Author: rdp935

Texts

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We’ve read some interesting “texts” this semester. My favorite assigned text for the semester was Chapter 5 from the Adler reading earlier in the semester. There was a unique sense of authenticity in Adler’s writing that I really identified with. As someone who loves cooking, the asides about having too many wooden spoons and using your microwave as a bookshelf were great. Adler’s text appeals to people like me, avid cookers.

Outside of our required readings, I had the pleasure of discovering some great texts this semester on my own. My favorite of these readings was probably Austin Eater’s 38 Essential Restaurants, Fall 2016. I love the interactive nature of this text. It allows readers to engage with the text all while delivering relevant information in a convenient manner.

The Rhetoric of Food

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I began my rhetoric of food journey without a map. I signed up for the course because I love food and I generally like writing. After looking at the syllabus, I figured we’d be learning how to effectively critique food, food writing, cookbooks, food blogs, so on and so forth. Of course I was wrong, and thankfully so. I’ve come to understand how food can be an entry point into larger talking points like power, politics, history, conflicts, and so much more.

Food goes far beyond satiating hunger. It defines cultures. It brings people together. It can pull people apart. The rhetoric of food helps us understand food’s connection to our world and how other people view it through different lenses. Who is talking, what they’re talking about, and who they’re talking to all have major impacts on writing on both sides of the spectrum. As a reader, one must be conscious of who the author of a text is and whether or not they are a qualified speaker. As a writer, one must be aware of who he or she is speaking to.

THE GUAC RECIPE I NEVER GAVE YOU OUR FRESHMEN YEAR

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It’s been two years now since my freshmen year, and what a two years it’s been. Many things have changed, but one thing has remained a constant throughout my time in college — all of my closest friends have asked me for my guacamole recipe at one point or another.

In two years from now, we’ll all be out in the real world living totally different lives than the ones we live today. I’ve definitely had my fair share of memories in college, but there’s one in particular that always comes back to me when I think about my time in Austin. On Sunday nights in the spring of freshmen year, my friends and I would pile on to my cheap couch to watch our favorite show (Hint: This recipe was almost titled “Guac of Thrones”). Absolute silence was demanded with the exception of one thing — the crunch of a blue tortilla chip loaded with guacamole meeting its final destination, our mouths.

As for the recipe itself, it is a result of many trial and error sessions with my friends. I’ve tried different types of tomatoes, using different fruits instead of mangos, orange juice, and many other secret ingredients. In all, I’ve probably tried over 30 different variations of this recipe, but this variation is the champion of them all. I’ve never shared it publicly, but my hope is that it finds its way onto your coffee table surrounded by the ones you love and care about the same way it did for me.

Enjoy!

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

makes enough for 5 hungry college freshmen.

prep time: 30 minutes

IN THE KITCHEN

  • 3-4 avocados, pitted and peeled
  • 2/3 cup mango, skinned and diced
  • 2 roma tomatoes, diced (toss out the juicy center)
  • 1/3 cup of cilantro ( I usually put more… but that’s because I love cilantro.)
  • 1/3 cup of red onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped (Don’t. Touch. Eyes.)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, finely chopped (or mintzed… see what I did there Phoebe?)
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 teaspoon salt (not tablespoon… I’ve made that mistake several times… Erin I’m looking at you.)

AT THE STORE / WHAT TO BUY

  • 3-4 avocados  (depending on how big they are… and get ’em relatively soft)
  • 1 red mango (it should be kind of squishy.)
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1 bunch of cilantro
  • 1 red onion
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1 lime
  • salt
  • don’t forget tortilla chips! If they have lightly salted, that’s your best option.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • pit and peel avocados.
  • mash avocados to desired consistency in a large bowl.
  • skin and dice mango and add 2/3 cup into bowl.
  • dice roma tomatoes, tossing out the juicy center. Add to bowl.
  • finely chop 1/3 cup of cilantro and add to bowl.
  • dice 1/3 cup of red onion and add to bowl.
  • seed and finely chop 1 jalapeño and add to bowl.
  • finely chop or mince 1 tablespoon of fresh garlic and add to bowl.
  • juice 1 lime and add to bowl.
  • add 1 teaspoon of salt to bowl.
  • mix ingredients thoroughly with a spoon.
  • optional/recommended: chill for 1 hour before serving.
  • serve in a bowl with tortilla chips.