http://libguides.uky.edu/c.php?g=223240&p=1478068

Research update at moment, mine is going well at the moment. Using the web I have located a few readings that I would like to look further into recipes from the 1800s. Using the UT library database is a little difficult at first but when I went to librarian she was able to help me use the system. I have been to the library to look into the history in that time period: historical events that can alter why recipes are created and the tone the author used while writing. I still have a lot of work left to complete, but right now I feel like I am at a good starting point.

When this assignment was first announced, my mind started turning with all the possible avenues that I could explore. I first began my research by simply googling different areas of interest and seeing what sources came back. I wanted a topic that would allow me to explore not just one particular sect of food, but I also knew I needed to have a clear idea of what I was researching and exploring.

Within the last few days I have decided upon my topic and am just starting to gather resources. The inspiration from my topic has come from my love of The Food Network. I used to watch cooking shows when I was little, and although many of the same stars are featured on the network, the premise of the network has changed from educational to more of a reality game show network. This paradigm shift made me question how television cooking as a whole has changed through the years, including before television was even a household item. I also want to bring this question to the present day and see how the internet has changed the dynamic as well.

In the light research that I have done, I can already tell there has been a drastic change. From the type of shows the food television produces, to the status of the chefs of these shows; Chefs are now full-fledged celebrities with copious amounts of projects under their belts. So for the article, How food television is changing America, has been a great starting point in my research.

Some questions I have are: What questions do people have about this topic? What are some good resources to find scholarly information?

Over the past few weeks, I feel that I have already improved my research abilities tremendously. I regrettably admit this, but prior to Rhetoric of Food I had never used the UT Library Database, so having recently utilized this tool feels like an achievement in itself. When considering what topic I want to explore, I immediately thought, “Why not research food and eating in Cape Town”? since I am traveling there this summer and will probably be doing some recon on the topic anyways. However, finding scholarly articles on this topic proved to be difficult; instead I was left with a handful of texts about food regulations in South Africa.

Scratching that idea, I moved on to plan B, my favorite food: pizza. I quickly decided that this topic would prove to be interesting because I have already journaled about my love for pizza and its a food appreciated by most everyone. I can also take this topic in all sorts of directions: types of pizza, it’s history, strange toppings around the world, and the list goes on. Google Scholar and Ebsco are the main data bases I have been using so far and they have a collection of material to read and chose from. Does anyone else have a database they would recommend?

Pizza: A Global History by Carol Helstosky

Slice of Heaven: A History of Pizza in America

I’m still in the developmental stages of my research for this annotated bibliography assignment. While I have a general focus on my project—unusual authors of cookbook—I want to find something that brings everything full circle. My inspiration started after buying my sister’s birthday present, a Salvador Dalí cookbook, which seemed quite out of the norm. At least to me, it did. So with that purchase came the heart of my project! For resources, I suppose I could use the present I purchased, or I could use that to find a particular kind of unusual author. Maybe I will focus on singers, movie stars, or other unlikely figures. All I know thus far is that Snoop Dogg and 2 Chainz both have cookbooks, so I doubt I’ll fall short of finding fun and unusual cookbook authors.

As far as research methods go, I’m still using Google just to find out who the unlikely celebrities are that have cookbooks, and from there, I’ll probably do further research into those specific authors. Once these particular sources have been discovered, I plan to keep track of these sources through a GoogleDoc, I suppose. It’s an easily accessible source and it’s simple to keep organized.

My research process for this assignment began with the need of choosing a topic.   After thinking for a long time, and considering several options such as the history of ice cream and the historical and cultural significance of Jewish food, I finally think I have settled on a topic: chicken. It occurred to me that chicken is a main staple food in almost every culture in the world. How did this come to be? How did humans decide that chicken would be one of the most popular meats in the world? After doing some initial research on Google, I came across this magazine article from renowned scientific and historical organization Smithsonian. This article gives a very detailed history of the chicken and its introduction into the human palate. I feel like chicken is unique because of the many different ways it can be prepared and served: fried, grilled, over pasta, sliced on a sandwich, etc. So far, I am keeping track of the websites that I find in a bookmarks folder on my computer. I wonder, has anyone tried any of the other research management tools that we discussed in class the other day, like Zotero? I also wonder what other kinds of texts could be used to support my project? I am thinking of finding some old recipes involving chicken. I need to explore the UT library database to try to find these. Unfortunately, I have two tests tomorrow and have not had the chance to scour the database for information.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-chicken-conquered-the-world-87583657/

Continuing with the theme of Japanese food, I decided that I wanted to look at some of the history of Japanese food and how they developed into the modern day forms that we know (ramen, sushi, fried chicken, etc). However, I have to do more research to see exactly what materials are available in English. What little I do know is that Osaka is generally considered the “food capital” of Japan, and there is even a saying that Osaka is “bringing ruin upon oneself by extravagance in food.” I wanted to narrow down the idea even further to how Osaka became the center for “Japanese fried food” but I’ve hit a few dead ends in searching specifically about fried food and also pieces on Osaka specifically.

There is one book, “Sushi and Beyond: One Family’s Remarkable Journey Through the Greatest Food Nation on Earth,” by Michael Booth that I found via Google that seems to be about Japanese food in general. Michael Booth seems to be an accomplished writer for a variety of magazines and newspapers from what I can find, but I don’t really know what else could possibly make him a “qualified” writer. Is just being published in a magazine or newspaper enough?

Further searches on the UT libraries search engine seemed to show that looking for “Japan cuisine” and “Japanese food” will net me almost different results for the top 5. Is anyone else experimenting with their search queries? “Japanese food” seemed to give me, on average, older books in the top 5 while “Japan cuisine” gave me some results post-2000. I find it interesting that just synonyms can make a large difference.

What all goes into your morning cup of coffee?

I don’t know about you, but coffee is a big deal to me. It has been my constant companion since 9th grade. So when I was contemplating topic ideas, coffee instantly came to mind. I decided that I wanted to learn more about the coffee industry to know about the labor that goes into the beverage I consume on a daily basis. I want to be aware and informed of the slavery and unfair conditions that are going on in the coffee industry so that the decisions I make aren’t contributing to corruption. To begin, I am using Google to get basic information about the coffee industry and what all goes into the production. I am hoping to research more about the different countries where coffee is produced and learn about what kind of labor is going on in each country or I might narrow my focus to one or a few countries. I want to learn more about:

• how much slavery is involved in each country
• what the different types of labor are that are being used (child labor, forced labor)
• what all goes into the process of coffee production
• what does Fair Trade coffee entail (what are the benefits, what are the drawbacks)
• what companies ethically grow and manufacture coffee

http://www.foodispower.org/coffee/

http://campaign.worldvision.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/7280_DTL_Factsheet_Coffee_Web_Single.pdf

When thinking about what I wanted my topic to be, my mind immediately was drawn toward the idea of writing about sushi (one of my favorite foods). Once I knew that I wanted to write about sushi, I started to research and look for some resources that would point me in the right direction. With just “sushi” being too broad of a topic, I need to figure out exactly what it is that I’m going to focus on when writing about sushi. Do I want to write about the history of sushi? What about how sushi is made and the consumption of sushi? Maybe I want to look at how traditional Japanese sushi compares to the sushi we eat here in America. I began to rely on research in order to figure out which area of interest I would choose. I have done some research in different areas such as the history of sushi and the patterns of sushi consumption in Japan (the links to these two sources can be found below). Throughout the research I have done thus far, these two sources are the ones that I have found myself coming back to. Each of these articles contains sufficient and ample information on their designated topics. They also provide headings for different sections so it is easy for me to read.

For my research, I have been strictly using Google Scholar because it is what I have utilized most in the past and this means of research has proved successful for me. However, for this topic in particular, I have been having some trouble finding thorough resources that would be beneficial for my annotated bibliography. Having said this, I believe that I should look into other research engines such as the UT library database in order to find new information.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1541-4337.2011.00180.x/full

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1745-4506.2006.00021.x/full

I have had an extremely busy week so far in regards to scheduling, exams, and internships, so I haven’t had much time to work on my research project.  I think I am doing fine so far, though, because I have already decided on a topic.  The topic I wanted to do my research on is pretty broad yet specific at the same time, since it is an ingredient.  I decided to do my annotated bibliography on avocados.  I have already looked on amazon for some books concerning avocados, and I also am going to check Wikipedia’s sources on the avocado article.  I will go through the UT library website as well, so I’m confident I will have plenty of material for my topic.

One question I had for any of my class mates that read this:  What is your opinion on my chosen topic?  Is it too broad or too specific?  If it is too broad, how do you think I can narrow it down, and if it is too specific, what do you suggest?

If the topic is too broad, one change I considered making is to change the topic to the cultivation of avocados over history, or the versatility of avocados.  Everyone knows that avocados have many uses, such as extracting their oils, using them for cosmetic benefits, and of course eating them.  Maybe there are some uses that are not as publicized.