Our neighborhood is not like other neighborhoods.

Our nearest grocery store is 2.3 miles away.

The nearest store used to be a mile away,

but they closed it down under unusual events.

To get to the nearest store, I would have to take an hour-long bus ride,

45 minutes if we were lucky. As a mom, I would put on my thrifted clothes,

make my way to the bus stop and buy the groceries for my children to eat.

Otherwise, we’d be living off of the convenient McDonalds on our block.

I’m sure my kids wouldn’t complain about that. Maybe

they would feel upset if they found out that the reason we can’t

have fresh fruits and vegetables is because supermarkets

don’t see us as anything worth investing in.

They follow the wealthy folk wherever they go

because they know they’ll make a profit off them.

We, however, would not be able to afford

the bananas, tomatoes, and avocados all in one purchase.

Taking a lengthy bus ride might not be as physically taxing

as, say, the Olympics, but under the hot summer sun or amidst the cold winter,

it feels laborious. On top of that, I must carry the extra weight

of the groceries on my trip back. It is enough to knock me out once I get home.

But someone needs to cook. Someone needs to be there

for my children. No matter the sleepless nights

I have, thinking about tomorrow’s lunch meal

or if there’s enough for everyone excluding me.

No matter the fear I have about not earning enough

on my next paycheck or the everyday emotional drain.

I must venture through the empty space of my hometown

and into the nearest Kroger for a piece of security.

For my last food media review, I decided to review the Disney comedy short Feast. It tells the story of a Boston Terrier puppy named Winston and his life with his owner. It is a charming story where there is little to no dialogue. Despite this, the short uses food as a storytelling device that smoothly shows the plot rather than telling.

We are introduced to Winston as a stray looking for food in a dumpster. He finds a french fry on the floor and eats it. James, the man who left his fry on the ground, offers a second one to Winston. After accepting the fry, James decides to adopt the puppy as his pet. James begins to feed Winston with kibble but slowly adds food of his own. Most of the food James gives to Winston is junk food, which Winston loves devouring. Over time, we see Winston preferring to eat James’s food and is always ecstatic to have a bite. Whether that be pizza, pasta, or popcorn, Winston is eager for anything and everything James feeds him. Winston is happy with his owner’s food and becomes accustomed to his new life.

One day, James meets a waitress at a restaurant. The two began dating, and the waitress encourages him to start a healthier diet and lifestyle. This change affects Winston’s diet since James starts leaving him with vegetables, which upsets him. However, James and the waitress break up after an argument. This causes James to revert to his old eating habits. Winston is happy to be eating junk food again but then soon realizes James’s feelings of sadness. He comes to this realization when he sees James holding a piece of parsley, looking at the green herb with a long face. Winston decides to take the parsley and bring it to the waitress, leading James back to her. In his chase, Winston is tempted by the food he comes across but overcomes his desires. James follows Winston to the restaurant, where he reconciles with the waitress, and the two marry afterward.

Winston begins to eat regular dog kibble after seeing his owner be happy again. After some time has passed, Winston finds meatballs on the kitchen floor and eats them. He follows the trail of sauce to the couple’s infant child on a high chair. The infant throws him another meatball, much to Winston’s delight. The short ends with Winston getting ready to eat the cupcakes served at the child’s birthday party.

I found this short to be charming and thoughtful. Despite not using any dialogue, the film shows Winston’s personality with his facial expressions and his relationship with food. He is always eager to eat junk food and is put to the test to put it aside for his owner’s issues. It shows how much he cares for his owner and how much James means to him. Overall, Feast was a great film about a dog with an insatiable taste for human food.

If you’ve ever tried Peruvian food, you know how delicious it is. What many don’t know about Peru is how it also offers a unique kind of cuisine. Introducing Nikkei, the marriage between Peruvian and Japanese ingredients and cooking styles.

Nikkei was originally a term that refers to Japanese immigrants around the world. Now, Nikkei most commonly refers to the fusion of both Japanese and Peruvian food. It all started back in 1899 when Japanese immigrants arrived on Peruvian land. Most of them were farmers in search of labor. During their stay, they ate the local food and adjusted to their new home. However, the immigrants started to long for food from their homeland. This led them to attempt recreating Japanese food with what Peru had to offer. With the lack of Japanese ingredients, they took advantage of the local produce and began making their food.

According to the video, Nikkei has no strict definition. This can be attributed back to how Japanese immigrants had to improvise with what was around. Originally, Nikkei was a domestic dish, meaning the food you would only find at home. Grandparents or mothers who would cook Nikkei food were not following a strict set of rules and made what came naturally to them. In the video, a chef explains how anyone could make Nikkei food because “there’s no one way to cook Nikkei food”.

I am fascinated with how Nikkei is executed. Despite not ever trying Nikkei food, how the chefs described their cooking and their reasons and how certain ingredients were mixed was intriguing. In the video, another chef explains how both Japanese and Peruvian ingredients go well together. For example, the chef claims that Peruvian chili peppers and Japanese soy sauce “are made for each other”. Additionally, he shows Nikkei ceviche, a traditional Peruvian dish but with Japanese influence. He shows the dish with ingredients you would not usually see in ceviche, such as ponzu sauce, dashi, and seaweed in tempura.

As someone of Peruvian descent, I find it incredibly interesting the history behind Nikkei food. Before learning about Nikkei, I had known about Chifa, which is Peruvian food mixed with Chinese ingredients. I have had plenty of experiences with Chifa and found it unique how two cultures could make something authentic. Like the creation of Nikkei, the start of Chifa was due to Chinese immigrants attempting to make their home cuisine in Peru. Learning about Nikkei reminded me of the fascination I had when first learning about Chifa. It also reminded me of how unique Peru is in terms of how culturally diverse the people are. Even the chefs claim to be fully Peruvian despite their Japanese features.

After seeing this video, I am open to trying Nikkei food. I also encourage everyone to look into Nikkei cuisine or other forms of fusion food with historical background and significance. Whether I try Nikkei in New York or Peru, I hope to taste the fantastic blend of two beautiful cultures.

https://time.com/5942290/eat-insects-save-planet/

Most people would pass on the opportunity to eat an insect. Who would want to eat cricket? However, eating insects might save the world from natural destruction. In this article, it tells a story of Sylvain Hugel and Brian Fisher, two insect experts that noticed a problem in Madagascar. Much of their research was disappearing as Madagascar’s forests were being cut down each year, leaving smaller amounts of trees. The reason they are being cut down is for farmers to make more room for livestock. To prevent deforestation, Fisher suggests giving the people another form of protein. Otherwise, the trees, along with the ants Hugel was studying, will be gone for good.

Fisher proposed insect protein as the solution. Two-thirds of Madagascar’s population already ate insects as a snack. If they could somehow make it prominent in their everyday meals, it could greatly relieve the problem. Hugel was squeamish to the idea of eating insects despite knowing that they were high in protein, iron and vitamin B-12. He slowly incorporated them into his life and found himself enjoying them. Now, he adds them in most of his meals. Hugel also helped Fisher establish a cricket farm, where several pounds of ground cricket meals are produced every day. The farm aids in the famine problem surrounding local communities and ensures kids to get enough nutrition.

Fisher and Hugel may have found a solution to one of the world’s most pressing issue. According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) agriculture production will have to increase to feed a global population of 9 million by 2050. Unfortunately agriculture is one of the most threatening forces of natural destruction and could potentially risk 28,000 species. FAO suggests insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms are rich in protein, magnesium, zinc, and copper. In fact, they contain more of those nutrients than beef. Additionally, insect farming and processing produce less greenhouse emissions. The only thing standing in the way of the practice would be the cultural view on eating insects. Most consider it nasty and dirty which is the main reason deter from the idea. Surprisingly, two billion people already consume insects with no shame.

I find the article interesting and informational. I had no idea the nutrients insects had or even thought of it as an alternative dish to beef. I enjoyed reading how two insect experts came to a solution for smaller problem that could be applied to a world scale issue. The author had described how Fisher and Hugel came to the conclusion by using descriptive details. In addition, the evidence they provide in the article help it become more well-rounded. Overall, the article was both interesting and educational for people who were not aware of eating insects.

1. Grocery stores in wealthy vs poor areas
2. Food inequality
3. Fast food

I recommend eating potatoes. Potatoes are versatile and easy to work with. So much so that you can cook them several ways. For instance, you could make french fries, baked potatoes, fried slices of potatoes, home fries, hash browns, and more. You could even pour any sauce or condiment on top of it or beside it. Additionally, it pairs well with other food such as vegetables, rice, or fish. It adds more to a dish and can make the eating experience much more enjoyable and unique.

Potatoes originated in modern-day Peru but can be found in some parts of The Americas. The round, lumpy vegetable came in various colors such as purple, red, gold, and more. In fact, it comes in 4,000 varieties, meaning you could never get tired of the potatoes the world has to offer! Ever since its discovery, the potato has spread throughout the world and left an impact on dishes.

The potato found me quite seamlessly. My mother had introduced me to the potato at a young age. Taking the first bites of french fries, I had no idea how the potato can transform into several other food forms. As I got older, I noticed how my family cooks and enjoys the potato. French fries were addicting at first bite, mashed potatoes complimented the chicken on my plate, and hash browns were soft and salty. Even simple sliced cooked potatoes were enjoyable to have on your dinner plate.

As mentioned before, french fries were my first introduction to the potatoes. For as long as I can remember, I would always get fries with chicken whenever I went out with my parents for dinner. I loved eating them with ketchup on the side. Once I grew out of that phase, I was introduced to mashed potatoes when celebrating Thanksgiving at school. Confused and reluctant to try the plain-colored lump of potatoes, I was surprised to find that it was not that bad and better with turkey or chicken. I found hash browns when I was at a friend’s house and was once again surprised at how delicious it was. Although home fries are a recent discovery for me, they became an occasional breakfast option when my family had leftover potatoes. Before I knew it, potatoes became an essential vegetable at home. It baffles me to know that as much as I love potatoes, I still haven’t tried all of the varieties the vegetable has to offer. So while I haven’t tried every type, I would still recommend potatoes not just because of how delicious they are but because I am confident that the potato has something to offer for everyone. You can cook, bake, fry, season, or roast potatoes and add them to almost any dish you can think of. If you’re looking to switch up your usual plates, then the potato is for you. So go ahead, buy a bag of potatoes from your local grocery store, and savor the exquisite taste the potato can offer!

1. One word that I had to look up was “bramble.” It is defined as a rough prickly shrub or vine.
2.  A line that made me smile was “…that little cartoon diagram of how to best lay out your fruit orchards in Animal Crossing.” This made me smile because I remember the hype around the game. I myself played a bit of the game.
3. If I was assigned an essay like this, it would be with potatoes. Potatoes can make several different dishes that I love and have fond memories of since I was a child.

A word from Hamilton’s essay that I had to look up was “henpecked.” The word is defined as browbeaten, bullied, or intimidated by one’s wife, girlfriend, etc. One part of the essay that stood out to me was the narrator’s imagery of chopping the chicken’s head. “The chicken began to thrash, its eyes open, as if chastising me for my false promises of a merciful death. My dad yelled, ‘Kill it! Kill it! Aw, Gabs, kill the fucking thing!’ from his bloodless perch. I kept coming down on the bird’s throat–which was now broken but still issuing terrible clucks–stroke after miserable stroke, until I finally got its head off.” This is when the tension is built and reaches its peak. After those sentences, the narrator was already showing signs of hesitancy and regret. This part establishes those feelings of regret because of the word choice used. The imagery was just as intense and allowed me to see it visually in my mind. My question was why the father had to yell at the narrator when she was physically anxious. Yelling at that point might not help. My discussion question: If you were in the narrator’s shoes, how would you have approached or reacted to the situation and why?

Growing up, my family in New York consisted of close friends my mom had when she first came to the States. It never felt any different than having a family who was blood-related because we were all Peruvian. One of the ways we all share our culture is whenever we get together and have a barbeque. Typically, my mom’s friends would organize it on a sunny day. It was almost always on the weekend because nobody was working. The barbeque would sometimes be held to celebrate someone’s birthday or to hold a reunion and connect. The most memorable barbeques for me was at my godmother’s house because I’ve attended several since I was a baby. Whenever she held a barbeque, everyone had to do their part in preparing the food. That meant that people to bring homemade dishes to her backyard, or it meant that they had to help in her kitchen. My family would serve the usual. My family would always serve meat; whether that be beef, pork, or chicken, you would never miss the delicious smell when arriving. A personal favorite of mine, papa a la huancaína, would be beside the meat at the serving table. Essentially, you would take boiled potatoes and salad and pour huancaína sauce on top of it. It was soft and spicy cream that would make the dining experience much more enjoyable. Next, you’d find rice besides papa a la huancaína. On most occasions, it would be white rice. Sometimes it’d be green rice with chicken. It got its green color and taste from cilantro, onion, and garlic. Small pieces of carrots and peas would be in the rice to add more to it. Lastly, my cousins and I would get to drink Ginger Ale or Inca Cola soda while the adults drank beer. Although the menu on what there was to eat at a barbeque change, the ones most recognizable to me are the ones that hold more significance for my family and me.