastronomy, design, history, and even a NASA scientist, the panels drew on the lessons of the past while painting visions of the potential of the future. But dreams of tomorrow are hardly a new thing, and technology has been just as much a driver of change in the kitchen as taste.

James Beard himself was known for embracing advances in kitchen technology, helping to develop Green Giant’s “boil-in-bag” vegetable products, Pillsbury’s refrigerated crescent rolls, and writing a cookbook to introduce Americans to the Cuisinart food processor. This TBT, we’re looking back one of our namesake’s endorsements that, well, didn’t have as much staying power. In the age of Pinterest, Epicurious, and our own sizable collection of online recipes, the promise of CuisineVu: the Culinary Micro Library seems quaint and outdated. But in 1979, the concept of having 100 cookbooks ready at the touch of a dial was monumental. If only James Beard could see what lies at our fingertips today—no doubt he would have been an early and avid adopter.

Miss any of the live action from the 2015 JBF Food Conference? Check out all our archived footage!

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Maggie Borden is assistant editor at JBF. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.