The Rhetoric Cookbook, ENG 1310.041 pt. 1

ENG 1310.041 Presents:

The Rhetoric Cookbook

Introduction Food is what brings us together. It’s intrinsically linked to our homes, our families, our cultures, our environment, and our experiences. While food is in no way neutral, it is certainly familiar to all of us— we all have a signi cant memory of food, whether it be a special meal made by someone we hold close, a time when food was really great, or maybe a time when we’ve tried and failed to make it.

In my classroom, we have a unique variety of languages, experiences, and cultures that have engaged with each other in scholarly discourse throughout what I believe we can all say was a dif cult semester. Despite the challenges, these new scholars tested, explored, and challenged what it means to write and make sense of the inveterate symbol systems that we use to construct reality. I am proud of my scholars and their achievements in my class.

This cookbook was made by the hands of 22 people as an act of collaboration. It is not just a demonstration of the unique identities in my class but a celebration of it. Within these pages, you’ll nd a rhetorical analysis of food, a self re ection about what food means to them, and a recipe that they’ve chosen to represent themselves in this cookbook for each student. At the very least, I think you’ll nd something delicious to try out! Happy eating.

Sincerely, Professor Hannah McKeating

Chefs, Recipes # Rhetoric David Castañeda, “Breaking Breakfast”… 1 Ivette Guadalupe Cervantes, “El Dia de los Muertos"… 5 Autumn Darder, “The Little Dumpling”… 13 Colby Durocher, “Prison Food”… 19 Kristian Gomez, “Cereal, Potluck, and Pathos”… 25 Raul Herrera Jr., “The Benefits of Cooking and Eating the Right Food”… 31 Victoria Lancaster, “What Food is to Me”… 38 Madilyn McFeeters, “Cooking and Communities”… 41 Drew McGuire, “Not so Normal”… 42 Heath Mercer, “Ratatouille”… 46 James Navarez, “Made with Love”… 54

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Recipe Ingredient

Amount

milk

1 cup

butter

1 stick

Tamari or soy sauce Dried shiitake mushrooms Vegetable oil (divided)

1/4 cup 1 oz 1/2 cup

Small yellow onion

1

Fresh garlic cloves

1 tbsp

Fresh ginger (peeled)

1/2 inch

Butter

1 tbsp

Miso paste

1 tbsp

El Dia de Los Muertos

By Ivette Guadalupe-Cervantes

“

No Music!” if you have seen the movie Coco you know who

deceased/ skeletons pass through immigration like the

says this. The movie Coco is set on El Dia de Los Muertos

airports and are scanned if someone put their picture on an

or The Day of the Dead. El Dia de Los Muertos is a Mexican

altar and if so, they are able to cross. Then they cross over the

tradition where the dead are celebrated in remembrance every

magical bridge of cempasuchil, they then cross over to see

year on November 2nd. The opening scene shows a quick

their family and spiritually be with them. The deceased go

glance at the altars in the cemetery. Later on, Miguel’s

back to their world with the food their family made for them

Abuelita takes him to their own altar they have in their home

and “declare” at the entrance that they are bringing back

of their ancestors (9:55). She explains to him the importance

some food (26:05).

of this special day and how he must stay because it is the one day of the year their ancestors can cross over spiritually to visit them.

In addition to this, there is a scene where the whole cemetery is shown and you can notice how different graves are from here in the U.S. In Mexico, most tombs are above ground and

Importantly, El Dia de Los Muertos has a fundamental

this allows family and friends to be able to leave owers and

element to it in which is the altar. The altar consists of many

decorate. The structure of their graves serves as a table to

items: Papel Picado, a photograph of the person (there can be

build the altar and set the food, owers, etc. You can see all

more than one), Flores Cempasuchil (marigold owers), salt,

the families gathered around the tombstones of their loved

candles, incense, sugar skulls, the deceased belongings,

ones setting up the elements of the altars (19:40). According

water, Pan de Muerto (bread), and food. In Coco, food is being

to Morelianas, the food placed on the altar is the favorite dish

used in the altars to show that they remember the deceased

of the deceased. In many of the country’s indigenous places,

favorite dish. Abuelita said we made all this food, set out all

one of the most dish placed is Pollo en mole (Chicken in mole

the things they loved in life, all this work to bring the family

sauce). There is a scene where the dog Dante gets on the

together (10:10). The food is so their loved ones can come

Rivera’s family altar and begins to eat the dish which showed

back to earth and eat their favorite food. In the movie, the

that it is Pollo en mole (15:57).

loved one when they would eat their favorite meal. Maybe it was a

According to Cocina Facil, there is the belief that the food loses

dish they enjoyed cooking for them or just any good memory that

its avor after El Dia de Los Muertos. The spirits eat the

made them choose that speci c dish for the altar. This creates a

“essence” of the food, meaning that the avor of the food is gone

sense of connection as if they were still there with you. As well as

or does not taste the same. If you do not believe in that then you

Pan de Muerto being added to the altars, bread is food. Pan the

are able to eat the dish with no problem unless it was exposed to

Muerto is a religious symbol because it represents El Cuerpo de

the outside. For example, food that had been placed in the

Cristo or The Body of Christ (Morelianas). The bread normally is

cemeteries where wind or dust may have gotten on the food then,

round and has a design with the same bread on top which is

the best choice is to discard it. Generally, only partial of the food

shaped like a cross but can also take the form of other shapes like

is put on the altar to show the symbolic side to it but it is up to

skulls and bones. In the movie, Miguel goes through this big room

the people setting up the altar. Moreover, the people that cook for

where the famous Ernesto de la Cruz has all his offerings piled up

the deceased show pathos because it is all a symbolic way to get

and says he does not know what to do with all his offerings

their loved ones to come to join us in the real world. It shows that

(1:02:21) this shows how his fans truly wanted to keep the

they still care and remember them. Since it is the only day they

memory/spirit of him alive. Those who left their Pan de Muerto

can cross over and get to visit, it is a duty to welcome them with

and meals on the altar must have looked up to him and want to put

joy and with their favorite dish. The individuals that didn’t know

him on their altar.

what El Dia de Los Muertos was may have thought why celebrate

Undoubtedly, those that do the cooking put in a lot of effort into making the food. Have you ever made tamales? If so, you know it is a long process and a lot of work put into making them. Cooking food, in general, isn’t the easiest thing unless you are a natural at it but if not it takes time to learn the recipes with measurements

the dead? Why is it a joyful day if they’re gone? It should be a day of sorrow if your loved one is gone but it isn’t. El Dia de Los Muertos is a day to celebrate the life of those who have left, it is a day where the deceased get to wake from their sleep to enjoy a day in a life with their loved ones with music, food, and joy.

to be able to make the process easier. Not knowing the recipe well

Additionally, food means more than just a source of sustenance in

means you’ll have to keep looking back at the cookbook for every

the movie Coco. There is a scene where the theory of hospitality

step of the way. If you are the one cooking what do you get in

from Sean Barnette is shown as an act of care and love for their

return? Nothing. Those who cook for the deceased don’t get

loved ones. When Abuelita is serving food or in this case tamales

anything in return, maybe just the thought of their loved one’s

(3:37),Miguel gratefully responds with “No gracias” and Abuelita

spirit coming to visit them and appreciate their meal. All that

isn’t so happy about it. According to Sean Barnette, in his essay

cooking for the deceased then what is next? The effort and

of “Dorothy Day’s Voluntary Poverty,” Women’s hospitality affects

spending of ingredients for the dish to then be discarded?

people physically as well as intellectually. Abuelita then repeats

her question if he would like more tamales but in a different tone to where Miguel is kind of forced to say yes that he wants more when he truly doesn’t. The ethos that Abuelita is shown to portray is to lead the family just as her grandmother Mama Imelda did.

She is the one who cares for everyone, she makes sure everyone is well-fed and especially to keep their family traditions going.

Abuelita is the “ruler” of the home, if Abuelita says no then the answer is no. Women’s hospitality rhetoric is unique to them, they use materials and spaces to give their audience a sense of togetherness and understanding that allows them to persuade others.

In conclusion, the movie Coco has represented the aspect of El Dia de Los Muertos well in the form of showing the small details of how food is a big part of this special day. The remembrance of those who have left us and to celebrate the vibrancy of their lives not the mournful side of their departure.

My Mexican Meanings

egg and followed the same steps, but when I tried to separate the

R

my grandma was to add some milk when mixing the egg in the

shells I dug in my thumb and broke the shell into small pieces that fell into the bowl. My proud moment was over, I had to pick the eggshells out and then start mixing the egg. A tip I learned from bowl so it becomes uffy while cooking. How I learned to cook

ecipes pass down from generation to generation,

was by both watching my mom and grandma’s cook, they would

especially if you come from a Mexican family. You end

tell me every step of the way. When they would cook, I would

up learning several recipes without speci c

naturally go to the kitchen and watch or help them cut up any

measurements. Food has always been a must in my family because

ingredients except onion, I cried like a baby as if an object were

there always has to be something cooked in the house. Every

stabbing my eye. I already have a hard time using glasses and

afternoon when my mom gets out of work she cooks and later on

now having my eyes burn yeah no. If I weren’t watching them it

we all come together for dinner. For some, this is strange for

was because I had gotten distracted by something then my dad

people to come together because of their busy schedules or just

would notice and tell me (still does) to go watch how the food was

by not having that habit of coming altogether. If my family has a

being made. Sometimes if it was both my mom and grandma

party there are always snacks or appetizers before the actual

cooking, they disliked me being in the kitchen watching because I

food. With it being chips, nuts, cream cheese with crackers, fruit,

was in their way.

avocado, cheese, literally any nger food you could think of.

For example, this year’s Thanksgiving Day we didn’t eat the

Without a doubt, the fact that I come from a Mexican family

typical dinner of turkey, ham, etc. we ended up eating Pollo en

means that I have lots of expectations, and one of them being that

mole with the side of rice. I had already seen how my mom makes

I need to know how to cook. I believe I began cooking when I was

mole but I always prefer my grandmas cooking even if my mom

around 10 years old. Obviously, nothing big like pozole or such but

learned from her. Something about my grandma's cooking that it

simple things like breakfast. One of the rst things I learned how

always comes out better, she probably makes it with more love,

to make was huevo con salchicha or Jamon (egg mixed with

who knows. The point is I tried watching if she did anything

sausage or ham). I remember the rst time I learned how to crack

differently like the order or a special ingredient but I got stuck

an egg, I held it with one hand and tapped it against the counter,

having to do other chores. Now I am 18 years old with a few

and then used my other hand to separate it and pour it into a

recipes up my sleeve, I do enjoy cooking especially if it is

bowl. I thought to myself that wasn’t hard at all! I got another

something I am craving or if I am making it for my family. I

remember when I used to hate it, I would rather make myself

Mexico my aunt always asks when we are free before we have to

something quick and easy like a sandwich or a pasta. I mostly

leave again. She says “Para hacer sopitos y avisarles a todos que

when they were orders from my parents. It wasn’t that I hated

vengan” translating to “So I can make sopes and to tell everyone

them ordering me to do it but the fact that I was about to do it

to come”. My tia enjoys making us sopes because she knows it’s

either way before they mentioned it. Not sure if that’s just me but

not a common dish that we don’t make or eat here. Sopes are small

that’s how I used to feel about that. Over the years cooking has

taco tortillas dipped in a special red sauce that is fried and

become easier for me and more natural. I think it feels like it is

topped off with either chicken, beans, cheese, potato, and then

easier because I have cooked many times and mostly because I am

lettuce and cheese and nally the sweet sauce. Just by

like a second mother to both of my younger sisters. When my baby

remembering how they're made and their taste made my mouth

sister was born, I had to learn how to make her bottles (wasn’t

water. Also, my other uncle (yeah, my family tree is huge) he sells

literal food but it was baby food). Then when she began to eat

carnitas every Wednesday and Saturday in the mornings, now

solids, I would steam veggies and mush them all together. I have

this is a must when I go to Mexico. Not just because he doesn’t let

always cared for them if my parents had to work or run an errand.

me pay him but because they are so good! Carnitas is pork meat

As a result, the ability to make food has been my biggest cultural expectations. With it being a cultural expectation, I don’t see it as a negative way and I am thankful and glad I was raised this way.

My family has taught me how to cook for myself and not rely on others to make me food at home if I was hungry. This has become helpful now that I have moved to college and that I am almost four hours away from my family. Other than learning to cook for

that is cooked slowly for a few hours to where the meat is so soft it can be shredded. It can be accompanied by cuerito (pig skin) that is also cooked with it but is cooked faster. Mexico in general has just such a big variety of good food that one must try even if it isn’t healthy. There’s a saying I’ve heard that says “Una vez al año, no hace daño” meaning “It doesn’t hurt to eat it one time in a year” and well that rhymes in Spanish not in English.

myself, being away from them, and having to adapt to a different

Another special memory I have is when I was younger and all my

lifestyle, I have been eating healthier and getting better eating

cousins were about the same age. Every Sunday after church our

habits. In a Mexican household, there really aren’t any t foods

family would either go out to this Mexican restaurant and eat

made or fewer calories it’s just all really good food. Every time I

together or go to my uncle's house and make carne asada. Most of

get the chance to go home there is no way I am staying in my

the time it was carne asada but, I remember I would be playing

healthy mode and pass up the delicious food.

around the property with my cousins, and all of a sudden we

A special memory that comes to mind when I think of someone cooking for everyone is my aunt. Every summer when I travel to

would hear yells from our parents that food was ready. We would run and say, “El ultimo es un huevo podrido” meaning “The last

person is a rotten egg”. I can recall my uncles and dad standing around the grill with a beer in their right hand and a piece of meat in their left. Then I would see my mom and my aunts setting up our plates and cups for when we would sit down. They would stay and watch us because they knew we would be sneaky and either not nish eating or zoom away without plates to the trampoline. If we did get away with it, we would end up getting yelled at to go back and eat at the table. When we didn’t, they would send one of our uncles and he would pretend to give us a lesson when in reality he was asking us to go back in a nice way and bribing us with sweets when the ice cream truck would pass by the house. All of us would go back to the table and nish our food and once we heard the melody of the ice cream truck we ran to the driveway and waited for our uncle to come and pay. We were little troublemakers now that I think of it and just because we needed to eat our food at the table.

In conclusion, food to me isn’t just sustenance for my living and health but it is part of who I am now and how I value food with my family and loved ones. Food has been an element of my family’s traditions. I wouldn’t think that I am the only person who has been marked with family recipes that have been passed down from generations.

Red Cream Spaghetti By: Amelia Baeza (My Abuela) Recipe serves 4

Ingredient

Amount

Spaghetti

1 box

Oil of your choice

1 tbsp

Salt

1/2 tbsp

Tomatoes

5

White Onion (Diced)

1

Chicken Flavor Bouillon (Knorr Caldo con Sabor de Pollo) Fresh garlic cloves

3 tbsp

Butter

3 tbsp

Daisy Sour Cream (Optional) Queso Fresco (Optional) Sliced JalepeĂąo

3

Instructions: 1. In your pot, begin to boil water and add 1 Tbsp of oil 2. Place spaghetti in the pot, add a quarter of an onion and ½ Tbsp of salt 3. Once cooked, drain, and set aside (remove onion) 4. In a separate pot boil 5 tomatoes 5. Once cooked, toss them into a blender with 1 quarter of an onion, 3 garlic cloves, 3 Tbsp of the Chicken Flavor Bouillon and blend.

6. In a pan melt 3 Tbsp of butter and let it melt 7. Add your sauce from the blender and mix 8. Let the mix boil 9. Next add the spaghetti and mix it all together 10. Then add a good amount of sour cream and mix and let it warm up again 11. OPTIONAL Mix Sliced Jalapenos & Top off with Queso Fresco

The Little Dumpling

By Autumn Darder

I

f you are not familiar with the Chinese language, the word Bao means precious or steamed bun. Bao tells a story about a Chinese-Canadian woman, who wishes her son would never grow up. When she is making Baozi, or dumplings, one of them comes to life. This dumpling resembles the son who she once raised, but left to move on with his life. At last, she is offered another chance at motherhood with this little dumpling. In this film, the mother raises the Bao baby just as she did with her real, human son. The mother has taught him how to cook, walk, amongst other things. During the growth of this baby, the mother is stern and tries her best to protect the dumpling at all costs. Eventually the dumpling grows up and is ready to leave the house, while the mother does not want to accept this. The two end up getting into an argument and without thinking the mother swallows her dumpling whole to prevent him from leaving. The mother is left empty-nested and lonely, crying in her son’s bed. The human son then comes back to his mother and shares a pastry with her, showing his love and gratitude.

There are many different symbolic acts you can take away from this short film. For instance, in Bao, food is being used to show the symbolic act of togetherness, connection, and the mother’s love for her son and husband. The relationship that stems between the mother and son is, well, dumplings. The mother gains another son from cooking baozi. She even teaches the little dumpling how to cook the baozi himself. Along with this symbolism, we also see pathos in this short film. This film contains a lot of emotions from the mother and son. The mother has raised her baby from adolescence to adulthood and does not want to accept the fact that he must move on with his life. This can be relatable to moms and children all across the world, no matter the ethnicity or culture. Sometimes, food is not just something we need to survive, but something we have to connect with others. Bao teaches us to

let go of the things that are important to us when they are ready to be let go, but to also treasure them. In one of the scenes we see that Bao is ready to leave his mom. During our teen years, we experience the desire to explore the world on our own. So, we can relate to the son fairly easily. The mother struggles to let go of her child and parents can relate to this, especially recently, when we moved off to college.

Another piece of symbolism that I can take away from this short film is the connection you make with others when cooking. In Bao, when the dumpling has reached adulthood he finds a woman he wants to bring home. The woman he decides to bring home is the complete opposite of his mother; blonde, bubbly, and white. This shocks the mother and she realizes even more how much she has lost her baby boy. Eventually, she decides to give the woman a chance to see how well she fits with her son. They connect with cooking Baozi. She teaches the son’s girlfriend how to cook these dumplings. While doing this, you can see how the family and girlfriend get along well and spark a connection. In fact, the girlfriend adapts better than the son in making dumplings. The mother then begins to realize that there was far much more to the girl than bright blonde hair. (Bao, 3:14) In the beginning of this film, the woman cooks the baozi and fills the dumpling with meat and vegetables. Her husband, who is constantly working, is looking forward to her cooking on a regular basis. To me, I perceive this man’s love language to be acts of service. The woman cooks for her husband and this is how she shows her love. Between these dumplings are acts of love for one another (Bao, 0:23).

We have seen that Bao is not only about dumplings, but about the mother’s love. The mother is dealing with her child growing up and moving on with his life, which is very hard for her to accept. The director of Bao, Domee Shi, talks about the relationship she has

with her mother and portrays that throughout the film. In fact, Shi stated how her mother would often tell her, “Aw, I wish I could put you back in my stomach so I knew exactly where you were at all times.” (Zuckerman, 1) Domee Shi has shared her experiences of growing up with her Chinese-Candian mother and what her perspective was like. Oftentimes, mothers can be extremely protective, like the mother in the short film. Shi talks about how her mother was overprotective because of the extreme love she had for her daughter. She expresses her frustrations of being so coddled and the confusion of why she was so overbearing. As a daughter, I could never understand why my parents were so strict, but watching this film helped me see from a parent’s point of view.

I personally can relate to how this mother feels. For me, seeing cute babies gives me that overwhelming feeling of warmth to the point where I just want to eat the tiny human! By having the real, raw relationship Shi had with her mother made the short film even more realistic. Shi’s mother’s love is what brought the short film to life. I know I had my fair share of being rude and rebellious to my mother, knowing she just wanted what was best for me. I related to this short film a lot and learned even more about the perspective from a mother.

Not only is there pathos in this film, but there is also ethos. Ethos is used to describe the beliefs or ideals of a community. In this case, the Chinese culture is being portrayed. Shi talks about how she wanted the film to have every single tiny cultural detail incorporated. She even says in one interview that she placed a toilet paper roll on the coffee table because Chinese immigrant families buy tons of toilet paper for kleenex and toilet paper. Shi wanted the scene to be set up just like a real Chinese mum's home, so she put hot sauce and soy sauce bottles on the counters. Her mother helped with the scenery to add a more cultural affect to the film. By these small details, you can really see the Chinese culture come alive (Associated Press, 1).

As a daughter, I found it difficult to see the perspective of the mother. However, as I was watching the film I could see how lonely the mother was after her son left.Being a mother is one of life’s greatest gifts and bearing a child can be stressful. You constantly worry about them becoming harmed, as we see in the film when the

Bao baby wants to play soccer, but the mother does not let him in fear of him being squished to death. (Bao, 1:13) From this film I felt reawakened by what it means to be a mother and regret ever being awful to my mother. I know now how hard it must be to let your child go.

Food played a huge role in this film. It opened up new relationships and played as a love language between the husband, mother, and son. The impact that the dumplings had on this film was huge. The mother showed her love for her family by cooking for them. The mother wasn’t the only one who showed her love with food. In the end of Bao the son comes back to visit his mom and brings her a pastry. This pastry symbolizes the love he has for his mother.

To me, food is how I connect with my family.I grew up in the kitchen with my grandma learning about how to cook homemade meals. We would make meals for our family and write new recipes down to add to our cookbook. Cooking dinner with my grandma is how I show my love and appreciation. We have hour long conversations about the simplest things in life, which deepens my relationship with her. In my family, we take food very seriously. We cook gourmet meals and have dinner together as one. Without food, we would not have as good of a relationship with each other. By cooking together, we share fellowship and develop more intellectual, deep conversations.

Our emotional state is being filled as well as our physical state. I can truly say food has changed my life in more ways than one.

Julia Ohana once said, “Cooking at home, or other places are good for your mental health because cooking is an act of patience, mindfulness, an outlet for creative expression, a means of communication, and helps to raise one’s self esteem as the cook can feel good about doing something positive for their family, themselves or loved ones.”

Home is Where the Kitchen is To some people food is just simply a nourishment, but to others it is so much more than that. If you ever ponder about the occasions you have attended, food is generally the center point. We use food to replenish relationships, share our cultures, and enjoy each other’s fellowships. Oftentimes, we do not realize the impacts that small details like food make on our life. Because of this, we tend to take for granted the benefits food brings us. Families all around the globe connect with food. Food is the glue that holds us together.

In my family, food has always been a huge factor to us. Both of my grandmas are very old fashioned and cook from scratch. So, growing up I was always in the kitchen learning how to make a variety of food. This ranged from cajun style gumbo to homemade chicken pot pie. I always enjoyed the memories of cooking with my grandma and family. Not only did I learn how to cook excellently as a child, I also bonded with my family and grew much closer with them than I ever have. Because of this I can hold special values to the food I cook for the rest of my life. For instance, when I am older and have my own children I will cook the potato soup my mom would cook for me when I was sick.

As you grow older the food we eat is a part of our culture. It becomes who we are as a person. A lot of us associate food from our years with warm feelings and good thoughts. The food our family makes often becomes our comfort food that we seek to eat when we are older. Homemade recipes are passed down to each generation to the next, which is what we use as our cultural identity. I know for my family we add spicy seasoning to almost everything because of our great grandparents who added these spices to the recipe. Although at times we do alter the original recipes, we still have the same idea. By passing down these recipes

and still making them shows the pride we have for our families unique history, values, and beliefs. (Scalzitti,1) Embracing our own cultures' food is so important, but we should also remember that trying out different cultures' food can be just as rewarding. To me, trying new food from different cultures allows me to understand the person much better. It is imperative that we remember each type of dish is just as valuable as ours. By experiencing new cultures’, you can develop a new taste and sense. You can also learn from others and try to enhance your own recipes.(Le, 1) Going over to my friends house to eat dinner was my favorite thing to do. I could try new flavors that I never have before and cook them at home with my family. In my small neighborhood we have a church that most of us attend to. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas we all as a church come as one and bring our own dishes to feast together. Since there is a variety of different cultures in our church, I can find new recipes to try!

I remember a time when my grandma and I were cooking for Thanksgiving one early morning and decided to be Paula Deen and Racheal Ray. We laughed for hours and hours pretending we were the most famous women cooks. We even had my grandpa pretend to be the cameraman. Looking back, I can see that this was one of the most special moments in my life. I know that I will always cherish this and every time Thanksgiving comes around I think about this memory and how much fun it was being Rachael Ray for a day. Every Sunday my family and I schedule a dinner at my grandmas to eat at the dinner table. We do this to catch up with each other and to share moments about our day. We turn off our phones and spend genuine time together. This to me makes me feel heard by my family and that I am loved and cared about. Eating together as a family teaches us how to listen and be mindful of others thoughts and feelings. I feel by doing this our family has strengthened and built better relationships between us all. I can say that when I am older with my own family, I will continue this tradition.

This semester I have met a ton of people and found my group of friends that I spend almost everyday with. We all got to know each

other more through the Italian Garden here in San Marcos. We figured out if their parents were big cooks or if they ate out a lot for dinner. We found out if we like spicy foods or sweet and savory.

After discussing each other's cultures, we decided to all cook a side from our own families and bring it to all eat. During this time, I found that one of my friends didn’t really experience a lot of cooked meals back at home. So, she cooked a meal with me. She learned a lot and actually cooked it for her Thanksgiving. With food, comes fellowship with one another. I learned a lot about my friends and the types of culture that they come from.

Coming from a small town that was not very rich, I would often see a lot of people in poverty. At my high school, we had an organization that allowed us to do acts of service for our community. One of my favorites that I participated in was called Lord’s Acre. For this volunteer service, we would cook Thanksgiving meals for the people in our town that need it most.

For the elderly that were not able to get around easily, we would drive to their house and deliver them their meals. We would then chat with them about their week. To me, I got the most gratification from doing this. I was able to learn about people’s lives and nurture them with an amazing meal. I grew closer with my community and still to this day go back to attend this event every year. At my old house, my mother and I grew a garden that was filled with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and carrots. I was always fascinated how we could grow food from the ground and use it as nutrition for our bodies. My mother loved her famous stew that she would cook for us every time it would get chilly outside. She used vegetables from the garden to cook her stew. It turned out to be amazing. Growing a garden with my mom taught me how to take care of the vegetables and care for them so they could taste delicious. It was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment to know that I grew something that tasted so good. I learned responsibility and made new memories with my mom.

Learning how to cook can be very beneficial. You can learn world cultures, flavors, and beliefs. You can also learn how to save your money by not going out to eat, but instead cooking for yourself or family. Cooking can bring you positive energy that is necessary to a happy lifestyle. Expressing yourself through cooking can show

others who you really are and what you enjoy. You can add your own twist of flavors to show your friends what you like. Learning to cook with friends can be even more fun and you can make lifelong memories while doing so. To me, food is very important and something that has brought me closer with the people in my life. I have learned a lot from my family and how they like to eat as well as cook. I have learned how I like to cook, prepare my meals, and what kind of flavors I enjoy. Hearing stories about people’s lives while eating a meal shows me a glimpse of their life. I was lucky enough to have my great grandparents in my life up until this year.

They have taught me what it means to eat together and the importance of it. They cherish cajun style food and our families presence. Seeing how they raised their children to grow up and pass down the recipes is truly inspiring and something that I cannot wait to do with my own. No matter what background we all have, we all get along together with food. We use food to express ourselves and create more memories. It is the sharing of food that brings us all together. Food is taken for granted often, but with all the amazing memories it brings us it shouldn’t be.

Maw Maw's Chicken and Dumplings Recipe serves

Prepared for 4

Ingredient Flour Baking Powder Salt Black Pepper Shortening Hot Water Cream of Chicken Room Temp. Water Whole Chicken/Four Chicken Breast

Amount 2 cups 1 tsp 2 tsp 1 tsp 1/4 cup 0.5 cup 2 Cans 16 ounces

8

Instructions 1.

Pour 2 cans of broth and 2 cans of water in pan

2.

- Cook chicken until tender

3.

- Remove cooked chicken from pot and add salt and pepper

4.

- Mix and knead dumplings (flour, shortening, water, and baking powder) - Roll out on floured surface until thin

5.

- Cut dough in 1 inch squares and place in pot after chicken is removed - Cook dumplings in broth until tender (about 45 minutes)

6.

Then add cream of chicken soup

7.

Mix well and cut up chicken

8.

Serve

Prison Food

By Colby Durocher When it comes to films, more often than not, food can be represented as more than just food. For instance, in The Shawshank Redemption, our main character Andrew Dufresne, more commonly known as And, visits the prison cafeteria to consume his first of many meals in prison. After sitting at the table he looks down at his food and finds a mealworm crawling through it (The Shawshank Redemption, 00:21:20). Although it can appear to be nothing more than a tray of disgusting food at first glance, it can also be argued that the food actually holds a deeper meaning. In The Shawshank Redemption, food is being used to highlight how poorly the prisoners are being treated.

After the discovery of this mealworm, a fellow prisoner by the name of Brooks, asks Andy for the mealworm if he did not plan on eating it. Obviously not wanting to eat the mealworm, Andy hands over the insect to Brooks, who then proceeds to feed it to his

injured pet crow, Jake. This scene illustrates how the prisoners are being treated extremely poorly, almost like animals, as the food they are served can also be substituted as feed for this wild bird. I can imagine most people would agree that the thought of eating mealworms is rather disgusting. This serves to show simply how unjust life is as a prisoner of Shawshank.

It is only later on in the film, when a group of the prisoners are sharing a few beers on the rooftop of the license plate factory, that some of the prisoners start to “feel normal again,�as Red put it, even if it is only for a short period of time (00:38:47). After making a deal with the heard prison guard, Andy gets a tub of ice cold beers for his friends and himself to enjoy. When reflecting on the occasion later on, Red can be heard discussing how Andy did not even drink any of the beer, but rather enjoyed the worry-free company with his friends. This showed how for a brief period of time,

the prisoners were able to escape this animal-like treatment their lives had become, and were able to enjoy feeling human once again for a brief moment.

About an hour into the movie you can also find an interesting correlation between Andy and the prison food.

Coming into the prison, Andy was an innocent man who was repulsed at the initial site of the “food" served up in the cafeteria. However, years later, when we are able to see the group of prisoners in the cafeteria again, we see a new version of Andy; one that is roughed up, street smart, and more rebellious. This version of Andy also scarfs down the food without hesitation, after being released from “The Hole” for two weeks. As this scene demonstrates, being locked up in the prison treated like an animal for so long has slowly turned him into exactly that. This point is further proven later in the film when Andy and Red are having a discussion. Here Andy is telling Red about his elaborate plan to escape Shawshank Prison.

After being left astonished by Andy’s plan, Red tells Andy how amazed he is, to which Andy replies with the famous quote: "I had to go to prison to become a crook” (01:22:00). This quote perfectly illustrates how the treatment towards the prisoner occupants is cruel and animalistic as it is capable of both breaking criminals, as

well as turning the most honest, innocent men into criminal masterminds.

Because of these various connections throughout the film all relating to the food the prisoners are served, I argue that the food in The Shawshank Redemption holds a deeper meaning than what can initially be seen on the surface, and that is how the prisoners are being cruelly treated as though they are wild animals.

Foster Food Although I can’t honestly say that any specific food has a distinct, symbolic importance in my family's life, I can however say that anytime my family has planned a gettogether, food has always been at the center of whatever it is we do. No matter how big or small the occasion is, you can always rely on one thing being present, and that is food.

Over the years, I’ve learned that by far the most important aspect to my family is, well, family. All of the Foster Family, including my grandparents, to my aunts, uncles, and cousins all live right here in the Schertz/New Braunfels area; and we get together as often as possible. Be it Thanksgiving, Birthdays, Christmas, or even the occasional open weekend, you can bet my family will most likely be getting together. And the one thing all of these events have in common is food.

After working our way through the chaos of our everyday lives, these meals give us the opportunity to all sit down together, and enjoy one another's company while catching up on life.

If I had to settle on a favorite event, I think I would have to go with our Christmas get-togethers. Each year the entire family will meet at my grandparents house for a huge feast

to celebrate the day. Everybody that attends will come up with a dish to make and bring to the event. Then when it comes time for everybody to meet up at my grandparents house, we’ll have a wide variety of different food options for everybody to enjoy. One of my family’s go-to items to make for this is none other than a simple chocolate pie. Come Christmas Eve, we’ll start with the baking of our pie. Now this may come as a bit of a surprise, but I may not be the best chef in the household if we’re being completely honest.

Because of this, it typically comes down to my mom and sister doing the majority of the baking, while my dad and I watch and try to help where we can; sometimes even taking a quick taste test if we’re quick enough - just to make sure they’re doing everything properly, of course. After all of our pie preparations have been complete, we’ll place our pie in the refrigerator to set overnight, before heading to my grandparents church for a Christmas Eve Service. Come the following morning, our pie is in perfect conditions for a family gathering. We’ll load up all of our food items, gifts, and more in the car, then head out to my grandparents house.

After everybody arrives and gets settled in for a bit, my grandpa always tells us a speech about how grateful he is for our family, before sending everybody to get their plates. Once everybody gets their plates made, we’ll then all gather around

the table to enjoy one another’s delicious dishes and company.

Here everybody will have the chance to tell people what all has been going on in their lives. Whether they have exciting news, or are simply going through their normal day-to-day tasks, everybody will have the opportunity to share what they’ve been up to. We’ll talk about work, school, hobbies, sports, and more, always sliding in jokes whenever possible. On top of that, in these most recent years, my grandma has set out her new Christmas glasses for us to use, each of which has a set of lyrics from the Twelve Days of Christmas. Once all of the cups have been taken, the sing along can begin! Being the extraordinarily talented group of singers that we are, we can almost never make it to the end of the song without having a few laughs along the way.

All in all, while I never really considered food to have this symbolic, important meaning to my family, looking back now, I suppose I actually can see how food acts like a magnet in the sense that it brings us all together. This food gives us the time that allows us to slow down for a minute while we enjoy one another’s presence. It gives us the chance to take a moment to be appreciative of all of our opportunities to be together during, not only the holiday seasons, but all year round. And that is something to be thankful for.

Recipe

Ingredient Amount Boneless Chicken Breast 4 Halves Melted Butter 0.5 cups Ritz Crackers 1 Stack Poppy Seeds 1 tsp Sour Cream 8 ounces Condensed Cream of 1 can Chicken Monterey Jack Cheese 2 cups

Recipe was given to us by Karen Bembry (right) and assistant chef, Shelby (left).

Instructions 1.

First you’ll want to boil the chicken breasts in a pot for about 20 minutes, until they are no longer pink in the middle. After the boil is complete, drain the pot and shred the chicken.

2.

Next, you’ll want to set aside a bowl with your butter, crushed crackers, and poppy seeds.

3.

Mix the sour cream and cream of chicken soup into a bowl and pour half the mix into a 9x9 baking dish. Insert your shredded chicken, followed by the rest of your cream mix. Then top that with your mixture of butter, crackers, and poppy seeds.

4.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has been brought to a bubble.

Cereal, Putlock and Pathos

By Kristian Gomez I am doing my rhetorical analysis over a video I

house and he should have done better and brought

had seen on instagram of a man bringing cereal

an actual meal. The video ends by the man saying

and milk to his family's thanksgiving dinner. What

the family was ungrateful for what he had brought to

makes this video even better is the fact that the man

the function as they were acting selfish as they

who had brought the cereal didn't think he had done

didn’t want to eat the cereal. One of the ladies in

anything out of the ordinary as all they had told

the family then asked the man who brought the

him was to bring food. The video continues as they

cereal (Her cousin) to eat some of what he brought,

all circle around the man to try and ask why he had

but the man refused as he said “It's soggy now!” and

brought a full pan of milk and cereal mix, to a

the video had ended there.

party which contained thanksgiving meals such as turkey, ham, and mash potatoes. The man was clueless as he was just trying to contribute and said the cereal and milk was all he had.The man in the video didn't know any better as he thought of him bringing cereal would be the same as him bringing green beans or turkey but the family had questioned him asking, “If he had seen anyone bring cereal to thanksgiving before.” The man then had claimed that the family didn't tell him exactly what to bring.This was his claim for bringing the meal that he did and he didn't want the cereal to go to waste, but the family didn't care as their main focus was to figure out why the man had brought cereal. As they know him and know that he has more than cereal at his

The food brought a great importance to the story as it symbolizes how grateful some can be when things aren't going as planned and how selfish many can be when things aren't like how they want them to be.

As in the video the man had stated that his family wasn't grateful for him contributing, and that his family should have just been thankful for what he had brought to the table. This shows both ethos and pathos as in the video the man wanted to give off these morals of being his own and not being judged for what he brings at thanksgiving, as everyone should have just appreciated him instead of bashing him for just trying to help. This video also showed me pathos because of how the family reacted to his

bringings and how it affected the video and the

everything, even when it doesn't seem right, he just

audience, as they were very negative towards the

wanted them to be grateful, he didn't care if nobody

man's bringings which gave off this type of joke of a

ate it just as long as they were thankful that they

character the man was in the video. The man's family

had food options on the table. The true point he was

in the video is what caused it to be more of a big

trying to get at was to get people to realize how

deal than it really was, they stretched the situation

grateful they actually are for what they have, and

out for it to be worse than it really was.

shouldn't be worried about someone who is trying to

In the video the family's attitude towards their

contribute as well.

cousin (The Man) was shaky as everyone in the video

What food symbolizes in my artifact is gratefulness

was seen trying to dig out answers from him, but

and how ungrateful some can be when things don't

throughout the video the man just kept defending

go their way, as in this case it was the food aspect.

his point. His point was that there was nothing

The man in the story brought some food to

specific that they needed him to bring to the

thanksgiving in which people didn't like, so they

occasion, so he thought he could just bring whatever

called him out on his bringings, which made the man

he felt like bringing. Which in the video he did as

feel really upset at his family. The reason that he

the man was seen bringing in a pan full of milk

was upset wasn't because they didn't like his food

and cereal to the kitchen stove. This is about the

but was because he knew they were acting out of

same time the family questioned his bringings. After

line and sounded selfish to an extent. This made the

questioning him he decided to call the family selfish

man realize that his family has become ungrateful

and ungrateful for him and for what he just

and that they shouldn't have shamed him for trying

brought. As the importances to this situation isn't the

to contribute, even if it wasn't his best effort he had

cereal he brought or if he could have bought

still tried like everyone else. This shows why this

something more traditional, it was the fact that he

artifact containing food is so useful and has a

had brought something that he didn't have to bring

good mortal to the story as it is more than just

for others so they could eat too. He tried to help

about food but it's also about family morals and

feed others, but his family couldn't appreciate what

just showing a sign of respect and gratefulness for

he had done for them, so he was just as upset about

one another.

it, as they were to him about it. He just wanted to see his family be grateful this thanksgiving for

What Food Means to Me

interest in cultures by the foods I try from those cultures. Food to me is a symbol of someone's creation that people will enjoy.

Food in my family. My family has very

What does food mean to me? Well food in my

interesting food variations, I come from a

life has been a very important thing, mainly

Mexiacn American family so everything is sort of

because food has brought me more memories

mixed all in a way. I have a mixture of

than probably anything else in my life. Food

sometimes “Mexican Food” or we could have

brings me closer to friends, family, and

“Chinese Food”, my mom would love to try to

newcomers that come into my life. I feel like I

cook new things for dinner as well. That's why

meet them and bond with all of them around

the meals of the week could change from

food. Cookouts, birthday parties, or any

burgers to chicken fajita tacos the next day, my

celebration comes with having food and is what

parents always switched it up and it was never

brings most of us together. I have cases where

the same. I can say I was blessed for that and I

families will ask to go out to eat after church or

was blessed for my mothers cooking. My mom

go out to eat for a siblings birthday. Everyone

didn't love to cook surprisingly, even though I'm

enjoys themselves around food in my family and

talking about how she would cook for my family

the town that I come from, it's just the thing we

every night, cooking wasn't her favorite but she

love to do. I have the best times of my life with

did make my favorite meal, and she would make

family and most of those times there were

it whenever me and brother and sisters would

surrounded by grills and barbeque pits, so yeah

ask for it. But it was all our favorite dish, it was

there have been amazing times surrounded by

buffalo chicken pasta, it was really good and

food mainly because of how it brings everyone

was all of our favorites and will forever be my

together. I also like how food comes with

favorite. She would make this meal for my whole

culture and how culture ties into food. I gain

family and extended family. It was all our

favorites, but when my other extended family

come to just enjoy all foods, not because of the

would make food they had some good meals as

taste but mainly because of the culture. I enjoy

well. My uncle makes the best brisket in my

learning where food comes from and how it's

opinion, and my grandma makes the best

made. It's just something that I find very

homemade tortillas. My aunt always hosts BBQs

fascinating and food is something I love to

whenever we want, and my uncle owns his own

enjoy. Just like thanksgiving where you get a

mexican restaurant in New Braunfels and is

group of people, either family or even sometimes

always plugging us in with food. I even worked

it could be strangers all bringing food that

at that mexiacn restaurant for 2 years and I had

brings people together. Usually everyone brings a

the opportunity to try every plate in the place.

different dish which means everyone is trying

These family opportunities gave me the

everyones food, and it makes everyone come

opportunity to have a wide range of food and a

together. But when different people from

wide range of memories made with people I

different families and cultures come together to

love.

bring different types of food, it is something I

Not only does food play a vital role in my personal life and my growing ups, but it's also something I have love for trying. I've never been the picky type for food as it's always been something I've had a lot of interest in mainly because of cultures. As I was growing up and having a diverse mexican american family I came across plenty of new plates of food I had never seen or came across before, it actually happens more often than not. But coming across these new meats and sides and mains I have

would want to do one day, so I could try every different type of food. But the ways that food brings people and cultures together is something that will always interest me the most because I love how it brings everyone together in a way where everyone can have food and be with each other. I one day want to have the chance to travel the world and try all the different types of food around the world, it's just something that I would have fun and would enjoy doing.

Trying all different types of food would give me a taste of every different culture in a way, as

Buffalo Chicken Pasta Ingredient

Amount

Penne Pasta

1 lb

salt pepper

1.5 tsp 1 1/2 tsp

garlic powder

1.5 tsp

paprika

1/2 cup 1 lb

chicken diced Oil

1 or 2

tbsp

chopped celery (optional)

1 cup

Frank’s Hot Sauce

2 tbsp

mayo (can go low or non-fat if you like)

1 cup

ranch (use the good stuff here) milk shredded mozzarella Bleu Cheese (Optional)

0.5 cup 0.75 cup 1 cup 0.5 cup

Lorem Ipsum

7.

Pour sauce over prepared pasta and stir to combine.

8. Top with mozzarella or blue cheese crumbles 1. While pasta is cooking according to package

if desired.

directions, season chicken with the spices. I use a Ziploc bag to shake it all up and coat the chicken.

2. Heat 1 T oil over med-high heat and cook chicken (about 5 minutes or so, until completely cooked through) 3. Add 2 T Frank’s hot sauce and cook for one minute.

4. If you are adding celery to your dish: remove chicken from skillet, heat the other tablespoon of oil, add celery and cook for about 2 minutes. Then return chicken to the skillet.

5. Combine mayo, ranch, and milk and mix in a small bowl. It will be lumpy. This is where you can also add another tablespoon of Frank’s if you’d like your pasta spicier.

6. Add the sauce to the skillet with the chicken and celery. Cook a few minutes, until heated.

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

The Benefits of Cooking & Eating the Right Food

By Raul Herrera Jr.

In the Artifact I chose, Slyvia Plath gives these constant

expressions of suffering mentally as she explains her horrible day as “Saturday exhausted, nerves frayed.

Sleepless.” These short, single word fragments give us an image of torture as Plath lives out her horrible day. Then there is a shift in emotions as she breaks down the specifics of a pie she is making, she is brought into a place where she is happier in those few moments she is cooking.

In “The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Path,” food is being used to show the symbolic act of catharsis cooking can have on an individual and the therapeutic nature it posses naturally.

Whenever there is a cultivation of negative motions, one must find a way to purge themselves of those emotions and cooking is a method to experience this phenomenon. People tend to find the process of making food as mundane and would rather just get fast food but they don’t realize the benefit of cooking your own food. Once people start to take cooking into their own hands, They will see how their mood can change as they nourish themselves with good food. A counterexample seen in the journal is when Path goes through a “dinnerless, late” night, correlating to that “bad night”(324). While it is not a direct correlation, We can see

from Plath’s point of view how her emotions are associated with the food she consumes. This is an indication of the fact that one can potentially help their mood-based solely on the food that we are consuming and therefore can make one feel better were they to watch what they eat. We can see how in contrast to that one moment that Plath cooked a good meal, she was seen as joyous as she was able to cook her own food. By having both situations juxtaposed, we can infer that some of the happiness does in fact come from the food that Plath is consuming. What we can take away from this is that there is some property about food, whether it be the actual quality of food or the process of making the food that makes us feel better and get rid of any negativity that could be brewing within the mind. Perhaps there is a combination of both qualities but regardless, the center of that liberation comes from the food itself. I believe that food has a healing quality that roots one in nature and by putting more attention into the food, we can have methods to fix ourselves through a means that is right in front of us.

Besides making you happier, the act of cooking and eating right can be therapeutic and be taken as a practice that relaxes the mind. In a situation where Plath was worrying about writing her book, she says that “if I serve dinner once

a week I lose my nervousness”(331) in relation toall the stress that has been coming from deadlines. Here, we are shown the direct effect that someone can experience when cooking specifically. Cooking allows people to live in the moment at one time so all of a sudden, all those objectives that need to be finished gnawing away at you become nothing in that moment of cooking. The fact that cooking actual food takes time and makes you follow a series of steps is easy on the mind and can be exciting for the process. There is also the fact that cooking every time can be a learning process since every time there is a chance for one to experiment and try different recipes or ingredients.

When taking those opportunities into account, we start to see how the process of making food can be extremely helpful to one’s health and should be seen as such. Many people don’t take the time to start cooking and solely rely on fast food or other readymade food but fail to realize the benefits of cooking your own food.

see more how Plath has a special association with food in her life. This correlates with how food, in general, can be therapeutic in its nature and is very capable of helping a person through much more than believing. In instances like Plath, making food and eating it as well can be something much more than its’ literal purpose and becomes a process that allows one to start coping with what hardship they may be dealing with in life. The benefits of being able to cook are that it gives people like Plath an outlet where someone at any level can create a dish. Even having the act of giving another food in itself provides the relief that is rooted in human compassion. Whether it was consciously or subconsciously, Plath showcases many of these qualities in her journal and especially in these examples. Food while literally being a necessity also takes on many roles in one’s life and has a direct impact on the emotions of a person. As shown in the journals, sometimes the quality of the food itself will greatly have an impact on one’s life.

Evidently, Food can also become a method to cope with many of the hardships found in the world. In the part of the diaries written by Plath, she writes that “because of food Nourishing as a violet petal”(66), and while this can be taken literally, I believe that Plath also meant it in a much more emotional or spiritual way. I say this because this is a letter to a friend that has wronged and this was seen as more of an apology. In this poem made for her friend, I can only begin to think that Plath was associating the food with more of healing property. Based on the context, we start to

Lastly, it is possible that food can take on a more metaphorical form and stand for a nourishing substance.

Later in the journal, Plath said “I feed myself on the food of pride.”(111) In this case, we see how there are many associations with food, and in this case, Plath has creates one of the common associations with food, that is that it can nourish a behavior in this instance. As literature started developing more and writers started to find more creative ways of producing and expressing ideas, food became an important symbol overall and took on something

more than just calories that keeps someone alive. Plath has showcased that their many layers to something such as food and through her and many other’s works, people in this world have grown to see the importance food has and the ideas it can implicate. Through further analysis, food also showed to be a symbol for love as in many of the instances before, the food being created is mostly for someone else rather than for her. This also showcases another aspect of food that it is also a source of love and compassion towards others. Even if it is a small gesture, there is so much that food can do within a relationship that transcends its physical benefits. Once we are open to the literal effects, so much can be experienced within the food that we eat every day and it should be something that is not glanced over but rather further embraced.

In my artifact, it’s clear that food has a positive impact on one’s life. Looking at different days of the journal, we can see how Sylvia Plath had a lot to deal with in her life, and in those moments where she did cook, she was free from all stress. By studying the diction used during her time of cooking, the audience can infer that cooking food is a time of better health mentally and physically. After all, food is something that everyone needs so making sure that you have good nutrients is the first step to having a better life.

Once we start to neglect ourselves by making food poor in quality, we soon start to see how fast the mood can be affected negatively. By studying the activities we

participate in daily, we start to realize how important they really are but many people fail to realize this since they start to become mundane due to how often we consume the stimulus. Food should be something that is held with high importance in my opinion and should be seen as something much more than energy for us and maybe then, people will start to greatly improve their lives.

Food and Emotions Food is something that is so important in my life because while it literally keeps me alive, it also helps me build a connection with my heritage and community. Throughout my life, I felt disconnected from my Mexican culture and felt out of place because of the language barrier that I experienced due to not being able to talk in Spanish. At times, I found myself questioning if I could even be considered a true Mexican as a result of how I acted. While I was more Americanized, I found that I can always still share the culture through the food. You didn’t need to experience any language to be able to eat food nor need any other devices if you wanted to eat a dish. All you had to do was eat it and it was moments like these where I found extreme joy in being able to truly be a part of my heritage by being able to eat with family and friends in a carne asada or any other location. One can say that it’s just food and it’s not that deep but I’m willing to argue that there is so much more to it than just being food.

Food has been something that my relationship with has changed drastically over the course of my life and is something that has been a sort of coping mechanism. Of course, I cannot sit here and not acknowledge that there is also a bad aspect of food and that being too much of a good

thing is a bad thing. While it has helped me feel better, it has also made me feel the lowest I have ever felt at some points due to how it can also be such destructive it can be.

Food is almost like a Yin and Yang symbol, meaning that many people have to find a balance within what you consume. As I began to experience more in life, I saw just how significant food can be for me and hopefully for many others. Once people start to get in touch with their emotions and start exploring more properties of food, we can build a new relationship with what we put in our bodies.

Maybe it seems to superstitious or spiritual but I believe that food can do so much more to our behavior and health than what is said and we need to see it as more than it is. I remember when I would indulge in an unhealthy amount of food that I liked and while I thought it was making me feel better, it was acting like poison both to my physical health and mental health. I can recall those moments of being so groggy and just clouded in my judgment due to how much of that toxic food I would consume. While it was true that food somewhat caused those feelings, I believe that it wasn’t necessarily because all of it was “bad food” but rather it was in such an unhealthy amount that it would impact me negatively. Currently, there are those days where I find myself slipping again in regulating what I eat but I have gotten to a point where I am much better at watching what I eat so as a result, I can not be moody in life.

As a college student in a small dorm, it is extremely difficult to cook for myself when I don’t have the facilities to actually

start to do it normally nor do I have the tools since COVID doesn’t let you share for obvious reasons but I will look into getting an apartment for when I can actually be allowed since I’m still a freshman at this point. Once I do get my own apartment, I would love nothing more than to learn how to cook more and explore recipes. The idea of cooking is so liberating because realistically, you’re not confined when you decide to cook. Of course, whether it looks good or not will be up for debate but the fact that you’re completely in control of what is happening when you are cooking and what you are cooking makes it an act that allows you to do so much that normally you wouldn’t be able to. While it is just a small act and you are not really achieving a big goal, it is those small goals that feel so much more gratifying at times in comparison to those other ones. Also, you get to try whatever you want, especially even more in today’s age where you have the internet and basically any recipe can be found online if you try really hard. There is also the fact that you can do whatever you really want with the ingredients as well and be as creative as you can. In a way, it is an art in itself and it is up to the chief to see what they make. While the food being made is only sensed primarily through your taste buds, it can do so much more to your mind that is not realized. Through the smell and taste of food, one is able to dwell into memories that are often forgotten about at times and just by that itself makes food such a powerful aspect of our lives which should be given more credit. At the moment, I have done some cooking and it has felt really nice when I have been able to cook for my parents or sister on those few small

that cannot be replicated otherwise. It’s like that common saying “The quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” but this is the truth for any person. Everyone loves to be cooked for and when done unexpected, there is a deep development of the relationship that words or other gifts cannot replicate. By giving others food, it is like you are giving a small part of yourself to the others and it is something that should be experienced more.

In today’s age, many people have strayed away from preparing hearty meals with the introduction/innovation in food that has allowed for things such as “junk food” and other fast food to be created more efficiently which has allowed for people to indulge themselves in food that has no real value to it. Thinking back to the old Native American gratitude of the animal they slaughter in order to feed themselves, I feel a want to have this sentiment to be shown to everyone because many people don’t build that relationship with their food. Every meal should be this sacred process or at least a majority should be praised since in fact, it is because of those nutrients that you are able to prosper and continue on in life. By losing the significance of what you put into your body, you almost see a desensitized towards what you eat but in many cases, it should be more sacred because unless you are a vegan, you are taking a soul away to nourish yourself so I don’t think you should ever see it as something insignificant.

Even if you are just Vegan, you are gaining your nutrients from nature itself so there is still this life force that is being transported into you from an outside source since of course, everyone has to eat. At the end of the day, I believe it is important that we ultimately become closer to what we eat because it is what allows us to keep going and in some cases allows us to come together. By continuing to view the world through this mindset, we are able to become more in tune with ourselves and not have an absence that I think is essential in our lives.

Grandmother’s Mole Ingredient Dona Mole Peanut Butter cocoa brown sugar chicken broth

Amount 1 1 2 2

tbsp tbsp tbsp cups

Instructions 1.

Boil chicken for an hour

2.

Shred chicken and add into pot

3.

Mix all ingredients in a blender

4.

Get the mixed ingredients and add it to the chicken

5.

Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to thicken

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Not so Normal

By Drew McGuire I’m using this clip that was on the news. It’s a clip where some

This cake is very important because your supposed to eat it on

news reporters sat down and tried this king cake with a group

Fat Tuesday. Because you can’t eat it after, because then its

of other people. They are all trying to see who will be the lucky

Ash Wednesday. The whole meaning of this whole thing is

one and get the baby in their cake. So they all sit down and cut

celebrating the rebirth of Jesus.

the cake up. One of the ladies nds it and becomes the king of the day.

The point of the video is to show how they eat the cake and what happens when you do. The cake has more meaning than you think. The cake is just not a normal cake, the cake symbolizes the unity of faiths and the colors on the cake have meaning too. The purple representing justice, Green representing faith, and Gold representing power. Also there is a “baby jesus” inside the cake and if you eat the cake and get the baby, that means you got good luck and you are the king of the day.

Christmas Cooking The word Food has a lot of meanings, and can mean different to everyone. Food can bring back a lot of good memories or bad ones. It just depends on how you were brought up because everyone has their backgrounds and their unique stories.

I’m just a small kid from San Antonio, with a family that loves each other but also can be hard each other. I lived in San Antonio until I was like 4 then we moved to Austin, and I have lived there ever since. Food means a lot to my family because we have a lot of get togethers. We can never just get together without food being involved. Food just allows us to connect more, because we get to enjoy the food we love together. No one in my family is really picking about food, they just love to eat, doesn’t matter what it is. My family loves though when either my dad or my uncle cooks because everyone loves their food.

They make a lot of food, from burgers and barbecue to enchiladas and menudo. There’s a lot good memories I have with my family that food was involved. But there is just a memory that stands out the most because I just had a good time with them.

in the family likes to lose or be last, so they were taking this serious.

But what was fun is when everyone came over, we started to make tamales. But we was making it from scratch. I will say making tamales homemade puts a beating on your hands. But it was fun though because the whole family was involved and we were just listening to music and talking and just having a great time together. After hours of making them, we nally nished and put them in the freezer because they are for Christmas. But then we decided to play some games. We played so much games I don’t even remember what we played but we had a blast, there was so many laughs and overall one the best times we had together. A lot things happened that night but then it nally came the morning everyone still up besides the little kids. Everyone still ghting to stay up and I wasn’t even tired because I’m used to staying up all night. But then we decide to open presents because its Christmas, so everyone opens their presents and everything. But what really made that day special was when nally everyone was getting tired, we decided to cook the tamales, because everyone was hungry.

So we cooked them and everyone got some and started eating. But it was special because when everyone took a bit you can just see in every ones faces that relief, like wow this tamale is so good and feels like staying up a night with each other was worth it, because that connection we all had when we was eating those tamales was

It was Christmas eve, the whole family got together that night, but what

indescribable but it was one of the best feelings in the world and that’s

was different this time was that the plan was to pull an all nighter and

why it will forever be one of my favorite memories.

to see who passes out rst, and my family is really competitive. No one

Vermicelli Salad Ingredient

Amount

Vermicelli Pasta, 16 oz. package

1

vegetable/canola oil

4 tbsp

lemon juice

3 tbsp

Lawry’s season salt

2 tbsp

Accent Flavor Enhancer

1 tbsp

sweet onion, chopped bell pepper, chopped celery, chopped

0.5 cup 1 1/2 cup

Small jar of pimentos

1

sliced black olives

1 small can

salt and pepper

to taste

Instructions: 1.

Cook pasta according to directions—break into 3 pieces before cooking.

2.

Add cooked pasta, oil, lemon juice, and seasonings into a bowl and let sit overnight in the refrigerator.

3.

The next day, mix the vermicelli with the remaining ingredients.

4.

Add real mayonnaise to taste— do heaping spoonfuls at a time.

5.

Mix well and enjoy!

Ratatouille By: Heath Mercer Personally, one of my favorite movies by Brad Bird is Ratatouille,

because of his appearance, they soon figured out how good he was.

about a rat named Remy living his dream as a chef in Paris. There

Colette, one of the female chefs, was very incredulous about Remy s

are many scenes using food as a symbol in Ratatouille, but my

abilities. At the start of the critic scene, she let Remy do all of the

favorite scene of the movie is when the food critic walks in. Anton

cooking because Remy proved that he was skillful. She respected

Ego, a famous food critic, was going to write a review about

Remy s talent regardless of where he came from or how he looks. It

Gusteau s. This is the restaurant where Remy and Alfredo Linguini, a

is harder for those who come from an awful background to succeed,

new chef at the restaurant, work. Remy decided to make Anton

but once you achieve excellence you erase your background and who

Ratatouille a peasant dish, which is made with tomato, garlic, onion

you were before. It sometimes even shows that you are stronger than

and other herbs. Everyone is shocked that he wants to feed him such

others because of the adversity you went through. Gusteau said You

a distasteful dish. Anton proceeded to eat a small tomato and a

must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come

flashback begins to when he is a kid. He walks over to his dinner

from. Your only limit is your soul."

table and begins to eat his ratatouille that his mom made him. He comes back to reality and drops his fork in astonishment. He loved the dish and wanted to see the chef. He was shocked to see that the chef was a rat, yet he was not disgusted or repulsed. I believe there was three meanings that this movie served the viewers. The first meaning behind this scene is that everybody has a chance to become something great. It does not matter what your background is or your looks. If you work hard enough and become great, nobody will see your look or past. Secondly, always be yourself. Don t change because people don't like you, make others change to like you instead. Lastly, it showed that food is not just something you eat, it has a way of bringing you back to a special place in your mind.

Throughout the movie the only character to remain the same was Remy, he never changed. He always tried his best and never quit, even if Colette didn t let him cook. Being yourself is very hard to do and most people don t even know their true self. Everything we claim to be is just a story used to cover up our insecurities. Nobody wants the world to see them as a broken or weak. This only makes people think they are the only ones suffering and everybody is perfect.

People will buy fancy cars or a new house with cool looking peripherals, when in reality, they are having internal conflicts and have depression. They will never get the help they need and will never succeed. Remy was broken down and he had to rebuild himself up.

Remy wasn t the best cook at the beginning. He had to rebuild his

Remy overheard Gusteau say Anyone can cook but only the fearless

foundation to be able to achieve what he did. Alain Ducasse, Pierre

can be great. This inspired him to become a chef. Throughout the

Gagnair, Gordon Ramsey and other well-known chefs didn t start at

movie, he had a hard time fitting in, he was a rat inside of a

the top, they had to be criticized and fail to become who they are

restaurant. Many of the chefs were reluctant to his abilities only

now.

Anton was this mean guy who was only out to give restaurants a hard

forgot about his broken bike. I also believe he broke his bike because

time, but he was taken back to a sweet time in his life. It only took

he fell, so the pain from falling was also removed. When you are a

one bite from Remy's food and he was able to switch his personality

child your parents might make you a special snack or food that no

to a softer and forgiving man. Food has many different tastes and

matter how old you get, you get comforted by the taste of it. When I

textures which allows creativity. Every culture has different foods that

was little after school I would go over to my grandparents house. We

resemble their music and colors. Remy said, Good food is like music

would do homework and hear stories from my grandpa. I will never

you can taste, color you can smell. food isn t something you digest,

forget the snack plate my grandma would make us, it was crackers

its an experience. It incases everything in a culture and allows you to

with deli meat on it, some type of cheese, Grandma s sweet pickles

mix with different people around the world to share something special

and some sort of vegetable from my Grandpa s garden. When ever I

about your lives.

get home from school it always feels great to get that same plate of food just to be reminded of the great memories at my grandparents

Ratatouille is my favorite Disney movie, not only does it have a good story and good looking food, it has many different lessons you can learn. I also think different people around the world can relate to it, most people like food and it allows people to learn about French dishes. It also inspires many people to do things that they thought wouldn t be possible. It doesn t matter if you are poor and crippled, anything is possible. Just remember, it doesn t matter where you come from as long as you try your best and keep true to who you are.

house. When you would have a bad day at school you would feels exactly like Anton did at the beginning. Once you had a little bit of pickles and crackers, your day felt like the best day in the world.

Food is like a safe place, you are able to go into your own world and just enjoy the simple tastes. It doesn't take much, just small things like crackers can change your day. I also strongly believe food changes people, if the experiences you have with food can change your day it surely can change you after hundreds of dishes.

The character development is clear to see. Remy grows to realize humans are not as bad as his family says, and shows humans that

My grandma is identical to Anton's mom, she is soft and preaches

rats are not as bad as they seem. Remy uses cooking as a way out of

that everything will be alright. In the scene, Anton s mom doesn t talk

the normal rat ways and is able to free his creative mind. Linguini

much and she doesn t really acknowledge his pain. She knows when

learns to be himself, he doesn t have to be the perfect chef just

he eats the food she made, everything will be alright. My mom is the

because his dad was. He was able to pave his own path, and ended

same way, she has always been busy yet she takes time to be

up strengthening the bonds between him and Colette. Lastly, Collette

incredible nice to me and my siblings. She always says, "Don t worry

was able to look past Remy being a rat. It didn t matter what Remy

about people and what life throws at you, everything will be okay. My

looked like, it was all about his exquisite cooking abilities.

mom isn t the best chef, my family would agree, but its not about how the food taste it s the chef making it. She works hard all day and

In the flashback, Anton Ego is reminded of how Ratatouille saved his day. His bike was severely broken, the wheel was bent and the handle bars were completely sideways. When he ate the Ratatouille he demeanor completely changed. He was comforted and completely

sacrifices her time to make our lives better, and she was able to have a meal ready everyday for us. Getting done with homework to have a warm plate of food ready for you is a privilege not everyone gets to

have. These memories are one of the only ones I can remember vividly from my childhood.

In animated movies and tv shows artist will make food extremely satisfying or disgusting. When you are watching characters eat you are able to immediately relate to them. If the food looks tasty, you might get a little hungry or remember the last time you had delicious meal. If the characters are eating something that looks like the garbage, you can imagine the horrible taste in your mouth. Food has been used for a long time in motion picture to apply dierent senses because of how many are activated when you eat.

How Shrimp Connects My Family

always asking when the next shrimp boil is. The taste is something you will never forget.

On my Dad s side of the family we have a gigantic fish fry and we invite everybody from town to come over. Random people will show up and stay over for hours talking and getting to know everybody. Its usually a lot less common than our shrimp boils, but it s still

Every other month or whenever my uncle feels like it, he will invite all

something that everybody can look back at and remember the good

of the family over and will boil shrimp. We have done this way before

times we had during it. Whether it is a BBQ cookout, fish fry or

I was born and hopefully will it going throughout the generations.

shrimp boil its brings a community together and allows for a stronger

Everybody heads over to my uncle Scott s house around 4pm, this

connection to family and friends. Compared to the entire night, we

way we get over there before its ready, to help out with whatever

only eat for little period of time, maybe 30-50 minutes. Yet the food is

needs to be done. It s always a blast to hangout with family, play

the main thing people remember, it just proves how much food can

cornhole and other outside party games or sit down and watch

create significant memories. I believe food has such a powerful affect

football games. We are always wondering if the shrimp will be spicy

on people because it can take you back to your childhood.

or not because uncle Scott tries different recipes or he doesn t really

Psychologist Hadley Bergstrom stated Taste memories tend to be the

remember how he cooked them. It doesn t take long for our family to

strongest of associative memories that you can make . I believe this

immediately stop whatever game we re playing to sit down for a

is because food touches a lot of different sensory points which could

delicious meal. My aunt Diana is a fabulous cook, who loves to bake

also help you remember exactly how you felt when you were eating it.

and cook, will usually make sides for us. We all scarf it down because

It also helps when you add in the activities you do before and after

we either haven t eaten since breakfast or the shrimp is just that

you eat. It is weird when I think back to a shrimp boil and I can really

good. I believe its just because the shrimp is a little piece of heaven.

remember who I talked to or what we did, but I can instantly

We stay over till late in the evening, usually ending the night with

remember the taste of the shrimp, whether it was super spicy or not

homemade vanilla ice cream. Which I strongly believe is laced with

spicy enough.

acid, with how good it is. A cookout is always a great way to connect family or friends together. A cookout isn t just about the food, you will be talking with people you don t even know or maybe someone from a long time ago that you forgot. I have met people in my family that I didn t even know. The food is just a common ground that everybody can remember from that day. Every time I eat shrimp I am

Cooking together allows people to share their culture with the rest of the world, not everyone has the same experiences. Sharing your experiences with others is a great way to make strong bonds.

Humans love to learn new things and expand their mind, and one of the easiest things to learn is food. Cooking shows have gained a mass audience due to inspiring cooks wanting to either compete in

one of the TV shows or someone who wants to try a new French dish.

it has allowed for newer and experienced chefs show their piece of

Its cool to see who people are watching, its not really about the

artwork to millions of people. Social media has been an outlet for

personality of the chef, but more of the food they cook. The top

many designers and influencers but I believe it has helped the world

watched chefs usually cook completely different meals that look

of food the most. I like going onto YouTube or Instagram and

interesting to the viewers, maybe a high tier steak that people are

watching short clips of someone making food. It has allowed me to

always wanting to make. Most people watch Gordon Ramsey because

learn about the different cultures and how they prepare their food.

he tries to perfect cooks and make them become amazing chefs. He also talks to new cooks with the same harsh style he uses with experienced chefs. One of my favorite chefs to watch is Guy Fieri, he has been able to incorporate personality with food in a way it heightens the experience. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives was one of my favorite shows growing up. I loved it because it took average American restaurants and showcased the chefs and reasons behind the food. It changed my whole outlook on food, it s made me realize that food isn t just something you eat but an experience you can share with others. I was able to connect this show with the shrimp boil, it was then I realized how much food actually impacts people.

Like most artistic careers, people who want to pursue cooking do so because they want to share their love for the art. Just like artists, chefs don t only love to perfect food, but create their own recipes and style of cooking.

I don t like to cook for myself because I don t each eat much and it feels like I am either wasting time or wasting food. I do love helping out when I go to a shrimp boil or fish fry, its nice to see others try something you made and see their reactions. I love to try high tier meats and see if there is an actual taste difference between a more expensive and a cheaper one. I also love deer meat. The taste is so much better than what you get at the store. It always feels great to complete a clean kill and be able to see the transfer of energy between two sources of life. The most important part of deer hunting for me and many other hunters is the respect between the deer and the hunter. Deer are smarter than most people and they are very good at not dying, it is a great experience growing up with them.

Every hunter has an immense respect for deer, they help you with excess grass and other floral infestations. The most important part is the food they provide your family. Without this respect, deer hunting

I personally don t like many competitive cooking shows because I

is just killing random animals for fun. Deer meat is another

would rather someone show me how to make something rather than a

experience you can have with food, you become the rancher, butcher,

dramatized version of cooking. I would rather watch a Guy Fieri or

and chef. You get to see the whole process firsthand and you are able

Gordan Ramsey cooking show. It is always great to sit down and

to respect those who do the specific jobs. Nature has provided food

watch Guy Fieri try something that I have never heard of or

for animals for billions of years and humans have been able to grow a

something that looks so unhealthy you get a disgusted look on your

stronger connection to wildlife and nature because of it.

face. TV shows have helped people share their experience with food and also taught many viewers how to be a real chef. I believe YouTube and other social media sites help more than TV has because

My family and probably many other families during someones birthday will go out to their favorite restaurant no matter if nobody else likes

it. My personal favorite is Red Lobster, if you couldn t tell I love sea

chains that life puts you in. It removes you from a financial struggle

food. We always love to embarrass each other by telling the waiter,

or a medical emergency in the family. When someone is about to have

its funny to see your sister squirm and hide from others view as we

surgery, many family members will bring you a casserole as a

horribly belch out the happy birthday song. Each one of my family

condolence. When life puts you down you can always use cooking as

members has a different place to eat and its crazy to think how we

a crutch. In Ratatouille, Remy the rat, used cooking as a way to

always shared experiences yet we have completely different outlooks

separate himself from the normal rat and was able to learn how to

on food. My Mom would rather go to a place where the atmosphere is

become a better rat because of it. Lessons like these in Ratatouille is

fun and active. Whereas, my Dad does not care about the

the reason I love it so much and I have a better appreciation for

atmosphere and would rather get something good to eat. My sister

cooking.

loves Italian food and usually pick Olive Garden for her meal. As a family we have used food as a way to grow our bond, even though most nights start with a fight on what we are going to eat. These fights are something we can always end up laughing about and talking about with other families that can relate. Everybody loves talking about food, but choosing a place to eat is a nightmare for everyone.

I love to watch movies, but once I watch it I cant watch it again, I remember the scenes and it just gets boring for me. The only movie I can watch over and over is Ratatouille, it was my favorite childhood movie and I can still watch it today and not get bored. It s a fun movie and the meals just look so delicious. I have been able to relate to that movie many times in my life when I am talking about my childhood. It has even helped me out in college by writing an essay about food. Ratatouille is something I have always wanted to cook but just can t get myself to buy the ingredients. I don t think I would like it because I don t like many of the vegetables that are in it. The best part about food is not whether you like it or not, its about the journey to creating it. It s the creativity and the allowing your mind to be free of your responsibilities. Cooking is like surfing, it s not an activity it s a mindset. You allow yourself to unleash from these

Ratatouille Ingredient tomato paste

Amount 6 oz

onion, chopped

0.5

Garlic, minced

1/4 cup

olive oil water

1 tbsp 3/4 cup

salt and pepper

to taste

eggplant, trimmed, thinly sliced

1 small

zucchini, trimmed, thinly sliced

1

yellow squash, trimmed, thinly sliced

1

red bell pepper, cored, thinly sliced

1

yellow bell pepper, cored, thinly sliced

1

olive oil

3 tbsp

fresh thyme

1 tsp

mascarpone cheese

3 tbsp

Insturctions Step 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) Step 2. Spread tomato paste into the bottom of a 10x10 inch baking dish Sprinkle with onion and garlic. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil and water until thoroughly combined.

Season with salt and black pepper.

Step 3. Arrange alternating slices of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper. Start at the outer edge of the dish and work concentrically towards the center of the dish. Overlap the slices to see a little sliver of each color. Drizzle the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and cover vegetables with a piece of parchment paper, cut to ďŹ t inside.

Step 4. Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are roasted and tender, about 45 minutes. Server with dollops of mascarpone cheese.

Made with Love By: James Navarez

My artifact comes from the bible and is specifically the story of Jesus

Ethos is a big part of God in the bible and as it gives god a good character

fighting temptation from the devil which involved fasting for forty days and

and credibility and lets people trust in him. During the time Jesus spends in

forty nights. This is also why commonly in the catholic religion it is

the desert, he relies on Gods compassion in order to survive. God cares

customary for the followers and believers of Catholicism to participate in

enough for Jesus that he keeps his body nourished in the absence of food.

lent, where they give up something dear to them and go without it for forty

God uses his own love in place of food in order to allow Jesus to fight the

days and forty nights. They also do not eat meat and instead commonly

devil and temptation and food is the placeholder for that food. Ethos is very

turn to fish which also is very commonly eaten in the Bible. All of this

well demonstrated as God gains the readers trust after we see how he

involves the importance of food as in those forty days and forty nights,

cares for Jesus and challenges the devil’s temptation.

Jesus survived purely off of the nutrition that was given to him by God. In the bible, food is being used to show the symbolic act of pathos and ethos.

Food is necessary for us to live and we know it’s impossible to last forty days in the absence of food. While Jesus is in the desert alone, he gives up

In the artifact we see that food as well as hunger play key parts throughout

that and faithfully depends on God to supply him with all that he needs to

the forty days and forty nights. We see the temptation of the devil as he

survive. Food in this story is replaced with love, this love and compassion

tries to use hunger as a means of getting Jesus to accept him as his king.

from God gives Jesus all he needs to make it through the desert, fend off

Through Gods compassion he nourishes Jesus’s body when Jesus prays to

the devil, and successfully stay faithful to God. Food and love really go hand

him for salvation and everything he needs to survive without food.

in hand with one another, food gives the ability to show a person your love

Similarly, in how God blesses Jesus with nourishment, we have those who

for them and what they mean to you exactly.

bless our body with the same nourishment. This demonstrates pathos due to the compassion and sympathy that God demonstrates on Jesus and similarly that our own families demonstrate on us.

Fasting is symbolic of a person’s ability to resist temptation similarly to how Jesus resisted the devil for forty days and forty nights. Human nature shows us that we are weak, and we often give into our temptations and our own desires. In order to fight the temptation that has been placed upon us

by the evils that exist in this world, we fight using our bodies as weapons.

shape is powerful enough to allow our bodies to continue to live without

We fight by refusing to give into temptation. We believe that our most

eating. To think how love which we think of as a feeling or emotion is

powerful weapon in our faith and who we entrust that faith into. Fasting is

enough to replenish and nourish our bodies is insane to me. Fasting is

an outlet and a way for us to double down and prove our faith and our love

having faith, growing closer to our God, allowing his love into our hearts,

for our savior. Fasting isn’t simply just not eating and resisting the urge to

and choosing to give up our desires and temptations and turning to our

do the things you swore not too, it’s much more deep and powerful than

God to answer out prayers.

this.

Food in this artifact is used to represent the love given to Jesus by our God

As Christians, we strive to get as close to our God as possible. We live for

as they switch places, and both have the ability to allow Jesus to live and

the touch and the hope that he will bless and love us. Fasting allows for that

not fall into starvation. On the surface this would be enough, we can see

connection with God to get deeper. We put ourselves willingly through what

how Jesus is able to live off of God’s love and continue to push forward in

Jesus did to try to see a glimpse of what he went through all alone in the

his mission in serving who he knows is God. What isn’t as clear is how

desert. As Christians we believe Jesus died for our sins and took our sins

fasting opens up a door that connects to God and lets us get to know him

and placed them upon himself and took our punishment so that we may one

deeper and grow closer to him. Fasting also shows us that we must give up

day join our creator in Heaven when it is our time. In these days, the world

our hold on the earthly things that we hold so dear such as food and

seems pretty dark and scary and we may not have a clue what will happen

instead place our faith in God and have faith that he will satisfy our desires

or what curveball will be thrown our way next. Through our relationship

and extinguish the temptations that have their own hold on us. Food coming

with God we are able to put those thoughts of fear aside and live without

into our bodies is also representative of us opening and allowing God’s love

fear because we believe that after everything, we will join our creator in

into our hearts, which is the basis of the entire Christianity religion. We

ever lasting peace. So why am I telling you all of this? I believe that

must accept him and allow him into our hearts and our lives in order to have

everyone is entitled to believe what they believe, but to me sharing this

the ability to spend eternity besides him in heaven. In the last supper, which

artifact is more than telling a story about a man going without food. For me

again represents these deeper meanings of food, we see Jesus tell his

this single event effects how I choose to live my life and where my loyalties

disciples to eat a part of his body and drink his blood. By taking the body

and faith reside. This is much more then food to me, to me in place of food

of Christ, represented through food, we accept him into our hearts. Jesus

resides the love given by our own creator. To me this is so powerful and is

doesn’t eat in this time, but we see that although he has no food Gods love

shows again how things on earth and physical things are powerless in

is still able to enter him and he can still live.

heaven besides our creator. His love which does not possess a physical

Fasting can honestly been seen as a little bit crazy when you don’t fully understand why it is done and the context behind it. Although it does seem complicated, Fasting essentially is a way to better serve and put our faith into who we believe is our God. Giving up food, what is essential to live, sounds insane and it’s because it sounds insane is why it carries so much importance. Food means so much to us and our lives and in this particular instance it means more than just a physical, tangible, thing we consume.

Jesus sacrificing his body and putting his faith ahead of himself is something every Christian strives for, and this one moment impacted the lives of so many people in this world. A story based around food was able to carry so many different messages and tell us different things about our God. In the end, after reading this food was the key component in this entire story, it tied Jesus to God to love to faith. In the absence of food I believe that food really had a bigger impact than I would’ve had it been in the story.

Made with Love

have their birthdays so to help them not feel like their birthday is overshadowed by thanksgiving, we also go around the table and say what about them is something we love. It’s very common for us to stay there past midnight and get home late, because of all the things that we do and

To me I would say my memories relating to food have less to do with my community and more to do with my family. That’s what this recipe is. It’s a family recipe that we all can get along and eat together as one family. We usually only make this dish when it’s cold outside but it’s usually the first dish that is served once it gets cold around winter. For me I believe that this event is of significance and demonstrates the colder months and how we will spend them with one another. Also, growing up in a family of seven means that not many dishes are liked by everyone that is in the family.

Somehow out of all the dishes that we disagree with and fight over, this chili is one that we all seem to enjoy. I think food brings families together and families best moments are those that are spent sitting at the dinner table.

Family to me is just as important as food and so I decided to peek into my family’s life and see what is it that they think is important in the food that we eat find special about.

First my baby sister, the most important and impactful meal that we have together as a family is thanksgiving. For our family we usually have thanksgiving lunch at my grandma on my moms side and watch football as a big family. Usually my moms siblings come and we all sit and eat together.

For dinner we transition to my grandmas house on my dads side of the family and it’s there that we spend the rest of the day. At dinner we always do this activity where we go around the table and tell what we we’re thankful for this year and it’s also around this time that my brother and dad

activities we participate in. For her she says that she like to be around her whole family for one meal and be able to just sit there, talk to everyone and enjoy the moment that we all get to have together.

My little brother on the other hand likes to believe that food can make ordinary day’s special as long as there is enough importance behind it.

Since I can remember the first day of school has always been the same for us. We all get dropped off and picked up by my dad and he begins grilling outside. He always makes beef fajitas, sausage, and ribs and once he brings them all inside you know immediately by the smell. The most important part of this entire day is the dinner itself because we pray before we eat, asking to bless this school year and then we begin to eat. While we all are eating it’s very social and we each all have something to share and talk about with this new school year about to begin in the near future. To him he said this day sets the tone for the rest of the year, and it’s sort of like a refresh button as we start up school again. The first day of school has always been a routine and in all 12 year I can remember we have never changed anything about it. This tradition is all tied together at the food, as we all branch off at the beginning of the day but at the end, here we are, sitting at the dinner table talking about what happened that day.

Next I asked the most influential man in my life, my dad. When I asked my dad what was his most important memory in relation to food he immediately said his birthday. My dad’s birthday is in the later months of November but

it’s not important to him because of our new traditions, instead to him it’s

plays a hand in why it’s so special to her. By having these people who have

the past that he holds dear. My dad's father passed away around 20

been in and around our house all year, come together and do this one

years ago and he remembers specifically how his birthday would usually go

activity together means the most in her eyes.

whenever he was around. I asked my dad to walk me through that day and how it felt. He said that he would go to work and once he got out he’d get a call from his dad, inviting him over for dinner and wishing him a happy birthday. Every year his dad would make him country style pork ribs and they would just hang out in the back by the grill till my dad had to leave. My dad really cherished these memories and really cherished his father. I found it fascinating that he remembered the exact kind of ribs that his dad would make him even after so long. As little as the food had to do with this memory, it’s still the thing that he remembers so vividly. This really shows how important that this memory is to him and how those specific kind of ribs really relate to the time he spent with his father.

My older brother is like my twin and when I asked him this question he told me that he’s always thought that he’s favorite memories relating to food is every Friday. In our family we like to cook very often and only eat out on Friday’s. For the past couple of years we’ve been getting food every Friday from a local restaurant here in town. We both took a really big liking to the wings and fried pickles that they sell there. He told me that his favorite times is when we would pick up those wings and come back to the house to eat. Once we ate we would go together to the football games on Friday’s.

He says that these days were some of his favorites and it really represented a time when we were the closest we’ve ever been to each other and when we had tons and tons of fun. I think that in his situation, the part

For my mother, she chose a memory that she has more in the present rather

that really made the importance of this memory comes from that fact that

than the past. We have a tradition in my family to make tamales all together

we did it together and it was a way that we were able to grow closer and

every Christmas in the days leading up to Christmas. We make as many as

make those close memories. All of these lasting memories we made

we can and we spend an entire day dedicated to making tamales. It always

together all started with the wings that we would get before we headed out

is a family thing and it is never just my parents and siblings. My

into the town on Friday night.

grandparents always come to help and in the couple past years my friends have come over and helped to make them. My mom told me that she really enjoys this memory as she gets to see her entire family come together and all contribute to make food. She also thinks it’s a great thing that my friends have gotten in on our tradition because they are always around and so it’s nice to see them become more and more apart of the family. I think that the fact that this tradition takes place towards the end of the year also

The last of my siblings is my oldest brother, who is older then me by 6 years. I asked him through a phone call and he told me that he remembers one specific instance when he first had our family over at his brand new house. He said he remembered how excited he was to have everyone over for the first time and for him to make us food so we could all eat together.

For him I think it meant so much to him because he was seen as a grown up with his own place and able to feed his family. In this situation I think food

was just the first instance of when he proved he was able to things on his

closer whenever food is involved. My parents cook a lot and nothing to me

own and be an adult. Food was the bridge that allowed for him to make that

is better then a home cooked meal, it only took me moving away to figure

cross into adulthood and prove that he has what it takes.

that out. Food really does contain love in my opinion, when we we’re

Lastly, for me I think the most important time food was significant was when we would bring the entire family over on New Year’s Eve. In our town fireworks were banned in the city limits so every New Year’s Eve the entire family would come to our house and my dad would spend all day cooking and we would feed everyone and let all the children pop fireworks outside while the adults sat and watched. This has always been of significance to me because it’s not just about my immediate family, but instead we had distant cousins and old friends of my parents around on this certain day.

We never had the same people every year, there was always someone new to talk to and tell me stories about my family. My favorite part of the entire night is when it was deep into the night and it was only a few of the family left, just enough to fit around the dinning room table. We would all sit here for hours just talking to one another and listening to music. I love those moments and New Year’s Eve allows me to have that opportunity. Some how with literal explosions in the air, we still manage to have the main point of the party be the dinner table. This shows how good is just a focal point of my family, we are always brought together by food and get closer to one another as a family through food.

Over all, these memories and times when food was a big part of my life, I saw multiple different ways that food was just a connection for our family.

We do so much together whenever food is involved and we get so much

younger my grandma always would tell us that her food was made with love and that if you loved someone, cook for them. I think because my mom and dad were both grown up on the principles is a reason why food carry’s such a heavy and powerful impact in our family. I’ve learned a lot for my parents and how to love definitely has been one of these things. In my best words, I think love can come from food and that in my family our food is made with love.

Chili Ingredient

Amount

For Chili: onion, chopped

1

poblano pepper, or green pepper, seedless, chopped

1

garlic

1 clove

petite tomatoes, diced

1 cup

ground beef

1 1/2 lbs

dried kidney beans, rinsed and pre-soaked tomato paste

1 bag 0.5 can

chilli powder oil

1 tbsp

salt and pepper

Ingredient

to taste

Amount

For Corn Muffins: corn meal

1 cup

flour

1 cup

sugar baking powder salt

1/4 cup, heaping 4 tsp 1/2 tsp

egg, lightly beaten

1

milk

1 cup

vegetable oil

3 tbsp

Directions For Chili: 1.

Pre-soak or quick soak your beans according to package.

2. Saute onion and pepper over med heat in about a tablespoon of oil until nearly soft.

3. Add garlic then add ground beef and brown all over.

4. Add chili powder to your liking, or about 2-3 tablespoons Incorporate tomato paste and tomatoes until hot.

5. Add soaked kidney beans. Salt and pepper the mixture well and stir. Then add enough hot water to cover the meat and beans by about 2 inches as the beans will absorb much of it.

6. You can either simmer it on low for at least 2 hours--or transfer the mixture before adding water to a crock pot and add water and cook in there for at least 3 hours. Stir every 30 minutes. Taste after 2 hours to see if it needs more salt and/or chili powder.