Negimaki or Negimayaki

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

OT: I've been seeing the posts of "JL" here recently. Let me wlecome the 
arrive of my ex-wife "J-Lo" to this list.
  
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NEGIMAKI--856 Google hits, 160 Google Groups hits
NEGIMAYAKI--66 Google hits, 8 Google Groups hits
NEGIMA-YAKI--72 Google hits, 4 Google Groups hits
  
This dish was supposed invented at New York's Nippon Restaurant in 1963, so 
I've added to my New York Food section at www.barrypopik.com.
  
OED has recently revised "N' and--it's not there. It's not there?! How could 
it not be there?
  
Barry Popik
(well-respected OED food contributor, recently awakened from parking tickets)
  
  
(WWW.BARRYPOPIK.COM)
Negimaki or Negimayaki

Japanese food is booming here and this is one of the early New York City 
classics—or is it?
  
According to John Mariani’s Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink (1979): “
The word is from the Janaese negi (onion) plus maki (wound around). The dish, 
which has become popular in Japanese restaurants in the United States, was 
created at New York’s Nippon Restaurant in 1963 by owner Nobuyoshi Kuaoka under 
the prompting of New York Times restaurant critic Craig Claiborner, who 
thought the restaurant should have more interesting beef dishes for the American 
customer. Kuaoka originally called the dish ‘negimayaki.’”
  
That should solve it, but it doesn’t. A New York Times text search of “
Claiborne” and “Nippon” doesn’t turn up anything relevant. I tried “negimaki” 
and “negimayuaki” and “negima-yaki,” with the results below. The Los Angeles 
Times digitization is now through 1964, and I’m still waiting for a “
California roll” in its pages. If I see an earlier “negimaki” or “negimayaki,” I’ll 
add it here.
  
 
11 November 1963, New York Times, pg. 37:
They are the Nippon at 145 East 52d Street, and the new Saito at 131 West 52d 
Street (...) Although sushi may seem a trifle “far out” for many American 
palates, such dishes as teriyaki )steak, pork or chicken marinated in soy sauce 
and grilled), shiwo-yaki (pork or chicken broiled with salt and served with a 
soy and lemon sauce), as well as the familiar tempura and sukiyaki, have an 
immediate and almost universal appeal.
(It’s not mentioned here—ed.)
  
 5 December 1975, New York Times, pg. 55:
Among the appetizers (we give prices of full portions here-you get smaller 
poritons with dinners) we had an excellent negimaki-beef wrapped around 
scallions with teriyaki sauce ($2.75).
  
23 December 1977, Valley News *Van Nuys, CA), pg. 41, col. 2:
Inagiku Menu Highlights
9th Floor, Bonaventure Hotel
5th And Figueroa, Downtown Los Angeles
(...) negimayaki, $2..50 (...)13 April 1979, New York TImes, pg. C18:
Negima-yaki, tender beef roll-ups wrapped around scallions and broiled in a 
soy marinade, were lovely and firm one night, but at another time were much too 
soft and drowned in sauce.
(Mimi Sheraton’s one-star review of Nippon, 145 East 62d Street—ed.)
  
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