A Delightful Dinner For Dozens (Final Draft)

Alexa DeGroat

English 121-012

3-1-2011

One of my favorite times of the year is the Christmas Season. I love the decorations, the lights, the Christmas play at my church, but the thing I like the most is spending time with my extended family. Christmas Dinner is one of the few times we are all together during the busy year, and everyone who is able to, attends.

My family’s Christmas Dinners are held at my Uncle Monte and Aunt Lydia’s house. The house is usually pretty full with over 40 family members from 1-81 years of age. Naturally, there has to be a large amount of food, which takes a lot of time to prepare. We usually start making the food on Christmas Eve. Each family brings a few dishes to share with everyone at the dinner.

This year my family brought mash potatoes, Five Cup Salad, corn and sugar cookies. Since no one in my family is very good at cooking, we would normally make our mash potatoes from a box, but because this was for our big extended family dinner we made them with “real” potatoes. Five Cup Salad is a great thing to make if you are not a very experienced cook because it is quick and easy all you do is mix 1 cup of pecans, oranges, pineapples, coconut, marshmallows and sour cream, which makes six cups, hmm interesting. Of course the corn is from the frozen section, because everyone knows frozen corn is the best! The only thing we really spend that much time on is the sugar cookies, since desert is always one of the most important things. My mom, my sisters, Olivia and Alaina, and I all work in the kitchen together. This is one of the many fun things about Christmas time, baking, laughing and talking with everyone as we roll out and cut the cookies into holiday shapes.

The next day after we have gathered around our Christmas tree and opened all the presents, my mom, dad, Olivia, her husband Josh, Alaina, my brother Alex, and I walk across the street to my aunt and uncle’s house, it’s a quick trip because we live in the same cul-de-sac. There we are greeted by the smiling faces of my uncles, aunts, cousins and grandparents. My aunts and mom start setting out the food in the kitchen while everyone else continues to update each other on their lives. Honey baked ham and roast, are the main dishes, but there is an assortment of side dishes as well as my Aunt Lydia’s homemade rolls. The smell of the rolls fill the house with a delicious aroma, that lets us all know it is time to eat.

When everyone gets to the kitchen my Grandpa says a prayer, thanking God for the family He has blessed us with and the food we are about to enjoy. After this, everyone forms a line, sometimes the line is so long it reaches into the other room. The length of the line varies, because frequently different family members will invite other people to join us for dinner, one time my cousin-in-law brought his step brother from Australia, so you never know who will be there. It usually takes a while to get our food served, because everyone is choosing carefully what to eat. There are so many choices, mash potatoes, sweet potatoes, pea salad, rice dressing, ham, rolls, roast and corn are just a few of the options. But I don’t mind waiting in line because the people waiting next to me are great company.

After everyone gets their food, my cousins, sisters, brother and I head down to the basement, this is practically the only place left to sit in the house, and there are not even enough chairs for everyone, so we all just sit in a big circle on the floor. I always enjoy the conversations I have with my cousins, sometimes the conversations are about my cousins band The Green Type Writers, or challenging each other to a weight lifting competition, a lot of times everyone is just telling jokes. But the conversations almost always end with everyone laughing hysterically.

This Christmas when we finished our dinner we had a bench press competition. My older cousin Jacob was the judge because everyone knows he would win if he was competing. This year the competition was close between my twelve year old cousin Jimmie and me, but I finally beat him. When the competition is over, my cousins and I head up stairs for desert. Sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Workout then eat desert. When we get up stairs we head over to the desert table where there are sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, brownies, ginger bread men, cheesecake and many other delicious treats. My favorite thing there is probably the sugar cookies. Everyone in my family seems to be especially good at making deserts. While we are indulging in desert, my grandpa, uncle or one of my cousins usually reads passages from the Bible, that are relevant to our Christmas celebration. We like to spend the rest of the evening snacking on the leftovers, playing games, and just hanging out.

Even though most of my family lives close I don’t get to see a lot of them very often during the year because everyone is so busy. I look forward to Christmas Dinner with my family every year, I love being able to spend time and enjoy a special meal with the people I care about most. In many ways the food and fellowship are tied together. There are not many times my family all comes together without food being one of the main attractions.

Just A Taste... (Final Draft)

Okay, so I must admit that I really don't know that much about food. I've never taken much time to stop and think about what I eat. For me food has always been a means of support to help you get through the day and nothing more. I must admit that I'm rather surprised that my palette is not more developed considering the amount of different foods I have been exposed to in my life. However I think I have my parents to thank for that. Even though my parents both grew up in families that have very different backgrounds and tastes, none of this diversity seems to make it's way into the kitchen. Instead they meet each other in the middle, and the result is nothing short of mediocre. I often feel the only way I get to experience any sort of new and exciting (or at least different) dishes is when I spend time with my relatives whose culinary skills exceed that of mere parents.

My dad is a Colorado native born and raised and my mom is from Vicksburg, Mississippi. I do find it a little ironic that I have a parent from the healthiest state in the union and a parent from the fattest state in the union. However my dad's side of the family probably wouldn't fall into the healthy majority of Coloradans. It seems like every party we go to there is some dish prepared which is completely and overly decadent. A strange obsession with Mexican food can be found throughout my family and it tends to dominate the menu at many of our parties. I'm always in luck here because my dad grew up in a house of seven children so it always seems like it's somebody's birthday or anniversary on top of all the other holidays that most people celebrate so I have a good chance of avoiding a simple home-cooked meal at least once or twice a month. This Christmas we went over to my Aunt's house where a Mexican Christmas feast awaited us. The table in the kitchen looked like it was about to collapse due to the amount of enchiladas, chimichangas, burritos, jalapeno poppers, tamales, taquitos, chile rellenos, carne asada, and other things piled on top of it. And of coarse there were also several different kinds of Salsa, Guac, and Queso with lots of chips to go with it. And for the downers who don't like the Mexican cuisine there were also the essentials of a regular Christmas feast. Such as turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and so on. The highlight for me however was the fruit salsa with cinnamon chips that my cousin made. I had never even heard of this dish before that night and I favored it throughout the evening often coming back for more. Usually for desert we have some kind of cake or pie (usually both) that my Aunt made from scratch, chalk full of all kinds of fruit and berries smothered with thick frosting. I'm so lucky I have a high metabolism.

One of the downers at this party would no doubt my mother. Who pretty much detests all that is hot and spicy. She hails from the great south where they prefer the tastes of creole and cajun cuisine like crawdads, crab, oysters, lots of shrimp and fish. Don't forget the gumbo, biscuits with gravy/honey, cornbread, catfish, tea with tons of sugar in it, and of coarse some delicious pecan pie. Which my great grandfather LOVED, his freezer was filled with nothing but bags upon bags of pecans. A lot of people I meet never seem to like fish but because of where my mom comes from I feel like I have more of an appreciation for seafood then a lot of my friends do. I think one of my favorite vacations was when me and my family went down to New Orleans. I remember loving the energy of the city and eating in restaurants by the side of the Mississippi River, and getting beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Ever since Katrina in 2005 we unfortunately haven't been able to go back down there for a while but I think a well overdue visit is in order. Sadly I don't get to see my relatives from this part of the country too often so I don't have as much to share about their ways in food but I'm very eager to find out more now that I think about it.

When we were first given this assignment I have to admit that I was at a loss. I've never really cooked before and since I still live at home I have not had a chance to face the trials of really having to learn to cook for myself. Writing this has really given me a wake up call that I should start to take cooking and food a little more seriously unless I want to live on Chipotle for the rest of my life. And while I find Chipotle quite delicious, I must admit that sounds quite dangerous to my health. My parents are two different people. In my house finding something to eat that we all agree on can be quite the task. Like any marriage you have to compromise and try to find something that everybody will like. I have never been a picky eater but it shocks me to see how picky my mom and my sister will be over something, it can be very crippling to one's palette. The moral of the story is that it's about time to take my own steps to figuring out what I like to eat and how to make it. Good thing I can probably take a cooking class next semester!

A Love-Hate Food Relationship (Final Draft)

Whitney Smith

ENG 121-012

Food Narrative

24 February 2011

A Love-Hate Food Relationship

Growing up with a strong Hispanic/Mexican heritage, I have been surrounded by food my entire life. Food is probably the most important element in the Mexican culture. Most traditions and daily acts revolve around the preparation and eating of food. My family and I always joke how food is involved in pretty much everything we do. Whenever I walk into a relative's home the first thing asked is, "Are you hungry hita?" No matter what the occasion is, there is always food, enough to feed an entire village (or my family). Every family member contributes, each bringing something to share with everyone else. Everything steaming hot, from the cornhusk wrapped tamales that one can't wait to unwrap, to the freshly home made tortillas rolled out into perfect circles.

Over the years, I have acquired bizarre and fastidious cravings for these foods from my heritage. I connect certain flavors and smells with many compassionate and comforting memories of family. The comfort I get is an extremely satisfying and uplifting feeling. Linking the present taste to a feeling I previously had before. Whenever I eat my grandmother’s potatoes, eggs, bacon and green chili breakfast it takes me back to when I was little and slept over her house. There was never a morning she didn’t cook me breakfast while I was still watching television in her waterbed. No one has ever made a more delicious breakfast nor have I met anyone who can cook like my grandmother.

Food always has had a tendency to put a smile on my face. Then I had a turn for the worst medically. A little more than a year ago I developed very intense stomach pains and debilitating nausea. I couldn’t keep even keep liquids down and because of that I needed to be attached to an IV at all times. I spent almost four months in the hospital being put through test after test after retests. They found that my gallbladder wasn’t functioning properly and said this may be why I am having the bad pains. I had my gallbladder removed only to find out this was not the answer to my problems. I still kept vomiting and the pains grew even more severe. The doctors were stumped; they had no idea what was wrong with me. After all the doctors had no clue how to move forward they just simply pointed their fingers at me and said I was doing this to myself. The doctors sent counselors into my room saying I had to be bulimic and ordering cat scans of my brain assuming they did all they could do. This sent my emotions in a downward spiral. I knew in my head and heart I was not doing this to myself even though the medics saw differently. All I could think to myself was, “I love food. Why don’t they believe me?” Finally the Doctors decided to put me through one last test, a gastric emptying scan, even though it was a “long shot.” The test results that came back were repulsive. The gastroenterologist only had bad news for me, telling me that they finally found the root of my problems. He explained to me that I have very severe Gastroparesis. This completely shifted my life around.

Since Gastroparesis has no known cure, one of the limited things I can do to help cope is drastically change my diet. There are numerous food items I need to avoid and so many rules to go along with. Because I love my Mexican food so much and (like most teens) enjoyed my fast meals “on the go”, it has been a struggle to buckle down and change what I am consuming. Especially when I am constantly surrounded by all my family’s cooking. I have had to teach myself what foods I can tolerate and which cause me massive pain through just simply testing my limits. I now know that I have to moderate the food I eat with family if I don’t want to have to suffer the consequences later. I cant live on liquids because of my cravings but I have found recipes that aren’t as harsh to digest. My close family has tried to adapt to these new regulations I have acquired but the big family get-togethers will always be a challenge due to my own temptation.

My diet is very tricky when it comes to pleasing my hunger, preventing pain, and eating a little healthier. It is just a matter of understanding my limits and definitely not pushing them. Even though I sometimes let my illness cause me to not see my own love of food and their connection with memories, I just remind myself that life goes on no matter what obstacles I have to overcome. And those memories will always be in my heart even with just one taste or bite.

Final-Shredded Beef Burritos

J. Joe Heimer

Eng-121-012

Food Essay

2-29-11

Shredded Beef Burritos

The first time I ever had a shredded beef burrito was in the summer of 1978. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was seven years old and I had just moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona from northern Illinois. Shortly after moving, we went to a restaurant called Taco Hacienda. I had never heard of Mexican food, nor had I ever tried it. I do not remember what I ordered on my first trip, but I do remember what my father ordered. He ordered the mighty shredded beef burrito. I remember saying, wow, that looks awesome! So, my mom gave a small portion of my father’s burrito to me. I was in ecstasy. Ever since that evening in the summer of 78, I have had an infatuation with shredded beef. I can honestly say that I have never gone more than a few weeks without a shredded beef burrito. In all actuality, it has somewhat become a family tradition to eat this great meal. I eat it for special occasions and often it is made for holidays.

There are many different ways to make shredded beef burritos. I prefer the very simple method of using a slow cooker. First you have to get a few pounds of beef. I usually get what is on sale from the local grocery store. You can use a roast or any other cut of meat. My personal favorites are top round and seven bone roast. I place the beef in the slow cooker and then I add one small jar of a Mexican style salsa or picante sauce. Next I add one small can of petite diced green chilies. I set the cooker on low for about eight hours or on high for about 5 hours. After it is done I shred the meat. This usually is not difficult because it pretty much falls apart all on its own. You then can make your burritos any way you want to. Although I prefer them with refried beans and cheese, it is up to the individual to make what suits their own taste buds. As a matter of fact, as far as I am concerned it does not matter if you even put them on burrito (tortilla) shells. You can use corn shells, hard shells, bread, or even eat this great beef as an appetizer with crackers. Although I call them burritos, it is really just shredded beef, and you can also use chicken or pork to get virtually the same outcome. To me it is all Mexican food.

I feel it is very ironic that many Americans call this food we eat Mexican food. A majority of restaurants and fast foods establishments, who clam to serve Mexican food, serve anything but that. In all actuality it is tex-mex style food. Traditional Mexican cuisine typically contains corn, rice, beans, squash, and peppers. The main spices in their food are Chile powder, oregano, cilantro, epazote, cinnamon, and cocoa. All the regions of Mexico have very different styles of food. Although our Mexican style gets it roots from Mexico that is about it. Actually it would be very unlikely to be served cheese on a traditional Mexican meal. You may come across a dish that has goat cheese in the recipe, but most likely not cheddar or jack.

The tex-mex style of food we traditionally eat here in the states gets its roots from American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States. It was originally made by Mexican-Americans influenced by their traditional foods of Mexico. The Oxford English Dictionary supplies the first-known uses in print of "Tex-Mex" in reference to food, from a 1963 article in the New York Times Magazine. Our style of Mexican food is rather new, and it is more often enjoyed in the southern and western states than in northern states. When your favorite restaurant wants you to eat their food and tells you to go south of the border, just remember that American style Mexican food is nothing like that of Mexico.

Ever since I was a young boy in Arizona I have had a passion and love for burritos. I have eaten virtually every kind imaginable. I often eat chicken, pork, breakfast and beef burritos. I usually add a variation of rice, beans, or veggies to these and I almost always add cheese. I call anything I put on a tortilla shell a burrito. I really do not know if this is factually correct, but I my eyes it is. Of all the types and styles that can be made, I believe nothing compares to the shredded beef burrito. It is without a doubt my favorite food and I plan on eating them for a long time to come. I really do not care who makes them or how they are made, any time I eat one I am a happy person and in my eyes that is what matters to me.http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,shredded_beef_burritos,FF.html

(Draft)Love Hate Food Relationship

Whitney Smith

ENG 121-012

Food Narrative

24 February 2011

Growing up with a strong Hispanic/Mexican heritage, I have been surrounded by food my entire life. Food is probably the most important element in the Mexican culture. Most traditions and daily acts revolve around the preparation and eating of food. my family and I always joke how food is involved in pretty much everything we do. Whenever I walk into a relative's home the first thing asked is, "Are you hungry hita?" No matter what the occasion is, there is always food, enough to feed an entire village (or my family). Every family member contributes, each bringing something to share with everyone else. Everything steaming hot, from the cornhusk wrapped tamales that one can't wait to unwrap, to the freshly home made tortillas rolled out into perfect circles.

Over the years, I have developed bizarre and fastidious cravings for these foods from my heritage. I connect certain flavors and smells with many compassionate and comforting memories of family. The comfort I get is an extremely satisfying and uplifting feeling. Linking the present taste to a feeling I previously had before. Whenever I eat my grandmother’s potatoes, eggs, bacon and green chili breakfast it takes me back to when I was little and slept over her house. There was never a morning she didn’t cook me breakfast while I was still watching television in her waterbed. No one has ever made a more delicious breakfast nor have I met anyone who can cook like my grandmother

Food always has had a tendency to put a smile on my face. Then I had a turn for the worst medically. A little more than a year ago I developed very intense stomach pains and debilitating nausea. I couldn’t keep even keep liquids down and because of that I needed to be attached to an IV at all times. I spent almost four months in the hospital being put through test after test after retests. The doctors were stumped; they had no idea what was wrong with me. After all the doctors had no clue how to move forward they just simply pointed their fingers at me and said I was doing this to myself. The doctors sent counselors into my room saying I had to be bulimic and ordering cat scans of my brain assuming they did all they could do. This sent my emotions in a downward spiral. I knew in my head and heart I was not doing this to myself even though the medics did not believe me. All I could think to myself was, “I love food. Why don’t they believe me?” Finally the Doctors decided to put me through one last test, a gastric emptying scan, even though it was a “long shot.” The test results that came back were repulsive. The gastroenterologist only had bad news for me, telling me that they finally found the root of my problems. He explained to me that I have very severe Gastroparesis. This completely shifted my life around.

Since gastroparesis has no known cure, the only thing I can do to help cope is drastically change my diet.

My History in Food/ Final Draft

Throughout time food has been one of the basic necessities of life. Man has used food to not only give himself sustenance but to also receive comfort. Let’s face it a stomach feels much more comfortable full rather than empty. From the first discovery of fire to the modern microwave food has been prepared to satisfy our tastes and even our desires. Food has been linked to memories, euphoria and, some say, to sex. Food not only plays important roles in our daily lives, but also in our family histories. Many generations of families have revolved around foods native to their specific regions. For example, as fish and rice are the main staples to many Asian countries. Seafood is a main industry of export on the coastal regions. Beef is a prime source of meat to many mid-western and western states. History has even been recorded using food as a reference point: for example, the Great Potato Famine of Ireland is a major historical marker. But most importantly, food has its own history in our own lives.

My own history of food began with a warm bottle of milk. Don’t ask if I remember it, but I can only imagine the comfort and solace it may have evoked. This history with food can be broken down into three categories; the “Mom Foods,” the “Trauma Foods,” and the “Comfort Foods.”

The Mom Foods

My mother raised two boys by herself and, in my eyes, could do no wrong. She was, and still is, a great mother, a best friend and a great cook. My brother and I never wanted for anything when it came to food. My family, a non-traditional German Irish family with a strong southern and mid-western influence believed heavily in the concept of family time in the kitchen. My mother’s history, as well as our family’s history was most evident in her cooking.

Because my mother did raise two boys alone she had very little time to spend in the kitchen. Many of our meals were single dish creations that she made on the fly. My brother and I were expected to help a great deal around the house. It wasn’t long before I was expected to help with the cooking. I began my cooking lessons at the tender age of five where my first meal served to the family was a bowl of cereal and toast. I burnt the toast. I was so proud of that first meal that I refused to eat until everyone else had eaten everything, including the toast. But despair not, that first attempt at toast prompted me to become the best French toast maker in the house. My secret was my mother’s advice to me, “A good recipe is no recipe at all. A good cook can cook with intuition, inventiveness and taste.”

My mother’s history with cooking came from her own childhood where she was raised during the Great Depression. Because my mother’s family had been so poor, she had learned habits that carried into her adult life. She had learned at a very early age that a person must use what they have and all that they have. Waste was not an option for my mother. Cooking from the fridge meant that you would use whatever leftovers that were in the fridge and figure out a meal to make. Leftovers were a main staple in our house, and stews and soups were quite common for a night’s meal. She by no means skimped on the food we ate. In fact, if anything, we ate too much! I remember well all the meals made with hamburger and the ham dinners which later became ham bone stew. Leftover potato would become hash browns for the next morning’s breakfast. Noodle dishes had a great appeal for me because of all the great sauces she would make but she didn’t forget to put in the leftover vegetables. She could make a meal to feed an army on a dime and generally did.

The Trauma Foods

As great as my mother is she was not always the best at everything. As I said before, she was very busy running a household and many times her idea of dinner was pot roast in a slow cooker. While this can be a time saver it can, in my opinion, lead to some very over cooked meat. I still can’t eat a roast unless I cook it myself. Also because of her frugalness with her cooking and our German heritage, I was subjected to many meals of cabbage and rice with bacon. For me it was the texture I could not stand but my mother and my brother loved it so much that we had it at least once a month. I was like so many other kids my age and hated my vegetables, but lima beans and brussle sprouts had to be the worst.

I remember one time when I visited my father’s house for the weekend, and my step-mother had made liver for dinner. It was my first experience with liver. I had always been taught to try anything once and I was certain I was going to hate it; however, I was compelled to taste it. If nothing else, I had to know what it was that I was going to hate. After taking my first bite I was ready to spit it out, but then my taste buds kicked in and the taste of the liver mixed with the sautéed onions was far too compelling and I swallowed instead. Liver and onions had just become my new favorite food. I went home and told my mother what I had learned and asked her to make liver and onions for me. My mistake. Mother, as with most beef meats, overcooked it. Now when I think of liver and onions I can still taste that chewy and gritty piece of leather.

The Comfort Foods

Comfort food has got to be the most satisfying of all foods. It not only calms and relaxes me but can bring back memories of my childhood. For example, my favorite comfort food is vanilla ice cream, because I can remember my grandmother, on a warm and sunny day, hand cranking a made from scratch batch of vanilla ice cream. My brother and I could hardly wait until it was done and then we would fight each other for the right to lick the paddle.

My second favorite comfort food must be biscuits with sausage gravy. This is our family’s Southern/Midwestern heritage showing itself. I remember well begging my mother to make it for me. It took a little time, but the results were exquisite. The saltiness of the sausage intermingled with the creaminess of the milk and the texture of the flour was a delight not to be compared to. Top this to a flakey, buttery biscuit and the results are phenomenal.

Now that I am grown I can choose my own foods. I find that I often return to my mother’s old favorites like spaghetti or perhaps her goulash dripping with a creamy cheese and tomato sauce. I also have incorporated many of the foods that I have discovered through eating out at restaurants like burritos and chili rellenos. I would like to share my chili relleno recipe with you, but please remember that a good cook has no recipe at all. This means have fun with it. Experiment, add ingredients or take some away. The only one who knows what tastes good is you!

Chili Rellenos

2 roasted and peeled chili’s per person

1 package egg roll wrappers

1 pound pepper jack cheese

1 egg (whipped)

1 jar of your favorite green chili

Place one chili on an eggroll wrapper and top with a generous portion of cheese. Brush all edges

of the egg roll wrapper with the egg. Fold the wrapper into an envelope and close it. The egg will keep

the wrapper from opening during cooking. Repeat for all that you need. Heat a generous amount of oil

in a fry pan or deep fryer. Place your rolls into the oil and cook until golden brown and crisp. Serve

topped with your green chili.

This is my favorite comfort food and I serve it with rice and refried beans as well. My family

loves it and I hope you do too.

(Draft)Hot Hot Hot!!!

Every culture has deep rooted traditions tied with food. Starting out with individual countries eating local verdant that might grow particularly well on their continent and scoping down to small community farmers markets and family recipes pass down through generations. The food that has had the most cultural influence in my life has been the Korean dish Kimchi. My father would create kid friendly meals incorporating this cabbage like vegetable and this carved my love for my family’s traditional Asian food.
I believe it is important not only to enjoy the food of our heritage but also to understand how eating these meals are the only real connection between you and your ancestors. Much of the cooking done today is not new stuff. Recipes are taught to grandchildren through generations, maybe tweaked here and there, but fundamentally similar. I grew up on traditional rice and Kimchi as a child and I would ask my dad to cook a couple of hot dog to chop up into the bowl; a little American twist on a classic. My father introduced this vegetable early in my life because it is what Koreans eat everyday. He wanted to instill the significance of food in his culture.
It is no mystery why regions of people on this planet eat different typed of food. We all eat what is most accessible to us, whether it be fish from the surrounding ocean or a buffalo herd in the vast open grasslands. Mediterranean countries rely on a heavy seafood diet where in the Amazon, tribes hunt for food in the jungle.
The food of choice in Korean would mainly be steamed or fried rice, beef ribs from some animal, and a whole mess of side dishes such as bean paste, sea weed, sesame, and Kimchi. Every meal of the day you can expect at least this much, and there will probably be 5 to 6 meals a day when I visit my family in the home land. Not only do they offer you nearly a ton of food but they will take offence and it will hurt their feelings if you turn down a meal.
You can learn so much about your family and long rooted cultural traditions. I advise anyone to travel back to their country of origin and embrace the food your great grandparents would have enjoyed or even survived on.

Rough- Shredded Beef Burritos.

Joe Heimer

Eng-121-012

Rough-Food Essay

2-22-11

Shredded Beef Burritos

The first time I ever had a shredded beef burrito was in the summer of 1978. I can remember it like it was yesterday. I was seven years old and I had just moved to Lake Havasu City, Arizona from northern Illinois. Shortly after moving their we went to a restaurant called Taco Hacienda. I had never herd of Mexican food, or had I ever tried it. I do not remember what I ordered on my first trip, but I do remember what my father ordered. He ordered the mighty shredded beef burrito. I remember saying, wow, that looks awesome! So, my mom gave a small portion of my fathers burrito to my brother and I. I was in Ecstasy. Every since that evening in the summer of 78, I have had an infatuation with shredded beef. I can honestly say that I have never went more then a month with out a shredded beef burrito. In all actuality, it has some what become a family tradition to eat this great meal. I eat it for special occasions and often it is made for holidays.

There are many different ways to make shredded beef burritos. I prefer the very simple method of using a slow cooker. First you have to get a few pounds of beef. I usually get what is on sale from the local grocery store. You can use a roast or any other cut of meet. My personal favorites are top round and seven bone roast. I place the beef in the slow cooker and then I add one small jar of a Mexican style salsa or picante sauce. I then add one small can of petite diced green chiles. I set the cooker on low for about eight hours, or on high for about 5 hours. After it is done I shred the meat. This usually is not difficult because it pretty much falls apart all on its own. You then can make your burritos any way you want to. Although I prefer them with refried beans and cheese, it is up to the individual to make what suits their own taste buds. As a matter of fact, as far as I am concerned it does not matter if you even put them on burrito (tortilla) shells. You can use corn shells, hard shells, breed, or even eat this great beef as an appetizer with crackers. Although I call them burritos, it is really just shredded beef, and you can also use chicken or pork to get virtually the same out come.http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,shredded_beef_burritos,FF.html

The Roughest of Drafts

This is what I have currently.

Looking at me you probably can’t tell that I am of Latin descent. I know every person thinks that their families cooking is the best but I say this knowing it’s most likely true. Our family was among a very few early immigrants from Mexico that brought a language, culture, and amazing food in the early 1900s. Our food isn’t the same as every other Hispanic family because different parts of Latin America have different cuisines. Our families’ food is probably the best known though. It consists of green chile, meats, beans, tortillas, sopaipillas, tamales, and rellenos. Now many people have often imitated the food that our family makes but in no way can duplicate it. The food has been passed down from generation to generation. I consider myself really lucky because of the great foods that I have eaten and I have learned to cook.
I learned how to cook sopaipillas and tortillas at the age of five while I visited my grandmother with my father. I can still remember the smell of the dough frying and browning. After putting together the perfect amount of massa, lard, and salt; My grandmother would instruct me on how to make perfect shaped sopaipillas and tortillas. The reaction of the oil to the moist dough sounds similar to any other thing you may fry but the smell of homemade Hispanic breads fills a room and doesn’t leave it for days if you have cooked enough. This was one of many cooking sessions that I have had with my grandmother.
One of my favorite foods to cook or eat is a good chili relleno. The spice of the chili mixed with the coolness of the cheese and the crunch of the dough create an amazing mouthgasm. As I sit here and type my mouth actually waters thinking about a good chili relleno. The recipes are similar for all rellenos. From my knowledge they either come breaded and fried or in an egg and fried. The most popular is the battered and fried. The way the batter is prepared sets our chili rellenos above our peers. Some people choose to use a premade breading that they can wrap a chili and cheese with quickly. This is not the correct way to do it. You will get a chili relleno but the quality will suffer.
Starting with a good batter is what really makes a relleno authentic.

My grandmother was similar to everyone’s grandmother. She always has hugs, kisses, and kind words for you. She worked at the local hospital until she was hit by a car and almost had to have her leg amputated. After this experience she engulfed her work into the school system. Anytime one of her eight kids would have a school function she would cook. If someone lost a family member my grandmother would cook for them. It could have been the loosest social connection or no connection at all and she would still cook if someone needed her for a funeral. My grandmothers cooking helped her community in time of grief and in time of happiness. This is why our families food is probably loved by everyone.

A recipe Blog
http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/941970-chili-relleno

A video on how to prepare rellenos

http://www.makeitmissoula.com/2011/02/taste-it-video-blog-baked-chiles-rellenos/

Adobo Nation (Draft

Every Filipino I know loves to eat. We celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other occasions. We cook all kinds of our favorite dishes, and always invite our close friends and relatives. We eat three meals a day. While eating breakfast, we are already thinking what's going to be for lunch and dinner. Chicken and pork adobo are one of our best dishes back in the Philippines.

Chicken and pork Adobo are well known Filipino food. We consider them as our national dish, for they are easy to prepare and do not need a lot of ingredients. As long as I have soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper, I can cook my Adobo. Most people I know love adobo except my husband. It does not surprise me because he is no fan of Filipino food. A friend of mine teaches me how to cook her version of Adobo. I must admit, her recipe tastes better than mine. Maybe the saying that food tastes better when you eat at your friend’s house is true.

Adobo is well known among Filipinos. In fact, there is a running program thru Filipino Channel here in United States, they call it Adobo Nation. There are several varieties of cooking adobo. Some people like to sauté it in onion and garlic. Some prefers by mixing all the ingredients, marinating for a couple of hours and simmering for an hour.

I remembered one time, I was eating Adobo and rice (we eat rice three times a day) my husband asked me a funny question. He asked me "Why don’t you eat regular foods." I answered "Hey, I am Asian and this is our regular dish." We eat using our own bare hands, no chopstick, no spoon, and fork, for it enhances the taste of the food. We just wash our hands carefully before eating bare hands.

So when my kids come home, they do not bother me asking what’s for the dinner because they can already tell the delicious and wonderful smell of the Chicken and pork adobo that I have cooked. After eating the Chicken and pork adobo, my children often tell me that it was so tantalizing and very satisfying piece of dish.

(1st Draft) Bonding with Frozen Cream

So much of our world revolves around food. It isn’t just because if we don’t eat, we will surely die, but because it is what we gather around, socialize and bond over on a daily basis. Not every meal brings special memories or a good time along with it, but when it comes down to ice cream, I have too many great memories to count.

It isn’t because ice cream is a seriously delicious, addicting frozen treat that appeals to millions of people all over the world (especially during hot summer days), but because of the occasions I’ve had with friends while indulging in two scoops of Pralines ‘N Cream from Baskin Robbins or what ever ice cream parlor we happened to be at. This frozen dessert over the years has become something so much more than just a sweet reward that gives one brain freeze if it’s devoured too quickly. It has become an icon of happiness to me. It has become something to gather with friends over while we watch people at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado or while we exchange stories of what has been going on in our lives as of late. Ice cream has become the “pick-me-up” on a bad day for a friend who is sad and can’t find a smile in them until they’re holding a waffle cone that has been dipped in chocolate, multi-colored sprinkles and now holds a scoop or two of Ben & Jerry’s “Cherry Garcia”.

My love for ice cream began at a young age, when on special, random days, I would wake up to my father seriously stating in his thick, Austrian accent that we were, as a matter of fact, having ice cream from breakfast. These mornings, while amazing, were very secretive. It was a sneaky, devious thing I was enjoying with my father because it went completely against my mother’s rules. With every bite of the vanilla ice cream drowned in chocolate syrup he had given me, there was a giggle from me followed by a gentle hush from my father as he smiled and winked. I enjoyed our secret and the time we spent with it, even though looking back now, those times felt slightly rushed. There came a day, however, where it didn’t have to be a secret. My Girl Scout troop was going to be hand-making ice cream one Saturday morning.

Our troop leader divided us into multiple groups of three, plus one parent to over-see the process. I chose my father to come help with this fantastic project, because he was the first person I could remember eating ice cream with, plus the project sounded too amazing not to share with him. It was my first time ever making ice cream, and while I was positive machines normally did this, we put all the ingredients we needed into a small coffee can and then put that can into a larger coffee can and duct taped it shut. We then proceeded to roll the cans between the four of us, varying rolling patterns like a game, for what seemed like ages. As we rolled our ice cream making contraption back and forth, I recall deciding this Coffee Can ice cream process was rather exhausting. It would have been so much easier if they had just bought us the ice cream, because who honestly wants to work this hard for something sweet? It was the finished product and all the laughing with my friends that made me change my mind. That was by far the sweetest, most delicious ice cream I had ever had as a kid. It was also by far my most cherished memory of ice cream from my childhood.

Now days, while I don’t make the ice cream myself (although I’m positive I will make Coffee Can ice cream with my own children in the future), I still cherish my time eating it. As I grew older, it became a thing of ritual, tradition, and celebration. It marked birthdays, good grades, graduations, and so on. Indulging in ice cream became something that could always bring my inner-child to life. Unfortunately with growing up, I noticed more and more that there are some days where life feels a extremely tasking and hurried. The time I spend with loved ones over ice cream now is extremely sacred and there isn't one minute of it that goes by that I don't try to catalog in my brain. There doesn't even have to be anything said now days. Now it could just be my sister-in-law Heather, sitting quietly next to me on a park bench, watching the sunlight make different shadows through the trees while we devour our chosen flavor of ice cream before it melts everywhere. To me, there is no greater "happy mood food" to share with someone than ice cream. There are magnificent moments in life that we all try to take into account, it just so happens that most of mine involve ice cream.

A Dinner Worth the Work

For anyone who has ever went elk hunting knows how much work it can be. First of all, the elk are usually located on or near the top of mountains. So you have to be in good shape to get to where they are. For me, the in shape part comes, about a month before hunting season starts. This, as I'm getting older, I'm learning is not the best way to get into shape for hunting. It's becoming for me a year long process to stay in shape. Although it is a lot of work to get to the elk, the work starts when you're lucky enough to kill an elk. These animals, depending on the sex, can weigh 600 pounds. Usually the elk have to be quartered up and backpacked out. Then they either have to be cut up by yourself or taken to a meat market to be cut up. I was raised cutting up our own elk because we couldn't afford to have it processed for us. This is no doubt a lot of work for about two months worth of meat, but it is all worth it for me. Not only does it bring friends and family together for a couple of weeks in October, it also provides us with a meat that has less calories, less fat, less cholesterol, and more protien than chicken, turkey, beef, pork, veal, and duck.

So for all these years that I've been hunting I thought it was for the free meat. But as I've gotten older I now know that not just for the free meat it provides but that it brings my brother, my dad, and myself together every year. With our lives being busy and my brother and myself having kids and the fact that not one of us live in the same city makes this time together one we all cherish. Up until three years ago my favorite thing about hunting was how excited my grandmother would get. She passed away three years ago, but this women loved the heart and liver of the elk. I remember my dad telling us to shoot the elk in the head if possible so that we didn't ruin Grandmas heart and liver. She would fry it up right then and there. I never liked eating either the heart or liver but I miss bringing them back to her. One of my favorite things she did with elk meat was making jerky. I can remember going into her house and seeing little pieces of raw elk hanging on string that was attached from one side of the room to the other. After about a week it would be ready to eat. It sounds so primitive but this is the way my grandmother liked it. She didn't believe in dehydrators. Another way she would prepare an elk dinner that is still one of my favorites is to just fry the elk with potatos. It is simple to make and delicious to eat.

Not everyone wants to get this involved with hunting and I understand that. So there are other ways to be able to get elk. There are elk farms all over the country that you can oreder elk from. This is nice because now elk meat can be on your dinner table year round not just for the couple months after hunting season. Elk meat is at or near the top of the price list, but elk meat is by far the best for you. So wether you are a hunter or just a healthy eater, elk should be a meat you should highly consider having more of in your diet. For me there is a lot I love about hunting, the outdoors, the exercise, the bringing together of family, and of course the free elk meat that I get to enjoy. But unknown to me all of this time, until recently, is the fact that the elk that I hunt to get free meat happens to be the healthiest meat. So now that I know this, I wish there were more hunting seasons in a year. If you have never been lucky enough to eat elk meat then I want to be the first to urge you to go out and try some. Once you go elk you never go back. You will not be dissapointed in the taste of elk meat, I guarantee it! So if you haven't already done so, I suggest going and getting some elk meat today. Enjoy!