Am I What I Eat?

Photo Credit: http://g1wallz.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/froot-loops.jpg

After 15 exciting weeks in the “Writing about Food” classroom, I can now come to the conclusion that French lawyer and gastronome, Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarian’s saying “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,” is true. On the first day of class when I read this quote, I thought Savarian was being literal, meaning if a person ate a hamburger, they were a block of meat stuck between two buns, or a processed machine filled with McDonald’s. But, my perspective on this quote has completely shifted now that I have refined myself as a writer and broadened my definition of food. Just because I eat Froot Loops does not mean that I’m a puffy, colored, freckled, circular, ring tasting like processed fruit. Eating Froot Loops symbolizes the kid inside me, the taste of Saturday morning cartoons with my three brothers on the living room couch. It is the cereal that I drink the leftover milk that tastes like candy at the end of each and every bowl. It is the cereal that I still eat in the cafeteria when I miss my brothers to take my mind back to my living room, cuddled in my Barbie blanket watching SpongeBob, reminiscing back to my childhood. I am a froot loop. Drinking milk at the dinner table every night religiously does not define me as skim, two percent, reduced-fat, or whole, it brings back memories of sitting at the kitchen table with my brothers obnoxiously using our straws to blow mountains of millions of bubbles in our milk glasses while anxiously waiting for our parents to bring on the “tickle-attacks” as we laugh at our mischievous ways; it will always remind me that life is a balance of family and fun. I am milk. Eating BBQ Ribs does not just define me as a juicy, flavored meat, or a carnivore, but a woman who began making them from a young age with her grandpa on Christmas Day. It defines my family as the recipe that has been passed down generation after generation, and interconnects the “Johnson” family name. To me, ribs, not presents, are what I long for each Christmas Eve and wake-up early in anticipation each Christmas morning. It is the reason for my grandpa’s smile every time he sees his granddaughter, because he is reminded of a life-long friendship that was built on a solid foundation of cooking ribs with his little girl. I am BBQ Ribs. As a writer and a reader, I have now realized the true meaning through each food item. It is the symbolism, culture, history, and memories of food that qualify us by what we eat; not the literal description of the food. By writing blog posts about watching people dine at The Filling Station, writing about my own family recipes, researching the berries that I feared since I was young, and writing my own manifesto, it has allowed me to broaden my perspective on food and make me into a better writer. I realized the history behind food and how food is not just a “have-to” in order to survive, but a source that sparks a certain memory in all people of all ages and an item that brings all humans together in a unique way. Next time you sit down at the table, remember, are you going to be what you eat? The answer: yes.

Laura Was Here…

As I approached the marbled stairs of Argyros Forum 15 weeks ago, my mind wondered about the unending conversation that awaitted me in the Writing about Food classroom. Today, instead of frantically worrying about what awaits me in Argyros Forum room 206 on the first day of the spring semester, I am about to embark on a new chapter, ready to leave the writing about food classroom forever. It is a very bittersweet feeling as I have become a born-again writer, but still, I will miss my days of climbing up the spiral, marbled staircase of AF as I now know that my life as a writer is full-speed ahead. Every class session, I began to realize how food mant so much more to me than something I ate. It made me a part of the unending conversation that was exposed by every blog post, every research assignment, every reading, every paragraph written, and every conversation that I shared while having the Writing about Food chinwag confab during class.

I learned to let my mind wonder and envoke myself to joing the unending conversation that awaited me each and every day as I embarked on the topic of Writing about Food. Here is some of my unending conversation about food and how even books, movies and art had somewhow found their way into my mind when writing about food.

I always loved art as a kid. Every month in Elementary School, we had “Meet the Masters,” a program where a lady named Cindy (more commonly known as the “Meet the Masters Lady”) gave us a presentation on a famous artist like Pablo Picasso, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Claude Monet, Pierre Renoir, Henri Rousseau, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent van Gogh and many more, then she would come to our class and have us do a child version of the famous artists’ painting. I remember seeing the paintings at such an early age and staring at them in awe that a human being, just like me could paint such a spectacular image with nothing but their imagination, paint, and some brushes. I remember for one project, I had to paint fruit to resemble Monet’s Apples and Grapes Still-Life painting. I remember being so excited to try my own masterpiece, trying to be a mini-Monet as I painted fruit after fruit oranges, bananas, grapes and apples.

Apples and Grapes by Claude Monet

Photo Credit: http://hoocher.com/Claude_Monet/Monet_Claude_Still_Life_Apples_And_Grapes.jpg

Apples! Have you ever read Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Houston and James Houston? It was one of my favorite books, and it was all about an apple orchard that was located by the Sierra Nevada Mountains named “Manzanar.” Manzanar was the title of the site because “manzanar” means apple orchid in Spanish. The camp was where the United States kept Japanese Americans during World War II. The books main character, Jeanne, who wrote the book first-hand, talked about her family’s time in the barracks while at Manzanar and I remember feeling so bad for her when she wrote about how they had no privacy, and her parents had to sell everything they owned before they left including her mom’s very valuable China. But, her mom got ripped off from some guy who barely paid her mom anything for the China because he knew the family had to leave to go to the camps so he could take advantage of the situation. Just reading it made me so angry that someone would do that. The other day I drove my friend home who is half-Japanese and she said that her grandparents were contained at Manzanar when I mentioned the book. It was so crazy to think a book I read in high school had now become one of my friend’s family’s real life story.

Jeanne Houston and James Houston (Authors of Farwell to Manzanar)

Photo Credit: http://www.owensvalleyhistory.com/manzanar2/j_wakatsuki.jpg

Real life stories?! The movie The Pursuit of Happyness is a real life story. I am obsessed with that movie. Mainly because Will Smith is one of my favorite actors of all time, but regardless, he did an amazing job in this movie. The movie is about a salesman who turns into a stockbroker in order to provide for his young son. The funny part about it too is that Will Smith’s son was his co-star. I thought that was a great move by the director. I think this movie is very applicable to today too because of America’s economy. It is definitely a sad movie, but it is just too good.

The Pursuit of Happyness

Photo Credit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454921/

Through art, books, and film, I have formed my own writing abilities through painting by Monet, books about Manzanar, and real-life story films that have made me become a better writer by influencing me.

In my Blog Post #1: So, here I am in ENG 103, I wrote, “[I] cannot wait for my view on food to be expanded.” Now as I am about to finish this course, I can say that my view on food has been expanded far past my expectations. I thought food was just something that was forced on the human race as we need it to survive; but, I was clearly wrong. Food is so much more as it revolves around everything in our society today. If someone told me to write a blog about how food related to movies, books and art 15 weeks ago, I would tell them their crazy. I would stare at them although they had no idea what they are talking about because food is just something we eat, not write about, and most definitely not compare to such things as books, movies, and art. But, now that I am done with the Writing about Food class, I love the idea that I get to compare food to things that may seem so distant, but yet have so much in common. The thought about discussing food and all that it exposes through our lives as it excites me to think that I am a part of the unending conversation.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner: King Corn vs. Food Machine

How often do you eat corn? For me, I thought the only times I ate corn was when I ate it as a side with my chicken at the cafeteria about three times a week. Unless I was eating corn on the cob, or corned steamed by itself, I thought there was no other way to eat it unless it was in its natural state. I was soon stripped of my typical American thought about consuming corn when I watched the documentary, King Corn. The documentary was released in October 2007 and followed the lives of two friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis. They both moved to Iowa to grow and farm an acre of corn, and learned the process of producing corn and where it goes through its life and how much profit is gained from growing corn. Through the story, Ian and Curtis show the process of how industrialization in corn has taken over the normal American family farm image. Corn is now America’s #1 profitable crop and it is also the biggest government subsidized cop in U.S. history. The story of two men going to the middle of no-where and realizing what the life of farmers is like is very humbling to know that what we take for granted every day, takes so much work from farmers. King Corn was by far my favorite movie, even compared to America Revealed: Food machine because of the realism of the film and how I felt as though I was divulged into the world of corn.

In King Corn, there were many interesting facts about corn that I had never realized before. The film was much more focused compared to America Revealed: Food Machine. I feel as though I got a lot more from the film and the sole purpose of King Corn was to inform America about what they had learned instead of trying to make the film into some big sensation.

A clip overviewing a little bit of King Corn

Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eBJQ-bajns

Fun Facts from King Corn:

• Hair can be used to find out what a person has eaten. During the movie, Ian and Curt even found corn in their hair

• Farmers keep cattle in confined spaces so that way cattle do nothing but eat corn fed all day. The reason for this is so cattle are not burning off fat, but instead gaining weight, allowing them to be sold to markets faster

• Corn is the main ingredient in high-fructose corn syrup which is used in soda to add sweetness instead of regular sugar

• Farmers would find it more desirable to feed cattle (which is made into the beef American consume) with something other than corn, but in order to be able to sell cheaper meat, corn is the only substitute that can meet the cost and demand ratios

• Hamburger meat consists of more fat than actual meat

• Animal fat is what gives meat its flavor

• 70% of all antibiotics go to cattle

In Food Machine: America Revealed, it is a story about how America has turned into the largest food machine the world has every seen.  The world population is at 6,973,738,433, therefore the world is rapidly expanding in all areas of food due to the enormous influx of citizens. In this PBS documentary, the host, Yul Kwon explores how the American Food Machine is feeding about 300 million Americans on a dialy basis. Throught the episodes, Yul Kwon goes through the process of how a pizza is made, as Americans feast on about 18 acres of pizza a day. Yul travels to the Central Valley where most of America’s produce is grown, but the problem lies in a water pipe that is 400 miles away. In another episode, Kwon goes by car, plane, and train in order to follow the steps of the food traveling process.  The reason I did not begin to enjoy this documentary compared to King Corn, was because I began to realize that Kwon was truly a “host” figure instead of actually going out into the world of food on his own in order to explore it. He is shown driving a nice mustang, whereas Ian and Curt drive an old white pick-up truck. Although it is small, I thing the underlying statement shows a big part in the reality of the two films. Food Machine also overlaps King Corn in the topic of corn in America. It was reported that 322 million tons of corn is produced per year in America. One thing that stood out in Food Machine: America Revealed, that I did not notice in King Corn was the topic of the European Corn Borer, a corn insect pest, that has genetically-modified corn in order to prevent crops from being ruined. Another aspect of the series was the “New Green Revolution.” Through all in all, both films were very interesting and educational, but overall, I though King Corn made a better story.

A clip from Food Machine: America Revealed on the topic of corn grown in America

Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sFwcFZg4UY

Watch and Learn: How to have Class

Photo Credit: http://family.go.com/images/cms/parenting/featured/eating-baby-240-4878661.jpg

“Nothing is less important than which fork you use. Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor.” -Emily Post

Every person across the world has had a lesson or two on manners. Manners are very important, and a crucial part in interacting with others. In our world today, every family gathering is revolved around food at the dinner table, and it is important to have good manners that represent your family name. After sitting down observing eaters at The Filling Station in Orange, CA, which I go into depth in my blog post,“Big Plates, Small Talk,” and from reading the “International Table Manners,” I realized that no matter how many manners I was taught as a child, I never realized how much there was to know in the etiquette world. Not only that, but America’s habits are so different compared to other cultures. For example, differences I found in America’s culture that differed from other countries included Thailand’s rule to not put food in your mouth with a fork. This is very different than America, as even the women eating salads would use their forks. Another broken rule was in the Middle East, India and parts of Africa, don’t eat with your left hand. Personally, I am left handed and couldn’t imagine being practically forced to eat with my right hand. Finally, in Chile it is a rule to not eat anything, even fries, with your hands at a meal in Chile. At the restaurant the customers eating French fries ate with their hands, and it was not unusual at all.

Etiquette is clearly a key essential to life, and it is important to be educated on such an important manner. In order to help, I have posted two videos about etiquette. The first, is “Table Manners Across Cultures,” where Norine Dresser expands about the differences in cultures amongst table manners, offering food to guests, noisy eating, finishing your plate, and what other cultures find odd about American food.

“Table Manners Across Cultures” with Norine Dresser

Video Credit: http://www.videojug.com/interview/table-manners-across-cultures-2

The second comes from the TODAY Show and takes a modernized twist on manners discussing tips with Anna Post, the great-great-grandaughter of Emily Post. Tips in this video include manners in different situations, such as: date nights, the family dinner table, and in the board room. This video will help you learn different table manners in every situation.

“Table Manners Always in Style” with the TODAY Show. Special Guest: Anna Post

Video Credit: http://www.today.com/food/table-manners-always-style-6C9561890

The third video is a Disney Channel special on table manners. Every person of every age will always love Disney so why not learn some etiquette from your favorite cartoon character. Enjoy!

Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4x0k9Em1aE

A Song about…Peaches?

“If I had my little way I’d eat peaches everyday.” –Presidents of the U.S.A., “Peaches”

What better way to show your love for peaches than write a song about them? A band named, “Presidents of the U.S.A.” wrote a song in 1996 titled, “Peaches.” Why would a band write a song about peaches? The lead singer, Chris Ballew admitted that he wrote “Peaches” about a girl he once had a crush on. He allegedly wrote this song after sitting under a peach tree she had in her yard while waiting for her to arrive, to finally let her know that he liked her. In 1996, “Peaches” was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. This song caught my attention right from the start and reminded me of Nicole Villanueve’s post, “Henry James: Vanilla Ice Cream with Brandied Peaches.” In this blog, Villanueve writes, “When James wrote about losing the fruit of summer, though, he wasn’t just bummed there’d be no more pie for a while. In typical Jamesian fashion, the end of the market was a reminder of the passing of youth.” This blog was a beautiful reminder of how peaches symbolize youth, and it took me back to my own childhood. Ever since I can remember, I loved to eat peaches. They are my dad’s favorite fruit too, and I always aspired to like the same things that he liked. I remember always sitting by the pool on warm, sunny summer days eating peaches with my dad while splashing the pool water with my toes. This song is spot on perfect for reminding the world why we love peaches whether it’s because of a significant other, Henry James, or spending time with your family. Take some time and listen to the song and remember why peaches, like all food, remind of us who we are, and how great it could be if we could have our own little way and eat peaches every day.

Video Credit: youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvcohzJvviQ

The song, “Peaches” by the Presidents of the U.S.A.

“Peaches” Lyrics:

Movin’ to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
I’m movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat me a lot of peaches
I’m movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches
Peaches come from a can they were put there by a man
In a factory downtown
If I had my little way I’d eat peaches everyday
Sun soakin bulges in the shade

Movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches
I’m movin to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches
Movin’ to the country gonna eat a lot of peaches

I took a little nap where the roots all twist
Squished a rotten peach in my fist
And dreamed about you woman
I poked my finger down inside makin’ a little room for a ant to hide
Nature’s candy in my hand or can or a pie

Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free

Look out

Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free
Millions of peaches peaches for me
Millions of peaches peaches for free

Chapman Campus Garden Inauguration

A panoramic view of the Chapman Campus Garden

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

This past Friday afternoon I attended the inauguration of the Chapman Campus Garden. The garden is located in the Davis Community Quad by the dorms on campus (click here for a campus map to locate the garden). The project is headed up by Professor Micol Hebron and Dr. Gerri McNenny. The garden was set-up by staff, students and faculty in which all of the garden’s starting trees, plants, etc. were donated by different departments around the campus including the Chancellor’ Office, Campus Planning, and multiple colleges of various studies. The garden was also possible because of various small grants written by staff members and some personal funds from Professor Micol Hebron. The look of the garden is very simple outlined with various fruit trees. Inside of the inner box of the fruit trees, the garden has four boxes filled with soil and plants, and another four boxes that are empty waiting to be filled. There are going to be an additional eight boxes added to the garden for a total of 16 planting boxes for students to use as an area to grow whatever they may please. The new garden is also a great opportunity for students to earn credits for tending the garden. The project allows students to receive units for documenting what they learn while doing the project throughout the semester fulfilling the 7GC and 7CC GE requirement areas (In order to find out more information on how to fulfill credits by participating in the Chapman Campus Garden, click here). The mission of the new founded gardens is to provide sustainability for students, staff and faculty members by growing knowledge, community, and consciousness. My favorite part about attending the inauguration was talking with one of the founders of the garden, Professor Micol Hebron about starting my own planter box. She said any student or faculty member is able to plant whatever they want in the garden, as long as they sign up (In order to sign-up for your own gardening space, visit the Facebook page, here).

 A planter box full of herbs, lettuce, etc.  Any student can utilize a planter box and pick a plant of their choice

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

After signing up, a student can purchase, seeds, trees, plants, etc. and bring them to the garden and have a student who receives work study hours plant it, or the student of faculty member is able to plant it themselves. Students don’t even have to continuously watch over their plant, because Chapman has allowed work study students to receive work study hours in return for their work in the garden, and facilities has set-up an automatic sprinkler system to help water the plants and trees. Students are then allowed to take anything from the garden once it has grown. It is a great way to sustain our environment and keep eco-friendly at Chapman.

         

Left: Apricrots growing on a fruit tree

Right: Each fruit tree specifies what type of fruit is growing on each tree.  This picture specifies Blenheim Apricot’s growing in the picture on the left

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

Unfortunately, Professor Hebron was the only person available to talk to because no other students showed up, other than a fellow writing about food student, but it also was a great opportunity to ask a lot of questions to the professor and learn a lot about the garden. Although, I did talk to some Chapman students about the garden and the opportunity to plant whatever we want, and they all seem pretty excited that Chapman had a great opportunity for students and faculty. Professor Hebron stated that she hopes students utilize the garden for recreational and learning purposes. She quotes, “[I] hope dance students will choreograph for the garden, theater students will deliver plays in the garden, and English students will have reading in the garden. Art students can draw in the garden graphic design students can design signage and information for the garden.” It is a great opportunity for students and faculty to interact with the environment and see the process of plants growing around them. Next time you’re felling hungry on the way to class, just take a nice walk by the garden and grab an orange, or apricot, or take a study break and relax at the garden, or better yet, enjoy the sunshine and bring your homework out there. Professor Hebron stated that they will be adding a big table in the middle of the garden and some benches in order for student to utilize the space.

In order to sign up to be a volunteer at the Garden through OrgSync, click here

Questions, or proposals for a project?  Email Professor Micol Hebron, hebron@chapman.edu or Dr. Gerri McNenny, McNenny@chapman.edu

Dear Student Writer

Photo Credit: http://serc.carleton.edu/images/sp/carl_ltc/wacn/writing.jpg

Dear Student Writer,

It is very crucial to create a great manifesto. There are so many different ways in which to approach a manifesto, but in order to attain readers, one must write about something extraordinary and relatable in order for readers to feel engaged. Now days, students can practically search anything they want on Google. Make your manifesto worth reading to anyone who lays their eyes on it. A writer must include ethos, logos and pathos in order to seem credible in what they are saying. In rhetoric, ethos the credibility or ethical appeal, this is used to convince readers. Pathos is the emotional persuasion that a write needs to use in order to appeal to a reader’s emotions. It is important to use strong, vivid language in order to allow a reader to imagine and interpret what the writing is trying to portray. Logos is the logical meaning to persuade by reasoning. If a writer does not have any facts, their writing is not credible.
It is important to realize what a manifesto does. A manifesto is a writer’s opportunity to share their views, and persuade others to realize their argument. A manifesto can be written about anything in the world. A manifesto should not be too lengthy, because a writer needs to keep his or her manifesto straight to the point. If a manifesto gets too off track, readers often get lost and easily forget the strong force behind the point of writing the manifesto. Additionally, one of the most important aspects when writing a manifesto, is to know who the writer is writing to. In order to fully use pathos, a writer has to know their audience in order to emotionally connect to them. One of Laura’s strengths is to tell personal stories in order to utilize pathos effectively. Although, one of her weaknesses is to trail too far off from her main topic, which can often lead to losing readers. Although Laura has certain strengths and weaknesses, examples of great manifestos are: Michael Pollon’s in The Defense of Food and Ruth Reichl’s Tender at the Bone. It is crucial to find manifesto’s a write likes, and to study and read them in order to write a good manifesto. The best way to become a great writer is by reading other writers’ work in order to take what the positives and the negatives and to form a writer’s own personal manifesto.
In Laura’s manifesto, she focuses in on writing about processed foods in America. Although this is a topic that Laura feels very strongly about, she needs to work hard on making it her own due to how often Americans are told about how unhealthy processed foods can be for one’s health. Laura needs to find great sources and go out into the processed food world and introduce new aspects to citizens about how detrimental processed foods can be to one’s healthy. It is also important to provide ways to change one’s eating habits and point out flaws of diets that readers may not have realized before reading her manifesto. But, most importantly, the writer needs to make sure the manifesto is something they feel strongly about in order to convince the readers.

Sincerely,
Laura Johnson

What Makes a Good Food Writer

“Read, read, read. Read everything- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it is good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out the window.” -William Faulkner

Photo Credit: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5133/5448125562_519cc43a34_o.jpg

As William Faulkner insists to writers, the best way to become a better write is simple: read, and then write. By reading and writing a writer is able to read and decide whether what the read is good or bad, and able to change their writing techniques based on what they read. In order to be a good food writer, the writer must draw in his or her readers and make them feel as though they are sitting right there with them at the dinner table while reading their piece of work. Although vocabulary, grammar, organization, fluidity, context, and ethos, logos and pathos all attribute to being a great writter, unless a reader feels pulled into a writer’s story, it’s just not cutting it. A writer needs to personally connect to the readers, and make the reader entertained, while not make the reading seem boring, or filled with too much information.

In Tony Judt’s “Food,” he starts out by writing, “Just because you grow up on bad food, it does not follow that you lack nostalgia for it.”  He drew me into his story from the first sentence, because for me, I grew up thankfully with a mom who I consider my own personal chef. I always assumed people who grew up with parents who aren’t cooking experts, grew up to be people who weren’t all that into cooking either. It interested me to to peer into a world that was different than mine.  Judt kind of lost me after that though, because I didn’t get any other connection to his story.  It was not a bad story, just not something I in particularly enjoyed reading compared to other food blogs.  Although, my other favorite part of his writing was when he wrote: “The characteristic quality of a Friday night dinner in those days was the repeated contrast between soft and crunchy, sweet and savory. Potatoes, swedes, turnips were always brown and soft and appeared to have been drenched in sugar. Cucumbers, onions, and other small, harmless vegetables came crunchy and pickled. Meat fell off the fork, having long since fallen off the bone. It too was brown and soft.”  I could vividly imagine his descriptions in this part of his work, and it made me realize that if a writer wants to get the attention of their own readers, they need to be able to paint a vivid picture in the readers head.

 Another example of a food story blog was in “Ernest Hemingway: Bacon-Wrapped Trout with Corn Cakes,” by Nicole Villanueve.  Villanueve uses the life of Ernest Hemingway to create a great meal.  Her title was so clever, but yet explanatory, that I was attracted to her blog post right away. Even her blog titled, Paper and Salt made my mind wonder of all the countless possibilities that could be written on her blog site.  I love the way her style takes historical and literary details and expands them into her recipes.  It is as though the reader gets two lessons in one.  Also, her recipe posts are very simple and manageable for any cook, which makes her posts more relatable to any person, I find them very intersting.  Villanueve quotes, “So Hemingway suggested cooking it in layers of bacon, whose fat bastes the fish as it renders. ‘If there is anything better than that combination the writer has yet to taste it in a lifetime devoted largely and studiously to eating.’” Who wouldn’t want to read about Hemingway and bacon?

In another post by Nicole Villanueve titled, “Vanilla Ice Cream with Brandied Peaches,” Villanueve again connects Henry James to her recipe.  Villanueve writes, “When James wrote about losing the fruit of summer, though, he wasn’t just bummed there’d be no more pie for a while. In typical Jamesian fashion, the end of the market was a reminder of the passing of youth.”  This quote drew me to her story and recipe, making me draw back to my childhood memories of making pies and picking out fruit with my grandmother.  I think that’s the key to draw a person into an author’s story, is by pulling at the heart strings of a reader and allowing them to drift away in their mind reminiscing on old memories while still reading a story. The reasoning behind the inspiration of this blog about Henry James made me so intrigued, that I couldn’t keep my eyes from scrolling down the computer screen to finish reading her blog post. A great writer should alway re-ready his, or her own work, and if it is not interesting enough to read your own work, it’s probably not going to be worth reading to anyone else either.

In the words of William Faulkner, “Read, read, read” and you will be a great food writer.

Did you know?: Food Vocab and Facts

Picture Credit: http://learntoprepare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/natural-food.jpg

Food seems as though it is common knowledge of all the terms that classify food and describe food, but it is not as simple as it sounds.  I thought I knew all about food, after hearing my mom throughout my whole life in the kitchen, or watching various shows on Food Network, but the vocabulary of food is a lot more complicated than it seems.  Although going to Starbuck and ordering a “non-fat” Frappuccino may seem so normal, what does “non-fat” really even mean?  Even walking down the aisles at Trader Joe’s seems so harmless and reading all that labels that say “natural” and “organic.” In our world today, food is often overlooked by the sometimes confusing words, or words we think we know, but we really don’t.  In order to understand some common food terms, I have made my own dictionary.

Food Vocab:

1. Locavore (noun): According to the online Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, locavore is a person who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.  In our society today, most people who buy food mostly only buy it at one place; the grocery store.  Contrary to most American’s today, a person who is a locavore, attempts to buy any food they can at a local farm, or area that sells fresh produce.  The reasoning for this is that locavore’s believe that it is a great way to support the community, and receive fresh and healthier foods.  Although some feel very strongly about this lifestyle, there is reasoning for which some believe this is not the best choice, such as in “The Locavore Myth.” An example would be the CSA program which is a program where families support their local farm by buying fruits and vegetables from the farm on a continuous basis.  Tanaka Farms located in Irvine, CA is a part of the CSA program.
2. Natural (adjective): Existing in or caused by nature; not made or caused my humankind. According to the FDA, it is too difficult to define a food as “natural” because all foods are obviously made somehow, but are also processed, so technically any food can write natural on the front and make it seem healthier, although it is not.  The LA Times wrote a great article about what is classified as natural food, specifically dealing with Proposition 37, and foods such as Goldfish that label its product as natural when it is genetically engineered soybean oil.
3. Non-Fat (adjective): food which does not contain fat in it.  “Healthy” people often opt for this option, but sometimes the fat that is taken out is replaced by dangerous additives which can be damaging to a person’s health.  An example of a non-fat food is non-fat milk.  Non-fat milk is also known as “fat-free” milk, because there is no fat in the milk, compared to milk such as 2% which contains 2% fat.
4. Polemic (noun): a strong verbal or written attack on someone or something.  In “Why I Hate Food: A Polemic” written by Mary Rechner, Rechner describes how she is caught between the idealism and realism of food.  She writes of her struggle of being able to raise and kill her own chickens and rabbits, but struggles because she does not think that she can still write and attend to her children.  Another example would be my own manifesto, claiming my argument against processed foods in America.
5. Processed food (noun): any food that is changed from its natural, raw state.  Processed foods have become problematic in the U.S. due to its large popularity but also the bad health habits which come along with eating processed foods.  Examples of process foods include potatoes which are changed into potato chips and French fries.  A big restaurant such as McDonald’s is considered one of the worst processed food restaurants in America.  To find out more about processed foods, read this post that has 20 gross and disturbing food facts about processed foods.

Food Facts:

1. In 11 Ways Advertisers Make Food Look Delicious by Colin Perkins, it exposes the hidden lies behind food commercials such as white glue being used in the place of milk inside cereal bowls.
2. In 2011, the average America consumed 1,996 pounds of food in just one year
3. The first product to ever have a bar code was Wrigley’s Gum
4. Americans eat an average of 18 acres of pizza every day
5. During a person’s life, an average of 5 years of it are spent eating
6. According to the movie,  King Corn, the average ear of corn has eight-hundred kernels arranged in sixteen rows

Unleash your inner beast: Do energy drinks turn you into a monster?

Photo Credit: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nP0Fupr4_i8/TZDj1dnWp7I/AAAAAAAAAAM/BATzfNYkF1c/s1600/Monster_Energy_Drink_Wallpaper_by_u.jpg

Its midnight and you’re feeling tired. Your body naturally knows it’s time to sleep after a long day of studying. The problem: you have two finals tomorrow and a paper due. Therefore, sleep is not an option. As a college student, you crack open your fridge and you begin to hear angels sing, and the dim light in the back of the fridge has suddenly turned into a bright gleaming light shining down from heaven as you notice something in the back corner: a Monster Energy Drink. But, should you really be that excited to drink a Monster? Monster energy drinks may seem as though they are harmless and a great boost when it comes to crunch time, but, in reality, a Monster is the last thing you should be drinking.

According to a recent article titled, “Monster Energy Drink Cited in Deaths,” by The New York Times, Monster Energy Drinks are the killer in multiple deaths in America. It is reported by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) that Monsters could be the cause of death of five innocent people. A girl from Maryland named Anais Fournier supposedly died from a heart arrhythmia after drinking Monster Energy Drinks at the age of 14. Energy drinks are hurting people because there are not any regulations against energy drinks so people assume that they can’t get hurt by drinking them.

As a freshman who is about to finish their first year of college, there has been a reoccurring event throughout this school year: energy drinks are everywhere. Every day as I walk back from class, Red Bull cars sit along the curb lurking for foolish college students to be tricked into drinking their toxic energy drinks. The conflict is that in today’s society, people don’t want to sleep. It’s the 21st century; there are so many activities to do in one day that time is of the essence. We live in a world where we don’t stop and we will use anything in order to keep ourselves going. But, we are heading in a dangerous direction where energy drinks are taking over our world.

When you look at the nutrition facts on an original Monster Energy Drink can, you may be tricked by the big ingredient words, but don’t let them fool you. An average can of a Monster Energy Drink is 16 fl. oz. (480 mL). There are a total of 200 calories per can, 54 grams of sugar, 360 milligrams of sodium, 2000 milligrams of Taurine, 400 milligrams of Panax Ginseng and 5000 milligrams of Energy Blend. The main ingredients are: L-Carnitine, glucose, caffeine, guarana, Inositol, glucuronolactone and maltodextrin.

Original Monster Energy Drink Nutrition Facts Label

Photo Credit: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Monster_Energy_drink_supplement_facts.jpg/240px-Monster_Energy_drink_supplement_facts.jpg

In recent events, scientists have been noticing the harmful ingredients in energy drinks. Guarana is one of the main ingredients found in Monsters, which is extracted from a seed found in the Amazon rain forest. The seeds contain up to 4-8% caffeine, whereas coffee beans contain approximately 1-2.5% caffeine. Guarana is not too dangerous, but when kids are drinking a 16 fl. oz. can full of it, and sometimes multiple cans a day, it becomes very problematic. Caffeine also increases a person’s heart rate, which could be deathly. Guarana is said to also cause nausea, shakiness, anxiety, diarrhea and vomiting. Another key ingredient, glucose can also lead to health issues. Companies such as Monster write “glucose” on their cans under the ingredient label, but consumers are not realizing that glucose is just another word for sugar. The American Heart Association states that an average person should consume about 50 grams of sugar a day, but a normal sized can of Monster contains 54 grams of sugar by itself. One drink already puts a consumer over the daily recommended intake. By drinking so much sugar, it can cause a lot of health problems such as diabetes, obesity, high blood sugar, etc. Maltodextrin is an ingredient which comes from treated grain starch, primarily corn or rice starch. Maltodextrin is absorbed into the bloodstream fast, and sometimes the body has a hard time when there is such high rates of blood sugars that maltodextrin is stored as fat. Most ingredient lying inside energy drinks are very harmful and can often create health problems.

A Guarana plant in the Amazon rain forest.  The black beads of the plant are where all the caffeine comes from

Photo Credit: http://media.tumblr.com/903e6e46f7d4a797ef6a3ba1d2bccfba/tumblr_inline_mh6leffBq91qi77y6.jpg

In conclusion, I dare you to look at it this way, if a child was shot by a criminal, the FBI would be all over that case. American citizens would be screaming from the top of their lungs asking for justice to be served and for the killer to be put behind bars forever. The scenario is the same for Monster Energy Drinks, but why is no one doing anything about it? Monsters may not be purposely killing people, but if they are the cause of death for adolescents, why is there not law banning them as they line grocery store shelves and any child can purchase one? Why is there no age limit to a drink that could possibly be more harmful than alcohol, when alcohol can only be purchased if the buyer is over 21? If this is the case, why are Americans still buying Monster Energy Drinks? If drugs are illegal, why aren’t Monsters? Through recent events, these “Monsters” need to be caged.