easy as pie: the complexities of cookbook indexing
DESCRIPTION
Indexing cookbooks can seem, on its face, to be a simple process. However, there is much more to it than first meets the eye. This presentation explores some of the theoretical aspects of cookbooks, discusses the importance of faceted classifications in cookbook indexing and then uses numerous examples to highlight some of cookbook indexing best practices.TRANSCRIPT
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Presented by Fred Leise
Chicago/Great Lakes Chapter, American Society for Indexing
November 7, 2009
Easy as Pie:The Complexities of Cookbook Indexing
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What You Wanted to Know
Basic principles of cookbook indexing
Term selection
Differences from other subjects
Key term categories
Questions to ask the editor
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What You Wanted to Know
What is essential in cookbook index
Look at bad and good indexes
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Goals for This Workshop
Increase your understanding of how cookbook indexes are created
Improve your cookbook indexing skills
Enable you to recognize good and bad cookbook indexes
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Workshop Overview
I. Theory
1. About cookbooks
2. Facets and classification
3. Types of cookbooks
4. Indexing recipe titles
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Workshop Overview
I. Theory (cont.)
5. Indexing additional content
II. Reviews of Cookbook Indexes
III. Breaking in to cookbook indexing
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I. Theory
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Special Problems in Cookbook Indexing
Cookbooks are technical manuals
Specialized vocabulary
Obscure or confusing terminology: Boston Cream Pie doesn’t have cream in it, nor is it a pie
Implicit information
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Special Problems in Cookbook Indexing
You said
Dealing with lengthy main entries
Choosing appropriate subheadings
Using terminology and structure that cooks with a range of experience can use
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Special Problems in Cookbook Indexing
You said
Maximum access to each recipe in shortest possible format
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Special Problems in Cookbook Indexing
You said
Choosing key ingredients for inclusion in the index
Problem of multiple entries: Shepherd's pie, savory pies, minced meat, meat, beef, ground beef, mashed potato crust
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Qualities of Cookbook Indexers
Subject matter expertise (culinary knowledge)
Being a cook
Being a detective
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Audience context
Why readers use a cookbook index
Do I want to buy this book?
Refinding specific recipe (searchers)
What can I cook with ingredient X?
It’s time for backyard grilling.
What’s for dessert? (browsers)
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Cookbook Indexes
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Cookbook indexes
use faceted classifications.
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Facets
First introduced by S. J. Ranganathan in the early 1930s.
, Personality What is it?
; Matter What is it made of?
: Energy What action is it performing?
. Space Where is it?
‘ Time When is it?
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Facets
research in the cure of tuberculosis of lungs by x-ray conducted in India in 1950
L,45;421:6;253:f.44'N5
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Fundamental categories by which an object or concept may be described
Facets
Example: facets describing a ball:
size, weight, shape, color, texture, material
Other possible facets?
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Facets
Book facets
Author
Title
Publisher
Format
Cost
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Facets in Cooking
Recipe titles Dish type
Ingredients Dietary type
Cuisines Holidays
Meal types
Cooking methods
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Heading-Subheading Relationships
whole-part relationship
carsdrive shaft
desksdesk drawers
treesbranches
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Heading-Subheading Relationships
Entity-characteristics relationships
ironstrength of
washing machinesload size
bloodhoundstracking abilities
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Heading-Subheading Relationships
Heading-context relationship
Roosevelt, Franklinat Yalta conference
bridgesof Madison County
Tale of Genjifilm adaptations of
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Heading-Subheading Relationships
For cookbooks, most subheadings are examples or instances of heading (classifications)
Baked rice puddingsEnglishwith fruit and nutsItalianwith meringueSwiss
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Heading-Subheading Relationships
dumplingsgnocchigyozaknödelpfluttersspätzle
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Cookbook indexes
use faceted classifications.
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Cookbook Types
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Cookbook Types
Provide context for indexing
Assist identification of metatopic
Aid in identification of possible facets
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Cookbook Types
1. Ingredient-based
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2. Technique-based
Cookbook Types
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3. Cuisine-based
Cookbook Types
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4. Type of meal
Cookbook Types
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Cookbook Types
5. Type of dish
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6. Equipment-based
Cookbook Types
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7. General
Cookbook Types
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8. Vanity
Cookbook Types
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[anything spiral bound]
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9. Historical
Cookbook Types
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10. Personality-based
Cookbook Types
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11. Textbook
Cookbook Types
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Facets for Indexing
Recipe titles Dish type
Ingredients Dietary type
Cuisines Holidays
Meal types
Cooking methods
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Indexing Recipe Titles
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Indexing Recipe Titles
Alphabetization
Letter-by-letter
Format
Indented preferred over run-in
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Creole Cookery
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Persian Cooking
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Index Format
Single-level index
The Escoffier Cook Book
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If you do nothing else in a cookbook index, you should index recipe titles, both as main headings and as subheadings under appropriate facets.
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Recipe Titles
Capitalization: Four Styles
1. Formal (extreme upper case)
All main headings capitalized
All subentries that are recipe titles or title fragments are capitalized
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Capitalization
1. Formal (extreme upper case)
Black Beans about Frijoles Negros Oaxaca Tostada Bites and RiceBlack Cherry SoupBlack Currant Duck Breasts
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Capitalization
2. Modified uppercase style
Exact recipe titles are capitalized
Headings are lowercase
Descriptive recipe names are lower case
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Capitalization
2. Modified uppercase style
black beans about Frijoles Negros Oaxaca Tostada Bites and RiceBlack Cherry SoupBlack Currant Duck Breasts
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Capitalization
3. Modified lower case
Main entries capitalized (initial cap)
All subentries are lower case
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Capitalization
3. Modified lower case
Black beans about frijoles negros Oaxaca tostada bites and rice Black cherry soup Black currant duck breasts
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Capitalization
4. Informal (extreme lower case)
All headings, subheadings and recipe titles are lower case
Only proper names are capitalized
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Capitalization
4. Informal (extreme lower case)
black beans about frijoles negros Oaxaca tostada bites and rice black cherry soup black currant duck breasts
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Recipe Titles
Levels of subheadings
Needed versus allowable
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Recipe Titlesfour levels displayed as two
1 2
43
Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook
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Recipe Titles
Title as main entry in index
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Recipe Titles
Title under each defining ingredient
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Recipe Titles
Title under each additional appropriate facet
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Recipe Titles
Title under each additional appropriate facet
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Recipe Titles
Need for choices
Grandma Greta's Romaine and Red Cabbage Slaw with Mustard Blue Cheese Dressing
Single best index entry?
Source: Rose Grant, “Cookbook Indexing: Not as Easy as ABC,” Culinary SIG website
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Recipe Titles
Full title subheadings (exact quote)
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Recipe Titles
Subhead title style
Exact quote title takes more space
Exact quote does not allow for inversions
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Recipe Titles
Full title inversions
Bring significant word forward
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Recipe Titles
Problems with not inverting
PiesApple-Cranberry PieAunt Jenny's Rhubarb PieChiffon Pumpkin PieDeep-Dish Apple PieRhubarb-Raspberry PieThanksgiving Pumpkin PieWarm Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese
Problems with not inverting
PiesApple-Cranberry PieAunt Jenny's Rhubarb PieChiffon Pumpkin PieDeep-Dish Apple PieRhubarb-Raspberry PieThanksgiving Pumpkin PieWarm Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese
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Recipe Titles
Problems with not inverting
PiesApple-Cranberry PieApple Pie, Deep-Dish Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese, Warm Pumpkin Pie, Chiffon Pumpkin Pie, Thanksgiving Rhubarb Pie, Aunt Jenny's Rhubarb-Raspberry Pie
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles as subheadings
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles as subheadings
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles as subheadings under ingredients
Grandma Greta's Red Cabbage Slaw with Mustard Blue CheeseDressing
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles as subheadings under ingredients
Step 1. Remove heading word
Grandma Greta's Red Cabbage Slaw with Mustard Blue CheeseDressing
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles as subheadings under ingredients
Step 2. Insert comma
Grandma Greta's Red Cabbage, with Mustard Blue Cheese Dressing
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Recipe Titles
Partial titles
Cracked Wheat Porridge with Almonds and Apricots
Partial titles
Cracked Wheat Porridge with Almonds and Apricots
Apricots
cracked wheat porridge with almonds and
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Recipe Titles
Partial title inversions - compounds
Need to review wording
Almonds
cracked wheat porridge with, and apricots [awkward]
and apricots, cracked wheat porridge with
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Multiple Languages
Italian only as main heading; English as main heading and subheadings for the various facets
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Multiple Languages
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19 recipes referenced
Source: Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
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8 recipes referenced
Source: Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen
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Recipe Titles
Foreign articles
Ignored in alphabetization
Risottocol cavolo rosso e la pancettacoi fagiolini verdi e il peperone gialloalla friulana col rosmarino e vino biancocon salsicce e fagioli borlotti
Source: Cynthia Bertelson, “A Piece of Cake?,” Culinary SIG website
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Recipe Titles
Foreign articles
Ignored in alphabetization
"in the manner of" à la (French) au (French) aux (French)
Source: Cynthia Bertelson, “A Piece of Cake?,” Culinary SIG website
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Recipe Titles
Foreign articles
Ignored in alphabetization
"with" avec (French) con (Spanish, Italian) mit (German)
Source: Cynthia Bertelson, “A Piece of Cake?,” Culinary SIG website
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Recipe Titles
Foreign articles
Ignored in alphabetization
"and" e (Italian) et (French) und (German) y (Spanish)
Source: Cynthia Bertelson, “A Piece of Cake?,” Culinary SIG website
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Ingredients
Defining ingredients: from title
Salt-encrusted Cod
Chicken and Lemon Salad
Lentil Soup with Prunes and Pears
Sour Cream Cake
Italian Pine-Nut Macaroons
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Ingredients
Major ingredients
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Ingredients
Major ingredients
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Ingredients
Unusual (exotic) Ingredients
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Ingredients
Alternate names/synonyms
chanterelles/mushrooms
prawns/shrimp
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Additional Facets
Cooking methods (techniques)
Stewing
Frying
Baking
Grilling
Sautéeing
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Additional Facets
Dish type
Dietary type
Cuisines
Meal types
Holidays
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Read the entire recipe. It often contains much more information than just the title and list of ingredients.
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Variations
…[next page]
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Subsidiary Recipes
Brownies with Milk Chocolate Icing
Apple-Cassis Compote in Meringue Shells
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Subsidiary Recipes
Braised Turkey in Teloloapan Red Mole
Five-Tomato Salad with Gorgonzola and Chive Toasts
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Subsidiary Recipes
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Proper Names
Illustrations
Substantive content
Additional Material
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Substantive Content
From explanatory material
From notes
Within recipe
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Substantive Content
Background information
Social/cultural information
Biographical material
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Source: Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Desserts
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Source: Jewish Cooking in America
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What to Ask the Editor
Size limits: minimum/maximum
Indexable material
PrelimsAppendicesIllustrationsNotes
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Style for recipe titles
Levels of subheadings
Audience
What to Ask the Editor
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Good Cookbook Indexes?
It's easy to find the recipe which you need. The headings and sub-headings are logical and have the terminology appropriate for the user.
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Good Cookbook Indexes?
The subentries are descriptive by ingredient, not just a fancy name; [it] helps me to locate a recipe even if I do not know the name…I do not feel overwhelmed with information or lost in the index structure.
(about The Joy of Cooking)
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Good Cookbook Indexes?
I can always find exactly what I want: recipe title, main ingredient, procedure.
Cookbook indexes need to be focused and concise.
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Good Cookbook Indexes?
Cookbook indexes are used over and over by the same reader to find the same entry. This means that it is important not to penalize the reader for knowing exactly what they're looking for.
I want to find Red Lentil Soup with Lime under "R" and Upside-Down cake under "U" when I look them up twice a month!
—Thérèse Shere
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Resources
1. Reference list at end of article on Culinary SIG website:
http://www.culinaryindexing.org/bertelson_article.html
includes both online and print reference sources; out of date; a number of links don’t work
2. Cook’s Thesaurus (http://www.foodsubs.com/)
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Resources
3. Practically Edible (http://www.practicallyedible.com/) “The Web’s Biggest Food Encyclopedia”
4. Larousse Gastronomique, revised and updated edition, Clarkson Potter, 2009 (1,216 pages, 7 pounds)
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Contact Information
Fred Leise
www.contextualanalysis.com
@ChicagoIndexer