Knowledgeable nosh.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Renee Enna

Yes, it's a reference book. But for foodies, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America is like going to a tapas bar: You can't stop nibbling. (Come to think of it, given the heft of this two-volume work, it could do double duty as a tapas bar.)

Compiled by Andrew F. Smith and written by food historians, writers and other experts (including Chicago Tribune food editor Carol Mighton Haddix_see "Cookbooks After 1970," p. 304), the Oxford Encyclopedia contains more than 800 articles and 300 illustrations that chart an exhaustive, exhilarating journey through the nation's foodways. There are entries on specific foods, of course, but …