P6 - Pollan

Kerry dePenaloza

Prof. Leake

Writ 1133

30 April 2013

P6

            In Michael Pollan’s article, “Our National Eating Disorder,” he diagnoses the symptoms or causes of our national eating disorder.  Pollan says that America has focuses on and obsesses over eating healthy.  Even though this does not sound bad, it is actually quite counterproductive to what the actual goal is intended to be.  The fact that so many Americans are focusing on how many calories, carbs, or fats are in the food is what is detrimental America.  Before people focused on the importance of these scientific facts, they just chose what food to eat by the smell and the taste. 

            One thing that I found most interesting about this article was the difference in how two cultures see food.  A French sociologist began looking at surveys done on four different populations, the U.S., France, Belgium, and Japan, and it was very obvious that Americans affiliated food with health as opposed to pleasure.  Another aspect of the eating disorder of Americans that Pollan touches on is the difference between the French and the Americans.  When asked what the first word that came to mind when an American heard “chocolate cake” the American said “guilt” and the French said “celebration.”  This alone shows how Americans see food on a daily basis. 

            Personally, I think part of my daily food choices connect to what Pollan has to stay, but then again there are times when I do not connect with Pollans argument.  I do try to eat health just because I was raised eating healthy and I know it is good for me, however, I enjoy choosing food that smells good to me and that I know will taste good.  I do not always eat that way because then I would probably not eat anything healthy.  My goal to eat healthy is what connects me to what Pollan has to say all throughout his essay.

What Should I Eat?

When deciding what to eat, it all depends on where I am.  If I'm in the dining hall, I will take a walk through the cafeteria and see what is available.  At that point I will then make a decision on what to eat.  I am a fan of many types of food so I am not the pickiest eater.  If I am eating after a workout, I have a go to meal of a grilled chicken breast, rice, and a salad with plenty of vegetables.  I might want to change my eating habits if it begins to take a toll on my health.  Granted, I consider myself a healthy eater so I think the way I eat now is ok with me as long as I continue to exercise.  If I were to be at a restaurant, then my decision is a little more difficult.  I will then get what sounds best to me or what the restaurant specializes in.  I never really have a clear cut decision, unless it's post-workout, of what I am going to eat.  I enjoy the uncertainty in what I am going to eat because it ultimately leads to creativity.

EE1

Kerry dePenaloza

Mr. Leake

Writing 1133

19 April 2013

Connections with Food

            It would be hard to imagine a life without food.  Maybe we were to get our nutrition from something way out of the ordinary.  The good thing is, we do not have to imagine this because life is full of food.  Some do not understand how food affects life.  The nutritional value of food is widely known, but the major aspect of food that is so important to every day life is how it brings people together.  Author Susan Barocas states, “’eating together nourishes more than just our bodies.’” Food can bring a family together for a family dinner and food can even connect you with loved ones from miles away. 

            All throughout my life, food has brought my family together.  With two parents that were raised with routine family dinners, it went without saying that they would raise my family in the same manor.  Sadly, in American culture today, the concept of a family dinner is going out the window.  Some do not understand the importance of having routine family dinners throughout the week.  Damayanit Datta wrote an article on the importance of routine family dinner, and he states, “Family mealtime has a wealth of heath benefits.  Research shows that children who eat more meals together with their parents tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, fiber, calcium rich food, vitamins, and less junk food.”  As a parent, it is essential for your child to grow up to be healthy and strong.  Having routine family dinners plays a crucial role in the development of a child both physically and mentally.  Having been raised with routine family dinners, my parents knew this and planned on having routine family dinners multiple times during the school week.  Not only are routine family dinners better for the health of a child, but also “studies show children are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders, and commit suicide.” (Datta).  Food and routine family dinners are undoubtedly two extremely important aspects to the development of a child.  Unfortunately, times have changed, and with time so has the idea of routine family dinners.

            I remember my mother telling me about her childhood and the way my grandparents went about having routine family dinners about a year ago.  She told me about how no one missed the family dinners and if someone did, it was not looking good for them.  My grandparents and all my aunts and uncles loved family dinners because it was a time for everyone in the family to catch up with each other after a long day of work and school.  In Frank Burge’s article “Kiss Family Dinner Goodbye” he reiterates what my mother told me about her childhood by saying, “All members of the family gathered around the kitchen table, shared a good meal…and shared interesting conversation.”  This remark by Burge just goes to show that my mother’s childhood was like that of many children across the country at that time.  Burge talks about the role that the parent’s line of work played in family dinners in the past.  Most people now a day are trying to make more money, which means longer workdays.  However Burge says, “most fathers…wanted to earn a decent living for a honest day’s work.”  According to my mother, there was nothing more that my grandfather wanted then to come home from an honest days work to a delicious family dinner prepared by my grandmother.  The attitude towards making money and being successful has changed significantly over the years.  More people focus on earning money rather then making what is necessary to live a happy life. 

            Growing up, my parents were always home in time to prepare dinner for my older brother and me.  My parents tried not to repeat dishes during the week, unless of course we requested a specific one.  Throughout my life I have had many different meals, whether they be home cooked or at a restaurant.  My parents are both one of six and they were raised with some of the incredible dishes made by my grandparents.  The recipes for these dishes have been saved, passed down, and they have been a major part of my life.  I could write the best cookbook about all the amazing dishes that I have had over years, and I have yet to have every single meal that is in the recipe book in my kitchen.  However, there are two dishes in particular that mean a lot to me.  The first dish is only served in my family twice a year. It is served for Christmas brunch and it is served for Easter brunch.  There really is no name for this dish, at least that I know of, but the dish consist of a delicious poached egg, thinly sliced honey baked ham all on an open face, toasted English muffin, fresh Brie cheese and topped with fresh parsley.  This dish has a large significance to me both culturally and within my family because I only have this dish with my family.  Whenever I have the dish, I am immediately reminded of all the great times I have spent with my family around the dinner table eating this unique delicacy.

The poached egg and ham dish has been passed down my mother’s side of the family and over the years it has become creamier and cheesier because of my mother’s love for white food.  In “Eating White” by Geoff Nicholson he talks about his mothers love for white food and states, “My mother was a Catholic…I’ve often wondered whether she made some connection between food and purity: white food meant a white soul.”  My mother was raised in a very strong Irish Catholic family and I know my grandmother loved white and creamy dishes as well.  I’ve often thought about this after reading Nicholson’s piece and it makes a whole lot of sense.  The second dish that makes me think of my family, especially my grandmother, is the best Irish corn beer and cabbage dish you could ask for.  My grandmother always prepared this dish for dinner on Easter and that was the only time it was served.  My grandmother recently passed away and it came as a shock to everyone in my family.  Since she always prepared the meal, the impact this dish has made on my life and the lives of my family has changed us all for the better.  From this point on, every time that specific dish is served, my grandmother will be the first and last thought in my head. 

            After some serious thinking, I began to ask myself the question “How big of an effect does food have on memories?”  This is certainly another one of the great effects of food that not many people fully understand, rather fully realize.  I recently wrote a short essay about the local restaurant South Philly located on University Blvd. between Asbury St. and Evans St.  While eating my sandwich there, I asked myself the same question, “How big of an effect does food have on memories?”  I know that the effect that food has on memories quite significant for me, especially with the two unique and delicious dishes I have at Easter and at Christmas.  When I have these dishes I am immediately brought back to times I have shared with loved ones, times full of laughter and joy.  I think that the Philly cheese steak has a similar effect on people.  In “Food Facts and Footnotes,” written Robin Lee Allen, she talks about the development of the restaurant industry in America.  Among the things she talks about, a section of it is about the infamous Philly cheese steak sandwich.  Allen writes, “Brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri of Philadelphia in 1930 created a grilled-steak sandwich with hot sauce on Italian bread.  A decade later they added cheese, giving birth to the Philadelphia cheese-steak.”  Clearly this sandwich has some history behind it.  The sandwich became so famous that they are now “offered widely in sandwich shops and chains nationwide.” (Allen). A Philadelphia native could eat a Philly cheese steak sandwich and be brought back home with the amazing powers of food.  In fact, some one who has never even been to Philadelphia could eat a properly made Philly cheese steak and he or she would just get a taste of Philadelphia through the amazing powers that food has.  Examples like these show the incredible, sometimes unknown, abilities that food has to offer.

            In conclusion, family dinners are fighting a losing battle and things need to change.  Family dinners are essential in keeping a family strong, and there is nothing better then creating memories around the table.  So many of my best memories have been made around the dinner table with my loved ones.  Food is such a powerful aspect of life.  It has some many powers that people may not realize yet.  In Heather Leah Huddleston’s article “The Power of Food” she writes about, you guessed it, the power of food.  Huddleston writes, “There is no doubt that food is a powerful ritual in out society.  People congregate around food; they come together, socialize, and catch up...it is a powerful mood changer that can include positive or negative responses.”  The powers of food is something that should not be taken for granted.  Food can inflict emotional responses brought on by nothing else.  With one simple bight, you can be brought right back home.  The connections created by food are extremely powerful.

Allen, R. L. (1996). Food facts & footnotes. Nation's Restaurant News, , 170-170. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/229335858?accountid=14608

Barocas, S. (2005, Food, and family bonds. Lilith, 30, 40-40. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/198255678?accountid=14608

Burge, F. (2001). Kiss family dinner goodbye. Electronic Engineering Times, (1160), 125-125. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/208111678?accountid=14608

Datta, D. "Bring Back the Family Dinner." India Today 25 June 2012. General OneFile. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. Retrieved from:

Huddleston, H. L. (2007). The power of food. Corrections Forum, 16(4), 18-22. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/214394366?accountid=14608

Horwitz P5

Kerry dePenaloza

Mr. Leake

Writ – 1133

21 April 2013

P5

            In “Eating on the Edge” by Jamie Horwitz, he uses many examples throughout to develop his argument.  His examples back up how eating habits have changed over time as well as how eating habits have changed from country to country.  The main change is how people have been distancing themselves traditional meals.  Mostly Americans show this distance from traditional meals.  For an average worker in America, a lot of their meals are not really meals.  People are eating quick snacks when then can and not really having a traditional meal.  For example, people do not have time to sit down and eat a bowl of soup, so “Campbell’s Soup at Hand” was created as a substitute.  As he is writing about the eating habits of a lot of American citizens, Horwitz mentions that fact that Europeans still continue to have the traditional meal both with family and friends. 

            The first strong example Horwitz uses is the example about soup.  No one has the time to cook a fresh bowl of soup, “none leave behind the pot, stove, bowl, spoon, or table.”  Campbell Soup Company created the Campbell’s Soup at Hand, which allows people to get what they want but in a much shorter amount of time.  Along with Soup at Hand, Horwitz uses the example of the Swanson TV dinner for his argument.  Horwitz writes, “Swanson’s frozen meal, while not designed for asynchronous mobile eating, is similar to Soup at Hand products that capitalize on consumer desire for an easily heated, well-contained, single serving that requires so preparation, no serving dishes or cleanup.”  This example is another strong example used by Horwitz to develop her argument for “eating on the edge.” 

            When it comes to my life, I have never really been big of the small snacks throughout the day.  I was raised with breakfast with my family, lunch with my family, if I wasn’t at school, and dinner with my family.  I really enjoy eating a sit down meal with friends and family because it allows us to talk about our days and just catch up.  Now I’m not saying I’ve never had a snack in the middle of the day, but I always try to have sit down meals.  I know many people that have the eat and go mentality but I cherish each meal I have and whom I share the experience with.  

South Philly SE3

Kerry dePenaloza

Mr. Leake

Writ 1133

16 April 2013

South Philly

            This past Sunday afternoon, a friend and I enjoyed a nice lunch at the location restaurant known as South Philly.  Upon entrance to the establishment, the first thing we walked past was the bar and the bartender was very friendly as we walked in.  After passing the bar, we made our way towards the blown up menu that is on the rear wall, which makes ordering easier.  Seeing as how the restaurant is called South Philly, I most certainly order the delicious Philly cheese steak sandwich that is offered here.  My friend and I then sat down at a table in the middle of the room.  While waiting for the food to arrive, I noticed the type of crowd that was at the restaurant.  There were two groups of four, all young men, eating sandwiches and drinking beer.  This observation led me to believe that this restaurant attracts a younger male crowd for many reasons.  For one, they offer mostly food that is eaten without silverware, there were three different sports being played on their televisions, and the atmosphere in the restaurant has young college male written all over it.

            The food arrived within 10 minutes and it was hot and fresh and extremely delicious.  The French fires I ordered were still sizzling from the fryer and the sandwich was fresh off the grill.  While eating my sandwich, a question came to my mind.  The Philly cheese steak is a famous sandwich with its roots in Philadelphia.  After this realization, I asked myself, “Why are there always Philly cheese steak restaurants outside of Philadelphia?”  With this question in mind, I wanted to do a little research.  In an article by Robin Lee Allen, she talks about the development of the restaurant industry in America.  Among the things she talks about, a section of it is about the infamous Philly cheese steak sandwich.  Allen writes, “Brothers Pat and Harry Olivieri of Philadelphia in 1930 created a grilled-steak sandwich with hot sauce on Italian bread.  A decade later they added cheese, giving birth to the Philadelphia cheese-steak.” She stresses the importance of this sandwich to the restaurant industry in America.  The sandwiches became so famous that they are now “offered widely in sandwich shops and chains nationwide.” (Allen).  This certainly explains why there are places in every city where one can purchase a Philly cheese steak sandwich.  However, to experience the proper sandwich, and Philadelphian will tell you where to go. 

            Something else that I noticed about the restaurant South Philly was the layout of the restaurant.  When one first enters the restaurant, the bar is the first thing they will pass.  Seeing as how this place is a restaurant/bar, why would the bar be the first thing you walk by.  While there, I noticed a group of young men eating food, when they all decided to get some beers from the bar.  This observation was a large part of the second question I asked myself while eating my sandwich.  I wondered if the layout of a restaurant subconsciously makes customers buy certain things.  I wondered if someone comes into this restaurant for a sandwich, how often to they persuade themselves to buy a drink from the bar.  Conversely, if someone comes into the bar for a drink, how often do they persuade themselves to get a sandwich, maybe after a few drinks?  Regardless of what anyone might say, the layout of a restaurant/bar is extremely important to the success of the business.  Most of the time, a place like this will make a solid percentage of their earnings from the bar.  I noticed that the bar had a large amount of specials, which certainly adds to the idea of someone ordering a drink when they only came for food. 

            Some other things I noticed about South Philly were the type of atmosphere they were creating.  They were playing music that was uplifting and enjoyable to listen to, but it was at respectable volume level, which is nice because it is easy to carry on a conversation.  Certainly the time of day, around 2pm on Sunday, was not that perfect time to observe this restaurant in action.  With the lack of people at the restaurant, the staff was not very enthusiastic about working.  However, when the bartender took our orders he was very polite and seemed glad that we had decided to come to South Philly for lunch.  I can imagine that when the restaurant is full of people that it could be a fun place to eat and have a good time.  The atmosphere of the restaurant certainly backs me up when I say that it is a fun place to be and a great place to get a Philly cheese steak sandwich in Denver.

            If you haven’t been to South Philly yet, I would highly recommend it.  The food is delicious and they have such an extensive menu you could eat there many time and not try the same thing once.  I’m glad that I chose this restaurant for my observations.  I have never actually done something like this, but South Philly was a great place because they made it easy to observe the establishment, employees, and customers.