Eat-Q Test: I Love to Eat! (answers)
1. Which of the following was Beard’s secret to a juicy hamburger?
A. Salt and pepper
B. Ice and cream
C. Mayonnaise
D. Butter
Answer: B. Beard’s favorite hamburger recipe contains heavy cream to keep the interior moist, and an ice chip in the center to keep the hamburger from overcooking.
2. Beard spent his childhood in which of the following current culinary hot spots?
A. Portland, Maine
B. New York City
C. Chicago
D. Portland, Oregon
Answer: D. James Beard was born in Portland, Oregon, on May 5, 1903.
3. Which of the following was James Beard’s favorite vegetable?
A. Onion
B. Asparagus
C. Broccoli
D. Carrot
Answer: A. Beard loved onions and highlights them in many recipes, including his famous onion sandwiches, which are prepared during I Love to Eat and served to audience members. Beard also tells a story about being a toddler and crawling into the vegetable bin and eating an onion whole—including the peel.
4. Which of the following was James Beard’s drink of choice?
A. Wine
B. Scotch
C. Beer
D. Iced tea with fresh mint
Answer: B. In the play Beard says, “I enjoy a beer now and again but at heart I’m a Scotch man---Glenlivet, generous and on the rocks. Poetry.”
5. True or false: James Beard preferred gas stoves to electric.
Answer: False. Beard preferred electric stoves for cooking. In fact, the Beard House kitchen was all electric when he lived there.
6. James Beard didn’t like the word “gourmet.” He preferred which of the following terms?
A. Epicure
B. Culinarian
C. Foodie
D. Gourmand
Answer: A. In the play, Beard declares, “I have about as much use for “gourmet” as I do a tank top! I prefer the word ‘epicure.’”
7. True or false: James Beard was known to talk to strangers on the telephone.
Answer: True. According to James Still’s sources, Beard had a listed telephone number and would accept unsolicited calls from people in culinary distress.
8. Which of the following is the culture and cuisine that James Beard loved since he was a child:
A. Spanish
B. French
C. Chinese
D. Indian
Answer: C. Chinese. Beard often wrote about his love of Chinese cuisine, and was also known for his love of Chinese culture and clothing (he was often photographed wearing a Mandarin jacket).
9. Before turning his attention to a television and cookbook career, Beard tried his hand at which of the following vocations?
A. Acting
B. Opera
C. Catering
D. All of the above
Answer: D. Beard studied opera in London, did theater and radio in Portland, went to Hollywood to be a movie actor, then went to New York to be a stage actor. After these didn’t work out, he started a catering company, Hors d’Oeuvre, Inc.
Your Eat-Q score:
10 correct: James Beard would be proud!
6–9: You've mastered the basics of Beard.
3–5: You should give James Beard's memoir another read.
2 or fewer: James Beard won't take your call.