Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America
Author: Andrew F Smith
The history of food and drink in America is an exciting tale of unexpected twists and turns that are even more amusing than the oft-repeated myths. It is a story filled with hot-shot inventors, high-flying promoters, risk-taking growers, efficiency-conscious processors, hard-hitting advertisers, and lip-smacking consumers--all of whom have contributed to transforming lowly American food into a worldwide culinary delight.
In 800 intriguing articles (from over 200 contributors), the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America covers the significant events, inventions, and social movements in American history that have affected the way Americans view, prepare, and consume food and drink. In an A-Z format, this two-volume set details the regions, people, ingredients, foods, drinks, publications, advertising, companies, historical periods, and political and economic aspects pertinent to American cuisine. With contributions from academia, industry, and the culinary world, the Encyclopedia provides a far-ranging yet cohesive account of American history and culture from a gastronomic perspective.
From the extravagant feasts of Diamond Jim Brady in the Gilded Age to the fad diets and the health consciousness of today, the status and cultural significance of American food and rink has transformed throughout the years. With interesting anecdotes, informative sidebars, and generous bibliographies, the Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America will captivate readers--from scholars and food lovers everywhere--in this journey through American culinary history.
Publishers Weekly
Whether readers make a living studying culinary traditions or just enjoy eating, they'll find this book a marvel. A trove of in-depth information on every aspect of American food and drink-such as holiday food traditions, the Slow Food movement and vegetarianism-the book strives to place its subject in historical and cultural context and succeeds brilliantly. Smith, who teaches culinary history at the New School University, compiles 800 articles and 400 illustrations in a colossal package, resembling Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany in the same way that the kitchen at the Four Seasons resembles the galley of a Manhattan apartment. Under "C," we find "Chickpeas," "Child, Julia," "Clambake," "Cola Wars," "Community-Supported Agriculture" and "Cooperatives"; while "T" offers entries on "Taco Bell," "Tea," "Thanksgiving," "Transportation of Food" and "Tupperware." Readers will be hooked upon opening either of the work's two volumes and flipping to any page. Among the offerings are a Nation article from 1879 that delights in fathers who'd mortify their daughters in social situations by joking about the "frivolousness of napkins"; an entry on the french dip sandwich crediting a Los Angeles sandwich shop owner with inventing the item in 1918 (he accidentally dropped a roll into the roast drippings as he prepared a beef sandwich for a customer); a piece on Rastus, the fictional chef whose image has appeared on Cream of Wheat packages since 1896; and a fascinating exploration of Southern regional cookery. For food lovers of all stripes, this work inspires, enlightens and entertains. B&w illus. (Nov.) Forecast: With the right media coverage, this could see booming bookstore, library and cooking school sales. Oxford kicked things off with a symposium and reception at the Institute of Culinary Education in October. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-An authoritative resource that brings together "the best scholarship on the history of American food." Considering the subject from varied perspectives, the 770 articles discuss food and drink within the context of politics; geography; commerce; technology; medicine; class structure; agriculture; and symbolic, spiritual, and ethical values. The alphabetically arranged entries include chronological overviews of events and trends ("Cooking Schools," "Myths and Folklore"); specific foods and drinks ("Po'boy Sandwich," "Coca-Cola"); ethnic, religious, cultural, and racial contributions ("Native American Foods," "Thanksgiving"); biographies ("Lagasse, Emeril," "Pullman, George"); and political and social movements ("Temperance," "Pure Food and Drug Act"). Each entry includes a briefly annotated bibliography and cross references to related articles. Black-and-white illustrations add interest; most of them are historical reproductions with brief identifying captions. The writing is clear, the coverage is thorough, and the index is comprehensive. With entries ranging from "Bialy" to "Borden" (complete with a sidebar on "Elsie the Cow"), and "Vegetarianism" to "Vienna Sausage," this is an encyclopedic smorgasbord where readers can either casually graze multiple offerings or choose a single topic and dig in.-Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Look this: Womans Book of Meditation or Herbal Antibiotics
It's All American Food: The Best Recipes for More than 400 New American Classics
Author: David Rosengarten
American food is no longer just steak, potatoes, and apple pie. Over the past 50 years, dishes that were once exotic have become essential parts of the American menu. Here, for the first time, David Rosengarten has created a definitive cookbook of truly American favorites, ranging from coast to coast, back into the past, and into the cuisines that have merged with the American mainstream in recent decades. Rosengarten places authentic Cajun recipes alongside the sizzling Cuban specialties of Miami. He unveils the mystery behind Philly cheesesteak sandwiches and Maryland crab cakes. He retrieves American classics like chicken pot pie and tuna melt from Junior League cookbooks and restores them to their glory. From breakfast, where he gives the secrets for perfect scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns, to an array of indulgent late night desserts, David Rosengarten has written an unpretentious and accessible adoration of the American kitchen. This celebration of our nation's wonderfully varied cuisine belongs on every home cook's bookshelf.
Author Biography: David Rosengarten was the host of Taste on the Food Network from 1994-2000. His articles have appeared in Gourmet, the New York Times, Newsday, Food & Wine, and Bon Appetit. He is the author of three previous cookbooks based on his cooking show. He lives in New York.
Publishers Weekly
Rosengarten may have begun his career in gourmet fashion on the Food Network, but here he revels in the recidivist pleasures of "American" food: everything from All-Purpose Bright Red Tomato Sauce to Chinese-Restaurant Spareribs and Philly Cheesesteak. This titanic homage to our nation's wildly varied culinary roots values comfort over refinement, but fortunately comforts are in plentiful supply. Rosengarten can find something to love even in an unreconstructed Shrimp Egg Foo Yung, and harkens back fondly to the 1950s, that much-maligned golden era when immigrant cooking found its way to the American palate. Flavor comes first here-garlic by the half cup; the ringing phrase: "2 pounds lard." There are deep-fry favorites (Calamari, Falafel, Scrapple), long-cooked ones (Boston Baked Beans, Flanken) and classics like Shrimp Cocktail, The Ultimate BLT and, of course, Apple Pie. Every major hyphenated-American cuisine-Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Mexican-has a place, as well as several less-established ones (e.g., Argentinean, Russian). Because of his respect for all traditions, no matter how strangely altered or distanced from their roots, Rosengarten manages to avoid snobbery-both traditional and reverse-altogether. His slightly goofy prose ("Call me Ishmael, but I'm convinced that the great informing influence of New England cuisine is the sea") is a perfect match for this gut-rumbling, mouth-watering, heartfelt tribute. (Oct.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Rosengarten (Taste; The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook) turns his attention to everyday American cooking, including the humblest dishes, i.e., "what Americans really like to eat, which isn't often celebrated." He divides his book into three main sections: "Ethnic America," "Regional America," and "Classic America." Rosengarten decries "the denigration of adapted ethnic foods," and many of the recipes in Part 1 are Americanized rather than truly authentic: Brooklyn-Italian Meat Sauce, for example, or Crowded Paella, a sort of kitchen-sink version. The regions featured in Part 2 are something of a mix of locales and styles, from New England to Pennsylvania Dutch to Dixie. And "Classic America" includes recipes for what Rosengarten calls "core American food," dishes enjoyed across the country, not just in ethnic neighborhoods or individual regions. The author's task was a rather daunting one, and certain ethnic cuisines are sadly underrepresented here-just five recipes for Jewish food and only three dishes from Scandinavia. Nevertheless, this is a fascinating guide to the diverse cuisines that make up American food. For most collections. [Good Cook Book Club main selection.] Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
What People Are Saying
Daniel Boulud
David Rosengarten has done this job exceedingly well...fascinating, well researched, and full of delicious recipes is an added plus.
—author of Letters to a Young Chef
Jacques PŠ¹pin
David gives us the best possible versions of regional, classic, and ethnic specialties...
— PBS-TV personality, cookbook author, and cooking teacher
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