There is nothing more satisfying than the aroma of a deliciously warm bowl of soup on a cold day. Or, for that matter, a cold soup on a hot day. Borscht, for example is a traditional Russian beat soup served cold and though I am not partial to it, I have heard is incredibly refreshing.
Soup is one of the best inventions. It is the food that everyone turns to for warmth, comfort, healing, and in some cases tradition. Why is that people always talk about having chicken soup when they are sick? Where did that notion of a healing soup come from? My family always had ramen noodle soup when we were sick. It was the only time I would have that soup so it was always a little treat when I was sick. Although, by the time I finished the entire pot there would be no broth left because the noodles had soaked it up. There are certain traditional soups like, Harira, which is a Moroccan soup that is eaten during the days of Ramadan. At the camp I worked at, every Tuesday lunch was the highly anticipated grilled cheese and tomato soup. I am not sure how the combination was invented but since working at the camp I always hear the two mentioned together.
Soup is one of those all encompassing meals that change depending on what else is being served and the season in which it is eaten. For example, a person can make a very thick soup, with almost stew like qualities and that can be the full meal. In my family, one of my favorite soups is my mom’s lentil soup, which I then add hot dogs to. That is one of my favorite and most satisfying, mouth watering meals. Or, a person could go with a lighter fall soup like butternut squash and only have it as an appetizer. What ever the soup may be or what it tastes like, there is nothing like a fresh batch of soup served steaming hot.
Soup is also a food that spans all ages. Babies that are still missing their teeth can eat it, while everyone coos as the mother/father lovingly blows on the broth to cool it down. Older people that cannot chew or swallow can be fed it since it goes down easily or it can even be taken intravenously. It can last for days and is normally incredibly healthy. It is a complete meal. Better still is that soup does not need broth. Water works just fine. As I am not a great cook, I am always amazed at how good soup tastes when the soup starts off being a bunch of vegetables in a big pot of water. Soups that have been made from scratch are becoming a neglected art.
In class on one of the cooking days we made a wonderful vegan lentil soup, here is my family’s recipe:
2 onions
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 T vegetable oil
2 Cups of mushrooms
½ t ground coriander
½ t tumeric
½ t ground cumin
½ t ground giner
1 cup red lentils
4 cups water
sea salt and ground pepper as liked
chop the onions and garlic finely. First heat the oil in the saucepan and then sauté the garlic and onion for a few minutes. Chop the mushrooms and then add them to the pan and continue for a few more mintues. Stir in the spices and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Then add the lentils and water and a pinch of salt. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and cook for 15- 20 minutes (or until lentils are soft) covered.
Friday, September 14, 2007
“Most thought provoking in our thought provoking time is that we are still not thinking” (Martin Heidegger, What is Called Thinking [1954], p.3)
But doesn’t the saying go innocence is bliss? What is dangerous about not thinking is that we fail to be responsive to that which calls us to think. By ignoring increasingly prominent issues such as global warming, industrialized agriculture, and foreign oil we are ignoring our future. Through the use of different mediums our experience in this class broadened our horizons and caused us to think. The amount of information we have gathered in this class by reading articles and Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, has allowed us to gather information and come to our own conclusions about what we want to put into our bodies. One of Pollan’s main points is the relationship between how we treat the animals that we eat. On the physiological level, we over feed the animals with corn when their bodies are not adapted to a diet of solely corn. Therefore, it is has effects on their biological nature as well as on the environment (excessive amounts of waste). As a result, it has an effect on our personal health because we subconsciously are eating a gigantic amount of corn daily. This is not a good thing because we have not evolved to eat only corn. That is a face value issue. But there are deeper, moral issues. For example, the treatment of animals within industrialized agriculture. In class we watched a short clip called the “Meatrix”. In which it shows the horrors of industrial agriculture through the eyes of a free-range pig. Animals are cramped into incredibly tight spaces where they stand in their own feces since it can’t be cleaned fast enough. This leads to a festering of diseases and bacteria; therefore, animals are pumped with antibiotics so that they can remain alive. In certain cases, like that of chickens, their beaks are broken off so that they can’t fight. The animals are used as machines, food producers. There is not an ounce of humanity in the way they are treated. In fact, in a lot of cases we are devaluing specific species by disallowing them to express their own species nature. We are taking things for granted and caught up in the efficiency of mass production. However, we are at risk of losing natural species. Lastly, if we are so easily able to devalue the life of animals, are we not also in peril of devaluing human life as well? Where is the line drawn?
But doesn’t the saying go innocence is bliss? What is dangerous about not thinking is that we fail to be responsive to that which calls us to think. By ignoring increasingly prominent issues such as global warming, industrialized agriculture, and foreign oil we are ignoring our future. Through the use of different mediums our experience in this class broadened our horizons and caused us to think. The amount of information we have gathered in this class by reading articles and Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, has allowed us to gather information and come to our own conclusions about what we want to put into our bodies. One of Pollan’s main points is the relationship between how we treat the animals that we eat. On the physiological level, we over feed the animals with corn when their bodies are not adapted to a diet of solely corn. Therefore, it is has effects on their biological nature as well as on the environment (excessive amounts of waste). As a result, it has an effect on our personal health because we subconsciously are eating a gigantic amount of corn daily. This is not a good thing because we have not evolved to eat only corn. That is a face value issue. But there are deeper, moral issues. For example, the treatment of animals within industrialized agriculture. In class we watched a short clip called the “Meatrix”. In which it shows the horrors of industrial agriculture through the eyes of a free-range pig. Animals are cramped into incredibly tight spaces where they stand in their own feces since it can’t be cleaned fast enough. This leads to a festering of diseases and bacteria; therefore, animals are pumped with antibiotics so that they can remain alive. In certain cases, like that of chickens, their beaks are broken off so that they can’t fight. The animals are used as machines, food producers. There is not an ounce of humanity in the way they are treated. In fact, in a lot of cases we are devaluing specific species by disallowing them to express their own species nature. We are taking things for granted and caught up in the efficiency of mass production. However, we are at risk of losing natural species. Lastly, if we are so easily able to devalue the life of animals, are we not also in peril of devaluing human life as well? Where is the line drawn?
The Food of the Future
The Future of Food, a movie that was made in 2004 by Deborah Koons addresses the issue of GMO’s and patented crops. The green revolution has made way to the “gene” revolution therefore allowing science to create new forms of insect and bacteria resistance within the plants themselves. This is the 21st century DDT. Just as DDT was originally welcomed and praised and then later found to be the cause of health ailments, so to is this new science. Since packaged food does not have to state wether it has been genetically modified, the health issues that are presumed to be linked cannot be traced to the GMO’s. Even though a large percent of the public population wants to know what is in the food they’re eating. It is scary to increasingly not know what it is that you are putting in your body. Even scarier, is that time and time again people have contested against GMO’s with proof of health issues that are direct results to mishaps that happened in the lab. Nothing has been done to the GMO’s for their mistakes even though it is at the risk of people’s livelihoods. There have been constant requests for involvement from upper government officials, yet everyone they go to for help turns a blind eye because, naturally, they are somehow connected to those GMO’s. The public and the farmers are continuously being pushed aside and screwed over. The movie interviewed one farmer whose farm had been taken over by a GMO company because their genetically altered crops had blown off a truck that was passing by and landed on his private land. Because those genetically modified crops had been patented, the corporation now owned all those crops even though they were on his private land. Since those plants had no doubt been cross-pollinated, the farmer had to throw out his life’s work. This was not a one-time occurrence. The notion of patenting living things is a scary one. Who knows if in future year’s animals and possibly even humans could be owned?
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Local Eating
9/7/07
The New York Local, an article by Adam Gopnik describes his quest to eat locally within the five boroughs. As he stated, “I was curious to see what might happen if you tried to squeeze food out of what looked mostly like bricks and steel girders and shoes in trees.” He collected honey from rooftop beehives, and went on a tour of edible plants in Central Park. So, there is more to New York City in terms of local food options than expected. However, the way Mr. Gopnik writes about his experience feels as if eating locally is a moral pretension. As if it is a diet of sorts, not a necessity. In certain, more yuppified places such as New York City I would agree that eating locally is not something just anyone can do. First off, it is hard to find and requires knowing the right people (evident by the article). Secondly, it is absurdly expensive. However, in most cases, organic community gardens where originally created by people that couldn’t afford food and so they had to rely on themselves. For that reason, implying that eating locally is a pretension is unjust.
After reading this article, it raises the question of what it means to eat locally. For most people, eating locally means eating food that comes from a range of 100 to 300 miles away from you. However, it is far easier to do such a thing in the Northern Pacific, than say the five boroughs. The notion of eating locally became mainstream as the oil prices continue to rise. Eating locally allows less fossil fuels to be used and therefore creates less of a dependency on foreign oil. Also, people take more interest in their health and what goes into the food that they eat when the food production is nearby.
The other day our class made pizza in the new cob oven down by the green houses. The experience of knowing that everything that went into the pizza (and thus our bodies) and that even the oven itself was all natural, was refreshing. We made the pesto the week before from basil that was grown at the University of Washington’s garden. The vegetables, although not from the garden were organic, I am sure. The pizza dough we got from Trader Joes but it is easy enough to make from scratch. Can you say delicious? Compiling all the pieces and then baking in an untraditional way with people around, celebrating the first use of the oven really epitomizes the importance of food and community. It is the food that brings people together at every occasion.
The New York Local, an article by Adam Gopnik describes his quest to eat locally within the five boroughs. As he stated, “I was curious to see what might happen if you tried to squeeze food out of what looked mostly like bricks and steel girders and shoes in trees.” He collected honey from rooftop beehives, and went on a tour of edible plants in Central Park. So, there is more to New York City in terms of local food options than expected. However, the way Mr. Gopnik writes about his experience feels as if eating locally is a moral pretension. As if it is a diet of sorts, not a necessity. In certain, more yuppified places such as New York City I would agree that eating locally is not something just anyone can do. First off, it is hard to find and requires knowing the right people (evident by the article). Secondly, it is absurdly expensive. However, in most cases, organic community gardens where originally created by people that couldn’t afford food and so they had to rely on themselves. For that reason, implying that eating locally is a pretension is unjust.
After reading this article, it raises the question of what it means to eat locally. For most people, eating locally means eating food that comes from a range of 100 to 300 miles away from you. However, it is far easier to do such a thing in the Northern Pacific, than say the five boroughs. The notion of eating locally became mainstream as the oil prices continue to rise. Eating locally allows less fossil fuels to be used and therefore creates less of a dependency on foreign oil. Also, people take more interest in their health and what goes into the food that they eat when the food production is nearby.
The other day our class made pizza in the new cob oven down by the green houses. The experience of knowing that everything that went into the pizza (and thus our bodies) and that even the oven itself was all natural, was refreshing. We made the pesto the week before from basil that was grown at the University of Washington’s garden. The vegetables, although not from the garden were organic, I am sure. The pizza dough we got from Trader Joes but it is easy enough to make from scratch. Can you say delicious? Compiling all the pieces and then baking in an untraditional way with people around, celebrating the first use of the oven really epitomizes the importance of food and community. It is the food that brings people together at every occasion.
Music, Food, Starbucks, and Seattle. . . What More Could a Person Ask For?
9/5/07
Bumbershoot
1) An umbrella
2) Large music festival in Seattle over Labor Day weekend.
I was told that this music festival was named Bumbershoot to emphasize the changing of seasons, which in Seattle, means the use of an umbrella.
Sponsored by Starbucks and other large corporations, this festival was abundant with subliminal and boldly obvious advertisement. Most of which, was geared towards food. Advertising is one of the tactics that makes large corporations so successful. So successful in fact, it is scary. In the movie, Super Size Me, it was stated that kids can associate “feel good” memories of their childhood to places and will then return to those places as adults (or throughout their lifetime) to revisit those happy feelings. In the specific case of the movie, the place was McDonalds. McDonald’s have birthday parties, they have play structures, and they have free toys (collectors items) that can be found in the happy meals. Kids want the toys and associate the good memories they had at McDonald’s and it subconsciously stays with them throughout adulthood. At Bumbershoot, this was a tactic used by Starbucks. At almost every corner there was a Starbucks stand passing out free tastes of their pumpkin spice latte. Admittingly, it was good and I wanted to go buy one. So they’re very convincing, and I guess I am not immune. Maybe someday soon I will walk past a Starbucks and order a pumpkin spice latte and they would have won. Or maybe, I will be adamant about never ordering one as to represent a small personal victory. Who knows?
I don’t think I have eaten nearly as much, nor as unhealthily as I did in those three days than in the entire time that I have been in Seattle (a little over two weeks). Being the sleuth that I am, I decided I was abnormally more hungry than usual for three reasons. 1) There was enough second hand pot smoke to give me the serious munchies. 2) There were food booths everywhere not to mention the delicious smells of popcorn and hot dogs wafting in the air 3) everyone was eating. The last two reasons were tactics I am sure. There was every possible fast food option a person could think of as well as Mexican, Thai, and Indian food. However, the absurd prices had me returning to the pizza, ice cream, and hotdog stands (which were by no means cheap). It is unbelievable how much money I spent solely on food in those three days. The amount of money made off of all the profits on food sales must be outrageous. What ever happened to packing picnics? Have we gotten so lazy that we would rather pay double or even triple the regular price for a slice of pizza and convenience? Not to mention, there was hardly any healthy food being sold. There were no fruit cups, and none of the food stands were selling salad. We were more or less being forced to eat junk food. Being in the Pacific Northwest, (with all the hippies) I was extremely disappointed in the all-together lack of organic/ alternative food. I mean that’s how this music festival originated right? Because of Seattle’s alternative/ metal music explosion. . . So where were the local farmers? What happened to the revolution?
Bumbershoot
1) An umbrella
2) Large music festival in Seattle over Labor Day weekend.
I was told that this music festival was named Bumbershoot to emphasize the changing of seasons, which in Seattle, means the use of an umbrella.
Sponsored by Starbucks and other large corporations, this festival was abundant with subliminal and boldly obvious advertisement. Most of which, was geared towards food. Advertising is one of the tactics that makes large corporations so successful. So successful in fact, it is scary. In the movie, Super Size Me, it was stated that kids can associate “feel good” memories of their childhood to places and will then return to those places as adults (or throughout their lifetime) to revisit those happy feelings. In the specific case of the movie, the place was McDonalds. McDonald’s have birthday parties, they have play structures, and they have free toys (collectors items) that can be found in the happy meals. Kids want the toys and associate the good memories they had at McDonald’s and it subconsciously stays with them throughout adulthood. At Bumbershoot, this was a tactic used by Starbucks. At almost every corner there was a Starbucks stand passing out free tastes of their pumpkin spice latte. Admittingly, it was good and I wanted to go buy one. So they’re very convincing, and I guess I am not immune. Maybe someday soon I will walk past a Starbucks and order a pumpkin spice latte and they would have won. Or maybe, I will be adamant about never ordering one as to represent a small personal victory. Who knows?
I don’t think I have eaten nearly as much, nor as unhealthily as I did in those three days than in the entire time that I have been in Seattle (a little over two weeks). Being the sleuth that I am, I decided I was abnormally more hungry than usual for three reasons. 1) There was enough second hand pot smoke to give me the serious munchies. 2) There were food booths everywhere not to mention the delicious smells of popcorn and hot dogs wafting in the air 3) everyone was eating. The last two reasons were tactics I am sure. There was every possible fast food option a person could think of as well as Mexican, Thai, and Indian food. However, the absurd prices had me returning to the pizza, ice cream, and hotdog stands (which were by no means cheap). It is unbelievable how much money I spent solely on food in those three days. The amount of money made off of all the profits on food sales must be outrageous. What ever happened to packing picnics? Have we gotten so lazy that we would rather pay double or even triple the regular price for a slice of pizza and convenience? Not to mention, there was hardly any healthy food being sold. There were no fruit cups, and none of the food stands were selling salad. We were more or less being forced to eat junk food. Being in the Pacific Northwest, (with all the hippies) I was extremely disappointed in the all-together lack of organic/ alternative food. I mean that’s how this music festival originated right? Because of Seattle’s alternative/ metal music explosion. . . So where were the local farmers? What happened to the revolution?
Super Size Me
9/5/07
In class the other day, we watched Super Size Me, a movie by Morgan Spurlock. In this documentary, Morgan decides that he is only going to eat fast food- Mc Donald’s to be more precise, three meals a day for thirty days straight. Spurred on by a lawsuit from two overweight girls and their attempt to sue Mc Donald’s for their health issues, Morgan shows his viewers the undeniable harms of junk food. In the beginning, Morgan is far above average with regards to his physical health and strength. At the end of his thirty-day experiment, Morgan is clinically obese and there is a possibility of long-term health issues. None of the doctors enlisted by Morgan throughout the course of the taping could have fathomed the drastic health changes. By the end of the movie, they were all encouraging him to stop the experiment because his side effects were so severe that he could die. What Morgan Spurlock did to his body for the sake of education, is admirable. It is indisputable that junk food, in excess is extremely harmful.
But Morgan’s purpose for making that video was more than just proving the effects of Junk food. It was a look into society and our culture. According to the movie, there are around 80 Mc Donald’s in Manhattan alone. That number is more than the number of Wendy’s, Jack n the Boxes, and Burger Kings combined. He also stated that that on average, there is one fast food restaurant every four blocks. Granted, most people do not east fast food for every meal every day, but the sheer accessibility of it exponentially increases a person’s likelihood to eat there. It is cheap, and therefore an affordable meal. Not to mention that most fast food restaurants are open really late if not 24 hours. These factors combined with the American people’s laziness are why we are the biggest nation in the world.
Later in the day I read an article that asked the question, “are there fat and skinny zip codes?” The answer was yes. Research conducted by the University of Washington found out that neighborhoods have a tendency to be divided by race, and class. Therefore, a person is more likely to find a Whole Foods or Trader Joes in an educated, more affluent neighborhood that can afford the luxury of organic food while in a lower class neighborhood, there might not even be access to a Safeway. This article also stated that although we used to think obesity was largely genetic, one could now hypothetically predict obesity and diabetes based on low incomes and neighborhood poverty.
In our society we have over nutrition – people who eat their feelings- under nutrition- people who don’t eat at all and diets upon diets that completely contradict one another. There is no simple eating.
(photo taken from http://blogs.indiewire.com/thereelroundtable/archives/SSM800.jpg)
In class the other day, we watched Super Size Me, a movie by Morgan Spurlock. In this documentary, Morgan decides that he is only going to eat fast food- Mc Donald’s to be more precise, three meals a day for thirty days straight. Spurred on by a lawsuit from two overweight girls and their attempt to sue Mc Donald’s for their health issues, Morgan shows his viewers the undeniable harms of junk food. In the beginning, Morgan is far above average with regards to his physical health and strength. At the end of his thirty-day experiment, Morgan is clinically obese and there is a possibility of long-term health issues. None of the doctors enlisted by Morgan throughout the course of the taping could have fathomed the drastic health changes. By the end of the movie, they were all encouraging him to stop the experiment because his side effects were so severe that he could die. What Morgan Spurlock did to his body for the sake of education, is admirable. It is indisputable that junk food, in excess is extremely harmful.
But Morgan’s purpose for making that video was more than just proving the effects of Junk food. It was a look into society and our culture. According to the movie, there are around 80 Mc Donald’s in Manhattan alone. That number is more than the number of Wendy’s, Jack n the Boxes, and Burger Kings combined. He also stated that that on average, there is one fast food restaurant every four blocks. Granted, most people do not east fast food for every meal every day, but the sheer accessibility of it exponentially increases a person’s likelihood to eat there. It is cheap, and therefore an affordable meal. Not to mention that most fast food restaurants are open really late if not 24 hours. These factors combined with the American people’s laziness are why we are the biggest nation in the world.
Later in the day I read an article that asked the question, “are there fat and skinny zip codes?” The answer was yes. Research conducted by the University of Washington found out that neighborhoods have a tendency to be divided by race, and class. Therefore, a person is more likely to find a Whole Foods or Trader Joes in an educated, more affluent neighborhood that can afford the luxury of organic food while in a lower class neighborhood, there might not even be access to a Safeway. This article also stated that although we used to think obesity was largely genetic, one could now hypothetically predict obesity and diabetes based on low incomes and neighborhood poverty.
In our society we have over nutrition – people who eat their feelings- under nutrition- people who don’t eat at all and diets upon diets that completely contradict one another. There is no simple eating.
(photo taken from http://blogs.indiewire.com/thereelroundtable/archives/SSM800.jpg)
Friday, August 31, 2007
Craving What?
8/31/07
For the longest time I’ve been craving a hotdog, something that shouldn’t have been so challenging to obtain but managed to elude me. I believe this has been a long time craving, one that has gone away for months but every once in a while rears its ugly head in a painful desire. When you think about it, hotdogs are not a very appealing food. They consist of ground up meat and intestines wound into a sausage shape roll garnished with spices. So way are they so damn good?
I am curious as to why people crave certain things. Is it all mental or can people actually have cravings to the point where it physically hurts? I know for me, I can crave something so badly that my tummy rumbles and I can taste the explosion of flavors on my tongue, but then the feeling passes. By the time I actually get around to eating whatever it is that I am craving I have normally lost that pure lust. Maybe it is just me, but after I am finished eating whatever it was that I had been craving, I am satisfied. Although, it is more because I have fulfilled my craving and less about how spectacular what I just ate tasted. Even if it was really, really good, my satisfaction comes more from the fulfillment of the craving. Why is that? I would assume it all has to do with taste buds, the little bumps on your tongue that tell the difference between bitter and sweet, and spicy and mild. It is mind-boggeling to me that taste buds play a huge part in who you are simply by controlling what you eat. At the same time, your taste buds can adapt and change based on location and age. For example, when I was little, my mom made this dish of black beans and quinua which I abhorred. For years she stopped making it and evidently lost the recipe. Then, a couple of years ago she made the dish and it has now become one of my main food staples. In fact, I am craving that dish right now, and I will probably be craving that dish for a long time since I will not be home anytime soon.
For the longest time I’ve been craving a hotdog, something that shouldn’t have been so challenging to obtain but managed to elude me. I believe this has been a long time craving, one that has gone away for months but every once in a while rears its ugly head in a painful desire. When you think about it, hotdogs are not a very appealing food. They consist of ground up meat and intestines wound into a sausage shape roll garnished with spices. So way are they so damn good?
I am curious as to why people crave certain things. Is it all mental or can people actually have cravings to the point where it physically hurts? I know for me, I can crave something so badly that my tummy rumbles and I can taste the explosion of flavors on my tongue, but then the feeling passes. By the time I actually get around to eating whatever it is that I am craving I have normally lost that pure lust. Maybe it is just me, but after I am finished eating whatever it was that I had been craving, I am satisfied. Although, it is more because I have fulfilled my craving and less about how spectacular what I just ate tasted. Even if it was really, really good, my satisfaction comes more from the fulfillment of the craving. Why is that? I would assume it all has to do with taste buds, the little bumps on your tongue that tell the difference between bitter and sweet, and spicy and mild. It is mind-boggeling to me that taste buds play a huge part in who you are simply by controlling what you eat. At the same time, your taste buds can adapt and change based on location and age. For example, when I was little, my mom made this dish of black beans and quinua which I abhorred. For years she stopped making it and evidently lost the recipe. Then, a couple of years ago she made the dish and it has now become one of my main food staples. In fact, I am craving that dish right now, and I will probably be craving that dish for a long time since I will not be home anytime soon.
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