The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America: 2-Volume Set (Hardcover)

by Andrew F. Smith (Editor)
Key Phrases: ethnic home cooking, advertising cookbooklets, firehouse cooking, New England, New Orleans, North America (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. 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.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 1584 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; illustrated edition edition (December 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195154371
• ISBN-13: 978-0195154375
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9.6 x 4.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #569,687 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, May 24, 2005

By	korova (Varosha) - See all my reviews

I picked up this set because I immensely enjoy reading the Oxford Companion to Food and refer to it often.

Unfortunately, while the scope of the OEFDA is wide and many of the articles are informative and interesting, the quality of the writing is not as high as in the OCF. Perhaps Oxford University Press thought it needed to make this book "accessible" to Americans by limiting the authors to writing at an 8th grade level.

There also are factual inconsistencies throughout the book. For example, Ruffles potato chips are said to have been launched during either the 1950's or the 1970's, depending on which article about snacks you happen to be reading. This sort of sloppy editing and fact-checking is inexcusable, especially from a university press.

Bottom line: the OEFDA is an admirable attempt at creating a comprehensive survey of American food history, but there are some glaring flaws. I recommend starting with the OCF.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have for history buffs and food lovers alike!, November 1, 2004

By	K. Fitzsimmons - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a weekend gourmand, I found the entries in Food and Drink in America to be fascinating! From the origins of apple pie and baking soda to the lore of tomatoes, this is an amazing collection of historically-grounded, little-known stories about the food we eat. It is an indispensable reference book for anyone interested in food, cooking and American history - not to mention a comprehensive source for culinary trivia -- a great conversation piece!

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Resource, November 13, 2004

By	Vicki J. Caparulo, CCP (Morristown, NJ) - See all my reviews

I sit here with my two newly acquired volumes of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America in absolute awe! With almost 200 contributors, almost 800 entries and nearly 400 illustrations, editor Andy Smith and Oxford University Press have done a magnificent job of putting together what is clearly the most comprehensive work on this immensely broad subject ever undertaken. Whether you are a food professional or interested amateur, a historian, sociologist or anthropologist, a student or scholar, these volumes will no doubt become your most important resource for information related in any way to the history of food and drink in America. The scope is astounding, spanning some five centuries and ranging from events and trends to products, from ethnic, religions and cultural influences to political and social movements in American history, and also includes dozens of biographical entries of important contributors and influences on the development of culinary life and gastronomy in America. Despite the enormity of this work, it is refreshingly approachable, set forth alphabetically, written in clear language, translated when needed, and annotated and supplemented with bibliographical information for those wishing to explore further. As a food professional-recipe developer, food writer and culinary educator-there is no doubt in my mind that these pages will soon be worn and this seminal work will remain among my most valued and cherished resources for as long as my interest in food and gastronomy is alive.