The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America - Tapa dura

"Nothing will satisfy the foodie more than the two volumes of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, which takes the reader from Anadama bread, which originated on Boston's North Shore, to an 1845 dinner at the White House," --The Boston Globe "Fascinating, informative, these two volumes are a wealth of information on every aspect of American food and drink....Truly an invaluable resource."--Washington Post "Essential....Anyone who can put it down is unburdened by curiosity about anything." --The New Yorker "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 into historical and cultural context and succeeds brilliantly....Readers will be hooked upon opening either volume (the entire work is split in two) and flipping to any page....For food lovers of all stripes, this work inspires, enlightens and entertains."--Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW "An authoritative resource that brings together 'the best scholarship on the history of American food'.... 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." -- School Library Journal STARRED REVIEW "How did the mock apple pie originate? What's the difference between a frappe and a milkshake? Who introduced the first frozen TV dinner? Answers to queries such as these can be found in this highly entertaining set...Essential. Highly recommended for all libraries." -- Choice "Essential.... Anyone who can put it down is unburdened by curiosity about anything."--The New Yorker "This two-volume encyclopedia presents a comprehensive and delightful voyage through historical and contemporary foodways.... Will provide fodder for countless explorations and discoveries such as these for food lovers, scholars, students, and writers. With its excellent organization, lucid writing, and comprehensive coverage, it will be an invaluable resource for years to come."--Gastronomica

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, originally published in September 2004 and with 5,000 copies sold to date, covers the significant events, inventions, and social movements that have shaped the way Americans view, prepare, and consume food and drink. Entries range across historical periods and the trends that characterize them, from the extravagant feasts of the Gilded Age to the diet fads of the nineties. The thoroughly updated new edition captures the shifting American perspective on food and ensures that this title is both the most authoritative and the most current reference work on American cuisine.

The second edition of the Encyclopedia reflects the many changes in American food consciousness during the twenty-first century. Once a niche market, food television has become ubiquitous, as are websites devoted to all sorts of regional cuisines. New health consciousness has spawned obesity taxes, transfat and calorie-count laws, the slow food movement, and locavorism. Ethnic foods and the fusion of these have led to new crazes for such cuisines as Southwestern sushi and Filipino hamburgers. These timely trends and topics have been newly incorporated into the new edition of the Encyclopedia, adding one volume and over 300 new entries on these and other subjects such as food science and nutrition, molecular gastronomy, genetically-modified foods, food controversies, regional foods, the volatile nature of food prices, and food traditions of major American cities. Entries from the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, also edited by Andy Smith, have been added, as have a substantial number of biographies of culinary personalities. All bibliographies and non-historical entries have been revisited for updating.