The Recipe Copyright Title Bout of the 20th Century: Olney vs. Nelson vs. Beard
Richard Olney’s The French Menu Cookbook (1970) and Simple French Food (1974) profoundly shaped American food trends in the 20th century—mostly behind the scenes. They inspired Alice Waters as she launched Chez Panisse, igniting a fresh California cuisine revolution. She, James Beard and Julia Child would all make regular pilgrimages to Olney’s hermitage dwelling in Provence to dine with this genius of the palate.
Success spawns copycats. The culprit here is Richard Nelson’s American Cooking (1983).…