W10: A sandwich is a sandwich by any other name.

When I think about what a sandwich really is I think about a story I read on one of the web sites that I frequent. Kevin Butler, a persona for Sony's Playstation 3, talked about a "Monte Cristo" which is an entire ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich dipped in French Toast batter and deep fried. He then goes on to talk about how his favorite sandwich is a double bacon cheeseburger with two Monte Cristo Sandwiches as the bun. It's Frankenstein creation of epic proportions, but it's something that I would only eat for monetary compensation. However, it does get me thinking about what a sandwich really is. I've never really considered a hamburger to be a sandwich before. The more that I think about it though, the more it makes sense that these types of things could be considered a sandwich. Even take the word, sandwich. It means to take two things and put something in between them. Under this criteria, a hamburger would qualify as a sandwich. A quesadilla would also be considered a sandwich under this definition because there are two tortillas sandwiching cheese and whatever else is inside. I even think that a hot dog could possibly be considered a sandwich. Some people might get tripped up by the fact that the bun is connected, but a lot of sub shops serve their sandwiches with the bun not fully cut. The only true objection I have to that list is a crepe. I don't really think a crepe counts as a sandwich because of the fact that is folded around its contents. Therefore it is what we would considered a wrap, which some of the time contains what is normally held inside of a sandwich. It's one of those things like where a square is a rectangle but a rectangle isn't a square.

W9: Sharing Food

I grew up an only child for most of my life so I never really had to fight my other siblings for food. I would generally get access to whatever food was there. When we would go to the store, any special foods would be just for me or my father.

This year was the first year I moved to into an apartment and has been the first time I have ever had to share food. When we moved in, my three other roommates and I attempted to establish a set of rules to how the kitchen would work. We said that the basics would be shared: eggs, milk and bread. Then we said that any other food that we did not want others to eat would be marked with our initials. This small set of rules seemed simple enough and that we could easily follow them. For the most part, the rules remained in place.

However, after a couple of weeks, things began to fall through. One problem we had was how often we were going through those basic materials. We would eat all of the eggs or drink all of the milk and then no one would be willing to buy more because they felt they didn't eat their share. The next problem we had that people began to be lax with their labeling process. One roommate in particular took advantage of this and if it wasn't explicitly labeled he would assume it was for everyone even when it came to things like cookies or brownies. Food soon became a free-for-all. I started keeping all of my food in my room or my mini-fridge and I would only bring it out when I wanted to eat it.

It's hard coming into a living situation like this without having any experience with it from my childhood. I never had to ferociously guard my food so that others would not eat it. I would generally share food with others if they asked, but when they start taking food without asking it becomes difficult to maintain that mentality. Especially when hypocrisy is involved. One time I asked one of my roommates if we could use one of his eggs that he kept in his room. This was the same roommate that would eat anything that was not physically attached to my other roommates. He interrogated me with questions like "How many are you going to use?" and "Who is going to use them?"

It is a constant struggle to maintain fairness in the kitchen when you live with three other people who came from different backgrounds than you.

W8: Myers crusade against foodies

Myers' argument against the foodies who populate our entertainment is an interesting one, but I do not necessarily agree with it. He makes several good points such as how these food critics often embrace gluttony and relish in the fact. At first it appears the his argument has no flaw, but upon closer inspect and further analysis it is invalid. I believe that Myers is looking at foodies with too much of a critical eye. He often cites Anthony Bourdain and his latest book and uses that example as, among a few others, how the rest of the foodie culture is. Bourdain has a unique persona. He is often crass, rude, and overly arrogant. He is an extreme example of what a foodie could be and he does not represent the entire group of food critics and chefs around the world. He is the type of person who would eat endangered animals without feeling guilt. Jamie Oliver, on the other hand, is the polar opposite of what Bourdain is like. Oliver worked to establish a food kitchen in West Virginia in order to combat obesity. Other chefs like to give back to the community and not all of them are self absorbed. For every cooking show or book that embraces gluttony there is one that cries the importance of inexpensive and healthy meals. Rachel Ray's 30-minute meals are all about quick and affordable meals.  I feel that Myers' argument was very one sided and only looked at some of the extreme examples that foodies can have. I do not believe that all cooks and food critics are extreme gluttons. I feel that American society is already a gluttonous society but most chefs stress the importance of cooking your own food and correct portions. Overall I believe that there might be gluttons in the foodie culture, but they are evenly balanced by responsible chefs and critics as well.

W7 Secret Recipes

My family has never really kept much importance on secret recipes. In general, my dad is the one who cooks the most or would even have something that is like a "secret recipe." We have recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation instead. I think that if my dad were asked to share his secrets, he would be glad to do it. 

Whenever someone mentions that they have a secret recipe to me, it always throws me off. I think that it is a little strange that people find the need to keep it from everyone else. This is something that you see a lot on cooking shows like Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. When the host is in the kitchen, sometimes the main chef will be blatant and tell viewers every single ingredient that is in their food. Others will keep the ingredients a closely guarded secret because they think that someone might steal their masterpiece. I think it is just a part of two different schools of thought in food. Some people believe that the magic of making food is in the preparation and think that their process is what makes the food unique. Also, I feel that these people take joy in giving the information out. These people want others to be able to make what they do because they are proud of what they have come up with. Others think that the ingredients in an item of food are what make it stand out from the rest. Those people take pride in the unique combination of flavors that they discovered and these people wish to remain the only people that can make these dishes. I believe that if I ever came up with a recipe that no one else knew then I would be more than willing to share with the world.

W6: Food, Inc Response

One thing that I found compelling from this movie was their use of real people who dealt with the troubles of the food industry. A lot of documentaries tend to use the personal view to their advantage. It makes the issue relatable instead of being an abstract idea. For instance, the woman who lost her child due to E. coli infection is one example. Her story is tragic and it showcases the horrors that can come from the food industry if it is let to run amok. Another example is the woman who was running the chicken farm. It showed how she was trying to maintain some sort of quality in the way she raised the chickens. In the end, the company who endorsed her denied her contract when she refused to conform to the industry standard.  It's these stories from these people that stand out and drive the issue home. Another effective method they used in this film was showing how these choices by the food industry is effecting the daily consumer. A lot of documentaries have a hard time making the viewers care about the topic. However, the makers of this documentary did a good job of making the viewer think about how they are being effected. For example, talking about how the ammonia meat filler is in 70 percent of meat. They also talked about the illusion of choice at the grocery store. They discussed how many of the "farm fresh" items in a store are just made in the agricultural equivalent of a factory assembly line. Overall it was a largely effective argument without many flaws.

W5: Food Party

            This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend a food party. I had never been to such a party before and I did not know what to expect. The plan was for everybody to bring a dish and then we would share with everyone else. My girlfriend and I decided on bringing our homemade macaroni and cheese. It is a simple recipe that we adopted from my dad who took it from Food Network. The noodles are a very important choice when making the dish. After a lot of testing, we found that rigatoni noodles work better than the usual elbow macaroni. The cheese is the next important choice. Two bags of sharp cheddar is my favorite, although the recipe works with a lot of different combinations of cheeses. The rest of the ingredients are traditional enough: eggs, butter, hot sauce, evaporated milk and mustard.

            So, come Saturday night, my girlfriend and I took our macaroni and cheese to this food party. We were the first to arrive and so we sat in the kitchen while we waited for the rest of the group to arrive. As the college students trickled in, I noticed a reoccurring theme. Many college students do not know how to cook. Besides the hosts of the party, only myself and one other person brought homemade food. It made me wonder how these people were living on a daily basis. At my apartment, we generally cook one meal a day. One person mentioned that all they and left in their refrigerator was eggs, mustard and mayonnaise. Several people brought bags of chips or some form of alcohol. A couple of people even brought candy. Fortunately enough, our gracious host had made enough food to cover everyone who showed up. 

            Overall, it was not too bad of an experience. I did get to eat some good food that I had not tried before. One person made a tortilla pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and olives. It was surprisingly good and made me want to try to make it at home. I have a feeling that his party was not the best it could have been, but it does make me want to attend more.

W3: An American Menu

Here is what my menu for an American restaurant would look like:


Potato Skins - These hallowed out potatoes contain everything needed in an appetizer: sour cream, cheese, chives and bacon bits. Mashed potatoes aren't interesting enough and baked potatoes just won't cut it. 
Macaroni and Cheese - Nothing says American like fatty comfort foods and macaroni and cheese is no exception. Kraft from a box would not cut it. I would make it from scratch with lots and lots of cheddar cheese, cooked on a stove top instead of baked in an oven. Gooey, thick and delicious.

Baby Back Ribs - Barbecue's popularity stretches across all of America. Take a trip down South and numerous local-run barbecue shacks litter the roads. Meat, cooked slowly until it falls off the bone and slathered with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, is irresistible to to any red-blooded, carnivorous American.

Apple Pie - This choice is almost a dead giveaway. "There's nothing more American than apple pie" and that is certainly true. 1950s America was littered with images of pies slowly cooling on window sills. I like adding the spice grains of paradise instead of the more traditional cinnamon. I would serve a warm slice of apple pie with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream which is my favorite way to eat apple pie.

Strawberry Lemonade - I have Red Robin to thank for this idea. Lemonade is a drink that is everywhere in the world, but has a distinct place in America. This sugary, yet refreshing beverage becomes exponentially greater when strawberries are thrown into the mix. 

W1: Bacon and Chocolate - An Unholy Marriage

There are some foods that go well together; chocolate and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, milk and cookies. The first week of school I was unfortunate enough to have one of those food combinations that should never happen. I discovered Mo’s Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar.

            This particular “exotic” treat I had the displeasure of tasting was given to me as a stocking stuffer for Christmas. My aunt has a knack for finding strange and odd things to add to my stocking. She also got me Tabasco Chocolate and Nutterz Nuclear Potato Chip Coated Peanuts. Nothing else intrigued me or disturbed as much as the bacon chocolate did.

I like bacon as much as the next person, although I have to say I’m not as fascinated with the meat as much America is, but I had never thought of combining bacon with anything other than breakfast.

 The packaging tried to lure me with fancy advertising. There was a story on the back from the chef who used words such as “ethereal” and “royal coupling.” The front of the packaging had a sizeable piece of delicious bacon next to a small block of chocolate. I started to get drawn in, but I still had issue with the whole thing.

I made it up in my mind that I wasn’t going to try it, no matter how intriguing it seemed. Instead of just throwing it out, I wanted to offer it to my roommates who might perhaps enjoy something like this.  

I approached my first roommate and told him what it was. Once I was finished, I could tell by the appalled look and furious refusal that I wasn’t going to pass it off on him.

            My second roommate felt more adventurous. I described what it was and he wasn’t immediately disgusted. He was even so bold as to try a piece.

            “It’s not too bad” he said, chewing slowly. He then broke off another small piece and continued to eat it.

            Once I was lured into this false sense of security, I decided to have a piece too. As I started chewing, I immediately regretted my decision. The usual sweet taste of chocolate was quickly overwhelmed by taste of pork. Instead of going down smooth, it was chewy due to the Bacon Bit-like chunks that were embedded in the bar. I continued to chew and my gag reflex worked harder and harder not to vomit. After I couldn’t take it any longer,  I headed straight for the trash can to evacuate the contents of my mouth.

            For now, I’ll keep breakfast separate from my dessert.

Vosges – Haut Chocolate sells various exotic chocolates and truffles including the illustrious Mo’s Milk Chocolate Bacon Bar. The price for one bar is $7.50. http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/