Food and Drink | Los Angeles Public Library
Source: https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/research-guides/food-and-drink
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:35
Food and Drink | Los Angeles Public Library
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Materials on Food and Drink
Central Library has one of the largest culinary collections in the country. Book topics include cookbooks, gastronomy, baking, beverages, diet, literary appreciation and biographies. Other formats are patents, menus, periodicals, advertising ephemera, photographs, audios and videos.
The General Collections
Most of the materials on food and wine are found in the Science, Technology and Patents Department. Access to the collection is through the catalog. Books are arranged by Dewey Decimal number beginning with 640. There are approximately 39,000 food and wine books in this area. Cookery is arranged first by generalities, then geographically. The collection has great depth in international cuisine. For example, there are more than 700 titles on French cookery, over a thousand on Chinese cuisine and more than 800 on Mexican cooking. Many non-English language books on the subject are in the International Languages Department. California and the Midwest cookery are strongly represented by both trade books and charitable (fund-raising) cookbooks. Following the geographic arrangement are books based on technique or appliance, such as blenders or microwaves, and then those based on ingredients, such as chicken or tofu. These are followed by books on beverages, and hotel and restaurant management.
The wine collection is non-technical with the library owning many important English language titles. Wine books class in the 663’s and are arranged geographically.
Other areas of food-related interest are diet books (613.2), and agricultural materials (630), which include growing and preserving fruits and vegetables. The chemical technology section contains a variety of food processing subjects. Julia Child and Jacques Pepin are among those represented by instructional videos.
Many related materials are found in other subject departments. Business and Economics has the economic aspects of the food and agricultural industries. History and Genealogy has restaurant guides and has indexed many books and periodicals to identify information about the history of California food and agriculture. Literature and Fiction house literary appreciation of food and novels with food, restaurant and wine settings. Social Sciences, Philosophy and Religion has information on food habits, etiquette, alcoholism and temperance.
The Periodicals Collection
Central Library’s periodicals collection, accessible from any subject department, is very extensive. There are long and complete runs of many culinary titles, such as The Boston Cooking School Magazine, Cooking for Profit, Gastronomica, Institutions, and Restaurant Business.
Special Collections Departments
The Special Collections Department houses many items that require special care. Access is through the catalog. Major features are California cookery, rare culinary books, menus and advertising ephemera. Appointments are required and may be made by calling (213) 228-7350.
California Cookery
Los Angeles Public Library has the largest collection in the world of cookbooks printed in California. It is the only library that owns all three of California’s first charitable books:
How to Keep a Husband, or Culinary Tactics
The California Recipe Book
The Sacramento Ladies Kitchen Companion
all printed in 1872. There are more than 1000 books in this collection, including such important works as El Cocinero Espanol, the first Spanish language cookbook printed in California, and What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking, the first cookbook written by an African American.
Rare Books
There are more than 500 rare books on European and American cooking, one of the largest and most important collections in the country. The earliest title is Francisco Grapaldi’s Parmensis de Partibus Adium, published in 1533. The three main cookery books on the Italian renaissance are here: Castore Durante’s Il Tesoro Della Sanita (1588); Domenico Romoldi's La Singolare Dottrina (1570); and Bartolomeo Scappi's Opera (1598). French and British cooking are well represented by the works of many noted authors from the early 17th century to modern times. The Central library has a major collection of materials on the tradition of Hispanic cookery. Several classic Spanish titles, such as Juan de Altimira's Nuevo Arte de Cocina (1756) and Juan de la Mata's Arte de Reposteria (1791), form the foundation of this collection. From Mexico comes an 1829 manuscript by Maria Dolores Calderon, El Cuaderno de Guisosos, and the first cookbook printed in Mexico, El Cocinero Mexicano (1831). There are several Mexican books from the 1830s to the 1850s.
American cooking includes significant early books such as an 1815 edition of Amelia Simmons' American Cookery but modern books predominate, including such items as the rare first edition, privately printed, of Irma Rombaurs The Joy of Cooking (1931).
Menus
The Library owns a collection of several thousand menus arranged by date and by restaurant. The
menus are available on the library web site
, and full images are available for much of the collection. Menus are primarily from California restaurants but this collection includes significant restaurants, and also common ones, from around the world. Gifts of menus are welcomed and the subject department manager in Science, Technology and Patents, may be contacted for more information.
Advertising Ephemera
Thousands of brochures promoting foods, from prunes to baking soda, are filed by subject. Besides ingredient-specific recipes covering a long period, they also contain eye-catching advertising art of every style.
The Cookery Ephemera Index
is available on the Library web site.
Photographs and Illustrations
The Los Angeles Public Library
Historic Photograph Collection
, housed in the
History and Genealogy Department
, contains more than three million photographs, primarily from the collections of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. There are many food and wine related images ranging from photographs of workers in tortilla factories to novelty photos of penguins dressed as chefs roasting chickens. Parts of the collection are available for searching and viewing on the Library web site. Photographs are also available for commercial use.
The Culinary Historians of Southern California
The
Culinary Historians of Southern California
was founded in 1995 to support the Library's collections and to provide public programming in the areas of food in culture and society.
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Read Freely
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California Index
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Behymer Collection Index
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Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
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California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
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Menu Collection
Native American Index
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Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
Services & Programs
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Ask a Librarian
Be a Successful Street Vendor
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Seniors
State Park Pass
STEAM
Tech2go
Veterans Resources
Voter Information
Wireless Printing
Neighborhood Science
Events
Adults
Babies & Toddlers
Bilingual Events
Calendar
Celebrations
Central 100 Celebration
Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
Teens
Locations & Hours
All Branches
Central Library
Departments and Services
Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
Get Involved
Become a Friend of the Library
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Jump to Navigation
Jump to Content
Materials on Food and Drink
Central Library has one of the largest culinary collections in the country. Book topics include cookbooks, gastronomy, baking, beverages, diet, literary appreciation and biographies. Other formats are patents, menus, periodicals, advertising ephemera, photographs, audios and videos.
The General Collections
Most of the materials on food and wine are found in the Science, Technology and Patents Department. Access to the collection is through the catalog. Books are arranged by Dewey Decimal number beginning with 640. There are approximately 39,000 food and wine books in this area. Cookery is arranged first by generalities, then geographically. The collection has great depth in international cuisine. For example, there are more than 700 titles on French cookery, over a thousand on Chinese cuisine and more than 800 on Mexican cooking. Many non-English language books on the subject are in the International Languages Department. California and the Midwest cookery are strongly represented by both trade books and charitable (fund-raising) cookbooks. Following the geographic arrangement are books based on technique or appliance, such as blenders or microwaves, and then those based on ingredients, such as chicken or tofu. These are followed by books on beverages, and hotel and restaurant management.
The wine collection is non-technical with the library owning many important English language titles. Wine books class in the 663’s and are arranged geographically.
Other areas of food-related interest are diet books (613.2), and agricultural materials (630), which include growing and preserving fruits and vegetables. The chemical technology section contains a variety of food processing subjects. Julia Child and Jacques Pepin are among those represented by instructional videos.
Many related materials are found in other subject departments. Business and Economics has the economic aspects of the food and agricultural industries. History and Genealogy has restaurant guides and has indexed many books and periodicals to identify information about the history of California food and agriculture. Literature and Fiction house literary appreciation of food and novels with food, restaurant and wine settings. Social Sciences, Philosophy and Religion has information on food habits, etiquette, alcoholism and temperance.
The Periodicals Collection
Central Library’s periodicals collection, accessible from any subject department, is very extensive. There are long and complete runs of many culinary titles, such as The Boston Cooking School Magazine, Cooking for Profit, Gastronomica, Institutions, and Restaurant Business.
Special Collections Departments
The Special Collections Department houses many items that require special care. Access is through the catalog. Major features are California cookery, rare culinary books, menus and advertising ephemera. Appointments are required and may be made by calling (213) 228-7350.
California Cookery
Los Angeles Public Library has the largest collection in the world of cookbooks printed in California. It is the only library that owns all three of California’s first charitable books:
How to Keep a Husband, or Culinary Tactics
The California Recipe Book
The Sacramento Ladies Kitchen Companion
all printed in 1872. There are more than 1000 books in this collection, including such important works as El Cocinero Espanol, the first Spanish language cookbook printed in California, and What Mrs. Fisher Knows about Old Southern Cooking, the first cookbook written by an African American.
Rare Books
There are more than 500 rare books on European and American cooking, one of the largest and most important collections in the country. The earliest title is Francisco Grapaldi’s Parmensis de Partibus Adium, published in 1533. The three main cookery books on the Italian renaissance are here: Castore Durante’s Il Tesoro Della Sanita (1588); Domenico Romoldi's La Singolare Dottrina (1570); and Bartolomeo Scappi's Opera (1598). French and British cooking are well represented by the works of many noted authors from the early 17th century to modern times. The Central library has a major collection of materials on the tradition of Hispanic cookery. Several classic Spanish titles, such as Juan de Altimira's Nuevo Arte de Cocina (1756) and Juan de la Mata's Arte de Reposteria (1791), form the foundation of this collection. From Mexico comes an 1829 manuscript by Maria Dolores Calderon, El Cuaderno de Guisosos, and the first cookbook printed in Mexico, El Cocinero Mexicano (1831). There are several Mexican books from the 1830s to the 1850s.
American cooking includes significant early books such as an 1815 edition of Amelia Simmons' American Cookery but modern books predominate, including such items as the rare first edition, privately printed, of Irma Rombaurs The Joy of Cooking (1931).
Menus
The Library owns a collection of several thousand menus arranged by date and by restaurant. The
menus are available on the library web site
, and full images are available for much of the collection. Menus are primarily from California restaurants but this collection includes significant restaurants, and also common ones, from around the world. Gifts of menus are welcomed and the subject department manager in Science, Technology and Patents, may be contacted for more information.
Advertising Ephemera
Thousands of brochures promoting foods, from prunes to baking soda, are filed by subject. Besides ingredient-specific recipes covering a long period, they also contain eye-catching advertising art of every style.
The Cookery Ephemera Index
is available on the Library web site.
Photographs and Illustrations
The Los Angeles Public Library
Historic Photograph Collection
, housed in the
History and Genealogy Department
, contains more than three million photographs, primarily from the collections of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. There are many food and wine related images ranging from photographs of workers in tortilla factories to novelty photos of penguins dressed as chefs roasting chickens. Parts of the collection are available for searching and viewing on the Library web site. Photographs are also available for commercial use.
The Culinary Historians of Southern California
The
Culinary Historians of Southern California
was founded in 1995 to support the Library's collections and to provide public programming in the areas of food in culture and society.
Español
Kids & Parents
Teens
How Do I?
How do I get a library card?
How do I get a Student Success Card?
How do I print from my laptop? (wireless printing)
How do I reserve a computer?
How do I renew my books?
How do I update my address/phone/e-mail online?
SEE MORE FAQs >>>
My Library Account
Enhanced Catalog Account
Get a Library Card
Reserve a Computer
Ask a Librarian
Book a Librarian
Find A Library
Connect with LAPL
YouTube
Newsletter
Top
LAPL Home
My Account
Books & E-Media
Blog
Book Bundles To Go
Catalog
Branch Periodical Subscription List
E-Media
Freegal Music
Kanopy
L.A. in Focus Videos
New York Times Digital
Freegal Music
hoopla
Kanopy
LAPL Reads
Book Lists
New Books by Genre
Staff Reviews
RSS Feeds
Resources for Readers
LAPL Writes
Book Lists
Online Resources
Indie Author Project
Submission Policy
Events
Language Collections
Libby (Overdrive)
New York Times Digital
Podcasts
ALOUD
Children Chatting
Poet Laureate
Zines
Read Freely
Education & Research
Databases - Research & Homework
California Index
Government Documents
High School Diploma
LAPL Indexes
Behymer Collection Index
Bookplate Collection
Business Magazine Index
Business & Economics Reference Works
California Documents Index
California Fiction Index
California Index
California Prints Index
Casey Fashion Plates
City Directories Index
Cookery Ephemera Index
Environmental Impact Reports
Genealogy & Local History Index
Gladys English
Government Documents - Business
Japanese Prints Index
Library Images Index
Lummis Autograph Collection Index
Menu Collection
Native American Index
Orchestration Catalog
Play File Index
Public Art Index
Series and Sequels
Short Story File Index
Song Index
Theater Program Collection
Toy Movable Database
Turnabout Theater Archive
LinkedIn Learning
Online Learning
Research Guides
Aerial Photographs
African -American Literature (PDF)
African-American Ingenuity
Bilingual English-Spanish Material (PDF)
Census Tract Maps (PDF)
Environmental Impact Reports
Financing New Business (PDF)
Food and Drink
Genealogy
Grants
History of Your House
Holiday Cookery
Job Hunting and Money Guides
Literary Criticism Locator
Map Collection
Maps of Los Angeles
Military and Industry Standards and Specifications
Newspapers
Obituaries in LA County
Philosophy Research
Play Locator
Representative Maps in Los Angeles History and Growth
Sanborn Fire Insurance Atlases
Sheet Music Locator
Short Story Locator
Small Business Research (PDF)
Treaty Research
Vital Records
Student Success
Verify Student Success Card
Tessa: Photo & Digital Collections
L.A. in Focus Videos
Shades of L.A. Oral Histories
Services & Programs
Adult Literacy
Ask a Librarian
Be a Successful Street Vendor
Overview & Permits
Cell-Ed Pathways
Resources & Links
Small Business Help
Book a Librarian
Community Outreach
Cybernauts
Explore L.A.
Homeless Resources
Jobs, Money & Small Business
Memory Lab
New Americans
Octavia Lab & Koreatown Media Lab
Reentry Resources
Reserve a Computer
Seniors
State Park Pass
STEAM
Tech2go
Veterans Resources
Voter Information
Wireless Printing
Neighborhood Science
Events
Adults
Babies & Toddlers
Bilingual Events
Calendar
Celebrations
Central 100 Celebration
Expedition L.A.
Exhibits
Kids
L.A. Made
Seniors
Teens
Locations & Hours
All Branches
Central Library
Departments and Services
Art, Music, & Recreation Department
Business and Economics Department
Children's Literature Department
Computer Center
History & Genealogy Department
International Languages Department
Literature & Fiction Department
Low-Vision Service Centers
Popular Library
Science, Technology, & Patents Department
Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department
Special Collections
Appointment Request Form
Appraisals
Californiana
Gifts/Donations
Introduction to Special Collections
Mexicana
Photographs
The Special Collections Room Story
Teen'Scape
Directions
Parking
Art And Architecture
Central Library Video Wall
Historical Portraits Project
Goodhue Building
Painting
Public Art Projects
The Literate Fence Quotations
Sculpture
Themes and Inscriptions
Tom Bradley Wing
Central Library Docent Tours
Central Library Virtual Tour
Facility Rentals
Policies
Rates & Occupancy
Holiday Closures
Get Involved
Become a Friend of the Library
Join the Library Foundation of Los Angeles
Make a Donation
Shop The Library Store
Volunteer
About LAPL
Accessibility & ADA Services
Angel City Press
App
Blog
Board of Library Commissioners
Agendas and Minutes
Agendas & Minutes Archive
Board Members
Borrower Services
City Librarian
Connect With Us
Contact Us
eCard Registration
infoNow (Ask A Librarian)
Change of Address
Suggest a Purchase
Library Card Pre-Registration
Solicitud de tarjeta electrónica
Pregúntale a un bibliotecario
Formulario de cambio de dirección
Sugerir una Compra
Solicitud de tarjeta
Jobs & Business Opportunities
Perform at LAPL
Press Room
Press Release Archive
Press Images - Branch Libraries
Press Images - Central Library
Rules of Conduct
Staff Directory
Volunteer Opportunities
Español
¿Qué hay de nuevo?
Títulos recomendados
Ciudadanía
Kids & Parents
Teens
ADA
App
Blog
Connect With Us
Contact Us
FAQs
Online Privacy Policy
Site Map