Welcome to the blog for Colgate University's interdisciplinary course on food. This is the place to keep up with what students in the course are experiencing in their work at Common Thread Community Farm and through their everyday encounters with food.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

The Irony of hired farm hands and their related health

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/in-a-california-valley-healthy-food-everywhere-but-on-the-table.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront

In relation to our discussions of migrant labor supporting many agricultural industries, the NY Times published an article related to the food security, health and overall quality of life for migrant laborers that work on California farms.

The Salinas Valley provides most of the vegetables that Americans consume in the United States. From lettuce to broccoli to brussel sprouts, the produce that you consume most likely came from this region of California. It is a very fertile region, located deep within the valley. The NY Times states that this region has more than doubled its production output and provides the United States with more than half of the lettuce that we see in our grocery stores. However, most of these healthy foods are not consumed by the laborers who harvest them.

According to the article, 91% of California's farm labor come from workers who are 'foreign born.' However, the quality of life for the workers and their families are quite poor. In the Salinas City Elementary School, 33% of the students that attend are homeless. Diabetes rates are rising, and 85% of the laborers are overweight to obese. The sad part is, the food that these workers harvest are not affordable to the workers who harvest them, according to a professor at the University of California, Davis. In addition to the poor diets, treatment for various diseases related to the diets is low as well. Many of the workers in this region are not legal citizens, and cannot afford health insurance. With the appeal of affordable, unhealthy food and no health insurance, these two factors contribute significantly to the poor health of the migrant laborers. California is also known for its high housing costs, so some workers find homes in abandoned buildings, tents, or various other shelters. Couple that with low wages, and healthy foods are not an option for many of the workers. Not only do the farm workers get affected, but the children of the farm workers as well. 72% of children under the age of 10 in Salinas' county drank soda at least once per day. 83% of teenagers in the same county drank soda once a day. Adolescents in this county drank 4.5 times more sugary drinks than water.

When thinking about a revolution in our farm industry, how can we better support the workers who cannot afford healthy foods? Corporations and industrial agriculture are making it very difficult for CSAs and farmers markets to operate in this region so the change to locavore dining is quite difficult. The balance between supporting farms and providing workers with healthy foods is quite conflicting.

Seafood: Be Careful With What You Eat!

http://time.com/4480426/fish-fraud-is-absolutely-rampant-new-report/

Seafood is one of my favorite types of protein to consume. From most types of fish to crab, lobster, and shrimp, I love seafood. With that being said, a recent news article from TIME has suggested that the seafood we think we are consuming (mostly fish) may not be what we think it is.

Fish itself is a high protein, low-fat food that can provide a ton of benefits to those who eat it in moderation. The most helpful aspect of fish is the omega-3 fatty acids that contributes to a healthy heart, and may even be helpful for pre/post natal development. From salmon to anchovies, and many types of fish in between, this type of protein is very beneficial in ones diet and have less negative impacts ecologically. Even some farm-based fish are considered very good in diets.

The benefits of fish are great, especially if you know what you are buying and consuming, but what if the fish you buy is not exactly what you think it is? According to the TIME's article (link provided above), a recent study from 55 different countries found that 1 in 5 fish samples from around the world are mislabeled (25,000 samples tested). That is 20% of the samples tested! When looking at the United States by itself, that number jumps to a 30% fraud rate. Of that 30%, over half of those samples (58%) were found to potentially cause health complications. Because of seafood regulation, certain types of fish have to be screened for toxins and other allergens that could have a negative impact on human health (such as Mercury). With mislabeling, these fish are not being screened at all. In other countries, the numbers jump even higher. In Italy for example, 82% of Grouper, Perch and Swordfish samples that were tested were found to be fraudulent. In Brussels restaurants, 98% of bluefin tuna (one of the nore expensive tunas out there, fisherman being able to sell these fish for $5000-7000 a piece). In the end, from mislabeling practices, the consumers are paying more to eat something that is worth much less.

Recently, President Obama has mentioned that he would address seafood fraud through a trace-ability system. The EU, through increased transparency between suppliers and consumers, has reduced seafood fraud from 23% to 8% in a four year span (2011-2015).

All in all, becareful and mindful with the seafood you purchase and consume!

Monday, November 28, 2016

Thanksgiving Dinner

            My family always hosts Thanksgiving at our house, which is good in that we do not need to travel anywhere, but it also means there is a lot of cooking to do.  While it varies from year to year on how may relatives come, this year we totaled 14.  For a while, Thanksgiving has not been a big holiday in my family.  When my brother and I were younger we use to have family over to our house, as we do now.  However, from the age of around ten until only a couple of years ago my immediate family was always away on Thanksgiving Day.  My brother and I ski raced, and as is typical of many alpine race teams, there was always an early season training week in Colorado, which always fell over Thanksgiving break.  Therefore most of the Thanksgivings that I can actually remember were not traditional at all.  There were some years when my parents did not come to Colorado so my brother and I had Thanksgiving dinner with our entire team.  This typically involved going out to dinner; sometimes for a traditional turkey dinner, but often it was to whatever restaurant would seat thirty kids and coaches on Thanksgiving Day. 
            A few years my parents came to Colorado and my brother and I spent Thanksgiving with them.  With them we would forgo turkey all together.  One year was bison burgers, another was sushi, and my all time favorite one was fondue at a mountain top restaurant.  Even though we did not have the traditional dinner, (which is my favorite of holiday meals) these were still some of my favorite Thanksgivings.  Spending it with my immediate family is what was really important to me, and these types of meals meant that there was no stress over cooking and preparation or any frustration, which inevitably comes when my extended family is over.  This year though we were not skiing and it was back to tradition.
            After not being home last year for Thanksgiving I was actually excited for a turkey dinner.  Hosting usually meant that we ended up cooking the whole meal.  My mom does not cook often and I rarely do, so Thanksgiving dinner is a true test of our abilities.  All in all, I would say that this year was a success.  Disaster almost struck Thursday morning, which derailed our plans for a few hours, but it was nothing that could not be fixed.  My mom put the turkey in the oven before we all left to go run a 5k.  We took our time at the race, catching up with friends after, then grabbing coffee and breakfast.  When we got back three hours later we realized that my mom put the turkey in the oven that was off, not the one that had been preheating.  With a still completely raw turkey, and guests arriving in a couple of hours, we panicked.  We had no choice but to postpone dinner for a few hours.  We set out more appetizers, opened a few more bottles of wine and in the end no one seemed to mind much. 
            The dinner itself was excellent.  I have never really enjoyed the actual turkey on Thanksgiving but I love the side dishes; Brussels sprouts being my all time favorite.  And no Thanksgiving is complete, in my opinion, without pumpkin pie, which I ended up having for lunch for the next two days.  Even with the hours spent in the kitchen cooking and the endless questions about “what are you doing after graduation?” from my family, it was an enjoyable Thanksgiving and I had a great time with family, eating delicious food.       

This is what our Thanksgiving dinner menu looked like this year:


Turkey, gravy, butternut squash roasted with spinach and cranberries, mashed sweet potato and mashed potato, Brussels sprouts roasted with pancetta, cranberry sauce, stuffing, green beans, and for dessert, pumpkin and apple pie.  (It was way more food than any person would be able finish, but it was too hard to decide what to exclude so we cooked it all)    

  

Sunday, November 27, 2016

The reason I always forget to preheat the oven


An AGA is a quintessential British, cast iron stove run on propane. It usually has two burners and four compartments that store heat of different temperatures. It was invented in the early 20's and was originally coal powered, which meant it had to constantly be stoked, similar to a wood burning stove. What is unique about the AGA is that it is continuously running, which means the stove is always on. I was introduced to AGAs by my dad, who is Welsh and grew up with one in his house. When our house was being renovated (it was originally built in 1745 so things are constantly crumbling), we decided to put an Aga in our kitchen instead of an electric or gas powered stove. They certainly are not the most fuel efficient and can be widely pricey, but for my dad, who had moved permanently to the States twenty years earlier was persistent. I was in first grade at the time and I certainly wasn't the one cooking dinner every night, so it didn't really matter to me. However, I never would have known at the time that, to put it grandly, the AGA stove would come to define who I am today and have an integral role in defining home for me.

As my dad was British, and the stove was British, and my dad loved to cook and I wanted to learn how to cook, the AGA fostered a space and medium for my dad and I to spend time together. As I grew up, I learned cook on the Aga, and because it is always on, I never had to preheat an oven in my life, until I came to college that is. Because it is always on, it always emits heat. There were countless winter days and nights spent curled up with a book and hot drink at the base of the stove, usually with one of the cats or dogs sleeping next to you. The warmth from the oven attracted all members of the household, and often the rug space at the base of the stove was occupied by more than one pet. On top of the stove there is a warming plate, which often times in the winter, a person would be perched on top of with some tea. The kitchen was always a cozy and warm space, which would draw people in and start conversation. So many people and pets, including hamsters, have enjoyed the warmth of the AGA.

While I can cook perfectly fine on electric and gas powered stoves (at least I think), they just don't create the same experience for me that an AGA does, one that fosters coziness, comfort, conversation, creation, and love. And I am realizing the less time I am able to spend at home, especially after graduation, the less time I have with the AGA, to cook, to sit, to savor. Maybe there will be another one in my future.

This is a picture of my dad and I cooking over Thanksgiving, with the infamous AGA in the background. 

Catering Cranbrook Reunion

On the Friday after Thanksgiving, I catered the young alumni reunion at my high school. I spent a few hours on Tuesday and Wednesday baking in preparation for the reunion. I decided to make around 100 chocolate chip, sugar, and lemon waffle cookies. After baking, I went to Gordon Food Services and found some large platters with clear covers for only four dollars each. This was the second year that I catered this event, but last year Serena was still a part of the business so it took longer to bake this year. The cookies were popular again this year and I was able to talk to more people about the progress that I had made in the last year.

            One of the older alums who was present was someone that I had met at a farmer’s market this summer. He started a coffee cake company that benefits a foundation that his brother started for cancer patients. The non-profit matches a cancer patient with a cancer survivor who went through the same type of cancer and has other commonalities with the current patient. The organic coffee cake company has been hugely successful and is currently manufactured out of a facility that I toured in Chesterfield. I was able to speak with the founder for a while at the reunion and also got to meet his brother. It is always helpful to speak with successful food entrepreneurs in the area because it is the best way to learn a lot about the regional retail space, production options and distribution lines.

Food Scientist Meeting

The day after I got back to Michigan for break, I met with a food scientist named Bri. I hired her a month ago to redevelop the recipe for the waffle cookies. I was originally introduced to her because she is the on-staff food scientist for a pie company, the company that will potentially become our co-packer in the future.
           I met Bri at a tea café in Birmingham where she had brought six different waffle cookie flavors for me to sample and one control sample that she had made using my old recipe. We talked about my goals in redeveloping the recipe and then proceeded to taste the samples. Although they were only the initial round of prototypes, I could clearly taste the improvements. Bri, being a culinary expert, knew how to properly combine the ingredients and also which ingredients to use and not use. For example, she used full fat butter and pearl sugar instead of the normal butter and granulated sugar that I had been using. After tasting all the samples and providing my feedback to her, she packaged the samples for me to take home and continue with a week long taste test to see how the flavor and texture changes over time.
            Another issue we discussed was the desired consistency of the recipe. There are unique advantages to using a batter since it is easier to pour into a waffle iron. However, a batter does not automatically cook evenly so it is necessary to use a rotating waffle iron. On the other hand, a dough would cook evenly in a waffle iron but it is often more difficult to spread across the iron. On Wednesday, I had a call with a man who started a frozen waffle company and he explained the complications he had run into trying to find a smaller-scale waffle co-packer. He said that most manufacturers with waffle iron equipment are set up for dough pucks which is difficult for him since he uses a batter.

            The next step is to meet with Bri again when I am home for winter break in 3 weeks. From there we will work on honing in on a final recipe that can be sent to the Michigan State University Product Center for shelf life testing and recipe analysis.

Fun Science about Corn!!!

I just read this pretty cool article about growing corn and paused, mid-essay, to share my excitement. My prompt is to write about the most effective conservation plan in America today, so of course I decided to write about how our food system can be tweaked. (I'm sure many of us could have written this essay from memory, courtesy of food class! However, having to go back and find research behind the things floating in my brain was a pain)

Anyways, I wrote about raising beef and feed lots and monocultures and all of that good stuff, focusing on a few main changes we can work towards, including diversifying/better rotating crops! Gaudin et al. did this study, where they looked at crop yields from a variety of corn and soybean farms, which used lots of different techniques. They looked at everything from the basic monoculture, to rotation systems with 3 crops, 2 cover crops, and reduced tillage. You guessed it, the more complicated systems proved to be the best! Specifically, Gaudin et al. looked at how crops fared during times of abnormal or unfavorable weather. The highest/most reliable yields came from farms that use rotations, cover crops, and reduced tillage. Although it is more work to complicate corn farming, the benefits seem to be undeniable. Not only is the corn-growing better, but other profitable crops can be added to the mix. If farmers can make money off of their land for more months every year, why wouldn't they?

Wow, love it when the science works out the way you want it to!

Here's a screenshot of the article, if anybody's interested in doing a little extra reading during this hellish and absurdly busy couple of weeks at the end of the semester ;)




Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Cranberry Conundrum

My family seems to go through the same discussion every year before Thanksgiving of what should make up the meal. There are also various agendas at play and everyone representing their own interests can't seem to forfeit that one special dish. Sometimes it ends in a discombobulated feast with clashing flavors and foods, and other times one person gets their way. At the end of the day, food is food, and ultimately that's not why we gather together. This year, however, I am speaking on behalf of the vegetables, my mom is defending her heritage with traditional carbs and canned goods, and my dad just seems to want to make pie. Our plan of action, instead of combining all of these into have one massive meal, is to each take our own day to cook our stubborn interests.

One argument, though, that I still cannot win, is the the fresh versus canned cranberry sauce. My mom has a strange liking for they uniform glob that oozes out of the can with the exact resemblance of said can. We can always count on her to open a can of cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving. But then, because she is the only one in the family who eats it, it sits in the fridge, still in a slightly cylinder shape, until someone discovers it again. Not this year. While I still refuse to consume the actual gelatinous substance on Thursday, whatever is left I am going to experiment with. I found these recipes for how to repurpose cranberry jelly, which in my opinion should never be eaten straight in the first place. This Cranberry BBQ Chickpea wrap looks particularly good. 

vegan wrap

https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/bbq-cranberry-chickpea-wrap/


https://www.babble.com/best-recipes/8-tasty-ways-to-use-a-can-of-cranberry-sauce/

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Food Outside of Hamilton

For this blogpost, I thought it’d be interesting to talk about how certain places are associated with certain types of food. This topic relates to various themes we’ve touched base on in class such as identity (with Russia and the potato), authenticity of a food (such as in Curry with Chicken Tikka Masala), and corn with Iowa. I noticed in class yesterday that Professor Henke mentioned “Iowa is known for it’s corn”. Similarly, many towns/cities, states, and even countries are “known for” certain types of foods or ways in which foods are prepared. This got me thinking, what is New Jersey known for? (Where I currently reside). Although my friend from Long Island says otherwise, New Jersey is supposedly known for their bagels and hoagies. There are plenty of Deli’s, “Subways”, and Bagel shops. There is a place a few minutes away from my house called “Hoagie Haven” that sells very distinct yet popular hoagies. One is called the Dirty Sanchez which includes mozzarella sticks, french fries, chicken tenders, and “the Sanchez sauce”. Another is called the “Phat Lady”, which is a cheesesteak with mozzarella sticks, fries, mayo, and hot sauce. One other hoagie is the “Heart Stopper”, which is a cheesesteak with bacon, two fried eggs, and hot sauce.
Although these cheesesteaks are popular because of the way they are prepared, I would imagine they do not compare to Philly Cheesesteaks. This brings me to another geographic location that is “known for” a particular food. The town I live in is the midpoint between Philadelphia and New York City. Therefore, I have traveled to both New York City and Philadelphia quite a bit throughout my lifetime and have always been asked if I eat Philly Cheesesteaks when I travel to Philadelphia. Personally, I have never had a Philly Cheesesteak, but people I have met from Philly told me it is a necessity when visiting. There is a certain pride that comes with the place you live being recognized for a food that attracts most visitors and tourists.
I have heard from a number of people that there is no pizza like New York pizza. Both of my parents grew up in New York City and said that the pizza in New York City cannot be replicated–there is a certain taste to the cheese or a certain way it is prepared that makes it “authentic” pizza. I know many students in this area claim that slices sells the best pizza around and yes, it might taste good with ranch. However, many people I know would agree with me when I say it is in no way as tasteful as the pizza found in New York City. I may be biased in a few of my assumptions because they are solely based upon what I’ve heard throughout my lifetime, rather than personal experience from traveling to a specific place. With this being said, I always associate Italy with delectable gelato. I visited Little Italy in New York, which by no means is the same as Italy, but I suppose it exhibits how popular gelato is in Italy. On another note, I recall that New England is generally known for its seafood, especially Lobster, (amongst other food options). Boston in particular has terrific clam chowder and of course there is the famous “Boston Cream Pie”. Additionally, I believe that Texas is known for its meats, especially steak, ribs, and barbecue items.
Finally, to name a few other food items associated with particular locations, there are Belgian waffles, crabs from Maryland, “deep-dish pizza” in Chicago (which is different from New York Pizza), peaches from Georgia, Grits and Shrimp in South Carolina, as well as many others. In a sense, a particular food can create a sort of identity that the people of that location represent or hold and as a result make known to others. Moreover, the question of authenticity comes into play when a common food is made or prepared in various locations. Is a cheesesteak not made in Philly not the same as a traditional Philly Cheesesteak or not as authentic? Or does another location add something to a food to make it it’s own version and unique? Is the clam chowder prepared on Rhode Island different from clam chowder found in Boston or in Massachusetts? A lot of places can claim that they make the best of a particular food, but it all comes down to either popular opinion or personal preference. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see how people sometimes equate a food with a specific location. Below I included two links: (1) One is the 50 States and a popular food for each state. You are welcome to see if it aligns with what you know about your state, provided you live in the United States. (There is even corn listed under Iowa). (2) The second link is a huffington post article about 50 cities that are said to be known for certain foods or dishes.

(1) http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/50-state-foods.html
(2) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/14/cities-specific-food_n_4959577.html

BIG NEWS GUYS

(Don't worry, Professor Henke, you don't need to count this as a real post.) I just wanted to share with everybody that I have FOUND THE CULPRIT...yes, the Asher look-alike, haunting the halls of the Ho science center. This unintentional imposter is...drumroll...


This guy!!! Behzad Khajavi, Graduate Research Student; Research Affiliate from Physics/Astro (I always knew something fishy was up with that department). I will admit, this guy looks a lot more like Asher from the side as he walks by my 1:20 (I have it in one of the indoor window rooms and he walks by a lot). Just picture his profile, obscured by walking speed and the intellectual stimulation of a 300-level geography class. Also, I think I have only seen Asher while wearing a hat, which also obscures my mental image of his face. This guy would probably look more like Asher if he were picking vegetables (see below), or something, just saying. In short, they probably don't look a lot alike at all, but I feel a lot better having gotten to the bottom of this (even if it took my googling the names of like 3 departments worth of professors).






Also, found this gem on the website. They'll let anybody help out on the farm, these days!!!


Sunday, November 13, 2016

My Last Farm Day

Friday was the last 'required' farm day for the semester. But, I would like to go again in the near future to visit them one more time. Working in the farm was probably one of the most unique experience I've had in my four years in Colgate! Through this encounter, I made valuable friendships both with classmates, the interns working there, and Asher and Wendy. Also, I was exposed to various produce that I have never seen before and the process of cultivating these produce. I mean, I didn't now what a fennel was before Wendy asked me to harvest it! (To be honest, I still don't know where you would use it... But, google will tell me soon enough.)

My expectation and idea of where and how food came to the grocery store was far away from my experience in the farm. I was born and lived in the suburbs of Los Angeles - far away from the everyday realities of farm. These food were 'magically' found in boxes, and these boxes were displayed in grocery markets for me to purchase it. The extent of my farm knowledge was through movies that addressed problems with food (such as Food Inc.) or books that idolized the farming life (such as Farmer Boy). My parents and others would comment how farming was backbreaking and physically challenging. But, it never clicked with me how much work was put into planting, sustaining, harvesting, and packaging these produce entailed. 

Although I have only worked a fraction of the entire process, it was a toiling experience to spend two to three hours of looking at these vegetables, harvesting, washing and then packaging these produces. This experience has definitely made me more conscious of food. I have never been more aware of the farmers' effort, structures and institutions, and history that have been able to place this food into the store. And unlike before, food justice/ sovereignty is now part of my agenda! It is now one of my goals to build a garden (of course using local seeds), and participate eating from locally grown food. Overall, I am hoping to visit the farm next week again to say a formal goodbye. And, who knows? I might come and volunteer again next semester!

Monday, November 7, 2016

More Chickens

I just finished lecturing my dad about monocultures and feed lots and sustainability and the like, so I figured it would be inappropriate to not write a blog post. Additionally, I just ate my first "chicken" nugget in probably like ten years...exciting!!

So in terms of the nugget, it's one of those fake meat Morning Star Farms things. I was never super in to fake meat, because I didn't miss meat too much in the first place. Some of the veggie burgers are good though...they're made actually with veggies and aren't really trying to be meat imposters. Nonetheless, I randomly decided to try the "chik'n nuggets", with some lemon salad dressing (the only sauce I had) and they were awesome! You really can't compete with frying something with no nutritional value to begin with. The first ingredient is water (interesting), followed by soy and corn oil (I'm the worst). But anyways...super exciting/momentous occasion in my life! If you're feeling bad about all of this horrible meat stuff we've learned in the past few days, I'd highly recommend some fake meat. It doesn't even taste weird.

Additionally, you'd all be proud to know that I was after my dad on the phone this evening about food-related fiascos. I guess with tomorrow's ballot, they're also voting on laws pertaining to the animal penning/caging size of meat sold in Massachusetts. *Real time update on Nov 8th: and it's winning!*

One last exciting thing: Sweetness and Power was mentioned in one of my readings for another class! It just briefly talked about slavery in Latin America and was like "this would be a good book to read if you're interested". I felt pretty cultured, having heard of an additional reading that the author mentioned.

From Farm to Processing to Preparation: Butternut Squash

I can still remember that cold, frigid day when Wendy told us we were going to be picking squash for the entire shift at Common Threads in order to beat the frost. For three hours, Ali, Miranda and I wished we were somewhere else, anything to get out of picking squash. Little did I know, I would not be escaping the life of the squash we were picking after this particularly morning, especially the butternut squash. The squash was almost mocking me on that day, giving me bumps, and scratches that lasted me the entire morning. I was sure I had found my least favorite fruit, regardless of how it tastes.
After switching over to the Thursday morning shift, I had forgotten all about the squash harvesting experience. I thought I would never have to deal with it again, hoping someone had already packaged the squash for the shares and removed them from the property. Then this past Thursday came and our group encountered my old friend, butternut squash. This time the squash played a whole new dirty trick on me. When Wendy attempted to show us how to properly separate the firsts from the seconds, we came across a disgusting specimen that was rotting among the "good" butternut squash. Wendy, with a look of fear, said their may have been a mouse that chewed through this guy and left the shell of the fruit/vegetable to rot. If you look at those holding bins for vegetables that were about to be stored, you would notice that there really isn't a way for a mouse to except. The wiring underneath the holding crate would prevent a mouse from escaping through the bottom, while the top of the bin was too high for a mouse to somehow jump over it. So Katherine and I assumed we would find a mouse, dead or alive, by the time this huge bin was sorted. Every time we picked up a new squash to inspect, there was mutual fear that the mouse would be discovered, and fear that my phobia for mice would be exposed as well. After very careful picking and sorting, which took more time than it needed to because of this added obstacle, we found a whopping 0 mice in the bin. All that stress over nothing, but once again, the butternut squash was mocking me. After we had finally placed everything in storage, I was relieved that the butternut squash would not be seen in the near future (I definintely wasn't getting any from the store) because everything was away.
Then came this past Saturday (November 5th). Every first Saturday of the month, my group with the COVE helps to support local soup kitchens by volunteering and helping with any work that needs to be done during that day. The Hope House in Utica was a typical soup kitchem, where we would assist the cook in preparing large scale meals from roughly 200 people who could not afford to feed themselves. We love doing it, it gives us a chance to learn some culinary skills but also to connect with the community members who attend. Most of the time its fun prep, cutting vegetables, or preparing rice, or preparing meats/proteins. This time however, someone had donated 10 boxes filled to the brim with, you guessed it, freshly harvested BUTTERNUT SQUASH. My group had the pleasure of peeling each and everyone of them, forcefully cutting them (butternut squash is not the easiest thing in the world to cut), and finally bagging them to give away to the guests. The final leg of the process was easily the worst, especially with dull potato peelers and knives. My forearms were dead after the entire ordeal.I'm sure that the surprise visit was another way for this butternut squash to mock me again.
Now I can safely say that I have seen the process, from farm to table, for butternut squash. I honestly believe the universe was trying to tell me something over the course of 10 weeks. I appreciate the farmers who must uncomfortably pick this squash, the quality control specialists who have to ensure the fruit is separated according to its appearance, and the chefs who have to endear physical and mental torture to peel, cut, and prepare the butternut squash. After hating squash for the last 10 weeks, I think I am finally starting to appreciate its draw. Cutting the squash released aromas that were some of the best smells I had ever experienced. It was sweet, but very mild, I wish they made candles with that flavor! Anyway, the squash process is something that you cannot have strong feelings against. One must understand it and experience the process to fully appreciate the fruit it bears.       


Image result for butternut squash piles

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Chickens & Antibiotics

In a couple of days, I will be presenting questions to Dr. Galusky regarding the ethics of domesticating chickens. Dr. Galusky questions the current industrial practices by major chicken producers (such as the use of antibiotics, placing chickens in small spaces, etc.). He sympathetically asks us to view chickens not simply as commodities but as living and breathing animals. Thus, we must allow chicken to be chicken, and not simply a "thing" that feeds us. Interestingly, while preparing for my presentation, I came upon an article written about Sanderson Farms - the third biggest producers of chicken in the United States. Unlike other major chicken producers who have turned away from antibiotics, Sanderson Farms firmly defended its use of antibiotics. The company stated that the use of antibiotics is economical and environmentally friendly because it uses less products (soy, corn, land, etc.) to feed and maintain the animal. In addition, Sanderson Farms states that other companies that do not use antibiotics are "tricks to make [consumers] pay more money."

This article brings me back to Dr. Galusky's article about the ethics of the current industrial practices in the chicken industry. Under the guise of environmental issues, this issue of antibiotics stem from Sanderson Farms' view that what matters the most is producing cheap chicken. However, as more rational, economic models suggests us to adopt technologies, the more we "create" these chickens, and there is more alienation and separation between us and the chicken. To be honest, I don't even know what type of chicken I am eating and under what conditions it was grown most of the time! So, how do we - both corporations and the public - move past that view? How do we move past this "rational, economic models"? What are some structural changes we need to make to allow this movement? And, what can we - as individuals - do at this moment?

If the link above doesn't work, here is the URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/02/business/poultry-producer-sanderson-farms-stands-its-ground-its-proud-to-use-antibiotics.html

Friday, November 4, 2016

Acquired Tastes

In the days leading up to this blog post, it truly took some time for me to think of a topic. I guess you could say I had writer's-block. So in order to combat this impediment, I sat down at my computer and simply said aloud to myself “food” and thought about what comes to mind when I just think of that lone word. Naturally, I thought about how much I love food. Then I thought about the different types of food I like and came to the conclusion that I am not a picky eater and that I like many types of food. However, in the process of evaluating my food interests, I realized I often stick to what I know. For instance, if I go to a restaurant frequently, I’m more inclined to order what I ordered in the past as opposed to ordering something completely new. I generally do this because I know what I ordered was appetizing enough to order it again. I guess this means I like to stay in my comfort zone when it comes to ordering food. This doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t like to try new things. However, I like the security that comes with knowing how something will taste prior to eating it. Additionally, although I don’t consider myself a picky eater, I know there are certain foods or types of food I avoid. I don’t enjoy things such as pudding, jello, cream fillings, marshmallows, blueberries, cottage cheese, and things of that sort—things with what I would describe as having an “odd texture”. There are also certain meats I won’t eat simply because I have never tried them. For example, I won’t eat lamb, veal, deer meat, bear meat, goat, and or bison (I have been offered all of these forms of meat). I also have never tried beef jerky and have refused eating it in the past simply because I have never had it before.
After all of this thought about foods I enjoy and foods I avoid, I began to think why is it that I enjoy the taste of certain foods and dislike the taste of other foods? What is it that causes these “preferences”? Also, what causes people to have certain cravings for a specific food? I know at the beginning of the semester, we mentioned the idea of taste receptors impacting our food desires, and that there were five (potentially six) different tastes. The five main tastes include sweet, bitter, sour, unami, and salty, and the sixth taste that was recently proposed was a “carb taste”. With that being said, these inquiries brought me to do some research on the subject. There were a few theories proposed in a particular article that I believe are worth noting. There appear to be various phenomenons that explain different reactions toward food, which are presented in the article, Why You Like What you Like by Tom Vanderbilt. (The link is included at the bottom of this post).
Vanderbilt says, “more repeated exposure of the individual to a stimulus is a sufficient condition for the enhancement of his attitude toward it”. Therefore, he claimed that often, the more one tries something, the more he or she tends to like it. Another idea presented was, “we don’t always know what we like, but we’re pretty sure we don’t like what we don’t know”. I surely can relate to this in terms of the beef jerky and different meats I have never tried. Vanderbilt also says, “[one’s] choice is the memory of all [his or her] previous experiences”. This relates to me ordering the same meal every time I go to a specific restaurant. Vanderbilt explains how it is not tastes that we eat, but rather “flavors”. Thus, people generally have similar reactions to tastes. For instance, for an individual, the bitter taste of black coffee will taste bitter, even after drinking black coffee at different points in time. Moreover, Vanderbilt writes that people like and dislike flavors due to “flavor nutrient conditioning”, which involves learning about the particular food through physiological factors and signals. According to Vanderbilt, why we like certain flavors involves many factors such as linking emotions and moods we feel to specific foods, expectation and categorization, and the use of other sensory faculties such as sight and smell. All in all, although this article might not answer all of the questions about why we dislike and why we like certain foods, simply because there are various components involved, it certainly offers a few speculations.  

Link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-you-like-what-you-like-73470150/?no-ist