Breakfast Cereal

After a long night of studying, I woke up, groggily made my way down the stairs, and headed straight for the pantry. I grabbed the Honey Bunches of Oats box and poured myself an overflowing bowl of cereal and topped it off with skim milk from the fridge. The first bite is always the best, as it has not yet been drowned in milk. It was just what I needed to perk myself up and get ready for another day of school.  

Ever since I’ve been young, cereal has definitely been my favorite breakfast food. It’s fast, easy, delicious, and healthy too. It can even make a perfect snack after school or before soccer practice. And with hundreds of different brands currently on the market, there is always something new to try. Eating cereal is always a refreshing adventure, so it’s no wonder that 49% of Americas chose to start out their day with a breakfast cereal of some sort.

 
Cereal grains, which include: wheat, rice, corn, sorghum, millets, oats, barley, and triticale, have been eaten for hundreds of years. Wheat and barley originated in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East in 7000 B.C., while corn is native to South America (4500 B.C.). Asia is home to the rice plant and originated around 4500 B.C. Cereals had cultural beginnings much before recorded history. Because of their nutritional value, they were one of the major factors in the shift from nomadism to subsistence farming, as they provided more food with less effort compared to other crops. In the beginning, cereal grains were mainly used to make bread and other related products (Katz 353-54).

It was not until the late 19th century that cereal grains were eaten in the form that we are used to with our everyday Cheerios and Frosted Flakes. Americans were in search of a healthier solution for the meal of breakfast, as eggs, sausage, hash browns, and bacon were the main staples at this time. Members of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church were spearheading a vegetarian movement in the 1860’s, which was when James Caleb Jackson introduced his cereal-esque “Granula” in 1863. This cereal did not really take off because of its lack of flavor (Bellis 1).  

The next generation of breakfast cereals came around in the early 1900’s when brothers John and Will Kellogg began experimenting with flaked wheat as a food easily digestible for hospital patients. They were boiling wheat, but overcooked it so it became crunchy when dried. They tried eating it with some cold milk, and surprisingly found that it tasted pretty good. So in 1906, Will Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company. His brother John was a key player in the company, as he was most focussed on the nutritional aspect of the cereal, while Will was more into appeal and marketing. Together, the brothers balanced each other out and began to “transform Americans’ breakfast habits” while “pioneering the mass advertising campaign in the United States” (Katz 357).

From there, the cereal industry has really begun to blossom, becoming a popular on-the-go snack or breakfast. Its main selling qualities are that it is quick, nutritious, inexpensive, convenient, delicious, and portable. With hundreds of different varieties and flavors, breakfast cereal has become a main staple of the American diet. “By the 21st century, more than 2.7 million pounds of cereal has been consumed in the United States” (Katz 356). So now that we know how much cereal we consume as a nation, it is important to look into the nutritional value of this popular breakfast.

The nutritional content of cereal obviously varies depending on the brand and variety, however most are predominantly a source of carbohydrate. In the past couple of years, cereal companies have made a big effort to incorporate more whole grains into their products. This means more fiber and less processed flour, and an overall healthier cereal. Almost all major breakfast cereals are also fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, such as iron, riboflavin, niacin, and some B and D vitamins, pretty much just replacing what is lost during the processing process. “Most nutritionists agree that the best cold cereal contains one or more whole grains, no partially hydrogenated oils, no added sugar, no added salt, and plenty of fiber (3 grams per 100 calorie serving)” (Katz 358). Most cereals range from about 90-230 calories per serving, depending on the amount of fats and sugar. To assist in your own personal choosing of a breakfast cereal, visit Diana Mirkin’s helpful site, How to Choose a Breakfast Cereal.  

However, one major issue with breakfast cereals is the amount of processing that goes into their production. “Absolute availability, continuity, food quality, and price have (at least in theory) seemingly banished the problem of absolute need, of nutritionally poor food and of the general scarcity of food in commonplace in the premodern West” (Haden 347). As a society, convenience and taste are much greater concerns than nutrition or sustainability. Since the processed food boom after World War II, “about 90 per cent of the money that Americans spend on food is used to buy processed food” (Haden 346).  

As Pollan describes in his in depth look at the cereal grain corn in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma, far too much of our diets are made up of corn-based ingredients. “There are some forty-five thousand items in the average American supermarket and more than a quarter of them now contain corn” (Pollan 19). And not only have we become dependent on corn, but “had maize failed to find flavor among the conquerors, it would have risked extinction, because without humans to plant it every spring, corn would have disappeared from the earth in a matter of years” (Pollan 26).  

For example, I am looking at the ingredients list for my basic box of Multi-Grain Cheerios, and I can spot three corn-based ingredients (whole grain corn, corn starch, and corn bran) out of fourteen total ingredients. What do we know about this corn? And where did it come from? Is it genetically modified? These are questions that the cereal box conveniently does not address, and are questions that the answer is harder to find than it should be.

Also, where is the cereal aisle located in the supermarkets? Most will probably have noticed that it almost always located on one of the middle aisles. So what is the reason for this trend? As explained by Raj Patel in his book Stuffed and Starved, almost all of the processed or packaged food sold in supermarkets is located in the inner aisles, while the fresher produce and products are on the outer perimeter. “We’ve surprised supermarket scholars by not following a lawnmower path up and down the aisles, but saving time by sweeping around the perimeter of supermarkets...and darting into aisles to pick up whatever it is we need before retreating once again” (Patel 228). This darting into the aisles would include picking up your favorite boxes of cereal, as cereal is of course located in one of the inner processed-food-cornucopias.  

The major brands of breakfast cereal are: Kellogg’s, Post, Quaker, Nestle, and General Mills. To see how all of these stack up against each other, I recommend visiting the informative site: Breakfast Cereal Compared: Cereals from Post, Kellogg’s, & General Mills. And of course there are the smaller brands such as Kashi, Cascadian Farm, and Nature’s Path, which focus on the health and sustainability aspects of their products. Michael Pollan discusses the aspects of industrial organic farms, such as Cascadian Farm. Gene Kahn, the founder of this particular farm, “went on to become a pioneer of the organic movement and probably has done as much as anyone to move organic food into the mainstream, getting it out of the food co-op and into the supermarket,” which is why we see organic cereals such as those produced by Cascadian Farm in corporate stores today (Pollan 144-145).

All in all, cereal has become the stuff of American breakfast culture. Whether its hot or cold, wheat or corn, cereal is the most popular breakfast food in the country. Internationally, cereal is not quite as popular and is not available in as many forms as it is here, but does still exist abroad to a certain extent.  

For example, Europe is home to an organization called “CEEREAL,” a group made up of 13 member associations in 12 countries in the European Union. “A healthy breakfast makes an important contribution to the overall wellbeing of the European population. Therefore, CEEREAL is committed to communicating the benefits of breakfast and breakfast cereals in order to enhance the understanding of the sector’s contribution among EU stakeholders, in particular within the areas of nutrition and health” (Ruebotham 1). What a cool idea! This site is packed full of interesting breakfast and cereal facts, who would have thought that cereal was such a big deal in Europe?

So next time you fill your bowl with crunchy goodness and splash it with some cold milk, take a second to think about what it is you’re enjoying for breakfast. Opt for healthier choices such as whole-grain and rich in fiber. Top it with fresh or dried fruit for some added vitality.  Think about everyone (the farmers, the processing plants, and the inventors) that are making your enjoyable breakfast possible for you. And last, think of all of your fellow Americans (on a good day over half of the population) who are simultaneously raising their spoons with you, creating a nation united by one common breakfast choice--cereal.  Most important of all, enjoy!

Works Cited

Bellis, Mary. "The History of Breakfast Cereals." About.com: Inventors. 17 Sept. 2008 .  

Haden, Roger. "Taste in an Age of Convenience." The Taste Culture Reader--Experiencing Food and Drink. By Carolyn Korsmeyer. 344-56.

Katz, Soloman H., and William Woys Weaver. "Cereals." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 1. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 353-55.

Katz, Soloman H., and William Woys Weaver. "Cold Cereal." Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. Vol. 1. New York, NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 356-59.

Ozeki, Ruth L. All Over Creation. New York: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2004.

Patel, Raj. Stuffed and Starved : The Hidden Battle for the World Food System. New York: Melville House, 2008.

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma : A Natural History of Four Meals. New York: Penguin (Non-Classics), 2007.

Ruebotham, Phil. "Organization and Mission." CEEREAL. 2008. 22 Sept. 2008 .

A Pizza Farewell

We stretched and kneaded the fresh pizza dough, striving to make it into the perfect flat, circular crust. With some good old-fashioned tugging, we finally got it into the perfect shape. Now the next question was what to top our soft, golden surface with. Allison and I decided that pesto was a must, since we had made it the day before from fresh basil and parmesan cheese. We spooned it on and spread it around the surface, careful to cover every last space of white. Next we sliced some tomatoes and set them on top of the pesto, evenly spaced out. We topped our creation with fresh crumbles of mozzarella and a sparse sprinkling of chopped mushrooms and pine nuts. Yeah, we know. Pretty gourmet, huh? It looked beautifully delicious.  

Excited, we slid our pizza onto a oven panhandle. Before we knew it, our pizza was inside the roaring cob oven, baking at a very rapid speed. Within minutes, to our delight, it was steaming, melted, and golden brown--ready to eat. Wow, it tasted even better than it looked. Like little bites of Italian heaven. The flavors balanced themselves out perfectly, the wood smoke flavor of the cob oven providing a perfect contrast to the robust pairing of pesto and cheese.

After four weeks of a compelling seminar on food-related issues and topics, this outdoor class pizza bake was a perfect finale. After having discussed the importance of the slow food movement, making our own pizzas from scratch was a perfect activity. It brought our class together, as we tried little bites and slices from everyone’s pizzas and helped each other with all of the necessary preparations.  

As college students living in the dorms, this was a pretty special and unusual sort of lunch. Usually we are forced to consume whatever Eleven-Oh-One has to serve for us...and its probably either a pork riblet sandwich or pasta. I find it so much more enjoyable to eat something when you know where it’s from and what it’s made out of. This is why cooking your own food is so rewarding, in many more ways than one. 

After reading contemporary food works by Michael Pollan, Raj Patel, and Ruth Ozeki, I feel that I have become much more aware of the issues we face as a society today. Food is the basic building blocks of life, without it you starve, with too much you become obese (and run into a whole other set of medical problems). What is in the food you eat is also crucial. It is important to eat foods with large amounts of vitamins and minerals and with little additives or preservatives. Environmental sustainability is another major issue, and is why eating organic is often times the way to go. Now that I have a much better sense of what goes into the food industry and into what I consume personally, I feel that I am much better equipped to make better choices to live a healthier, more environmentally aware life. If we do not keep sustainability in mind, then we could really be in big trouble down the road concerning agricultural land space, air quality, soil quality, water availability, and much more.

I am so glad that I signed up for this class, and it really has given me some food for thought! I’ve already noticed myself becoming more subconsciously aware of what I eat and hope that I continue to make healthier choices both for me and the world around me.

Photo Credit: http://www.bfeedme.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/grilled-pesto-pizza-recipe-6-12-07.jpg

Falling Fast

As the last days of summer fly by and fall begins to settle on the city of Seattle, I can not help but be just a tad bit excited. Oh okay, so I’m pretty much ecstatic. I love the fall season and everything that comes with it. The changing colors of the leaves, the crispness in the air, the sweaters and mittens, and of course the seasonal food and holidays. Autumn is a season filled with family and traditions, a season that bring people together. My most favorite day during these brisk few months is Thanksgiving. My family really is not what I would call an extremely traditional family by any means, however Thanksgiving is our one exception. Not only do we cook the traditional feast, but we go above and beyond with our preparations.  

Wednesday night is full of wonderfully-smelling pies baking in our kitchen. We usually make at least four different kinds, and then our friends bring some over as well. Pumpkin, pecan, apple, and angel cheesecake are just the basics. Thursday morning we are all up early, bustling around the kitchen with pots, spoons, and oven mitts in tow. I am always in charge of simmering the cranberry sauce over the stove and for the candied sweet potatoes. My dad is the turkey-master, my mom is the orchestrator of it all, and my little brother is always there ready to mash the potatoes when needed.  

After our dining room is packed full of friends and family and the table and counters are overflowing with food, we know we are ready. And it never disappoints. Fresh rolls, sweet potatoes, steamed green beans, apple, cranberry, and walnut salad, turkey, cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. Not to mention the amazing company of fifteen other friends and family members. But before we dig in, we make sure to go around the table and hear what everyone is thankful for. The best part. Whether it's silly or heartfelt, I am always enlightened by everyone’s thankfulness.  

Thanksgiving week is one of the happiest of all the fifty-two in my household. The enjoyment that comes from preparing the food and then eating it is just awesome. For me, this is the celebration that distinguishes the American food culture. Most like to say that American food consists of the hamburger, hotdog, and french fries. This is most definitely true for most families probably, but not for mine. Since my family eats a variety of different ethnic foods, there is not really any one dish that stands out in my mind as being 100% American. 

That is, except for Thanksgiving dinner. Because this meal has a historic American origin, I feel a strong connection to the foods as an American myself. Similar to the Florentines in Carole M. Counihan’s Around the Tuscan Table “who used food to define an identity grounded in their illustrious history,” the food that we consume at Thanksgiving reminds us all of the founding of our country and early history (Counihan 19). So as I start to crave butternut squash soup and turkey-cranberry sandwiches with the coming of fall, it is my American heritage (specifically the Pilgrims and Native Americans) that I have to thank for my vivid identity with historically traditional American food.

Photo Credit: http://www.daverhoades.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/snoopy.jpg

Too Conveniently Good

After eating a decently satisfying lunch of a mixed salad and half of a vegetarian sandwich, my guilty pleasure got the best of me. Again. After scanning the shelves of the 2 Convenient (the convenience store in my dorm room), I discovered an invaluable niche of the freezer section. The Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs corner. And to my delight, on the bottom shelf lay a variety of mini Ben & Jerry’s containers, packaged into single-serving portions. How convenient, I thought to myself. I picked up a mini "Cherry Garcia" and scanned the package, just to notice that a mini spoon was included under the lid. This just keeps getting more and more amazing by the second. Or at least that’s what an ice-cream-lover like me would think.  

Ben & Jerry’s has conveniently come up with a method to get customers to spend $2 on a bite-sized 3.6 fluid ounces amount of ice cream. I myself was willing to pay the price just because it looked so cute and delicious. A common thought process, I would assume. This is the perfect solution for someone who is afraid of buying the entire pint in worry that there is then the very likely possibility that they will consume its entirety. This was also one of my justifications for opting with the mini version, even though it was obviously much more expensive to buy the ice cream in such a small quantity.

It was the perfect amount of cherry-chocolaty goodness to finish my noon-time meal. That is, until I read the ingredients list on the back of the package: cream, water, liquid sugar...corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, coconut oil, cocoa, natural flavor, caramel and red cabbage juice extract, concentrated lemon juice, guar gum, carrageenan, and soya lecithin. Yummmmy. So after a healthy salad, this is what I had chosen to put into my body, red cabbage juice and corn syrup? Not to mention all of the stabilizers and natural flavorings (which is probably mostly corn as well).  And according to Berkeley biologist Todd Dawson, "when you look at the isotope ratios...we North Americans look like corn chips with legs" (Pollan 23).  

But at the same time, it was quite an easy sweet to consume. I didn’t have to get a bowl or a spoon or measure out my own portions. I didn’t have to bake my own cookies or churn my own ice cream. It was all right there and ready for me, all for only $2 of my $350 per month meal plan. Pretty convenient, huh?

Convenient food is a relatively new creation. Before the world wars of the early 20th century, there was not much in the way of frozen or processed foods. “The main marketing plank of the twentieth-century marriage between the production of food and the consumption of food-related images was ‘convenience,’ a hugely flexible term which could not merely be applied to foods, but to all goods and services supposed to ‘make life easier’” as described by Roger Haden’s Taste in an Age of Convenience.  

Has this shift from basic foods to convenient foods made an impact on our lifestyles? I’d sure say so. Just look at our grocery and convenient stores. Pretty much everything in the middle sections are processed, canned, mass-produced, or frozen. “Chemical additives simulate the qualities of tastes, textures, and other gustatory sensations, as the experience of tasting an actual food, of thinking about that food and of the way it tastes, becomes an impossibility” (Haden 349). You walk down the street and see people snacking on a bag of Doritos, taking a bite out of a Snicker’s bar, or gulping down a Gatorade.  

And that is the main point and reason for success. Not only is this sort of “junk food” convenient to the consumer, but it tastes good as well. After sampling instant ramen noodles and Diet Coke in class yesterday, as much as I wish I did not like it, the ramen noodles were pretty tasty. A little on the salty side, but just the same, for a dollar it was not bad. Which is exactly where the appeal for fast food comes from. It makes the most economic sense, as you can buy more food at McDonald’s with $5 than you could at a Farmer’s Market. But at what cost? What about personal health and environmental sustainability? The sad part is that many people cannot afford to consider these factors, or do not realize that they come into play. That is the sad part. So how do we make healthier, environmentally-friendly food cost less and be more available to the general public? I wish there was an easy answer...

Photo Credit: http://www.mojito.ch/images/upload/cherry_garcia.gif

Euro Mysteries

I sleepily walked down to the kitchen at eleven thirty in the morning, awoken by the lovely aromas of simmering vegetables and grilling meat. A hint of sweetness also filled the air, reminded me of plum pudding. My host family was whirling around the kitchen, preparing platters of beautiful food: mashed potatoes, fresh salad, grilled chicken, oven-fresh bread, steamed corn, platters of tomato and mozzarella, and some wonderful-looking (and smelling) pudding. Soon the entire family, grandparents included, were clustered around the dining room table, eagerly anticipating what was to come. And of course as usual, there was no disappointment. The food and the company were both wonderful, cheerful, and uplifting. After a delicious savory dinner, my host mom served up a hot plum pudding complete with freshly whipped cream. “Mittagessen” is what they called this fantastic couple hours in the middle of the day. A time for family, conversation, and of course excellent cuisine.

After a month of this kind of treatment, it was hard to get used to eating cold sandwiches and yogurt for lunch back home. I was lucky enough to have spent a month living in Germany this summer. Not only did I see gorgeous places and meet amazing people, but I also got a first-hand taste of Germany at its finest. My host community was teeming with exquisite bakers, chefs, gardeners, and brewmasters.

With this much abundant delicious food, it seems that obesity would also be abundant. However, while in Europe for a month this summer, I noticed quite the opposite. What I saw were fit, healthy-looking, relaxed, happy people. Never once did I see advertisements for dieting or even spot someone caring to check the nutrition facts. All that seemed to matter was the enjoyment of the food; something I think we are beginning to lose out on here in the United States.  

According to Raj Patel’s Stuffed and Starved, over one-sixth of the population is overweight (1), with the United States leading the world with the most per capita obese people. Is it because of what we eat or the way we eat? Are we too afraid of what food might do to us that it just does exactly what we’re afraid of? What if we started eating our largest meals at noon instead of during the evening in order to give our bodies more active time to metabolize (aka Euro-style)? All I can say is that somehow those Europeans have it figured out. For the most part at least.

Oh, Babe!

As a kid, I always had a pet. Usually it was a cat, but sometimes I would even catch a snake, buy a rat, care for a hamster, or play with a guinea pig. Basically, I loved animals. Like really loved them. I collected Beanie Babies and still have them on display in my room today. Yes, I am almost eighteen but what can I say? Animals are just too cute and cuddly.

So, you can probably guess what happened to me and my perfect little image of the world when I watched movies such as Shiloh and Babe. Yeah, usually a lot of tears were involved. Especially during Babe. For some reason, I absolutely fell in love with that cute little pig. I felt so sorry for him and his mom, being separated like that and all. To me, he was the sweetest animal. I begged my mom for a pet pig and even own a few pig Beanie Babies to my name.

The film moved me so much as a first-grader that I decided to give up pork. I remember just not being able to imagine eating a “Babe” ever again. And that was that.

It has since been almost twelve years since I have last consumed a strip of bacon, a slice of pepperoni pizza, or any other food substance that contains pork. I was never really fond of the taste anyways, so my own personal pork taboo has really not been too much of a struggle; it’s just something that I’ve grown up doing. I am so used to this lifestyle that I do not think I will ever be able to go back to eating pork, especially after reading the chapters about pig farms in Michael Pollen’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. "Farmers 'dock,' or snip off, the tails at birth [...]  Piglets in these CAFOs are weaned from their mothers ten days after birth (compared with thirteen weeks in nature" (Pollan 218).  The treatment received by these piggies is even worse than revealed in my diet-changing film, Babe. This would mean that not only would Babe have been separated from his mom, but he also would not have a tail.  

However, if my same logic were still to apply, then not only would I discontinue my consumption of pork after reading Pollan’s work, but I would also be completely vegan, as this is the only diet that eliminates the harming of animals. Even dairy cows and laying-hens are treated terribly, as pointed out by Pollan.  

So now what? If the makers of Babe had come out with films about chickens, dairy cows, lambs, and turkeys, would I also not be eating them? Or was it just my seven-year old mind that predisposed me to my decision regarding pork?

And here in lies the omnivore's dilemma, as all of these questions that I am asking myself are the direct intentions of Pollan as an author. He does do a great job pointing out both sides of the vegetarian argument, giving justifications both ways.  "It is better for these animals to have lived and died than not lived at all" Pollan quotes Joel Salatin on page 327.  Sometimes I find even that hard to believe.

More reasoning from Pollan about the pros of omnivorism that I am in accordance with (he can say it much better than I can!): "To give up eating animals is to give up on these places as human habitat, unless of course we are willing to make complete our dependence on a highly industrialized national food chain.  That food chain would be in turn even more dependent than it already is on fossil fuels and chemical fertilizer, since food would need to travel even farther and fertility-in form of manures-would be in short supply.  Indeed, it is doubtful you can build a genuinely sustainable agriculture without animals to cycle nutrients and support local food production.  If our concern is for the health of nature--rather than, say, the internal consistency of our moral code or the condition of our souls--then eating animals may sometimes be the most ethical thing to do" (Pollan 326-327). 

However, after the astounding facts he supplied about the treatment of our meat, it has really led me to second-guess my omnivorous diet. Since reading his book, I have definitely been more wary of meat, but have decided that I am not ready to cut it out of my diet completely. The reason I now consider becoming vegetarian or vegan is because if the animals I am consuming are so unhealthy and unhappy themselves, then it just seems to make sense to me that it can not be healthy for me to consume them in their current state. Not to mention all of the apparent harm raising animals has on the environment, but I’ll save that discussion for later.

But at the same time, am I really willing to change the way I live my life? I have not contracted any diseases or ever become sick from eating meat. I do not have diabetes from eating too much corn. So far, I do not have any visible side affects from my diet of choice. So is it worth the extra effort, the extra attention to make my diet more environmentally friendly? As Pollan points out, there are other ways to go about this rather than cutting out meat and dairy altogether. Growing your own garden, buying cage-free eggs and range-free meat, as well as eating goods with short ingredients lists are all definite possibilities. Maybe not at this point in my life, as I am currently an unfortunate slave to the dorm’s cafeteria menu, but at least I feel that I have a better foundation for my future. Hopefully, later in my life when I support myself, I will have the opportunities to make those crucial dietary decisions and change the way I eat if I see it fit to do so.

Photo Credit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/225000/images/_225543_babe_150.jpg

Burrito Baby

Exhausted and hungry, there was only one thought on my mind as I rode my bike home from cross-country practice at seven in the evening. And that one thought was dinner; and not just any dinner, but Mexican food to be exact. It was a Friday night, and as Fridays go in my family, we always get take -out to celebrate the end of the busy work week. Today would include yet another order to our favorite restaurant, Dos Coyotes, a trendy (but fairly priced) “border cafe” located only five minutes away from our house. This was the best stuff in town. Fresh tortillas, perfectly seasoned meat, and gorgeously healthy salads were the main enticers, not to mention the homemade tortilla chips and no-charge salsa bar.

Having grown up in California, to me nothing is more comforting than a chewy flour tortilla overflowing with black beans, seasoned rice, monterey jack cheese, grilled chicken, lettuce, and pico de gallo. I think to most this would resemble the makings of the Mexican "sandwich" known as the burrito. And they could not be more correct. Burritos are the most conveniently delicious food available in my opinion, as they are simple to eat, while extremely healthy and filling at the same time. Not only do I enjoy picking up burritos at local taquerias or cafes, but my family has also been known to make some pretty decent ones ourselves. As an easy-to-make meal loved by all, my mom can always count on a happy crowd when burritos are on the menu for dinner. She’ll make a stop at the local food Co-Op to pick up fresh tortillas, lettuce, beans, and cheese, pick tomatoes from our garden, and then sauté a pan of ground turkey, squash, corn, and taco seasoning. And instantly, a hungry family is grinning at the prospect of eating this delicious Mexican treat for dinner.  

That being said, I do consider myself a real-live burrito baby, if there is such a thing.  Not only was I wrapped up like a burrito in blankets when I was a baby (according to my mom), but this is really the food that I have lived with my entire life.  I love burritos, to me they mean California, Davis, my family, and my friends.  This past year I became even closer to burritos than I ever knew was possible.  I got a job at the our family favorite Dos Coyotes.  So with three to four free burritos a week, I definitely got my fill in while I could.  Strangely enough, I never got tired of them!  Never have I had a burrito taste the same as another, as the proportions of ingredients is always perfectly varied and uneven.  Just like life in general.  It would be boring if everyday was the same.  That's the beauty of burritos, and perhaps why I am so fascinated with them--they are always there to keep you on your toes, taste buds alert, and stomach pleasantly full.

Similar to the Islamic families enjoying Southern cuisine at community gatherings as described by Carolyn Rouse and Janet Hoskins in Soul Food, Purity, and Sunni Islam, I find myself identifying with an ethnic food that I do not biologically identify with, as I am not Mexican. This just comes to show what an amazing melting pot the United States really is. Home to millions of immigrants from around the globe, living in this country makes eating Indian food in Ohio or Greek food in Nevada possible and every-day. With all of these abundant ethnic choices, we can enjoy food and culture from around the globe. Some of it can even become more familiar to us than the “American” hot-dog or hamburger, as Mexican food has become for me.  After all, we all need our comfort foods now and then to remind us of home.

Apple Bottom Genes

Aww man, I am definitely too tired to wake up. Eight o’clock a.m. on a summer morning is just way too early. But my alarm will not relent, so up I get. Throwing on an old T-shirt, I saunter down to the kitchen and grab an apple for breakfast. And a water bottle for outside. After picking up a large bowl from the kitchen, I put on my gardening gloves and go into my backyard, where my family awaits me.

Every morning during the summer, my whole family gets up early together to pick our fresh produce from our little backyard garden beds before it gets too hot. Since we live in the Central Valley of California, temperatures can reach the low 100’s by noon. Blackberries, green beans, strawberries, apples, squash, tomatoes, grapes, peppers, peaches, and herbs are just some of the things that we find ourselves snatching outside. On the good days we accumulate about 10 pounds of blackberries and baskets of fresh tomatoes and green beans. It’s hard work, but well worth it. Growing our own produce means knowing where and who it comes from. And plus, we get the luxury of enjoying fresh vegetable stir-fries or blackberry pies at or own convenience, without having to worry about spiking prices at the grocery store.  

Reading Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma has really provided me with some great insight as to where grocery store food comes from, like for real. It really shocked me how many things include some form of corn, as well as how much of what we consume has pesticides or is genetically modified.  

Having my own garden back home just really makes me appreciate fresh, organic food. It also really makes me wonder and question the issues that are brought up in works such as Ruth Ozeki’s All Over Creation, as well as The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Are we just making things harder than they really are? An organic, backyard garden has worked out really well for me and my family, so why not use this method on a larger scale? Are all of these pesticides and GMO’s truly necessary? Why not eat simply, things like salad, soup, and bread. What is all of this fast-food (which I’m not even sure I can refer to as food anymore) or pre-packaged ultra-manufactured food doing in our society?  

I have been raised as a Farmer’s Market, backyard-garden, local food co-op type of girl, and have loved every tasty second of it. Even though I like to be healthy, I still indulge once in a while by eating out or by buying a deliciously processed treat. But all in all, I think it’s safe for me to say that there is nothing like an apple crisp made from your very own tree’s apples. With a dab of vanilla ice cream on the side, nothing can top it.

Sharing is Caring

As I whisked the young cookie dough, I stared at it thoughtfully, trying to decide whether to add cinnamon or not. And what about coconut? And granola? I finally decided yes to all three. This would make them interesting. Maybe some white chocolate chips too. Oh, my friends were going to love these. And so would Gramps, I think he is in need of his next cookie supply.

So last year, I got really into baking. Like so much so that my parents would have to limit how much I could bake in a week. Yeah, what a wonderful fad, right? My friends sure thought so. I bought cookbooks, searched recipes online, and even started to come up with some recipes of my own.

But the best part about all of this baking was sharing my recipes and treats with my friends and family. My friends loved baking day, as I would be sure to greet each of them with a small Ziploc bag full of sweets. And of course my family also enjoyed my latest addiction, as they were my prime taste-testers. I was also always sure to bring some to my great-grandfather, Gramps, as he claims that at his age of 97, the cookies are what keep him going.
So why do I love baking so much? Sure it is always fun to experiment with new ingredients in the kitchen, but I think the real reason is that I just love to share with the people I love. It’s kinda like my own way of saying, “thanks for being wonderful.”

The best part is the suspense just before they take their first bite. Their reaction is a close second, and very amusing. Hopefully, I get some form of “mmmmmm” or “yummmm.” Even if the reaction is not what I had hoped for, it always provides valuable feedback. I love sharing my recipes, but most of all, I love making people smile.  

To me, food is a form of communication. Baking brownies for someone can be a great birthday present, just as lemon bars can be wonderful way of saying “thank you.” Celebrations, festivities, and even mournings all focus around food. And they have for thousands and thousands of years. Food is what brings us together and what holds us there.

 
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to cook something that I am much less familiar with than, say, chocolate chip cookies for example. I cooked vegan lentil soup with a group of three other students from class. Even though our soup was not the most tasty thing in the world, we were still able to have a lot of fun working together. In a sense, the soup seemed to make our class just that much closer. Now whenever I see a classmate around campus, the first topic of discussion is always the soup, usually followed by funny facial expressions and some giggles.

Sweet Memories

I found my eyes wandering towards the bakery window of the convenience store, searching for something sweet to finish compliment the caesar chicken wrap I had just eaten for lunch. I stood, transfixed on a luscious chocolate cookie. My sweet tooth got the best of me, and before I knew it, I was trudging back up the stairs to my dorm room, cookie in tow.  

After the first bite, I felt immediately a sense of familiarity. Memories of my family and my home instantly flooded my mind. Mmmmm, the chewy chocolaty goodness took me back to the days of baking with my mom. Those brisk wintry days when I would stand on a stool next to her as she whipped up a bowl of fresh cookie dough. I always loved watching her bake. She would carefully measure out the ingredients, stir vigorously, and always offer me tastes along the way to make sure she was doing all right. She always was. Then we would roll the dough between our fingers, dip them in sugar and put them on the baking pan. Soon our house would be filled with the cozy warm scent of chocolate. Finally, the timer would ding and we would rush to the oven to view our little masterpieces. They always tasted best warm, as they were at their prime chewiness. I am often reminded of my childhood years and my baking experiences when I chomp down on a perfectly delicious cookie.  

It is amazing to me the emotions, thoughts, and memories that senses, especially taste, can evoke. Similar to the feelings felt by Marcel Proust as described in his “The Madeleine,” taking a bite of a once familiar food can completely transport one's mind and self to the past. Smelling and tasting can become reminders of past experiences that would have never have resurfaced without their aid.  Food is a key to unlocking the memory, as people often associate experiences and feelings with what they eat. Every time I take a bite of food, it is an adventure. What will I remember? What new experiences will I have? What new memories will I make? The possibilities are endless.

Photo Credit: http://www.delicedefrance.co.uk/dynamic/img/Giant%20Double%20Chocolate%20Cookie.jpg