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