American Regional Cuisine (2002)

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AMERICAN REGIONAL CUISINE:
A COAST-TO-COAST CELEBRATION OF THE NATION'S CULINARY DIVERSITY--WITH 250 RECIPES
The Art Institutes
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., NY
542 pages, hardcover, $45
2002

   There's no reason to buy this book because it doesn't do any particular thing well.  The cost is a considerable $45, but this stuff was done better years ago, and you can get better stuff on the web for free.
   For my purposes, however, it covers what I'm interested in.  I wasn't concerned with the cost, so I bought it.
   It's amazing that the "hot dog" myth was avoided; other myths are here.  Page 437 tells us that the "smoothie" was invented during the health craze of California in the 1950s.  Pg. 435 tells us that the "martini" was invented by Jerry Thomas during the California gold rush.  Page 190 credits Ed Barq for creating "root beer" in 1898.  Page 439 tells us that the "Zombie" was invented in the 1940s, but it was popularized in the 1939 New York World's Fair.  Page 96 tells us that "iced tea" became popular during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.  Page 49 tells us that "brownie" possibly comes from a WWI librarian named Brownie Schrumpf.  This is just awful.
   "Beef on Weck" is dated to 1837, but that's probably a typo for 1937.
   There is a "Basic Culinary Vocabulary" on pages 523-528.  "References" is all of a page-and-a-half, on pages 529-530.  Four chapters list just one reference.
   Amazingly, no web sites are mentioned in the entire book.
   Many classic foods--such as "snickerdoodles" and "Johnny Marzetti" and "Cincinnati five-way chile"--aren't here.  Other foods, such as "pinto beans," are listed more than once in the regional sections.
   The regions are: New England, Mid-Atlantic States, Deep South, Floribbean, Cajun and Creole, Central Plains, Tex-Mex, Rocky Mountain States, American Southwest, California and Hawaii, and Pacific Northwest.
   The recipes are OK, but you can get recipes all over the internet for _free_.  There are 16 pages of color photos.
   The Strand will probably be selling this book for half-price real soon.
   These entries in AMERICAN REGIONAL CUISINE were not found in John Mariani's ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD AND DRINK:

Tomalley, pg. 9
Beet Egg, pg. 47
Deadman's Fingers, pg. 48
Jimmies, pg. 48
Button Mushroom, pg. 49
Clear Toy, pg. 50
Old Bay Seasoning, pg. 53
Pan Puddin, pg. 55
Fatback, pg. 96
Silver Queen Corn, pg. 98
Alcaporado, pg. 136
Annatto, pg. 136
Manchego Cheese, pg. 139
Malanga, pg. 140
Pickapeppa Sauce, pg. 140
Sodrito, pg. 141
Eggs Hussard, pg. 186
Holy Trinity, pg. 187
Moussa, pg. 188
Popcorn Rice, pg. 189
Providence Rice, pg. 189
Halupa, pg. 228
Kutia, pg. 228
Rullepolse, pg. 230
Bolillo, pg. 277
Boracho, pg. 277
Camal, pg. 278
Texmati Rice, pg. 282
Colache, pg. 314
Buffaloberry, pg. 330
Chokecherry, pg. 330
Ozette Potato, pg. 332
Capirotada, pg. 380
Epazote, pg. 382
Heirloom Bean, pg. 382
Horchata, pg. 383
Japone, pg. 383
Teswin, pg. 387
Maui Onion, pg. 435
Walla Walla Onion, pg. 482