(Final) Food Essay

Gabriel Quinones
February 21, 2011
English 121
Food Essay Final Draft

Food and Me


Food and I are best friends, I love food. According to my parents I’ve loved food ever since I was a kid. My mother tells me that for breakfast I used to eat two eggs, a good amount of beans, some sausage, and a big jalapeno, and this was only at age two. As I got older I continued eating the same high qualities of foods daily. Now days I have breakfast at least twice while at home and then once more at school. I usually start with some cereal with a banana and then at school I get a donut or a big cookie chocolate-chip. By noon I usually have some type of sandwich with a bag of chips. After school I get home and mom always has something delicious prepared to eat, My family and I immigrated here from Mexico, so we eat a lot of Mexican food and let me tell you, it is amazingly delicious. After I eat once I go back for a second helping and it is rare when I don’t. For dinner, I eat at least another two helpings before I’m off to bed. I also love to try new things. I remember when I first tried lasagna and it was wonderful. I don’t eat it regularly, but it is something I enjoy on occasion.

My family members started to worry a lot about me when my eating began to affect my health and from ages seven to eight I was an obsessed child. I had to stop eating that much, I got involved in sports, I knew what I was doing was wrong. That’s why I decided to control it. Even though I was sick from eating so much that did not stop me, I found ways to keep my health in check and also keep enjoying my food, As I got involved in sports I became a really good athlete and my body needed lots of protein and carbohydrates. I was soon eating as I was before but this time I was burning everything I consumed, I was able to enjoy the food I liked and also I was keeping my self-healthy. Even though I need this amount of food now in my diet to keep myself healthy I believe me and food have a special bond.

I see food as an obsession, I love it and the reason I believe I like it so much is because I see it more than food, I see it as an art. When I see cooks make the food and the way they present it on the plate it looks amazing and it makes it taste even better. The way cooks make the food and the way there so precise with the ingredient is fascinating to me. The best part is when you taste the food, it’s a feeling you can’t explain, it just taste so good and you cannot just have one bite. You have to have more and more. The job chefs have is extremely hard; one a chef satisfies your taste buds he has done his job.

There’s tons of food out there in the world, and there so many different cultures that have great food, I want to try as many varieties of food as I can. I see food also as a peace maker, when people are hungry and they eat in a table you usually find a lot of peace, and I find that magnificent. Food unites people, I feel blessed for being able to have a nice dinner with my family every night, it’s a time where we enjoy a great meal and just have a good conversation, its quiet nice. I’m sure this could also work with complete stranger’s, that’s another reason why I like food a lot, I think it brings peace between people. Food just doesn’t taste great it has another ingredient that makes it special.

I see food very different than other people, ever since I was a child I’ve had a special bond with all types of food and even though there’s many reasons for that the strongest reason is that I believe all food is cooked with love, and that makes it have that amazing taste. Sure the spices have lots to do with it, but when you add love, like everything it’s just better. Food makes people happy, if you’re in a bad mood and you have a bite of something delicious I could almost guarantee a smile will come to your face. Food could make everyone happy, just be careful how much you consume. It could also turn into a nightmare, be healthy and enjoy eating as much as you can there’s lots of great food out there go discover it.

Deep Roots in Root Vegetables (Final)

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; then take a microscopic look at traditional food. Families travel down to small community farmers markets for fresh vegetables to cook in 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.
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 is fish from the surrounding ocean or a buffalo herd in the vast open grasslands. In the U.S.A. this accessible food comes in the form of McDonalds and Taco Bells. Mediterranean countries rely on a heavy seafood diet where in the Amazon, tribes hunt for food in the jungle. These foods vary directly with traditions and shape the many cultures we see today. A Korean may eat differently than someone in Ireland or here.
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.
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 to fit certain tastes, but fundamentally similar. I grew up on traditional rice and Kimchi as a child and I would ask my dad to boil a couple of hot dogs to chop up into the bowl; a little American twist on a classic Asian entrée. 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 into me. Today our relationship is based mainly on two things, work and food. I praise this every time we sit next to each other after fixing my Jeep. We share hot noodles with Kimchi and we sweat, not from work, but from 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. Chances are you will enjoy foods from your homelands, I believe it is in your blood. If you disagree or have any comments please comment so this blog form essay will have actually been worth it.

(Final Draft) Two Scoops of Frozen Joy

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 and bond over on a daily basis. Not every meal brings with it special memories or a good time, but when it comes down to ice cream, I can recall too many wonderful memories to count.

Ice cream by itself is a seriously delicious, addicting frozen treat that appeals to millions of people all over the world (especially during hot summer days). If you add to it a bit of time spent with someone else, however, it becomes something meaningful and not just another wad of calories added to your daily diet. The bond I hold with ice cream doesn’t just come from the flavors or sheer joy of eating it, but the occasions I’ve shared with loved ones while indulging in two scoops of Pralines ‘N Cream from Baskin Robbins. This frozen dessert over the years has become something so much more than just a sweet reward that gives one brain freeze if it is devoured too quickly. It has become an icon of happiness to me. It has become something friends and I gather 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 no matter how hard they try. All of that changes when you give them 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”, making their face light up with that once absent smile. No matter the place or time of the day, there is surely some amount of “happy” acquired in the time we spend together eating our chosen frozen flavor of the moment.

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 for 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 and Rice Krispies he had given me, there was a giggle from me followed by a gentle hush from my father as he smiled, winked, and gently patted down my mess of hair that had yet to be brushed. 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.

When that Saturday finally arrived, my mom dropped me off at my elementary school where this amazing event was taking place. Meeting in a vacant classroom with my fellow scouts, our troop leader divided us into multiple groups of three, plus one parent to over-see the process. Although he arrived late, I had chosen 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 great not to share with him). In my excitement, I quickly forgave him for failing to arrive on time and set him right to work with giving us the instructions as to what to do to make our epic treat. It was my first time ever making ice cream and while I was positive machines normally did this, we set about our task with optimism and quietly growling, hungry tummies.

We put all the ingredients we needed into a small coffee can, placed that can into a larger coffee can filled with salt and ice, and then 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, listening to the small can bang around inside of the larger one, like a shoe inside of a dryer. 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. Who would honestly ever want 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, aside from eating popsicles on the side of the local pool with my daycare one scorching summer afternoon.

Now days, while I don’t make the ice cream myself (although I am 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 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 notice more and more that there are some days where life feels 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 ice cream before it melts everywhere. To me, there is no greater "happy mood food" to share with someone. There are magnificent moments in life that we all try to take into account, but it just so happens that most of mine involve ice cream.

MmMm Rellenos (Final)

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 our families food is enjoyed by everyone. 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 most well known though. It consists of green chili, red chili, salsas, meats, beans, tortillas, sopaipillas, tamales, and rellenos. Now many people often try to imitate the food that our family makes but cannot duplicate it. The food has been passed down from generation to generation. Each generation perfecting the recipes. 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 watching the dough as it started 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 lingers afterwards. This was one of many cooking sessions that I have had with my grandmother.

One of my favorite foods to eat and cook is a chili relleno. The spice of chili mixed with the coolness of the cheese and the crunch of the fried batter create an amazing experience. As I sit here and write my mouth waters thinking about good chili rellenos. The recipes are similar for all rellenos (this recipe is not mine but is very comparable). First you must clean a chili. You can use a variety of chilis as well. The most common are jalapeno and anahiem. Make sure to dice the cheese small enough to fit in your chili. I have always used blocked cheeses like cheddar or monterrey. After the prep work stuff the chilis with as much cheese as you can possibly fit.

I have learned to make rellenos breaded and fried or in an egg and fried. The most popular is the battered and fried. Prepared in an egg then fried is more commonly served for breakfast. 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 way that I was taught (this is a video of chili relleno preparation). Starting with a good batter makes an authentic chili relleno.

My grandmother is similar to everyone’s grandmother. She always has hugs, kisses, and kind words for everyone. 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 wanted her to. My grandmothers cooking helped her community in time of grief and in time of happiness. This is probably why our families food is loved by everyone.

The Cook and Honky Tonker of Monster Mountain Final

When I was a kid I spent a good measure of my time with my Grandparents, Bob and Marty Platzer. My parents worked a lot so my Grandparents became my surrogate parents. I am who I am today partly because of them and my relationship with food was greatly influenced by them. I would say the fed me and nurtured me in many different ways. but I still to this day remember the smell of the kitchen. I remember the rainbows made from the watering hose when my Grandpa watered his vegetable garden

This story begins in a place called Lyons Colorado, but I like to call it Monster Mountain. I was around four years old, I remember the drive up highway seven into the rough sand mountains that my Mother and I took at least three times a week. I would day dream about the mysteries of the mountains, imagining Hobbits and Goblins searching for magic rings. I would look forward to my Grandfathers stories and my Grandmothers food. You could smell Grandma's food from a mile away, she was the cook and he was the honky tonker.

My Grandfather and I would sit on an old saw horse in the back yard, he had a fair amount of land and he was, and still is an amazing Gardner. I would watch him water his vegetables and ask him questions about corn and spinach, he would laugh and answer my childlike queries. He told me about the mountains and the magic that lived in them and we would name them wile eating fresh raspberries off the berry bushes. There were small mountains we called things like "Turtle Mountain", "Rabbit Mountain" and of course "Lonely Mountain". The big one that protected the little valley in which our little farm house dwelled we called "Monster Mountain". In the afternoons my Grandpa would take me what he called "Honky Tonkin", what it really was was me eating a smothered burrito and drinking a Shirley temple while he sipped a beer and told me stories; I would listen intently wide eyed and gullible. I still love to eat smothered burritos and drink Shirley temples today.

My Grandmother was always either at work or in the kitchen. She was of German decent and boy could she cook. Some of my favorites were sour kraut, stollen bread and lebkuchen cookies. I remember her and Grandpa would make homemade cole slaw and beets, you wouldn't think a little kid would eat that, but I did and I loved it, I still do. Grandma always bought Claussen pickles. I would ask her, "Why are they so good"? She would always reply, "Because they were blessed by the Rabbi". I still say that whenever someone asks me why the jar of pickles in my refrigerator is so wonderful, they are the only ones that I will buy.

After a few years my Grandparents moved down to Boulder. My Grandfather made the back yard into a wonderland of flower gardens, vegetable gardens and fruit trees. My Grandmother continued rolling her dough and filling the house up with the smell of food, the smell of love and the smell of home. I visited often still. Still listening to Grandpa's stories and gazing at him from across the yard as he watered his plants. I remember on one occasion I was reprimanded by him for eating all (yes every single one) of the raspberries off the bushes. He was angry, but he couldn't help but laugh. I still eat whole containers of raspberries and giggle to myself about that day. I remember sitting at the dinning room table in front of a plate of homemade Bavarian sour kraut refusing to eat it. My Grandmother made me sit there till I tried at least one bite; I ate three helpings of it after my one bite. I still make it, but it doesn't taste quite the same.

Holidays were something to brag about in my family. When I was kid almost the whole family lived in Colorado so we would have a huge Christmas and Grandma would do all the cooking. Everyone would talk over each other and pass the platters of love all around the table. We would all eat as much as we could stand and slip into a food coma afterwards already looking forward to next year.

This story ends in Boulder Colorado nine years ago. My Grandmother died of cancer. My Grandpa moved to Broomfield to a retirement community and lives there still today. But we still have our big Christmas and everyone brings one of Grandma's specialties. When you walk through the door the smell hits you, the smell of food, the smell of love and the smell of home. You can hear everyone talking over each other and the platters make there rounds. Sometimes I drive up to Lyons and drive past that old house, smiling with a tear in my eye and tip my hat to the cook and the honky tonker of Monster Mountain.

-Dedicated to my much loved Grandmother Martha Platzer-

Chasing Clouds (Final)

Within the depths of everyone’s core, beneath the thumping source of life, brews a chaotic force of great magnitude locked away inside all of us. One with enough possessive power, if released, to transmute anyone into a slobbering savage with one goal in mind, to devour the refrigerator from the inside out! Everyone has felt this unwanted surge of bubbling trouble which stirs within, many define this sensation as hunger and some even call it torture. So what steps should one take to tame their inner beasts at such a time of crisis? First off stay calm, everything is going to be okay; you are not going to implode into a million shards even though you will feel like you want to. Second, slowly begin maneuvering your body towards the nearest source of nourishment and prepare something your body will thank you for. Last but most definitely not least, let the feast begin! Food plays a crucial role in the opportunity of any species surviving in any environment. Food not only brings nourishment, but tales and experiences witnessed by generations before us waiting to be unraveled and shared. This is my tale.

I come from a distant country in the middle of Europe called Czech Republic and the foods I grew up to shaped my life. As I grew older the tastes and sensations have grown attached to me and captured a portion of my mind and soul with memories attached to every individual meal. Have not you ever sensed that familiar taste or smell which seems to have been locked away within? And upon triggering this sensation you unlock that special fragment of memory linked to that experience as if being thrown into the twilight zone? These are the stories, the lost tales hidden within waiting to be uncovered. So I began to ponder over what I could cook to trigger these senses and I came to the conclusion that there would be no better person to ask than my wonderful mother. After the not-surprisingly long phone call we came to the conclusion that I should make my grandmothers wedding pastries, a delicacy I have not savored in a great while. The first time I enjoyed this delightful treat was when I was only six years of age, a time in my life when I believed that I was full of wisdom and knowledge. As I awoke on that fine day fifteen years ago, I sensed a lingering smell in the air, the smell of something very distinct, but ever so savory. I jumped out of bed, not giving a care in the world whether or not I had clothes on and rushed towards the kitchen. As I trampled over the dog, and swiftly ran around the corners of our tiny house the smell got stronger and I quickly realized that it could be nothing other than my grandmother’s cooking. I slid across the black and white tile floor in the kitchen with such haste that I did not stop, but just kept on going! As I finally made it to the kitchen and with perfect timing as always; grandma just pulled out whatever she was making out of the oven and placed it on top of the stove. I remember my curious hands fondling the counter tops trying to make my way to the top just to have a chance at stealing one without anyone noticing. But I was unlucky with my courageous attempt, before I knew it my older brother swept me off my feet and threw me on his shoulders and said “Musis pockat Honziku, je to este moc horke” (you have to wait Johnny, it is still much too hot)! I remember having to wait, what seemed like an eternity, just to get my hands on one of those precious pastries! But when the moment came, my eyes grew large with excitement, my mouth began watering, and my nose could not stop getting enough of its sweet smell! My grandmother handed me a warm piece and I stuffed it in my mouth as quickly as I could worrying that it might be taken away. At that moment my grandmother’s eyes smiled down at me and gave me a long hug before letting me wreak havoc upon the world once more. Ever since that special morning, I have kept two fragrances very close to me in memory, that of the delectable treat of course, but more importantly the distinct beautiful smell of my grandmother which I am sad to admit will not be available for me to enjoy anymore. On a lighter note though, I was blessed to have this recipe handed down to me by my best friend, my very own mother. I cannot even begin to fathom how many years it has been since I have last enjoyed one of these treats, until now.

I am very grateful to have at least one of the two essences stored and saved away in my grandmother’s recipe book. Therefore, as for my project I chose to refresh my memory of that special day by preparing the very same delicacy. I hope to replicate that exact unique taste, and maybe remind myself of the more desired aroma. Unfortunately for you, I will not give out the ingredients to this recipe, but I will allow you the opportunity to drool over these pages if you wish! This pastry which is usually made only for special occasion has been a traditional treat since my grandmother’s mother passed it down to her. This pastry from an outside perspective looks just like any ordinary round pastry with an exceptional sweet crumbly topping sprinkled over ground poppy seeds or sometimes pieces of your favorite fruit which are layered carefully over the cradling glazed surface. But as we all know, judging a book by its cover does you no good, but if you dare to let your taste buds experiment inside is where the real magic is hidden. Within this orb shaped treat lays a filling consisting of a sweet cream cheese base with several other ingredients which could possibly include nuts, raisins, and other goodies which meld together into something amazing! I am a very traditional cook, which in my book stands for cooking with the purpose to recreate memories. Do not fear, I love experimentation, but you just cannot go wrong with those heartwarming homey meals! But to understand this about me, you must learn more about me. See my family derives from quite a few countries in Europe in which the food they eat is an essential part of their lifestyle. My grandfather on my father’s side is from Germany but moved to Poland after World War II and married my grandmother. As for my mother’s side, my never-been-more-alive grandfather comes from the heart of the Czech Republic, Prague and my grandma comes from Slovakia. This amount of diversity and love for food gave me the best backbone for the creation of miraculous foods. I believe I was born to cook and spread the joy my meals bring across the world, especially to those less fortunate.

The art of cooking is in my genes; ever since I was a toddler the kitchen has always fascinated me as if it had some aura of energy drawing me in. I guess that is why I was chosen to keep these recipes safe and in our family till the time comes when it is my turn to pass them along. Food brings the family together as it allows everyone to take a moment and satisfy their souls with something scrumptious. These moments, scarcely found among families these days, create the stories, the memories, and the fantasies which fulfill the empty spaces within our minds. Without food, we would parish and without family, we would have nothing to live for. So I ask of you, the reader, the cook, please keep the stories coming for all to enjoy!

Adobo Nation (Final 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. 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 more than six 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 “food tastes better when you eat at your friend’s house” is true.

The adobo may have had its origin in Malaysia because of the use of coconut milk. A stewed chicken and pork in a coconut milk and integrated with spices like vinegar and garlic that add aroma to the dish, and it is known as ginataan (coconut milk) were Spaniards influenced to the Filipinos in the creation of adobo. Adobo is a Spanish word, corroboration that it is a dish originated from Spain. The original Spanish adobo consists of garlic, bay leaf, and vinegar, and spiced with oregano, thyme, and paprika. To preserve the meat, vinegar is being used that makes adobo a perfect dish so that we can store up to several days and it is really beneficial because Philippines have a warm climate. The use of soy sauce was influenced by the Orientals.

In a dish like adobo, pork and chicken are the best meat to be use; we can also use beef instead. I can also use quail and duck in making adobo, poultry like this also makes a good dish especially if marinated well. Thick saucy adobo is usually served for cooking and topped in hot rice. To make the meat crisp, we can shred it and fry until it is crisp and golden, which makes a new product, a dish called adobo flakes. It is really a tremendous meal, more than ever for breakfast, especially if it is go together with a salad of tomatoes and onions, fried eggs, or shredded pickled papaya. The meat may also be fester until the sauce parched up, then slice up and you can make a flavorful and easy spread for sandwich preferably made with pan de sal (salt bread which is a rounded bread usually eaten by Filipino)

A star anise can also be used and rice wine to make a Chinese adobo, Filipino-Chinese is also excellent in catering adobo. There are different versions of adobo some are sweetened by sugar or sweet orange juice or pineapple juice, still another version has hot chili peppers. Fewer are using Fish and seafood for adobo. Distinctive among all adobo is Squid adobo a variety for having a black rather than a brown sauce, because it is cooked in its ink. Adobo is well-liked among all Filipinos and institute the whole time in the country with everlasting variations depending on the availability of ingredients in a region.

There are also ways to use leftover adobo, you can shred and fry with crushed garlic until crisp to make adobo flakes. It can be used to make into a pasta sauce just stir fry a cup of flaked leftover adobo meat in oil from the adobo with cloves of crushed garlic and soy sauce, intersperse with freshly-ground pepper to taste, rouse cream into the combination then decant onto cooked spaghetti or fettuccini and crest with a mixture of chopped salted egg, mango, tomato, and spring onions. It can also be dole out as chopped leftover adobo meat, a mu-shu style in a flour taco, a large carrot and blanch, combine the meat with sheared wansuy, the blanched carrots, and cucumber. To make a mouth-watering ramen you can top it with shredded adobo flakes along with chopped spring onions and slices of hard-boiled egg.

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 remember one time, while 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 humorously "Hey, I am Asian and this is our regular dish." We eat using our own bare hands, no chopsticks, no spoon, or fork, for it enhances the taste of the food. We just wash our hands carefully before eating bare hands.

So when my children come home, they do not bother me asking what’s for the dinner because they can already tell from the delicious and wonderful aroma 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. When you say comfort food, Adobo is definitely the one! If well marinated, none of the spice flavors rule to a certain extent because the flavor is an insubstantial stability of all the ingredients.

(Final) Relationship With Food

Relationship With Food

By: Anthony Sulley

Different types of foods represent different relationships in my life. When I am with my family I like to eat home cooked meals, because this reminds me of my childhood, and is a great feeling when it happens. When I am with my girlfriend I like to go out to restaurants, because it is more of a romantic feel and my girlfriend likes it. When I am with my friends we mainly hit up drive thrus, because it is cheaper and easier to access. Different styles of Food affect my emotions as well as my my representation.

When I’m with my family, I love when they make home cooked meals. My mother makes the greatest beef stroganoff in the world. The homemade cream sauce is mixed with the cooked beef, onions, mushrooms, and a few more ingredients. When it all comes together it is like heaven in your mouth, the ingredients compliment each other. The flavor is perfect, and my sisters and I are always excited when she makes it, which is not very often because it takes awhile to cook. My dad on the other hand makes amazing reuben sandwiches with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. He fries up the meat and then he adds some seasoning to it. When the meat is completely cooked, he melts swiss cheese over it and puts it on fried bread and then tops it off with thousand island dressing and sauerkraut. When all of these ingredients come together the taste is amazing as a burst of flavor enters your mouth. These two styles of cooking vary greatly, but nothing beats a home cooked meal.

When I hang out with my girlfriend we mainly go to Chili’s or I Hop depending on the time of day. If it's lunch or dinner time we go to Chili’s because they offer something that we both like. Jamee, my girlfriend, always gets the Chicken Enchilada soup, while I always get the Monterey Chicken. The chicken enchilada soup is a combination of broth, chicken, tortilla chips, and cheese. She tells me it is amazing and has great flavor, but I have yet to try it. I get the Monterey chicken, which is a tender chicken breast topped with barbecue sauce, and applewood smoked bacon, then they melt monterey cheese over all of it. It has great flavor and I highly recommend it, if you like chicken. When it is breakfast time we go to I hop, where Jamee gets the Crepe plate, which are delicate pancakes topped with butter, powdered sugar, and your choice of berries. The are really good, but are extremely sweet. I on the other hand keep it plain and simple with the Bacon and Eggs combo. They make the best thick bacon, and I always get scrambled eggs to accompany them, the meal tastes great and is amazing to have in the morning.

My friends and I are always busy when we hang out, so we usually don’t have time to go to a restaurant and sit down to eat, nor do we have time to go home and cook a meal. We also don't like spending a lot of money so we mainly hit up the dollar menu at our favorite fast food restaurants. We love being able to just drive through Sonic or Wendy’s and get a lot of food for only a few dollars. Since fast food is such easy access, we eat there a lot without spending much time there. At Sonic we mainly get anything that comes with chili because their chili is amazing and tastes good on almost everything, especially their chili cheese coney's. At Wendy's I mainly get the junior bacon cheeseburger with applewood smoked bacon. I also get their new sea salt fries, which are great tasting and easily beat out their old fries. Although fast food may not be the healthiest, it still satisfies our hunger for the time being.

When it comes to food there is a lot of meaning behind it. Everyone eats food and relates to it in different ways. For me it is all about relating food to different people in my life. Whenever I eat home cooked meals it reminds me of my family and all the dinners that we all sat together. When I am sitting down at restaurants it reminds me of my girlfriend and the romantic moments we have shared. Most of the time when I eat fast food I am with my friends because we are mainly busy and we don't have time to sit down at a restaurant or go home and cook food. When I think of food I think of the relationships I have with my friends and family.

Rough Draft Food

Different types of foods represent different relationships in my life. When I am with my family I like to eat home cooked meals, because this reminds me of my childhood, and is a great feeling when it happens. When I am with my girlfriend I like to go out to restaurants, because it is more of a romantic feel and my girlfriend likes it. When I am with my friends we mainly hit up drive thrus, because it is cheaper and easier to access. Different styles of Food affect my emotions as well as my my representation.

When I’m with my family, I love when they make home cooked meals. My mother makes the greatest beef stroganoff in the world. The homemade cream sauce is mixed with the cooked beef, onions, mushrooms, and a few more ingredients. When it all comes together it is like heaven in your mouth, the ingredients compliment each other. The flavor is perfect, and my sisters and I are always excited when she makes it, which is not very often because it takes awhile to cook. My dad on the other hand makes amazing reuben sandwiches with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. He fries up the meat and then he adds some seasoning to it. When the meat is completely cooked, he melts swiss cheese over it and puts it on fried bread then tops it off with thousand island drssing and sauerkraut. When all of these ingredients come together the taste is amazing as a burst of flavor enters your mouth. These two styles of cooking vary greatly, but nothing beats a homecooked meal.

When I hang out with my girlfriend we mainly go to Chili’s or I Hop depending on the time of day. We go to Chili’s because it offers something that we both like. Jamee, my girlfriend always gets the Chicken Enchilada soup, while I always get the Monterey and Chicken. When we go to I Hop she would get the Crepe plate and I would get the Bacon and Egg combo.
My friend and I are always busy, so we usually don’t have time to go to a restaurant and sit down to eat nor do we have time to go home and cook a meal. We love being able to just drive through McDonald’s or Wendy’s and get a lot of food for only a few dollars. It may not be the healthiest, but it satisfies our hunger for the time being.

When it comes to food there is a lot of meaning behind it. Everyone eats food and relates to it in different ways. For me it is all about realting food to different people in my life. Whenever I eat homecooked meals it reminds me of my family and all the dinners that we all sat together. When I am sitting down at restaurants it reminds me of my girlfriend and the romantic moments we have shared. Most of the time when I eat fast food I am with my friends because we are mainly busy and we dont have time to sit down at a restaurant or go home and cook food. When I think of food I think of the relationships I have with my friends and family.

Macaroni and Cheese, tater-tot casserole, cookies, sandwiches, etc.; think of your favorite meal of all times; now think how you can make that meal gluten free. You may be thinking, what the heck is gluten. Gluten is a protein that is in many different kinds of grains and other items such as; seasoning and sauces. I am now living the gluten free way of life, at least for the most part, because my partner Jessica is gluten intolerant. This is one of the hardest things I have done in a long time. People, even I, don’t realize how much gluten a person consumes every day. Gluten is found in everything, even foods that don’t need a reason to have gluten. I have found that it is in the wax that is on produce to keep it fresh, soy sauce, seasonings, natural flavorings, medicine, and many other items. We just can’t get away from gluten.
Jessica and I have been trying our best to keep gluten out of our diet for about a year and a half now. I have done tons and tons or research to see what products contain gluten. Sometimes it’s impossible for us to get everything gluten free. There are tons of websites that help people out with gluten free questions or curiosity. A big reason as to why it is so hard for us is because of the prices. Gluten free products are super expensive, a regular bag of pretzels may cost $2.00 and a gluten free bag may cost $7.00; prices have come down some and I think if the economy keeps getting better someday gluten free products will be cheaper. There are many stores now that are carrying gluten free products and they label them for convenience. This helps out a bunch because I have to read the back of everything I buy to make sure it doesn’t contain gluten.
This gluten free adventure all started when Jessica could not pinpoint why she was always tired and sick to her stomach. She talked to a friend Kelsey, whom she works with, and described some of her symptoms. Her symptoms involved; bloating, nausea, fatigue, and other symptoms that someone may feel when they have the flu. Kelsey told her that it sounds like she may be gluten intolerant, Kelsey herself has celiac disease. She gave Jessica some pointers on what to look for and products to stay away from. Kelsey has really helped us in figuring out what we can eat and what we can’t.
Meals are getting easier for us to prepare now that we have been cutting gluten out for a while. When we first started we ate some pretty nasty foods. Bread was one of the first things we looked for and that was worse than the dreaded fruit cake a Christmas time. We have found items that taste good and work for us. Cutting gluten out is getting much easier and tastier. There are some gluten free foods that I like better than the regular foods; Tinkyada’s gluten free brown rice pasta and Jessica’s gluten free apple crisp are a couple of examples of very tasty gluten free foods. There are tons of great recipes that you can find on the internet, in cookbooks, or even by word of mouth.
With all the long, hard, time consuming research, trial and error, and other experiments we have done, of trying to conquer the gluten free world have defiantly paid off. Jessica is much happier now, she has tons more energy, and she doesn’t lie around the house all day, and so on. Even the animals are happier because they get to go out and play more since we now can be more active with Jessica feeling better. Being gluten free has had its ups and downs, but when it comes down to it, eating gluten free is much healthier and a better lifestyle for us, and after a while it’s not too difficult. Even if you are not gluten intolerant, it is interesting to research about it and see how bad it is for people. Gluten is not only bad for humans; it is also not the best for animals as well. If you are ever interested there are tons of sites to look at with lots of information. It never hurts to be a little more educated about multiple categories.

Turkey Time (Final)

Adam Abuhadema
Eng. 121
Food Essay Final Draft
Due 2/29/11
Turkey Time
An American tradition, for a lot of people their favorite time of the year, the time where friends and family gather around the dinner table to enjoy a tremendous feast. A day where there are no worries, except for the illustrious threat of a burnt turkey. It’s a time where families huddle around the television and watch intense football games, where bets are made and money is won or lost just depending on the sort of luck you have. This event is where families become closer to each other, where memories are made, solely based on one object a turkey. I’m sure you have caught on what occasion I’m talking about and yes you’re correct, Thanksgiving also known as Turkey day is a special time of the year where people all across the country give thanks and become closer to one another.
Thanksgiving has always been different for me almost every year, except for one thing the consumption of turkey. For the most part Turkey Day has been consistently been held at my house for the last four or five years I would have to say. Which I’m not complaining about, I feel the most comfortable in my own house so it works for me. The usual people that attend Thanksgiving at my house are my dad Bari, my sister Lauren, and my dads newly fiancée Richelle. On some Thanksgivings it’s just been us four and we’ve had to pack down a whole lot of food, more than normal for this special day. Other than these folks it differs from every year to aunts and uncles, to my wonderful grandmother, all the way to friends as well. So you never know what kind of company to expect at my place on Thanksgiving which I’m grateful for; it spices’s things up a bit.
The most important person on this glorious day is my dad. You ask, “Why”? Well he is the grand cook and is pretty damn good at his job. Never once have I been disappointed with his creations, they are all just so mouth watering and delectable. A new creation he added last year was the fried turkey, also including a baked turkey, talk about dedication. But by far the fried turkey was the greatest idea he has ever came up with. You have not lived until you tried a fried turkey. The difference in moisture between a fried turkey and baked turkey is so immense you’ll be able to tell a difference right away. So I’m encouraging you greatly to try it! With all his other side dishes including mash potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, seasoned rolls, and of course his delicious chocolate and pumpkin pie this is one meal you don’t want to miss out on.
Now while my dad is cooking on this day I have a little bit of a different routine. I usually start by waking up around ten to the delicious smells being brewed up down stairs. Than I get my sports gear on and have my yearly tradition with my friends where we play a football game to really get into that Thanksgiving spirit. The games can get pretty intense some years; I remember a couple years ago my friend Cameron broke his arm during the game and his parents had to take him to the hospital. That was not one of the best Turkey Days I would have to say. Once the game is done I come home bruised up and exhausted and plop myself right down on the couch and enjoy a good old American Football game. While all the other people around me like my sister and her boyfriend Daniel, and my dad and Richelle begin to get a little tipsy off their fourth glass of wine. This is when the party gets started with my dad screaming at the t.v. because of a bad call on the football game, and my sister cursing while she loses in the board game of Life. I just sit back and smile and say to myself, “this is what families all about.”
After all these debacles it comes to the most important time of the day, dinner time. The aroma of the turkey has overpowered the entire house making everyone’s stomach gurgle with the anticipation of the feast before hand. We all stand in a single file line dishing out our own plates unable to control our happiness of all the delicious food we are about to enjoy. As everyone settles around the dinner table we first each say something were grateful, for which most say is family. That’s when it hits me that a mere Turkey can bring a group of people together and make them feel as if they were one and the compassion shown shows the greatness the human race can achieve. This day shows the potential we all can have and that we can raise our society, and not lower it as many people believe is occurring. I think if a piece of turkey can bring us together than there’s hope for the entire world to come as one, that’s what is learned from such a simple object, a turkey.