Culinary giant James Beard has been called “the dean of American cookery.” He was responsible for laying the foundation of what would become American Cuisine, steering home cooks toward fresh ingredients and away from processed foods through his cookbooks, magazine columns and a TV show. In his new biography, The Man Who Ate Too Much, food writer and former chef birdsall.com/">JOHN BIRDSALL examines Beard’s life, including his closeted gay identity and his influence on the American culinary landscape.