THE JOY FAMILY
ETHAN BECKER
1947-1963-2006 editions
editor, co-author
Ethan Becker lives at Half Moon Ridge in the mountains of East Tennessee with his wife, Susan, author, editor, and artist. He was passed the responsibility of the stewardship of the Joy of Cooking in 1976 from his mother Marion.
Ethan's cooking apprenticeship at home was supplemented by study at the Cordon Bleu in Paris (1971) and by his travels in Europe. He combines a knowledge of classical continental cuisine with an affection for traditional American cooking and stays well versed in regional tastes and trends.
Prior to his work on JOY, he owned a highly innovative firm that designed and manufactured mountain climbing equipment. Several of his designs are in current worldwide use ranging from the Becker Knife and Tool tactical and survival knives, Eagle Industries' Becker Patrol Pack (used extensively by the Navy Seals) to the CMI Figure 8 Descender and other mountain climbing gear that has been in use world wide since 1974.
Ethan is an avid reader of history and the humanities. He also enjoys martial arts and hunting. He was awarded the prestigious 1979 President's Stewardship Award from the Nature Conservancy, for his work and commitment to the preservation of the environment.
Ethan and Susan have two sons, 27 year-old son, John lives in Oregon, and is proving to be a natural in the kitchen too. David Cope is often Ethan's stand-in on the grill.