Strawberry Fields Forever: A Research Project

I was only a child when I had one of the worst dreams (or what I consider a horrible night terror) of my life. As I was sleeping, I dreamt of berries attempting to attack me as though they were repugnant fruit forms of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber from The Veggie Tales. It was a wild goose chase of fear as berries stalked me down streets and came after me for my own life. The culprit for my berry-fearing night terror: strawberries. Ever since my dream as a child, I do not eat strawberries. As ridiculous as it sounds, after being so taunted of the vicious red-seeded berries, I have become immune to not eating them. But, there is always one question that I have pondered since my bizarre mishaps with the diabolical fruit, why is the whole country so obsessed with eating strawberries? It had become my mission to figure out why mothers, children, grandparents and people of all ages had a zealous fervor for a fruit that is an alien in the fruit world as as strawberries are classified as the only fruit which shows its 200 seeds on the outside of their skin. Although, whether it’s Ralphs, Costco, The Farmer’s Markets, or an on-campus restaurant at Chapman University, strawberries are constantly tantalizing U.S. consumers’ one red, juicy and sweet-seeded bite at a time.

After all of my mishaps of strawberries, I began to research them and see where strawberries made their existence. The first strawberry goes all the way back to the time of the Greeks and Roman Empires. It was said that strawberries existed in the 1300’s, but the common strawberry made its debut in the 1750s in Brittany, France. Although wild strawberries existed before this, the type of strawberries we eat today were not introduced as a common fruit that could be easily grown until this time. The typical American strawberries we eat today are hybrid fruits. The berries were created by crossing the Fragaria Virginiana Strawberry from North America and the Fragaria Chiloensis Strawberry from Argentina and Chile.

To find out more about strawberries, I hit the streets of Orange County and asked a farm worker, Sarah for information about strawberries. Strawberries received their name due to how farmers keep the berries from rotting. When strawberries were first grown, farmers put down “straw” in order to separate the berries from weeds and slugs in the soil; thus the name “strawberries” was born. In order for strawberries to grow, the berries need to be sustained in about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. 75 degrees Fahrenheit allows strawberries to get the perfect amount of sweetness. If strawberries are grown in temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the strawberries are too tart, or if strawberries are grown in above 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the berries are too sweet. Oddly enough, the best growing seasons for strawberries is in Southern California, which produces about eighty percent of America’s strawberries due to the consistency in Southern California’s favored temperatures. The most interesting thing that Sarah also mentioned was a term known as the “companion planting method.” By doing so, Tanaka farms plants onion in between all of their strawberry crops. By planting onions, it helps control pests, because onions give off a very stench smell, which is opposite of a strawberry’s sweet smell, so pests and animals are less likely to eat the farm’s produce. Not only is it a way to protect the fruit from the pests, but it also serves as a great way to maximize planting space because the farm plants more strawberries than onions, so it allows the farmers to plant two crops into one space.

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

Picture: Taken at Tanak Farms in Irvine, CA.  Tanaka Farms also uses the form of hydroponic planting

The one major problem which occurs with all farm produce, including strawberries is pests. The biggest problem in strawberry farming is spider mites. Spider mites are microscopic little pests which are notorious for sucking all the simple sugars out of strawberries, making the berries very tart. The other major dilemma is specified as “white rot.” White rot is a type of fungus which is impossible to eliminate once it affects strawberries. A local Farmers Market strawberry stand owner told when I asked him to explain what “white rot” entails that “white rot is to strawberries what athlete’s foot is to humans. It’s a nasty pain to handle.” Strawberries are grown by using runners, which are off-shoots of strawberry plants. It takes about three months for the runners to start producing flowers, but after, it takes about three weeks for the flowers to produce actual strawberries. Strawberry plants are also known as indeterminate plants; they can continuously keep producing. Once the strawberries are grown, they are then manually picked by farm workers. In order to find out as much as possible about strawberries, I talked to another farm worker, John at “Tanaka Farms.” John reported that “picking strawberries is by far the most labor intensive job. It’s all back-breaking work which is tiring and tedious, especially out in the sun all day.” Tanaka Farms contains five acres of strawberries alone, out of their thirty acres of total crop, but John says that he would “rather do anything than pick strawberries all day.” In recent years, some crops are picked with machines, but strawberries are a lot more complicated than that which requires painful manual labor. After the berries are picked, they are sold to customers. At the farm stand located right on the Tanaka Farm grounds, a small crate of strawberries are sold for premium price, at a price of $4.25 per pound. Tanaka Farms reported that they sell about 100,000 pounds of strawberries a year. If anything, the farm usually sells out of strawberries to sell to regular customers. If the farm sells a pound for $4.25 a pound, that is already a $425,000 profit from just strawberries which only takes up about five acres of land, which is about one-sixth of the farms overall acres. Not only that, but strawberries are sold nine out of the twelve months of the year, so other crops are producing income the other three months, along with all the other produce that is created on the other twenty-five acres of land throughout the year. The farm makes a great amount of money.

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

Picture: Strawberries sold at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, CA. Each green basket is sold for $4.25

One aspect of the farm that also seemed very interesting was the CSA program. Through this program, families are able to support their local farm by buying fruits and vegetables straight from the farm on a weekly basis. Sarah approximated that 750 boxes of fresh produce are issued a week and service about 1,400 families. I did not know programs like this were offered and made me very curious to check if my local farm offered the same program.

A big question I had for Sarah was why strawberries at Costco seemed so gigantic, while the strawberries at the farm are so small.  Sarah explained that there are many different types of strawberries grown, where Tanaka Farms produced San Andres strawberries.  San Andres strawberries are a medium-sized strawberry.  There are smaller strawberries often grown, known as alpine strawberries which are wild.  All strawberries start of small, but the smaller they are, the more tart they get.  Sarah explained that that is why some stores, such as Costco may grow a bigger type of strawberry, known as the Abilene strawberry which is very sweet.  Sarah said that there are probably two main reasons if it is true that stores that sell gigantic strawberries, such as Costco may grow Abilene strawberries.  The first reason is because they are such large berries, that they are normally a lot sweeter compared to other types.  Secondly, the bigger the berry, the more space they take up in a container.  Costco can grow bigger berries, putting then in standard-sized packaging, where you are not actually getting as much product for your money, per say if it was a smaller–sized strawberry put inside the container.  It is more of an unbalanced consumer and producer ration if anything.  Although she admits, GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organism’s) could also be a possible reason.

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

Picture: Taken at Tanaka Farms in Irvine, CA.  Tanaka Farms has 5 acres of strawberry fields

After learning the history of strawberries, I decided to put my differences aside and instead observe students at Chapman University and their addicted strawberry ways. I stood in line at the Einstein Bagel store on campus at Chapman on an early Monday morning. Monday mornings are always the worst, because every college student is tired from their weekend adventures, and is looking for a little pick-me-up and some highly-caffeinated coffee in order to see them through the struggles of Monday morning classes. I wait in line impatiently, as I see numerous students search through the fruit cups. One girl picks up about four fruit cups, and places them in a line side-by-side. She turns to her friend and asks, “Which cup of fruit has the most strawberries?” Her friend tells her to choose the second one and she proceeds to buy her strawberry-filled Monday morning breakfast. This may seem as some nonsensical pity first-world problem struggle story of a college student, but it made me wonder, why are strawberries amongst the top ten highest sold fruit in the U.S.? I mean, kids don’t even like fruit, right?

I was not satisfied with my observations, so I took my sightings to a local Ralphs grocery store and decided to observe shoppers in the fruit section. I watched as consumers walked through the doors of the grocery store and headed straight to the produce section. The strawberries were set-up directly in front of the entrance, hence the first point to realizing strawberries are favored because stores always put highly demanded products out in front in order for shoppers to grab them first. I watched as a spectator for 20 minutes, and within those 20 minutes, 8 out of the 14 shoppers who walked by the produce grabbed strawberries and placed them into their shopping carts. Statistically, 57% of shoppers opted for the strawberries. My observation proved that the world truly is obsessed with strawberries, or shoppers were drawn to the 4 for $5 sale. Either way, strawberries have obviously caused a great liking amongst consumers. Intrigued, I asked the produce worker Sam what he thought about the strawberries at Ralphs. Sam quotes, “Well, I will put it this way, out of all the fruit, strawberries are always the one fruit that I always have to replace other than apples and bananas. I watch people look at the strawberries every day, and they always want more.” I asked why he thought this was and he replied, “There are strawberries for sale most of the year. In Southern California we are fortunate enough to be able to always buy strawberries, and I think the product and consumer ratios are at a high demand.” I found my Ralphs observation very pleasing, so I decided to further my research into the strawberry world.

Photo Credit: Laura Johnson

Picture: Strawberries sold at Ralphs in the produce section.  This is where my observation took place

My next order of business: seeing how strawberries are not only known as delicious berries, but, how they are incorporated into various aspects in films, literature, Greek mythology, music and art. Strawberries appeared in various movies such as The Hunger Games and Across the Universe. In The Hunger Games, strawberries represented righteousness, modesty and goodness. The reasoning for this symbolism is because the main character Katniss collects strawberries on reaping day and the mayor of District 12, who is known as being a good and moral character, was fond of strawberries. In Across the Universe, one of the main scenes displays the two main characters Jude and Max fighting, while strawberries splatter across the screen as symbols of blood and bombs during war. The scene is played along with a song titled, “Strawberry Fields Forever” by the Beatles. Strawberries are also incorporated into two recent famous songs which are both titled, “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay and Frank Ocean. It is also a told tale that strawberries are symbolic of the Virgin Mary because in various paintings of her, artists would use strawberries to border their pictures. In Greek mythology, the strawberry is considered the symbol of Venus, who is the goddess of love. Strawberries are compared to Venus because they are heart-shaped and red, symbolizing a heart. Strawberries are also connected to love in the “Fruits of the Spirit” in Galatians 5:22 in the Bible. Strawberries are also a symbol of modesty because they are found under leaves, which is symbolic of hiding the juicy red fruit instead of flaunting it. Strawberries are even associated with toys, such as the Strawberry Shortcake Doll. Strawberries were the main reason for the creation and main theme of the doll as the Strawberry Shortcake character started off as a greeting card image and transformed into toys, television episodes, soundtracks and video games. Strawberries are often over-looked as only being a great treat, but strawberrierries have clearly affected our society to this day in numerous ways, other than being eaten.

Photo Credit: http://strawberryshortcakelane.com/

Picture: The iconic Strawberry Shortcake Doll

Video Credit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n79B3FHi0Fs

The scene from Across the Universe where strawberries are symbolic of blood and bombs during war

Nutritionists have cited that strawberries are amongst the top ten healthiest fruits and vegetables in the world. When some consumers think of strawberries they think they are too high in sugar, but, surprisingly, strawberries contain less sugar than lemons. This may seem surprising due to the fact that lemons are associated with sour and strawberries are associated with sweetness, but this nutrition fact is due to the high amount of natural sugar found in strawberries. The reasoning for the natural sugar is because strawberries are pollinated by bees. Not only are strawberries healthy snacks, but also a great way to end a sweet tooth craving without adding a ton of unnecessary amount of extra calories. According to livestrong.com, strawberries only contain 25 calories per 1/2 cup, and no fat. They are high in fiber which leads to a healthy colon; help with digestion good cholesterol levels. Strawberries are also very rich in antioxidants, which are substances that protect cells from free radical damage and decrease a person’s chances of getting sick, mainly because of their high amount of Vitamin C and Iron.

After all of my research, I realized it was only evident why strawberries have become amongst America’s top sellers, even if I felt terrified of the red berries that taunted me as a child. They are more than just a fruit, they are what kids look for in their lunch pails at school after a long day, they are symbolic of the 4th of July, they are what shoppers at Ralphs and students at Chapman long for as they search for food to feed their souls, but yet, strawberries still have the aspect of being mainstream throughout films, literature, Greek mythology, music and art. So, I dare you, next time you go to a grocery store, farmers market, or even your local farm, watch as children, grandparents, students, and mothers smile when they see their favorite fruit sitting, awaiting to be eaten by consumers of all ages. Through my research, it is only evident that strawberries are loved by all people and have made their way to be known as the sunshine, summer, red, juicy, sweet fruit that is bought by consumers everywhere. Next time you dream of fruit villains, remember, maybe they aren’t so bad after all.

Processed Nation: A Manifesto

Photo Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_X1U05QLzurA/TAu7SdBwYNI/AAAAAAAAAws/Cju0eHdCajU/s1600/processed

It was about six-thirty nighttime when my stomach felt empty and let out an obnoxious roar. This daily occurrence was no surprise that it has even become an alarm for a specific time; dinner time. Right away, I head over to the cafeteria anxiously anticipating what the people of Sodexo had whipped up at the cafeteria. I walk up to the show area and check out my choices for dinner. My options included: orange chicken with white rice, Chicken Alfredo pasta, grilled chicken and brown rice, three different types of pizza, sushi, cheeseburgers, grilled cheese and French fries, ice cream, cookies, cupcakes, salad drenched in Caesar dressing, and the endless sandwich and salad bar. The sight was overwhelming. There were so many options, yet I could not choose which one I wanted. Did I want meat? Did I want to try and eat healthy? Did I want dessert? The options were endless and I realized I could not decide what it was that my stomach was growling for. My mind raced as the Aphorisms of the Professor began to run through my mind. I walked around the cafeteria feeling lost, like the Israelites lost in the desert, searching for my dinner. I wanted to grab every plate of processed, fatty and unhealthy food, being my college student self, until this aphorism ran through my mind: “Men who stuff themselves and grow tipsy know neither how to eat nor how to drink.” From Jean Barillat-Savarin thoughts, I’ve come to realize that people, such as college students, don’t only eat unhealthy because they want to, but because they have no choice but to. American fast food restaurants and college cafeterias have affected society’s unhealthy choices of eating. This manifesto is a cry to all college students and mothers, because we are the ones who are infecting the younger generations and ourselves as the future leaders with our vicious processed-food eating ways.
I contemplated on how this aphorism applied to my life, but most importantly, the life of a college student. I chewed on every word and realized that it is our God-given ability to eat food. Not only are we supposed to eat, but we have to in order to survive. Moliere quotes, “One should eat to live, and not live to eat.” In our culture today, eating has surpassed the typical three healthy home-cooked meals a day. We live in a world where bigger is better and in order to be with the in-crowd a person needs a big house, a big bank account, a big dog, and the biggest SUV on the lot. Everything seems to be better when it is bigger, and the more we have the better off we are. But, here’s a new thought: bigger is not always better. America has distorted this once innocent thought. There is such thing as having too much, at least, when it comes to food and drink portions.

Photo Credit: http://www.StrangeCosmos.com

America is known for having the fattest people in the world, said bluntly, but it’s the truth. Statistics say that about sixty-five percent of Americans are considered overweight. A person is considered overweight based upon their BMI (Body Mass Index). An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 percent is considered to be overweight. Not only is obesity a serious factor, but being overweight can also lead to heart disease , diabetes , and colon cancer . This is a serious and increasing problem in the United States. Producers are feeding consumers with excess calories. Often times, people do not even realize how much they are eating and drinking, because portion sizes are normally so large, many people think they are eating an average sized meal. Additionally, the U.S. consumes sugary drinks that add to calorie consumption. Also, the average can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar and 150 calories. Even college athletic teams are sponsored and served so-called “athletically enhancing” drinks such as Gatorade, Powerade, Propel and Vitamin Water, making it seem as though they are increasing an athlete’s performance, when in reality, all these drinks are full of sugar and most-likely hurting the person if anything. The average Gatorade (32 oz.) cost $1 on sale at Ralphs. In the 32 oz. of Gatorade, there are 200 calories and 14g of sugar. Americans are paying for “enhancers” when they are just drinking their calories and pockets away.

This picture shows how portion sizes have drastically escalated since the 1950’s

Photo Credit: http://www.touchbroward.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/TheNewAbnormal.jpg

Furthermore, another major problem where portion control comes from is within restaurants. America’s restaurants serve bigger portions compared to any other country. A U.S. McDonald’s happy meal is the size of an adult meal in every other country in the world. Soft drinks are coming in larger cups in order to attract consumers, tricking them into paying more for harmful and toxic drinks. Sit down restaurants are promoting their new attraction of “endless French fries” and every Mexican restaurant serves endless chips and salsa before anyone’s meal is even put on the table. Americans today are basically eating and drinking their lives away, and it is time to put a stop to it.
From San Francisco to the most Eastern point of the U.S., there is a distance of 3,452 miles. Statistics say that there are 160,000 fast food restaurants in America. When you do the math, that is an average of 46.35 restaurants per mile of America from the west to the east. Statistics also say that 50 million Americans are served fast food daily. If there are 314 million people in the U.S., that means one in every six Americans are stuffing themselves with processed, fatty food on a dialy basis. According to an ABC News report, “fewer than two in 10 Americans get the recommended levels of exercise, and more than a quarter of U.S. adults do not devote any time to physical activity.” This is an all-out crisis. Americans need to realize that if they want to live a long life, something is going to have to change.
As a college student, I am trying to figure the way out of this bottomless pit. Students may joke about “Freshmen 15,” but it is a serious topic. Students are not raised eating healthy, and it carries out into their college lifestyle when students have the freedom to make their own eating choices. It is already hard to eat healthy when your one option is the cafeteria, and between going out with friends and stress-eating through classes, college students have a difficult time maintiang their weight. In my life, I have always struggled to eat healthy. I grew up with three brothers and would watch them eat fatty, processed foods in enormous proportions, but they were boys who would tend to burn off more of the calories they consumed. I have also been an athlete all of my life so once I was old enough to start realizing nutritional information, I began to stray from my family’s eating habits and turned to healthier foods and always tried to add multiple servings of fruits and vegetables to all of my meals. Although, this is where my eating habits began to surface again when I came to college because I was not the one preparing my food all of the time. This is additionally an area where many college students such as me tend to struggle.

This graph shows expenditures of the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Japan

Photo Credit: http://www.bls.gov/opub/focus/volume2_number16/cex_2_16.htm

Though I would love to go out and eat healthy, organic food, my only option I have is to eat at the cafeteria for most of my meals. If a student lives on campus, it is mandatory to purchase an on-campus meal plan. Not only that, but each student is forced to pay the same amount of money, regardless of how many meals a student receives a week, because the school compensates by giving more on-campus restaurant money, rather than having more meals throughout the week to students who decide to do so. The cafeteria is a dangerous place because it is set-up buffet style, so students are allowed to grab as many plates as they can stuff themselves with. I was sitting at the cafeteria the other day when one of my friends complained how full they were, but then they kept eating. I asked them why the kept eating if they were full and they responded by saying that they felt bad for putting a barely-touched plate on the dish rack because they felt bad for wasting food. The cafeteria should issue a type of “panther bucks” system where students can pay per plate, instead of paying an average of $12 for a buffet each and every meal. The cafeteria is serving portion sizes that already too large, and then students feel bad if they do not finish it all. That is not even the biggest problem. A lot of students at Chapman do not have cars; therefore they have no way of accessing outside food sources easily. Also, a big challenge is that most students are on tight budgets. Although a salad may be the healthy choice, it is going to cost a lot more for a salad than hamburgers on the dollar menu at McDonald’s.
The food company running college cafeteria’s needs to revise the meal choices they give to students. Government funds should be given to colleges in order to enhance college cafeterias and make more healthy choices. It may seem like a burden to add more tax money spent on something, but if America’s tax dollars were invested in health, health insurance, hospital bills, etc. would be at lower costs. Besides, you can’t put a price on someone’s health. We are each given one life to live, so why not make it as long as possible? The cafeteria causes a lot of problems for students, especially with difficult hours; it is sometimes hard to get a decent meal. In particular in my case, I have practice often at night and do not have free time during the cafeteria hours to get dinner. I know some of my teammates resort to microwavable pre-prepared food because that is their only option. The food is completely processed and gives no nutritional value. The foods also have a lot of preservative because they are pre-made. Sometimes Pop Tarts, Easy Mac, Hot Pockets, and Top Ramen are not going to cut it. Especially because college students stay up late hours studying, they need the extra nutritional value to give them energy and supply the brain with good nutrition in order to keep working late. The cafeteria needs to stay open later. I asked students what they think about the cafeteria hours, and a female freshman responded by saying, “I think the caf should be open a lot later than it is now. Sometimes I get hungry later in the night or have meetings to go to, but the caf has already closed. I think for the amount of money we pay, we should be able to have more flexible hours in order to use all of our meals for the week.”
Clearly there are many areas in which America can make solutions to unhealthy eating habits. For starters, the government should implement Health classes starting in Elementary School, where students are taught how to read nutrition facts and have mandatory exercise times during school hours. The classes should be enforced throughout Middle School and High School. It would allow children to understand healthy choices from a healthy age, and hopefully bring helpful information home to their families. All cafeterias should be forced to give detailed nutritional information. Additionally, restaurants should have smaller portions, and not be allowed to give out unlimited food items. Packaged products should list the total amount of calories, without having to multiply the serving sizes, in order to erase any confusion, or be forced to make packages small enough to fit the suggested serving size. Finally, students should have nutritionist on all campuses in order to have helpful information ready at hand. If these ideas were implemented, this generation would be headed in the right direction.
As one can see, the eating habits of a college student have become very difficult. America is already headed in a poor direction with today’s health problems, and the eating habits of future generations are becoming more and more problematic. Through the various diseases that come alongside poor eating habits come great problems. Between the portion sizes at restaurants and the numerous and toxic additives added in foods, it is nearly impossible to find wholesome food these days. This is why cafeterias need to adapt to healthier foods, and have more options while expanding their hours in order to provide for the busy lifestyle of college students. There are great steps in order to be made in order to the save the younger generations from following a dangerous path headed towards disaster for the human race.

Merry Ribsmas: A Family Recipe

Photo Credit: http://teamhess.blogspot.com/2011/07/recipe-barbecue-ribs-in-crock-pot.html

The fire burns bright as red, orange and yellow flares of color light the fireplace. The stockings hang with perfectly hand stitched embroidered names as they hang loosely off each shining silver tack. Grey charcoaled embers fly into the air as the harsh sound of cackling firewood burning contrasts the quietness of the crisp cold morning air. Presents covered the entire floor as all there was to see was the fresh, pine Christmas tree standing tall in the corner of the room. Its red tree skirt resembled Santa’s red suit, and the angel at the top gave off a peaceful ambiance. The ornaments gleamed as each one awakened an old memory of my childhood and the color changing lights danced along each tree branch. I walked down the stairs as my warm feet screamed every time I took a step down the frozen wooden staircase. I looked down at my new fleece Christmas pajamas that my mom had given me the night before on Christmas Eve, a Johnson family tradition. The thought of Christmas made me smile and I realized today was the day; It was Christmas morning.
Christmas morning in the Johnson residence means only one thing: food. Not just any food, but my grandpa’s baby back ribs. Growing up, I remember the day I embraced this dish as it became more than just a Christmas special at dinner. One Christmas, I asked my mom to let me go to my grandpa’s house early just to help him prepare the Christmas Day dinner. I was only ten, but yet zealous as ever to embark on a new hobby. I had my mom drive me to their house right after I opened my presents. I jumped down from the car and once my feet were secure on the ground, I looked up and saw my grandparents waiting for me at the door step. They were all smiles, elated to embark on more memories as they deeply cherish every moment we have together. I remember running into their arms, being embraced first by my grandpa’s tight grip, feeling as though I was hugging a life-sized teddy bear. My grandpa always smelled of after shave and freshly washed clothes. His typical plain grey shirt, dark denim Levi’s and old-school white Nike’s made me feel a sense of contentment. His laundry detergent smelt of fresh lilacs, and his white glistening hair shimmered in the sun as he hugged me. I could see his big blue eyes peering down through his thick glasses, pleased to welcome his little girl into the culinary world. I knew this was the day he had been waiting for, and here it was.
My grandpa had a strong pull towards barbequing ribs; he originally learned how to cook ribs from his father. My great grandpa was raised in the south so he always loved to barbeque. He is the one who started the tradition where he taught my grandpa how to cook them, making them every Christmas morning. Although it is noted that barbequing ribs originated in Asia, it has been quickly adapted in the Northern America culture. Although in America ribs are mainly cooked with BBQ sauce, the Asian cultures make a sauce out of soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, whiskey, garlic powder and pepper. In the Spanish culture, ribs are made with green chilies, garlic, salt, cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, tomatoes, jalapeños, brown sugar, red wine vinegar and lime juice. The same meat is always used, but the flavoring is very different. The meat of baby back ribs is taken from the top of the rib cage between the spin and the spare ribs, below the loin muscle. Luckily, ribs are a common dish around the world and can easily be found in any meat section of a grocery store. Ribs can be cooked with hundreds of BBQ sauces. But, the way my grandpa cooks them is special.
We walked into their house and quickly made the kitchen into our workshop. Grandpa had just gone to the store in order to make sure every ingredient was fresh. He even brought out a special pink stool with hand painted roses on it so I could see all the food over the towering granite countertop. He read me the directions step by step and I would follow every word he said as he helped me along the way. With every step I accomplished, I felt a sense of pride as I knew I was now memorizing the family secrets to delicious baby back ribs. Although there are different types of ribs to cook, my grandpa chooses to cook baby back ribs. After I had prepared the ribs, we put them in the oven and I stepped off my stool, feeling as though it was Christmas Eve waiting for Christmas to come again, but I was not waiting for mere presents this time, but I was waiting for grandpa’s ribs. I remember continuously turning the oven light on to peer through the smogged oven glass looking at our masterpiece. I was so excited I could hardly contain myself. I counted down simultaneously with the timer hoping to hear its obnoxious beep sound off, knowing that my wait was finally over. I sat and I sat, but then grandpa pulled out his cards to help me take my mind off the succulent ribs. He always knew how to keep me busy, because he prided himself on never wasting time. He knew my favorite card game, and dealt the cards, and asked me, “Got any four’s?” I did not, so I smiled at him with an enormous grin, proud that I did not have to hand over any of my cards and said, “Go Fish.” We played game after game and I soon forgot about what was awaiting me in the oven. But, then, in the middle of a game, the buzzer alarmed us both as the wait was finally over. I sprinted to the oven and opened the door. Thick steam came out and I remember after the smog disappeared I saw them there, the ribs were finally done. My grandpa pulled them from the oven and let me put the final coat of tangy BBQ sauce over the top. I brushed the BBQ sauce on like an artist, making my dish complete.
Relatives soon piled in and grandpa said his prayer before dinner and we all lined up to go divulge in the feast of all feasts. I remember the only thing I put on my plate was the ribs, although there were plenty of tasty side dishes to choose from. I was too excited to wait in line for anything else. I sat down, picked up a bone off my Christmas plate and bit into the ribs. My teeth sunk into the meat as the meat peeled right off the bone. The organic spices intensified in my mouth, feeling as though every time I chewed I tasted parts of the earth. Then, the best part, the after taste of sweet and smoky BBQ sauce made me delighted as I knew my day in the kitchen with grandpa was well worth it and just as sweet as the sauce. I filled my stomach with ribs, and then gave the bones to my grandparent’s dog. It was my other favorite part about the ribs because I always thought the dog deserved some Christmas gifts too.
I remember looking up at my uncle and noticed he had been eating the ribs too. This was the first time he had ever eaten the ribs, and being young, I had convinced myself he was only eating them because I made them, but, the true reason had been because he is originally from Morocco, where the main religion is Muslim. Until he converted to Christianity that year, it was against his religion to eat baby back ribs. In fact, it is against other religions, such as the Jewish religion to consume pork (ribs). In the Jewish book, The Bible, and Muslim book, The Qur’an, it is against the law to consume pork (ribs). In the Bible, Deuteronomy 14:8 quotes, “And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch.” Jewish people are supposed to eat “kosher” foods which are “cleaner foods.” If a meat is derived from an animal which has a split hoof, but does not chew its cud, the meat of the animal is considered “non-kosher.” In the Qur’an, it quotes in 2:173, “He has made unlawful for you that which dies of itself and blood and the flesh of swine and that on which the name of any other than Allah has been invoked.” The same rule applies for Muslims, if an animal has a split hoof, but does not chew its own cud, then it is against the law to consume it. Sometimes I still tell myself I’m the reason he eats them, but that just my own little secret.
To this day, I go to my grandpa’s house every Christmas before anyone else to help him make his signature ribs. The only difference from now and then is that I do not need the stool in order to see the kitchen counter. But, nothing else has changed. I still embrace his bear hugs every time I get out of the car, and he still wears his lilac scented clothes and comforting after shave. We play cards to forget about the delicacy waiting in the oven. Maybe the reason I love those baby back ribs is not because of the ribs anymore, in fact, it probably has nothing to do with the actual food. I think the scent of the fresh grounded seasonings and sweet and tangy BBQ sauce brings back those moments of me as a ten year old. The aroma of fresh meat cooking in the oven reminds me of my childhood. Ribs are no longer just ribs in my mind; they are what deepened my relationship with my grandpa. It is what I look forward to no matter how many amazing gifts I open on Christmas morning.
Ingredients:
4 pounds baby back pork ribs
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon red fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 and ½ cup Tony Roma’s barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Measure and mix together kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, red fresh ground pepper and brown sugar
3. Take ribs out of plastic wrapping
4. Place ribs on a cutting board
5. Apply seasonings on the ribs, flip rack over and repeat
6. Add 4 cups of water to bottom of the broiling pan
7. Place ribs on broiling pan with fatty side up
8. Place ribs in the oven after heated
9. Cook ribs for four hours
10. Take ribs out of oven, flip ribs over and brush barbeque sauce on meat side of the ribs
11. Put rubs back in over at 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 minutes
12. Pull ribs out of oven and check temperature to see if meat reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit
13. Cut ribs and serve

So, here I am

Photo Credit: http://foodchow.tumblr.com/

I frantically reach for my books and backpack as I leave my first class of the second semester. I walk out the door as a gust of chill air reaches down my spine. I grab my scarf and begin taking long strides as I know I have ten minutes to get to class. I think about my next class and its title: “Writing about Food.” I couldn’t even comprehend what my awaiting class title had meant. I had question after question pound through my mind as I thought what I might do in “Writing about Food.” I continued to walk and I eventually reached the spiral, stone staircase of Argyros Forum. I climb step after step, focused on getting to my class on time. My heart pounds simultaneously with every jolt of energy as I climb up each stair, thinking about walking into my first day of class. I felt a nervous feeling, that feeling that only comes around on the first day of a new semester. The feeling was indifferent, as I felt excited, anxious and nervous all at the same time. Once I get to the top of the stairs, I searched for the numbers “206” along the classroom doors, as I know this will be the dwelling place of my writing stories for the rest of the semester. I repeated each class room number in the back of my head, as I felt as though I would never find my class, but, my doubt was soon erased as I read the number two hundred and six and glared at my schedule as I found my match. Then, I reach for the gleaming silver handle as I peer through the rectangular glass to my new home of writing, and this is where my journey of blogging about food begins.
I sat in class and began to ask myself, “What am I going to write about in this class?” I thought about food, and to me, it seemed pretty simple. I have been eating food since I can remember, and clearly this class applies to me. The lectures about my Intro to Food Science class from the prior semester began to resound through my mind as I thought that there has to be some correlation. I thought about how often people, including me eat; I felt as though my writing topics could be endless. Food is unique in our society. In a funny way, it brings people together more than anything else in the world. Food is what we revolve our holidays, birthdays, gatherings, and many other things around. There is not a Thanksgiving where we don’t talk about the turkey and stuffing, or a Christmas that we don’t talk about the cookies we left for Santa. There is not a single day that goes by without eating, or a meal that is not shared with great conversation. I began to find a strong liking for this class and realized that is my chance to write about a topic that is so vital to every human being throughout the world seemed intriguing.
Although I began to feel the excitement for this class, parts of it also scared me. I looked at the calendar for the semester and I realized that there is a lot more to food than I thought. The syllabus haunted me reading the countless assignments of food writing. I read the word “manifesto,” and questions already popped into my head as I didn’t even know what the word “manifesto” meant. My eyes flashed to the assignments including research and interviews. My heart sank a little at the thought of going to places I had never been and having to ask someone I don’t know questions. Also, I know writing takes a lot of time, so this is a class that I will need to put a lot of effort into in order to perfect my writing skills. But, at the same time I was ready for a challenge in order to better me as a writer. I began to imagine where I would be in 15 weeks and I see myself more educated about what I, and others eat. I think the world of food is a lot vaster than I know, and I cannot wait for my view on food to be expanded.