Post 1: My favorite pieces of literature I read for this class was Pete Wells’ article titled “As Not Seen on TV” discussing Guy Fieri’s new restaurant in Times Square and the “Elemental Odes”, specifically the “Ode to Tomato”, by Pablo Neruda. The Fieri article was my favorite bit of assigned reading because of its humorous and sarcastic nature, mixed with the short paragraphs that allow the article to read as if the author is doing a comedy routine. This article began to expand my view on writing and show me that the way I revised my writing to look would affect the way it was read. Pablo Neruda’s “Elemental Odes” was my favorite reading that was not assigned, although it was suggested to me by Thea, it quickly became my favorite selection of reading I had read all year. Reading these odes helped me not only analyze the genre of poetry, but it helped me create poetry in a way that I had never done before.

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Post 2: When I started this course, I thought that the rhetoric of food were the words used around cooking and eating food. Coming to the end of this course I have learned that the rhetoric of food is much more than that. The rhetoric of food describes the way we understand, express, and experience food and all its constituencies. We use the rhetoric of food to analyze not only what the author is saying, but who the author is, where they are coming from, what they are trying to portray, and how they are trying to portray it. Instead of simply describing food itself, the rhetoric of food is the entire combination of all these elements into texts to then express points the author is trying to make about society and culture. I have learned that the rhetoric of food is as much about understanding the text meaning and depth as it is the literal words that the author uses to describe food.

Salad

Chop, slice, dice, mix

So many wonderful vegetables in the midst

Tomato creeps in, hiding in mystery

He’s been there for years, relying on history

Who knows if he belongs, but he sure fits in

Nothing wrong with a tomato, so free of sin

Croutons enter and the gang goes cold

Adding bread to the group seems a decision so bold

What will he do with little nutritious value?

He says he shall add crunch and they respond, “Shall you?”

A consensus arrives and the bread is evicted

Too many strangers and the world will change

At least that what the gods predicted

So they try to add chicken, free range

The chicken blends well, although not of the kind

The vegetables agree with him, they don’t seem to mind

Turning their creation into a full-blown meal

That’s all the chicken does, and at least it’s not veal

Perhaps a cooked salmon, could strive to intertwine

But definitely no other bird or beast, especially swine

Spinach and lettuce, are the kings of the bowl

Looking to tomatoes and cucumbers to play their role

Carrots and red onions, thinly they were sliced

Just sticking to the leaders, glued to them like tasty lice

Still they feel uncomfortable, maybe a new friend?

Perhaps a pineapple or a mango, peaking out the bend

No! The soldiers yell, you will not invade today!

You are not of our kind, with your own you should play

The tomato sits aside, biting back a fiery verse

But he will simply watch, for being on the other side is worse

The fruits do not take him, do not play with him as their own

So he has been exiled to the vegetables, destined to be alone

But the plight of the tomato could always be much worse

He could be on the potato level of the curse

The potato was banished, so he left his friends to be alone

Only among eggs and mayonnaise, did he find a home

Vegetables did not look at him, or even acknowledge him as their own

They treated him like a dog to whom they never threw a bone

The veggies of course, did not worry, except about themselves

Back they looked, for other friends were coming from the shelves

A pair of friends arrive, asking for a talk

They seem to be salt and pepper, hand in hand they walk

One is quite charming, and the other a following little brother

How could they accept one and not accept the other?

After a few moments, the deal seems very clear

Pepper will not join, unless salt also stays here

Begrudgingly, vegetables agree, they see what they must do

And so it was that salt and pepper, were thrown away like poo

Still they remained naked, not a covering in sight

But alas in the distance, some cheese has taken flight

Its heading straight for them, not a single place to hide

But then a quite large figure appears right by their side

It thwarts away the cheese, breaks it as easily as a branch

But who was it that saved them, you guessed it, it was ranch!

They were thrilled to see that they were saved, and more excited for their friend

As they hugged the wait was over, they now all waited for THE END.

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Meats

Steak, grill, fry, or bake

Feed it grass let it drink from the lake

Cow so mean, make the meat all lean

Pair it with a side of taters and green beans

Well done, go home, medium is the max

Medium-rare the king, everyone else just jacks

Cook it rare if you’re crazy, or just like the blood

But at that point just kill it, and eat straight out the mud

Hunter or gatherer, we all love steak

Disregard whatever the vegetarians think

Eating seafood makes me want to step on a rake

If the vegans had their way I’d never see that perfect pink

Right when I cut in I can tell right away

“Yes its good waiter, now leave so I can play”

And by play I mean eat, like I’m Zeke on the ball

If I can’t eat steak, what’s the point of eating at all?

Chicken, finger lickin’ good, no KFC

But you can see me eating that fowl luxury

Delicious and simple, my type of meat

One of the only birds that can’t leave its feet

Like its cousin turkey, but he’s for feasts

Chicken is so versatile it can feed any beasts

Bread it, cook it, fill it with parm

Or fry it dip it, and let the sauce run on your arm

Buy it alive, dead, or cooked & season how you want

Preparation so easy, I spend more time trying to choose a font

Nuggets of all kinds

Dino, standard, starred, all with fires

Ketchup on the side, give it a smooth dunk

Anyone who hates it probably eats junk

Eat a burger, then another one

‘Cause a burger is the most delicious that is on a bun

All the fixings, every single one

And if you miss my hot sauce then you better go and run

1 patty, 2 patty, all the way to 3

3 third pound patties means a pound of meat for me

Slice it up, onions and tomatoes

Even throw the jalapenos for the extra flavors

Leaf of lettuce, fluff it up real nice

Butter top and bottom bun, and then you do it twice

Sesame, that’s what type of seed

We put it on the bun of the food that you really need

Not just want, you can’t live without it

With burgers all up in your mouth, heaven’s here, we found it

Dripping out, there’s a little sauce

Let it drip and show the world you really are a boss

‘Cause you eating, grass fed burger meat

Healthy cows make healthy beef… that’s a treat!

Let’s take your average sausage

And we’ll put it in a bun

And just so it gets the message

It’ll be surrounded so it can’t run

Because it will get lonely

In the bun all by itself

We will add some cheese not only

For happiness but also good health

Jalapenos should be added too, for a little spice

This is not your average breakfast, in fact its twice as nice

A simple food makes little trouble sitting in the freezer

Heat it up, you have yourself an entire full meal teaser

Although its cousin from Chicago will say it’s the best

Its sweet bread and savory juices make kolaches far above the rest

If you don’t know what I’m saying, you must give it a try

You will see kolaches are made for everyone, even you and I

All these delicious meats, they are a family to me

From steak to chicken to burgers, and even to kolaches

They should all be eaten, once and then again

For meats make the world go around 10 days out of 10

I hope that you have learned a bit about my love for meats

Some people like candy, but I like my salty flavored treats

They make me feel secure, and build me up so strong

If you don’t like meats, I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.

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Snow

How can you be described, when you are a part of so much

Surrounding all of us, covering almost everything we touch

Your solid grip preserves what is far and what is near

With you covering it we can leave it out with no fear

Occasionally you don’t know your strength and are added to excess

But then we try to shovel you off, maybe add some to the rest

You slide off noses and fingertips, dripping to the ground

You can also be found on tables, usually in a mound

You have a twin who looks like you, but is about 10x more sweet

To mix you up would be a disaster akin to losing an entire fleet

I prefer your taste on most my foods, regardless of what they are

I will even find you lining glasses at a margarita bar

Since time has started you have been integral to life

If I had no love for women, I’m sure you would be my wife

Some will say that they don’t like you, which is only their own fault

I for one, will always favor you, the lord of spices: salt.

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Angel

As I stood, I saw her floating, hair blowing in the wind

Something about her golden locks make me feel like I have sinned

It must be wrong to love her so, this beauty that is mine

But it was me who made her grow, to curly from a line

I cared so much I sprinkled her, with her favorite crystal gems

Though she never called me sir, she is the flower to my stems

She gives me strength to run and jump, and conquer all my fears

And with her friends she stands alone, superior to her peers

If I could, I would consume her every night and every day

Unfortunately for me, I care how much I weigh

In my eyes she’s best naked, except a little butter

Too much sauce and she begins to taste like any other

Although her siblings may do best with a lot of cheese

Her graciousness deserves only to be worshipped on the knee

Her presence is a miracle, especially here on earth

Even Benjamin Button would eat her every day from death till birth

Across the entire world, even Italians can’t compare

By far the superior pasta is the gorgeous angel hair.

Poetry is a very broad genre. There are many different styles of poetry from short, non-rhyming poems such as haiku, to long, in-depth poems that contain an explicit rhyme scheme. Despite all the differences between poems, they all serve the purpose to express an idea using a more creative approach than to simply write about it. Poetry is used to express an idea while also being constrained to a specific type of format where the lines are usually shorter and the words are read more fluidly. I usually think of poetry as a more fluid and smooth way to write, but that may be since I usually think of poetry as rhyming. How do others perceive poetry? (In terms of fluidity of reading;  is it choppier than paragraphs, or does it flow more smoothly?)

Although there are very few things that would be considered an “always” characteristic for poetry, in this case, there will always be at least one stanza, and the subject will always be relating to food. Sometimes poems will rhyme, however in the case of my texts, there is only 1 poem that explicitly rhymes consistently, and only 1-2 more that even contain some sort of rhymes.

My sources provide examples from all ends of the poetry genre, from a haiku to a rap song, I have tried to encompass the entire genre of poetry through my examples. Is it too broad to have such a difference in all my sources, from a poem about chocolate milk, to a translated poem about tomatoes from a Nobel Prize winner? I believe that I can tie together these examples into a cohesive essay discussing the entire poetry genre and its similarities while noticing the differences. For example, while at first glance two poems may look very different, the purpose of intent of two poems, whose structures are completely different, may turn out to be very similar. That is what I am planning to do with these examples:

Coolness Of The Melons – Matsuo Basho

Express – Lupe Fiasco

Ode To Tomatoes – Pablo Neruda

Arabic Coffee – Naomi Shihab Nye

Chocolate Milk – Ron Padgett

Sharma, C. P. “Food.” PoemHunter.com. C.P. Sharma, 31 Jan. 2009. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/food-16/>.

I chose the poem “Food” by C.P. Sharma for my mentor text because of its simplistic and clear poetry pattern. Using a simple pattern of a single couplet per stanza, Sharma is able to express all different important aspects of food. From its natural production on planet Earth, to the way it fuels our bodies to allow us to thrive. The way Sharma describes food is not mundane or systematic, but instead is very fluid and gentle in nature. Her couplets each provide unique and exclusive aspects of the importance of food, of sustenance, and nature as a whole. She connects the way that the Earth produces food and the way that living beings consume it in a symmetrical fashion, showing us the natural connectivity between nature and living beings. Her purpose of the poem is to express a deep seeded appreciation not only for Earth and its plentiful gifts of food, but also to our own selves to be able to utilize these gifts in such an incredible fashion. She is able to get this message across most effectively through poetry because of her utilization of couplets as stanzas: while her points are individually quite simple, they are glorified and individualized with a separate stanza for each one.

This text serves as an excellent mentor text because of its simplistic and aesthetically pleasing form. With its simple rhyme scheme of AA, BB, CC, etc, Sharma provides us with many interlocking ideas combined in a fashion that anybody could attempt to copy. While other poems may be able to portray more complex messages through advanced rhyme schemes, the effectiveness of this poem as a mentor text comes from its ability to give beautiful and insightful points about nature and food in an easily followed fashion. Mentor texts are texts that define the genre well and yet are simple enough to look at as a base for learning and understanding the genre, which is exactly what I feel that Sharma has created with “Food”.

My topic discusses how immigration into the United States, and the subsequent ‘foodways’ that came with it, affect  not only of food in the United States, but the overall culture as well. Foodways (as defined by this article) are the preferred foods and circumstances of eating of immigrant groups. Essentially I will be discussing how the food culture in America is shaped by the food cultures that have migrated here from around the world. This topic is especially important to me because both of my parents were immigrants to America and because of this, I grew up in a different culture than many of my American friends.

At this moment, I have tentatively selected Italian, Irish, and Jewish immigrants to focus on as examples. Should I change these or add any other immigrant groups? I found this excellent source written by Hasia R. Diner for all three of those immigrant groups together, as well as a handful more examples for each. However, I am still unsure if these are the immigrant groups that I want to focus on for my examples.

My idea at the moment is to discuss how each of these different groups affected the United States culture over time. I would like to have some sort of chronological organization to the annotated bibliography. However, as I delve farther into my research, I have started noticing that the timelines are not laying out as smoothly as I had hoped. I may have to switch up my plan and start organizing by group since the timelines tend to be spread out and overlap.

 

My research has been slow but steady over the past 2 weeks. I have narrowed myself down to focusing on the different kinds of foods that made it to America because of immigrants. I have found a few articles online discussing the significance of specific foods brought over by immigrant’s groups, specifically one in particular that labeled these foods as “Foodways” (http://immigrationtounitedstates.org/504-foodways.html). I have been using google, and the online UT library database, but I am having trouble finding articles particularly about how the immigrant food then affects U.S. culture. What phrases could help me narrow down my research to a more specific idea? My citation organization has been much more up to par than I originally anticipated with a simple word document that I continue to fill with citations as I find more texts. At the moment, I have several different texts, but I am nervous as to how much relevant content I can pull from them. For example, one article with a title that contains “…Knowing ‘Good Food’ Immigrant Knowledge…” is actually a very short news story related to farming and healthy foods and has little to do with immigrants (http://search.proquest.com/docview/1628003976?pq-origsite=summon). Overall, I think at this point I simply need to find more material that aligns specifically with historical immigrants bringing over their own foods and cultures to America. Most of my research is coming from more present day articles and books, but to really delve into my topic, I need to find some more historical texts to reference.

Chili-Lime Chicken

This is a wonderful, tasty, dish that is easy to make and only takes about 20-30 minutes to cook. It is my own spin on a common dish; chili-lime chicken. I chose this dish because all the ingredients are either common or cheap, making it the perfect meal for any college student. I added a kick to it to spice things up, as well as giving the chicken an assortment of vegetables. (Serve with vegetables for a healthy meal, or just use the marinade for a delicious piece of meat).

Serves: 2

 

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken

Marinade:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 ½ tsp Chili Powder

½ tsp Cumin

¾ tsp Salt/Pepper

2 tbsp. Lime Juice (Optional: 1 Lime Zest)

1 tsp Cilantro

½ tsp Garlic Powder

½ tsp Onion Powder

Other:

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tsp Chili Powder

½ tsp Salt/Pepper

2 Bell Peppers (Sliced)

¾ Onion (Sliced)

Optional: 2 Jalapenos (Sliced)

 

Instructions

1. Mix the marinade together and coat the chicken
   1. Let sit for at least 30 minutes
2. Heat the pan to Medium/High heat & add 1 tbsp. Olive Oil
3. Put coated chicken on pan for 5-7 minutes covered
4. Season vegetables with remaining chili powder, salt, and pepper
5. Add the remaining olive oil & the vegetables and flip the chicken
   1. Cook 5-7 minutes covered
6. Remove from heat once the chicken and vegetables are fully cooked.
7. Serve immediately or refrigerate, Enjoy!

The genre of recipes is designed for people to share their knowledge and love of food with others. Although throughout the genre there are certain conventions that are followed, recipes are written in a variety of ways from a wide variety of authors and circumstances. For example, the book Good and Cheap by Leanna Brown, was written to give people the ability to eat healthy, tasty meals for under $5 a meal. Because of the economic downturn during this time of 2013 when this book was written, Leanna Brown caters specifically to a working-class audience or to anyone watching their money with the low prices of the ingredients. She maintains the same structure as most recipes (introduction, ingredients, cooking times, etc.), yet the premise of the cheap ingredients is what sets her apart.

Another important way that authors of recipes make themselves unique is through the commentary and descriptions that are given either in the introduction or in the steps of making the recipe. For example, in the recipe for “All Purpose Chili Lime Chicken” from Carlsbad Cravings, The author, “Jen”, shows her personality through phrases such as “A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!” and “until golden deliciousness is achieved”. These phrases are not phrases that are necessary to have in the recipe, yet from the amount of positive comments, the audience for this recipe loves the personality. Another example of this is through the historical background about Pesto by Hazan. Instead of showing his personality in the descriptions of the dish, Hazan describes the history of this dish, going in depth about its importance in Italian culture. Instead of cultivating a friendly environment for the audience as in the Chili Lime Chicken example, Hazan is stressing the cultural and historical themes that pesto has throughout Italy. He even talks about how certain chefs do not consider the dish “pesto” unless it is made with a mortar and pestle.

While these characteristics show the variety of purposes, authors, and audiences of recipes, all recipes have the same general structure. The recipe for Dunlop’s Gong Bao Chicken has a very generic and universal structure. It has an introduction to the dish, then the serving size as well as a list of ingredients and amounts, finally concluding with a step by step instruction manual on how to cook the dish. This recipe even has a picture of it in the beginning which is another very popular convention in the recipe genre. This Gong Bao Chicken recipe is a great example of a generic recipe layout that can be used by anyone and fitted to any recipe.

Despite the differences that recipes have, whether it be different authors, environments, or purposes, all recipes still have a similar structure and an overall similar goal: sharing the love of food with others.