Where did James Beard learn to cook?

James Beard learned to cook at an early age in his family's kitchen in Portland, Oregon. He further honed his culinary skills while studying at Reed College and later at the University of Oregon, where he developed a passion for food and cooking. His formal training began in Paris at the Sorbonne, where he studied at the prestigious La Varenne cooking school. This diverse background laid the foundation for his influential career as a chef and food writer.