Comfort Food & Baby Names in NY Times Magazine

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   Does Kathleen Miller still work for William Safire?  What's going on?
   This Sunday's NEW YORK TIMES magazine is just awful.


COMFORT FOOD--Safire finds that 1966 "comfort food" that I had found.  He
disregards it and then writes:

   On the cover of "Cooking for Comfort," her new book of '"recipes that are
as satisfying to cook as they are to eat," the New York Times food columnist
Marian Burros chose a picture of an inviting bowl of macaroni and cheese. (...)
 Burros was largely responsible for the term's popularization.  In a 1985
Times column titled "Turning to Food for Solace,'"she wrote that the restaurateur
George Lang, owner of New York's Cafe des Artistes, "said his _comfort foods_
'are foods I can eat at any time, whether I'm full or not. ... _Comfort
foods_ are the perfect tranquilizer.'"

   Safire then cites Merriam-Webster, "food prepared in a traditional style
having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal."  Safire conveniently omits
Merriam-Webster's "comfort food" date--1977!
   I had posted here cites before 1985, including an important 1970s article
in BON APPETIT.  Is there any basis at all for concluding that the New York
Times writer was "largely responsible for the term's popularization"?  Give me
_one_ citation to prove this!  To my mind, this is lying to help a Times writer
sell books.
   Why didn't Kathleen Miller consult me?  Do I charge too much?  Do I not
answer timely?  Does she not know I write about food?  Am I not also an ADS
member?
   I'd write a letter to the editor, but it would never be published.  As
usual, there will be no correction.  Marian Burros popularized "comfort food."  A
horrible, pandering falsehood.  Trust betrayed.


BABY NAMES--There's also an article on names in the New York Times magazine.
It's a long article, continued four times on my computer.  I didn't see
"American Name Society" written even once.  Please tell me I missed it.
   I'm going to be sick.