Oxford Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink (2003)

[Gerald Cohen]

Barry,

    So far there's been no reaction from Jesse or Frank on this. But
even if Andrew Smith gives you a byline of credit, it won't begin to
due justice to the vast contributions you have been making to the
study of food terminology.

    Maybe you would like to advance the date of the publication of
your own book on this subject. How about aiming to get it out in
2002?  Perhaps Fred Shapiro would be willing to consider the
manuscript, or if there are any problems in this regard, I could have
your manuscript published at the University of Missouri-Rolla's print
shop.

    It would be good to have as much of the material presented first
in Comments on Etymology as a dry run. And you might consider
publishing a book in more than one volume.  That would permit you to
publish a volume in 2002 without having to have all the material
ready to go.

    Consider this all brainstorming. The call as to how to proceed is yours.

---Jerry

>--------------------------------------------------------
>OXFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD & DRINK
>
>    It's been no secret that I've been researching food and drink.
>I've given it away to whoever wants it--DARE, Merriam-Webster,
>Random House, OED.  I plan to compile it into a book.
>    I spent my own money (I've never made any money at all; my
>expenses are not reimbursed) to go to Texas, where I posted
>scholarly information on the taco, fajita, migas, menudo, tostada,
>son-of-a-gun stew, pecan pie, mile high pie, Sloppy Joe, Kentucky
>fried chicken, rugelach...
>    The Culinary Historians just sent me an announcement that Andrew
>Smith will lecture on November 8th on "Talking Turkey: History of
>the Turkey in America."  Who is Andrew Smith?  Why:
>
>He is the General Editor for the University of Illinois's Food
>Series and the Editor-in-Chief of the "Oxford Encyclopedia on
>American Food and Drink," scheduled for publication by Oxford
>University Press in 2003.
>
>    A competing book.  News to me.  Neither the author nor anyone at
>Oxford told me about it!
>    I've researched virtually the entire field singlehandedly in my
>spare time away from parking tickets.  How can Smith write the book
>without using my work?
>    What's he going to say about the "hot dog" or the "taco" or:
>
>smoothie, ice cream soda, sundae, egg cream, cappuccino, espresso,
>gyro, Greek salad, Caesar salad, Palace Court salad, combination
>salad, Thousand Island dressing, Ranch dressing, Roquefort dressing,
>hero sandwich, hoagie, grinder, poor boy, submarine sandwich, club
>sandwich, Reuben sandwich, French dip sandwich, beef 'n' weck,
>spiedini, mostaccioli, peanut butter and jelly, pizza, apizza,
>chiffon pie, blackbottom pie, butterscotch pie, Dutch apple pie,
>black walnut cake, mongole soup, wonton soup, egg rolls, fortune
>cookies, dim sum, chow mein, chop suey, Chinese chews, take-out,
>beef Wellington, beef Stroganoff, monkey bread, anadama bread,
>elephant ears, knish, bagel, Bloody Mary, Margarita, Manhattan,
>Southside, pine colada, soup to nuts...
>
>    Does he plan to use all of my work free of charge?  Or will I get
>a line of credit for writing the entire book for him?  Or does he
>plan on getting everything wrong?