Table of Contents Comparison

The table of contents reveals much about the organization and style contained within a book. Analyzing the structure, format, syntax, and lexical items contained within enables us to see what direction the author(s) plan to take and gives us some hints as to the specific audience for whom the text was written. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the recipe books I found in my mother’s cupboard.

The first text we’ll look at is entitled The New York Times Cook Book, published in 1961 and edited by Craig Claiborne. Its table of contents includes a preface followed by enumerated entries in all capital letters. Almost every entry is followed, underneath, by indented “sub-entries” in a much smaller font, and their respective page numbers. For example, the main heading “POULTRY” has entries for “chicken,” “turkey,” “duck,” “goose,” and “stuffings.” Thus, it is easy to see that this table of contents is arranged by the type/genre of dish or preparation and then has more specific sub-entries for each major heading. Actually, no specific recipes are listed in the table of contents. This is unsurprising given the book’s 700-plus pages. One oddity concerns the addition of the second word: “dishes,” following egg, cheese, rice, and pasta sub-entries. So, it reads “rice dishes” but not “chicken dishes” (just “chicken”). Another notable component includes a section on weights and measures as well as a section that gives you “sources for the ingredients.” The latter consists of an address book /directory for ingredients and utensils, the majority of which are in the five Burroughs of New York City. The final entry is for the index. Overall, the impression given is one of austerity, seriousness, and an encyclopedic compilation.

Next is Betty Crocker’s New Dinner for Two, written in 1964. This book’s table of contents is arranged completely differently. It groups each recipe according to occasions and scenarios. For example, there’s “Hurry-Up Dinners,” “Frankly Thrifty,” and “When Company Comes – Unexpectedly.” The contents again end with an entry for the index. Even though this is a much smaller book than the aforementioned Times volume, no specific recipes are notated within the table of contents. The table of contents make the book seem more playful and practical.

Anne Willan’s Look & Cook: Fruit Desserts printed in 1992 is, as the title suggests, somewhat limited in its scope. Therefore, since the book is much smaller and more narrowly focused, specific recipes are listed in the table of contents. However, they are bunched together without a head entry. In other words, there’s three sorbets grouped together, then a large space, followed by two dishes that are caramel creams. This presumes a certain degree of prior knowledge on the reader’s behalf. I, for one, have no idea what a “Fool” is (at least in the culinary context :-)), or the difference between a tart and a turnover. And sometimes it’s hard to even understand what the recipes have in common, although there must be something since they are grouped together. Thus, the table of contents makes the book seem like a specific guide to one area of cooking, and it seems more suited to someone who’s already familiar with the subject matter.

Finally, there’s Alice’s Restaurant Cookbook, a "hippie" cookbook written by Alice May in 1969 and based upon the title of a popular Arlo Guthrie song. Its setup is quite different: it has two table of contents. The first, judging from the entries, deals more with how to cook. Sections include “Equipment,” “The Supply Cupboard,” and “About the Butcher.” This makes the book appear to cater to a reader that isn’t as savvy in the kitchen yet as compared to some of the other books. It also gives the book a more personal and story-like narrative and seems less like a reference work. The second “table of contents” is on the next page and is marked as “Recipes.” Still, specific recipes aren’t given, just the types of food (as in the Times book). The entries connote a fun, humorous, and experimental tone with titles such as “What’s for Dessert???” and “Saucery” instead of just “Dessert” and “Sauces.” Although there is actually an index in the book, no mention of it is made in the table of contents. The last entry is, appropriately, “The End.”