Thanksgiving dinner; the traditional turkey as the star of the show with dishes to complement. As we started to prep all the food for the late evening dinner walking into the busy kitchen you can smell the different herbs from the rosemary, parsley, and cilantro. The smell of the citrusy bright yellow lemons and the tangy smell of vinegar splashing and bathing the chicken. As the turkey sits in the oven. The oven as the air escaped. The smell was flowing through the air like how the wind flows through the trees. The smell goes up the nose and straight into our stomachs. We dressed the table with the gold tablecloth we use every year and the plates all perfectly laid out with the splayed utensils. Sitting at the table is like waiting one minute before it hits 12 o’clock on christmas eve. When the food was finally laid out it was like staring at a thanksgiving painting with the golden roasted potatoes, the turkey perfectly roasted centered as the focal point. The baked mac and cheese is still bubbling, oozing with cheese as the baked brown cheese sits on top. The cold sparkling apple cider popped and sizzled. As we all sit on the table and share hands to pray. The food mocks our hunger. As your eyes dance all over the table you wonder what to get first. On my plate I had the baked mac and cheese with the turkey breast and the juicey sauce all over it with the golden roasted potatoes on the side. In Hispanic culture there is usually always rice and so we had the traditional Arroz con gandules. As it’s still steaming on my plate I dig in and all these foods taste great on their own but when mixed together it’s just like having a party in your mouth. 

Thanksgiving dinner; the traditional turkey, sweet yams, mashed potatoes, and stuffing on the side for some.  As we started to prep all the food for the late dinner walking into the busy kitchen you can smell the different herbs from rosemary, parsley,  and cilantro. The smell of the citrusy bright yellow lemon and the tangy smell of vinegar splashing all over the chicken. Later on that evening the turkey cooking in the oven as the air escapes the smell was dancing through the air and straight into our stomachs. We dressed the table with the gold tablecloth we use every year and the plates all perfectly laid out with the splayed utensils. Sitting at the table waiting is like waiting waiting that one minute before it hits 12 o’ clock on christmas eve. When the food was finally laid out it was like staring at a thanksgiving painting with the the golden roasted potatoes, The turkey perfectly roasted centered as the focal point. The baked mac and cheese still bubbling, oozing with cheese as with the baked brown sits cheese on top. The sparkling  apple cider popped  and ready to drink sizzling down our throats. As we all sit on the table and share hands to pray while the food mocks our hunger it’s finally time to eat. As your eyes dance all over the table you wonder what to get first. On my plate I had the baked mac and cheese with the turkey breast with the juicey sauce over it and the golden roasted potatoes on the side. In Hispanic culture there is usually always rice and so we had the traditional Hispanic way of Arros con gandules. As it’s still steaming on my plate I dig in and All these foods taste great on their own but when mixed together the flavors are just having a party in your mouth.

• Please complete this brief technology audit.  This will help me be sure that each of you can participate fully in all aspects of our course.  Due by Friday, February 5th.
• Use this link to join our Slack workspace.  For your first post to Slack, simply share a picture of something that you (or another member of your household) are eating this week.  No need for a  clever caption, fancy foods, or perfect photos – just document a real-life meal.  Due by Friday, February 5th.
• Before our class session on Wednesday, February 3rd, please read Toni Morrison’s short essay, “The Day and Its Splendid Parts”.   You can link to the reading using the “Texts” tab at the top of our blog.  Be ready to discuss this piece during Wednesday’s Zoom call.
• Create your first blog post!  Using Toni Morrison’s essay as your jumping off point, describe a food-centered memory.  Like Morrison’s essay, your post could describe an experience of a meal in a special location (perhaps outdoors, like Morrison’s), a family experience centered around food, or a food related ritual (something you, your family, or your community does over and over again, as a tradition).   It could be something very special, like Morrison’s family reunion, or something very ordinary, like your daily breakfast.   Feel free to add a photo or other illustration.   Think about how to use descriptive language to make your memory come alive.   Your post should be at least 300 words and should be shared to our blog by Sunday, February 7th.

I’m glad you found your way here!  Welcome to English 2150: Writing II – Setting the Table.  This blog will be the hub or center of our activity during this semester of distance learning.  This is where I will be posting assignments, you will be sharing work, and we all will be in conversation about the issues we’re exploring in this course.  Whether you are a pro at blogging or completely new to blogs, we will all (myself included!) get more comfortable with this platform as the semester progresses.

Our first “live” Zoom meeting will happen at 12:30pm on Monday, February 1st.  Use the link posted below to access the meeting:

https://baruch.zoom.us/j/88155451973

Looking forward to meeting you and to working together this semester!!

Warmly,

Professor Jennifer Sylvor

Pronouns: she/her