The Chicago Food Encyclopedia

Heartland Foodways

by Carol Mighton Haddix (Editor), Bruce Kraig (Editor), Colleen Taylor Sen (Editor)

The Chicago Food Encyclopedia is a far-ranging portrait of an American culinary paradise. Hundreds of entries deliver all of the visionary restauranteurs, Michelin superstars, beloved haunts, and food companies of today and yesterday. More than 100 sumptuous images include thirty full-color photographs that transport readers to dining rooms and food stands across the city. Throughout, a roster of writers, scholars, and industry experts pays tribute to an expansive--and still expanding--food history that not only helped build Chicago but fed a growing nation. Pizza. Alinea. Wrigley Spearmint. Soul food. Rick Bayless. Hot Dogs. Koreatown. Everest. All served up A-Z, and all part of the ultimate reference on Chicago and its food.

Genres: Food, Nonfiction

344 pages, Paperback

Published August 16, 2017

Reviews

[Rianna]

43/45 books read in 2017
Provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Specialized encyclopedia that can be of use to anyone interested in the food industry of Chicago & its history. This will also be of use to anyone researching Chicago and the food industry. I can definitely see myself using this in one of my translation projects.

This book consists of an introduction with an overview of the history of Chicago's food scene. Then there are a lot of entries, 260 pages full, sorted alphabetically for easy access. The sources for each entry are included under the item, so you won't have to flip to the back to find further specialized reading. Also included are Appendix A, an overview of the period kitchens, dining rooms, and recipe resources in Chicago, and Appendix B which provides an overview of U.S. salaries and prices from 1890 to 2015.

[jess ~has abandoned GR~]

It is, quite literally, an encyclopedia of some Chicago food facts. This is the kind of book you'd want to pick up in a waiting room and flip through.

A few thoughts from someone who has lived in the suburbs of Chicago for most of her life:

I had no idea atomic cake was just a Chicago thing. I need to travel more, and eat more cake in other places.

Also, explains why there is a gyro place every 50 feet in my neighborhood (I do not live in a Greek neighborhood) and I couldn't find a good gryo anywhere when I went to college out of state.

I'm also sitting here ruminating on Italian beef and paczkis and what a wonderful world this is.

Notably absent: Chicago style hotdogs and a good BBQed hot link.

received via Netgalley

[Arcelia Ramos]

This is a specialized resource original of its kind. It brings in everything regarding with the history of Chicago’s cuisine. The uniqueness of Chicago’s cuisine comes from the combination of foreign influences and Chicago’s life. This results in creative dishes that are a delight to experience. As the editors explained it, this Chicago Food Encyclopedia is a powerful resource for both food scholars and Chicago’s visitors. Some nice features of the resource are the pictures and other illustrations; readers can get a clear idea of what it is being described. For example, there is a picture of a test kitchen from the 1920s, so readers can see what these kitchens (used to test new recipes) looked like almost a hundred years ago. Other great extras are the timeline in the introduction, the appendixes at the end of the book with additional information, and the index. I am glad the publishers added these details because they really enrich a resource such as this.