Initial thoughts about a semester project

It's probably too early to call what I'm going to post here "thoughts" because they're pretty vague and scattered.

I'm working on a paper about the Settlement cookbook and how its creators used it as a tool to Americanize and acculturate recently arrived Jewish immigrants to consumer culture and local custom. I'm finding lots of good material and I'm really looking forward to attending the CIE event in a couple of weeks, as it covers food, politics and culture.  There's a session focusing on food and memory that I think will be particularly useful.  (I'd love to attend the whole thing, because it's really interesting stuff, but I can't justify taking that time out during "paper/project season.")

I've been wondering about making some sort of cookbook myself as an extension of this research.  I've dabbled with this before, doing some little projects for my relatives, but nothing really for me.  Something to be produced as a searchable PDF, perhaps. Something themed (Literary references?  Food with a sense of place, using memorable meals from our travels?)  I don't know if this even comes close to the right direction, but it's perhaps a place from which to start the conversation.

Also.  HUGE THANKS to the lovely commenters who suggested reading materials. I read "97 Orchard" on your recommendation and found it very interesting and useful for the paper, too. If you haven't read it already, I'd suggest "Fannie's Last Supper" by Chris Kimball.  He's the America's Test Kitchen guy and this is his book about recreating a dinner party meal from the 1896 Fannie Farmer cookbook using a historically accurate kitchen.  Super interesting, in my opinion.