Since DDC 18 (1971), the entry for 641.509 History, geographic treatment, biography [of Cooking] has included the class-elsewhere note: “Class cookery characteristic of specific geographical environments in 641.59” (or the equivalent do-not-use note: “Do not use for cooking characteristic of specific geographical environments; class in 641.59”); since DDC 19 (1979), this first note has been joined by a second, a class-here note: “Class here collections of recipes from specific restaurants.” What was a classifier supposed to do when faced with seemingly contrary instructions for a collection of recipes from a specific restaurant whose cooking was characteristic of a specific geographical environment? What in fact did classifiers do when faced with a collection of recipes from a specific restaurant whose cooking was characteristic of a specific geographical environment? Data from WorldCat show that, for the most part, classifiers opted to emphasize cuisine over location; that is, when faced with a collection of recipes from a specific restaurant whose cooking was characteristic of a specific geographical environment, classifiers have favored classifying the work in subdivisions of 641.59 Cooking characteristic of specific geographic environments, ethnic cooking.
If you check WebDewey, you will find that the class-here note under 641.509 has been modified to read: “Class here collections of recipes from specific restaurants associated with general cooking.” You also now find that “collections of recipes from specific restaurants associated with cooking characteristic of specific geographic environments, with ethnic cooking” have been relocated to 641.59. (Ah, so the previous class-here note was intended to take precedence over the do-not-use note / class-elsewhere note, was it? In defense of this interpretation, we note that a class-elsewhere note at 641.59 sent collections of recipes from specific restaurants back to 641.509. However, from the user’s perspective, it may be a good thing that all of that wasn’t clear.)
Now that the schedules have caught up with the classifiers, let’s make sure we are all on the same page. Take, for example, Chasen's, where Hollywood dined: recipes & memories. Here we have a collection of recipes from a now-defunct West Hollywood restaurant known for its chili, but not for a specific cuisine. This work should be classed in 641.50979493 (built from 641.509 History, geographic treatment, biography [of Cooking], plus T2—79493 Los Angeles County, which West Hollywood is part of). However, The French Laundry cookbook, a collection of recipes from a Napa Valley (California) restaurant that specializes in French cuisine, should be classed in 641.59440979419 (built from 641.59 Cooking characteristic of specific geographic environments, plus T2—44 France, following the add instructions at 641.593–641.599 Cooking characteristic of specific continents, countries, localities, plus T1—09 History, geographic treatment, biography, plus T2—79419 Napa County, following the instructions at T1—093-099 Specific continents, countries, localities; extraterrestrial worlds). Note that with the relocation of collections of recipes from specific restaurants associated with cooking characteristic of specific geographic environments to (subdivisions of) of 641.59, it is now possible to represent both the cuisine of the restaurant and its location.
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