I Love Bananas

I love bananas. The ironic thing is that I haven’t always loved them. When I was little my grandmother forced me to eat only a half of a banana with my breakfast every single morning, which made me hate them as a child. She always ate three or four bananas a day which I could

not understand. I never understood why she made me eat them until I got a little older and learned about their nutritional value.
I never knew that all parts of the banana plant are medicinal. Depending on being cooked or uncooked, bananas help all sorts of illnesses, moods, and habits. They help with , diabetes, hysteria, epilepsy, leprosy, fevers, strokes, temperature control, nerves, constipation, anemia, PMS, morning sickness, heartburn, hangovers, hemorrhages, acute dysentery and diarrhea, they are applied on hemorrhoids, insect and other stings, bites burns, and warts. Bananas also hinder the addiction to smoking and also work as great brainpower for the day. The roots soothe digestive disorders and dysentery. Antifungal and antibiotic principles are found in the peel and pulp of fully ripe bananas as well. Bananas carry four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals as an apple. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best fruits around. Now I know why my grandmother always made me eat bananas in the mornings.
Although bananas are presently part of my daily diet, I never knew where they came from until recently. Bananas are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and Australia. Today, they are cultivated throughout the Tropics. Bananas are classified either as dessert bananas (the ones that we are used to, the ripe bananas with the yellow peel-almost all export bananas are of the dessert types), and Cooking bananas (green and unripe). Green bananas are the basic food of the people of Western Samoa and large quantities are exported. Edible bananas originated in the Indo-Malaysian region reaching to northern Australia. They were known only by word in the Mediterranean region in the 3rd Century B.C., and are thought to have been first brought to Europe in the 10th Century A.D. In the early 16 hundreds, Portuguese mariners carried bananas from the West African coast to South America. There are many different types of bananas and the types found in cultivation in the Pacific have been mapped out to Eastern Indonesia from where they extended to the Marquesas and eventually to Hawaii. Bananas and plantains are today grown in every humid tropical region and constitute the 4th largest fruit crop of the world, after the grape, citrus fruits and the apple. Brazil is the largest banana cultivator in South America, a majority consumed locally, while Colombia and Ecuador are the largest exporters.
There are many folktales that revolve around the banana plant. Because the banana plant continues to reproduce, it is looked upon by the Hindus as a symbol of fertility and success, and the leaves and fruits are placed infront of houses where marriages are occurring. A banana plant is also often set in the corner of rice fields as a protective ornament. Malay women bathe in a pool of banana leaves for 15 days after childbirth and early Hawaiians used young banana plants as peace flags in wars.
Since I am Puerto Rican it means a lot to me to learn that the plantain is the most important starchy food of Puerto Rico and the third means of monetary gain among agricultural crops, because it is valued at $30,000,000 annually. As I said earlier, I never really was a big fan of bananas until now. I have no idea how I started liking them or when, but all I know is that I have a banana at least once a day remembering how good they are for me and that I am supporting my ethnic country by buying them. Plantains are the green cooking bananas mentioned earlier in which my family uses to make “Tostones.” This is one of the only Puerto Rican dishes I know how to make because my family and I made it at least once or twice a week for dinner because of its ease in preparation and its tasty flavor.

Tostones

INGREDIENTS
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 plantains, peeled and broken into chunks
* 3 cups cold water
* salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
* Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the oil and fry on both sides; approximately 3 1/2 minutes per side.
* Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing a plate over the fried plantains and pressing down.
* Dip the plantains in water, then return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side. Salt to taste and serve immediately.

Dumpster Diving Punks

"Mainstream American food with its labor and natural components cooked beyond recognition is countered with the raw and rotten foods of punks; foods that are ideally natural, home grown, stolen, discarded and incommodities. These foodways define punk cuisine and punks themselves.”
-Dylan Clark

I really do believe that the food we eat reflects who we are. When I hear the word punk I automatically stereotype it as people who don’t care about life and who go around making trouble. However, this stereotype has been countered by my newly discovered idea of what being punk is all about. Reading “The Raw And The Rotten; Punk Cuisine” has taught me to be more open to the punk culture just as we are encouraged to accept other cultures. The punk idealism actually reminds me of what this class supports; consuming organic and natural food that is not altered or changed by man. The punk culture rejects separatism of classes such as social status, and race as well as separatism of food such as “raw” or natural food verses genetically altered food. They believe that we as humans are being controlled by the pesticides and genetically modified organisms in our food; and therefore do not support eating anything that has been killed or changed by humans. I find it fascinating that they can actually find treasure out of waste and give them major props for doing so because I would never be able to do that. I get mad a lot of the time when I see perfectly wrapped bread and other food in garbage cans because there are so many people out there that need food. Although I along with other people are bothered by this, we would never actually take the food out of the garbage and eat is because it is defined as “trash" in our eyes. The punks, however, take delight in finding food in the garbage because it is a way they can overthrow the “mainstream’s” definition of trash, and feed themselves and others that have been outcast or looked down upon by society. Some people may think that this is a little strange because usually food that is in packages is genetically altered with a lot of preservatives so why would they want to eat that when they were so against eating food with preservatives? I think that the reason they still eat the food is because since it was rejected by upper/middle class, it is no longer looked at as modified by humans. The punks believe that society changes the food to make it better for human consumption, but the fact that people did not want it, voids the fact that it carries preservatives, therefore making it "raw" again. The punks want to prove that it is still food that can nourish anyone, especially those who do not have food in the first place.

Even though it is not good enough for nicer restaurants, it is still nourishment for the body. Although I don’t think I could ever go to the Black Cat Café or eat food that came from dumpster diving, I have a newly found respect for the punk culture because they live there lives based on equality, peace, nonviolence, and ideally natural elements.

The Freshman fifteen

The class discussion today really made me think about the food that is served in college. Availability, convenience and cost all come into play when it comes to eating healthy. In Pollan’s novel, “The Omnivores Dilemma,” he discusses the problem of the excess growth of corn causing its fall in price. This allows corn to be very inexpensive, making it one of the biggest food sources in the world. Cattle has even been switched from being fed grass, to corn because of its abundance, and because of the fear of desertification from overgrazing. This fact reminds me of the problem of the unavailability of healthy food not only in the world, but in college as well. I feel that whenever I walk into a convenience store or café, there are rows and rows of junk food including; chips, candy, frozen food, cookies, ice cream, and soda. There seems to only be a small section of semi healthier food including; cheese, carrots and ranch, fruit, and sandwiches. Even so these foods are not always healthy. The cheese is processed and very fattening, ranch voids any nutritional content carrots have, and the sandwiches are made with processed bread, lunch meat and cheese. The fruit and yogurt seems to be the only safe thing to eat in the stores. One may suggest not going to the convenient stores to solve the problem, however what if someone missed dinner time , or is up late studying and needed something to eat? Are they suppose to be subject to eating easy mac and candy for dinner ? Even the dinners that are served are not exactly figure friendly. Although there is a salad bar, Pasta, fried food, pizza, and burgers seem to be big hits for the taste buds but even bigger hits for the freshman fifteen. The “hunt and gather” that college students go through is not easy because of all the events, hw , projects and community activities going on. It is easier and cheaper to pick up and eat a bag of chips on the way to class instead of grabbing a yogurt which requires a spoon. It is also cheaper and easier to eat in the dorm with a meal plan than going on the “Ave“ and spending money to find something a little healthier. This problem just seems to be getting worse because more and more fast food franchises are being added to college campuses. I think that more college students need to have a voice and try to change the way they are being fed. I think that having vending machines with chips, candy and soda is enough because it on hand for the students that really want it, however, we don’t need all of that in the stores as well. I think that the dinner hours should be extended and that there should be more available fruits AND vegetables as well as healthy quick food such as low sugar granola bars, fruit cups with no added syrup, sugar free yogurt , soy milk with no added sugar, whole grain bread and crackers, and all natural fruit role ups. I think that making healthy food more available than junk food, would help decrease the freshman fifteen and would allow college to be a healthier environment.

soup is awsome

Lentil soup is a comfort food for me. When I was home my mom cooked soup when I was sick and needed something healthy that would comfort me. Something about soup is so cleansing and really does heal. All of the fresh vegetables and garlic are like medicine that help me feel better. Today in class, the lentil soup reminded me of my moms cooking and brought back memories of us cooking soup together. Instead ,of my family getting together, we as a class made that meal, in turn creating a different bond. Not every class gets to cook together. Cooking but mostly eating together is something that I feel has brought our class together because of the conversations we have and the time we have to get to know each other. Other classes simply sit in their seats and listen to their teacher but don’t really get the chance to talk to each other which I think is important in an academic environment. I think that today really expressed what this class is about. The way I see it, this class is about knowing what goes into your food which we did because we put every ingredient in ourselves, feeding your body fresh nutritious food, and creating bonds with others through food. I am not sure whether or not the vegetables we used were organic, however if we wanted we could use organic vegetables that were grown locally, another thing I have become interested in during this class. This meal made me feel replenished after watching “super size me” and made me feel good that I was feeding my body something healthy. No matter where one comes from, I believe that everyone could agree that soup is a world wide comfort food whether it is eaten for breakfast or when one is sick. Even though every country, or culture has their own recipe for different kinds of soup, I feel that soup is an worldy cuisine not only pertaining to one country. There are so many types of food such as; chicken soup, tomato soup, lentil soup, hot and cold soup and thicker soups such as clam chowder or gumbo. The great thing about soup is that it has so many possibilities and works with a vast array of ingredients. It also lasts a long time and is even better left over because the spices and other elements flavor the water longer. Soup is just amazing!

Today reminded me of a story my mother told me when I was little. One day I asked my mom what we were eating for dinner and she said stone soup. Believing that rocks don’t taste very good, I gave her a weird look wanting her to give me an explanation. She told me this story.

The Story of Stone Soup
Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.
"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "Better keep moving on."
"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.
"Ahh," the soldier said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."
Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Capital!" cried the soldier. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."
The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day. The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.

Here’s a great chicken soup recipe by Bobby Flay that will help anyone feel better when they are sick!

1 pound chicken parts (wings, necks, and bones) 2 stalks celery, including leafy tops, cut into 3-inch pieces 1 whole chicken Salt and pepper, to rub inside chicken 1 large whole onion, unpeeled 1 large whole carrot, peeled 1 medium whole parsnip, peeled 2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves of garlic(I added this)1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 bunch dill, tied with a string
Pour 12 cups of cold water into a large stockpot, and add the chicken parts and celery. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rub the inside of the whole chicken with the salt and pepper.
Add the chicken to the pot, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Do not let the soup come to a rolling boil. Test chicken with a fork to see if it is tender and fully cooked; then remove it from the pot, and set aside on a large platter. Leave chicken parts in the pot.
Add onion, carrot, parsnip, salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer for another 1 hour and 15 minutes. When chicken cools, remove skin and bones and cut meat into bite-size pieces. You can add it to the soup, just before serving, or save it for chicken salad.
Strain the soup, and discard all solids except the carrot. Drop in the dill for 1 minute before serving and remove. Add more salt and pepper, to taste. Slice carrot and return to the soup. Also add the chicken pieces, if desired. The soup can be served with noodles, rice, or kasha and a matzo ball. The soup tastes best the following day. Allow the soup to cool and skim the fat from the top.
Adding matzo balls adds a great flavor and texture too.

Boycott Mc Donalds!!!

The movie “super size me” repulsed me. I have never really been a fan of Mc Donalds previous to watching this movie, however , now I am completely opposed to it. The fact that the man got so ill from eating Mc Donalds and would have probably died if he had continued eating the way he was makes me sick. Although eating Mc Donalds for every single meal is not a very realistic way of life, it does reign true that people consume fast food including Mc Donalds several times a week. The sad fact is that people continue to eat fast food because it is cheap and convenient, but the even sadder fact is that no one has done anything to really solve this problem. Obesity in America is quickly becoming the highest cause of death so why isn’t our government doing anything about it? I know that people would have issues with the government controlling the food that we eat, however if it is killing people I think something should be done. Don’t people ever question if the food they are eating is really even food? I honestly don’t consider Mc Donalds real food now because of the knowledge that I have of the many different elements that go into it. I knew that the food carries a lot of calories, however I did not know that the seemingly healthy salad has the same amount of calories as a big mack, nor that the yogurt with granola has more calories than the ice-cream sundae. I think this is unfair for the customers who are trying to be more health conscious because they are bringing business for Mc Donalds thinking that they are getting something a little healthier when what they are eating has high calorie and fat content, not to mention huge amounts of preservatives. I believe that everyone has their own choice to eat what they want , however, when fast food is so easily accessible at every street corner, it makes it very difficult to make the right choices. I’ve always had the idea of starting my own “fast food” chain but with organic and healthy food so that eating healthy will be more accessible ,causing less guilt, and obesity. Now since I am planning on majoring in business and have seen this movie I really think I am g

oing to pursue this goal.




"The Omnivores Dilemma" by Pollan corresponds very well with this movie because it discusses how horrible fast food is because it is made from the trash of the farm. This book has made me see meat in a different light and I am actually considering not eating red meat anymore. Although I have been eating red meat for a while and nothing horrible has happened to me, I want to see if I feel any different without it in my diet. I feel that if there are so many risks to eating red meat, there is no point in eating it because I do not want to take any chances.

Organic vs. Inorganic

I’ve always thought that eating organically was a healthy lifestyle for people who wanted to live longer lives. I did not even know what organic was until about a few years ago. I always had the idea that eating locally and organically was an inconvenience much like Adam Gopnik believes because only certain stores carry organic food. But why is organic food truly better than regular food? Is it really better? When I was little and my family bought some organic fruit, I remember finding a bug in it because organic food is more prone to bugs because of the lack of pesticides use, so for a while after that, I was discusted by it.
According to Pollan’s “ The Omnivores Dilemma” there has not been too much research about the effects of pesticide use vs. organic.The answer to the question, "is organic food healthier than conventional food," was proved by Davis researchers that organic food carries a higher level or vitamin c and a vast assortment of polyphenols. However, Genetically engineering crops is actually easier than growing organically because of the weed pulling , tilling and manual work needed for organic food. So why even bother with growing organic food if we don’t know too much about the harm pesticides cause? Because what we do know is that unlike genetically engineered food, “organic food does not carry pesticide residue-- the traces of the carcinogens neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors routinely found in conventional meat.” Although we cant really say that these elements can cause cancer or effect us neurologically or sexually because of the lack of knowledge we have about it, we can't say that they do not make us sick either. The federal organic program argued in 2000, “Organic food is no better than conventional food. The organic label is a marketing tool. It is not a statement about food safety nor is “organic” a value judgment about nutrition or quality.” Because there are arguments agreeing and disagreeing that organic food is better than inorganic, it is really hard to tell whether or not growing organically is worth the trouble. I hope that in the future more research will be done about the harmful effects of pesticide use resulting in concrete facts about inorganic vs. organic. I think for now people eat organically more for the environment and for the health of themselves and others. These people do not want to take any chances with additives nor pesticides that may be the leading causes of many diseases. I do not believe that organic is simply a marketing tool to sell more expensive food, rather it is a way of life to know what is being ingested , and a way for one to take care of their body and the body of the world.

locally grown food

I have never really cared about knowing where my food comes from. By the discussions in class and the novel “All over creation” I have developed a better awareness of the importance of knowing the origin of my food. Eating locally along with paying close attention to discovering where food came from and whether or not it is organic does take time and effort, effort that I was never really up for. Now, I realize that eating locally grown and organic food does make a difference. It puts me in more control of what I am eating and what goes into my body. Fine print on labels of food (ex. Olive oil) often times contradicts the large print because although the labels may say one thing, the fine print tells the truth. This makes me angry because people don’t always take the time to read the fine print , making me feel like we are being cheated. I am going to try to take care of myself and watch what I ingest, but its very difficult when I never really know where restaurants get their ingredients, or if labels trick the consumer. I know now that it is better to know where my food is grown and who handles it. This is important because it establishes trust, creates awareness of the damage that pesticides can cause like infertility and other diseases, and because it limit’s the damage from fossil fuels used to transport distant grown food.
I talked earlier about wanting to have a garden when I got older, however I know now that I can have a garden presently . I have never heard of p-patches before this class. I love the idea of having a community of gardens that people share. It allows people who live in apartments or small houses that don’t have enough room, to grow fruits and vegetables. It also establishes a sense of community because the gardens are grown in clusters, so people with the similar interest of gardening are able to grow food together. Contradicting the article by Adam Gopnik, growing food locally is a great idea because of the vast volume of food that grows. Gopnik argues that eating locally is the lifestyle of peasants because of the small amount of food that grows, however, when we visited the p-patches it was said that too much food grows for one person forcing them to give their food out to others for free. I think this is great because this food can be shared with the large number of homeless and hungry here in Seattle. Overall, growing and eating local food is a healthier alternative to store bought food.

Give thanks to food

In Patricia Klindienst’s article, she mentions how slaves in U.S. history knew how to cultivate and farm, therefore were the only links between garden grown food and their masters. The slaves were sometimes allowed a garden for there own use, and this not only helped them feed themselves, but it allowed them to feel like a family. Today, the concept of eating for us is mostly based on the individual, however in many other cultures eating together with family is of central importance. Just like the slaves, many other cultures view food as a symbol of reliance on each other for not simply the food itself but for ritual and togetherness. Food grown in a non market economy allows the grower and buyer to establish a certain connection that creates a relationship because they do all of the trading, and buying personally. Since our society is a market economy, when we buy our food we never really get to know the person we buy it from because stores allow food to be conveniently and quickly accessible. This limits our ability to connect through food like these non market based societies.
This reminded me of when the pilgrims first came to settle in America. They did not know how to grow any food and would have starved if it weren’t for the Indians. The Indians brought themselves closer to the pilgrims saving there lives and creating a special bond with them through the food they grew together. We even have a holiday celebrating this relationship among the pilgrims and the Indians, all because food brought them together. I think that there should be more interaction with food growers and the consumers because it builds trust which I feel is important to have with someone growing your lifeline. We are so busy with our everyday lives that food becomes only a necessity for living, rather than a bonding experience. I think It would be ideal if we could construct ways to become familiar with each other through food growth.

what goes into our food?

When I was a little girl and got sick , my grandma always took some mint from her garden and made me mint tea. It was always so fresh and made me feel so much better, but today when I want to get the same feeling and use store bought mint tea bags, its never the same. This has always made me wonder why organically grown plants are just all around better than treated store bought plants because I’ve never really thought about what happens to food before it enters the market. Because the basic subjects in school are Math , English, Science, and not agriculture as Barbara Kingsolver intimates in her article, I’ve never thought or learned about where my food comes from. This is something that the farm has taught me. Going to the farm opened my eyes to so many possibilities of food growth. There was pretty much every ingredient needed to make a hearty salad, and much more. Even though I feel that I would be too lazy to keep it up, I would like to grow a lot of my own vegetables and fruits in the future. I know I would feel more comfortable eating the food I grew because I would know exactly how it was grown, where it was grown, and what aides were used to help it grow. I feel that if more people learned how to farm their own crops, there would be much less pesticide and additive prone illness and a lot more self reliance for food.

As said in class, “ We need to reconnect with where our food comes from for our health and the health of the planet.” Besisedes, lemonade made from the lemons in the tree in my backyard is so much better than store bought lemonade anyway!

we eat with our eyes,nose, then mouth

I think that by handling food and having its presence in front of me while learning is a very effective and fun way to learn. I have never heard of a bento box before, and by making it myself I understand why mothers put so much time and effort into them. Even though I was not making it for a child I tried to make it as crafty as possible because I wanted to have a challenge. It felt like a mini competition of who would have the most exciting box , like the competition amongst mothers in Japan. I felt like I was creating art rather than a meal because of the assortment of colors, shapes, and tiny spacing. In the U.S., we are used to bigger portions, not so many color contrasts and a centered set up rather than smaller individual spaces. I actually like Japanese set up better because it allows the consumer to appreciate each part separate from the others. The colors make the meal more of an experience rather than a necessity because they make the meal not only tasty but aesthetically pleasing. I heard someone once say that we eat with our eyes, our nose, and then with our mouth. Making these bento boxes is a perfect example of this quote because it is the first time that I have realized the truth in it.


I did not have a plan before making my bento box. I’m not an artist nor am I very creative. However, I think my bento box turned out alright because even though I’m not an artist, I was able to use the tools I had in front of me, along with my knowledge of color contrasting to create something simple, yet pretty. I wanted to create different dimensions with many different colors so that my bento box would be pleasing to the eye. I have a greater respect for the mothers now because even if they aren’t professionals they take so much time, and effort to lovingly create a piece of art for there child, even though they know it is going to be eaten. After creating my bento, I did not want to eat it because I had worked hard on it. This made me realize the purpose of the bento boxes. They express the love and support that the mothers have for their children because they are willing to give up their time and effort to create something tasty, and creative because they want their children to know that they love , support, and are there for them. This is another example of the reoccurring theme of food bringing loved ones together and being used as an expression of love.