Monthly Archives: February 2018

Upside Down Pineapple Cake

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Greetings, my name is Regina Coston and I am a junior here at CSUDH who is majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies/American Studies.

Ingredients: box of Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow cake mix, egg, vegetable oil, real butter, brown sugar, crashed pineapples in juice, without cherry topping.

   

Food is times seen as a comfort food, I didn’t believe so when I was a young child and expected to learn how to cook. My younger sister and I was expected to stay in on the weekends and help my mother cook. I was tasked with prepping and my sister with standing on a chair and steering the food and wiping up. May mother prepared our meals from scratch and I remember thinking cooking requires way too much work. Cutting things up into small pieces, waiting on meat to thaw out, and even waiting on the oven or grease to heat up was way too much stress for someone like me. Cooking was such a sad task that I remember I would cry my heart out and my mom would say, “You’ll get over it”. How could there be comfort in cooking?

My mother cooked seven days a week and carted to each of our special tastes and dietary needs. It’s pretty funny now how I tried my hand at cooking and I sucked no matter how much patience my mother showed me. She would say a pinch of this and a dab of that and it would come out tasting like crap. My mother and I both knew that I would never live up to her way of cooking so she allowed me to try my hand at baking, thank God. I was surprised that baking was fun and it got me time in the kitchen alongside my mother on a much happier note. To top things off I was better at it than my siblings and they seem to love my experiments.

My siblings became my tasters and critics which helped me to improve my baking skills. I truly enjoyed making desserts from scratch as well as receipts from package and/or boxes. I started with simple things like Jell-O pudding with whipped cream, chocolate chip and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, and moved my way up to cakes. I recently called and asked my siblings which desserts were their favorite and they agreed that they make more request, than we can remember, for upside down pineapple cakes which later turned into cupcakes. I know now that desserts helped to improve the mood of the house, so I will call this our childhood comfort feed.

We now relized that upside down pineapple cupcakes became the house favorite because my baby sister’s loved the size. I always loved to see the smile on her face when I would tell her they were ready and to see her face when she savored the taste put a smile on my face. Sweets became her comfort food and I could always make her feel better when I baked. As for my other siblings they loved sweets, sweets, sweets so they enjoyed the majority of my dessert, experiments, and had little complaints. Sweets would bring us together as a family and we were allowed to invite friends over to share in the excitement on the weekend.

I don’t bake as often these days except during major holidays and when I’m visiting my sister who now lives in Florida.

 

Pan Dulce

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            I would like to share the fond memories I have with sweet bread.  Sweet bread is the comfort food that was well known in my family, which takes me down memory lane.  It brings a smile to my face when thinking about it, hunger with the smell, and satisfaction once I eat it. 

            My parents did not have a lot money when I was growing up. My dad, may he rest in peace, used to be the sole provider for a family of nine.  Money had to be stretched very thin because we were all big eaters.  Therefore, one of the cheap and filling ways to go about this was feeding us hot chocolate and sweet bread, aside from rice, beans, and tortillas, in place of a meal.  Because it was inexpensive, it was often served at home.  My mom was hardly an affectionate person, but when she prepared this so-called meal, she was always happy and loving.  One day I asked her why she was always happy when making this meal and she said it reminded her of her childhood.  My grandparents were poor, and my grandma also made this meal and it was served with love.  My favorite sweet breads were the conchas, mantecados, and orejitas, but the conchas were and are my ultimate favorite. 

            My paternal grandpa was a baker.  He taught all my aunts and uncles to bake bread and hoped that at least one of them would continue the business he poured his heart and soul into, but none of them did.  My dad never got into it; however, every now and then he would surprise us and make conchas.  I liked sitting on the dining table and watch him mix the ingredients.  The whole process caused the kitchen to become like a bakery.  It is the only time I ever saw my dad wear an apron.  Sometimes he would let me help him prepare the dough, place them in the oven then watch them rise into half-moons.  I could never remember how he put the sugar on top of the bread, but I made sure of taking and eating one of the conchas soon after a batch would come out of the oven.  

            Now that I have grown up, sweet bread and hot chocolate is still a meal I have every now and then because I like it.  Bread is a weakness to me and it reminds me of a childhood memory.  I know that it is bad for the body; after all it is bread.  I know I am taking in nothing more than calories and carbohydrates, but they are so good.  I will have one here and there unless it is the holidays.  I will overdo it then because the temptation is too hard to resist.

            I have two kids and I have made this meal a family tradition.  My kids also love eating conchas.  It pleases me to see them anxiously await the sweet bread to be served with hot chocolate, like I did when I was a kid. 

            I imagine the way I feel when I prepare this meal is how my nom did every time she prepared it for my siblings and me.  I hope that my kids will continue this tradition with their kids.  Other than just a memory, it brings a sense of home, warmth and togetherness with the family.

Rajas con crema: the perfect substitute

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I grew up eating one of the most popular Mexican dishes out there; chiles rellenos.  Chiles rellenos are stuffed Poblano chiles. The stuffing can either be Asadero cheese, Queso Freso or a blend of mashed potatoes and cheese stuffing, meats or shrimp (my family has a recipe for Shrimp Chiles Rellenos, oh so good).  There are many stuffing choices out there.  The stuffed chiles are then dipped in batter and, finally, fried. They are served with rice, or served in a tomato “caldo”, or broth. I’ve waaay oversimplified the recipe. The real process is a more delicate and complicated process, which is why rajas con crema are my favorite. They have some of the ingredients and flavors of the chile relleno, but without all the work. Ok, maybe not all the way the same as chiles rellenos, but let me explain my reasoning… Growing up my sister and I helped mom in the kitchen, so I learned early on about cooking techniques. On chile relleno night, which was typically during Lent, we’d help prepare and cook chile rellenos. We’d get assigned tasks, either roasting, pealing and deseeding the chiles, or chopping veggies, or making the rice, or, the most dreaded task of all, making the egg batter. I HATED making the egg batter!  My mom expected the egg batter to be fluffy and perfect, so when it wasn’t, which happen many many times when I was tasked with making it, before I eventually mastered the technique, she’d scold me for not doing it right. The pressure made me hate the task.  And to this day, I don’t like to eat the fried egg batter; I was traumatized.  So when I first tried rajas con crema, way back during my high school years, at my best friend’s home, I instantly fell in love.  In my head, rajas con crema is the equivalent of chiles rellenos.  Some might not agree, but that’s ok, this is how I deal with my childhood trauma =)

The dish contains the main ingredient in the chile rellenos: chile poblano. For me, it’s a quick fix for when I’m craving a chile relleno, but don’t feel like doing the tedious work involved with the chiles rellenos. Rajas con crema, translates to “slices” of chile in a cream sauce. The dish comes from the southern, and central, regions of Mexico and has many variations, depending on the region. We eat it as a main dish, on Mexican rice. We also have it as a side dish, especially when we grill chicken or carne asada. It’s great in tacos or in burritos. It can be a topping for nachos or as a dip.  I hope you enjoy the dish as much as I do.  Since this will be my recipe for the class cookbook project, I’ll only provide the list of ingredients here, but the rest of the instructions, and pictures, will be on the recipe.

Ingredients:

8 chile poblanos

onion

Roma tomatoes

chiles jalapeno or serrano

cilantro

garlic cloves

Mexican sour cream

cheese; Oaxaca Sheese, Asadero & Monterrey Jack cheese

Queso fresco

Salt

Pepper

Cumin

Tomato bullion (also known as consome Knorr)

TACOS ON TACOS

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Los Angeles! Ohh the beauty and tragedy of Los Angeles! I love this city, from it’s Northern valleys, to its southern ports its bustling downtown and all the neighborhoods in between

 

To me the most angeleno dish is tacos. Tacos are everywhere!

 

It seems that every neighborhood in Los Angeles has a Taco street vendor, Taco truck, or Taco restaurant. And if they don’t have that they surely have a restaurant that features tacos on its menus, or families are folding tortillas into tacos at home.

 

As early as I can remember tacos were an essential part of my families weekly meals and on busy months, its daily meals. Whether it be the delicious tacos from the local taco street vendor, or my mom cooking up a quick meal wrapped in a tortilla, Tacos were always present. The nights my father worked the night shift on Fridays, me and my brother would stay awake and wait for his call so we could tell him what kind of tacos we wanted. We would sit back and watch the Lakers or dodgers game with him. My brother and I, on either side of my tired father eating out of the tinfoil wrapping that we used as plates to eat our favorite tacos. At the end of a long night of dancing, drinking and flirting, tacos transform a great night into a memorable and magical experience.

 

Tacos are the perfect Angeleno plate not quite from here, but not quite foreign. Tacos, the working families meal, cheap and easy to make, or buy.

 

Tacos are a connection to a Mesoamerican past, and a modern day worldwide sensation! Tacos are a can’t miss indulgence made by common people for common people.

 

Tacos are made of three ingredients tortillas, salsa, and filling that consist of mostly meat! Lets get into it!

 

Tortillas are essential. Almost anything wrapped in a tortilla is considered a Taco. There are many different types of tortillas but the most common tortilla are Maiz tortillas. Maiz is significant to first nations people from Messo America. In the Mayan story of creation the original man was made of maiz. The first reported tacos spotted by Europeans were of indigenous people eating fish wrapped by tortillas. These ancient connections make tacos a direct link to pre Colombian times.

 

The second thing that makes tacos great are the salsas. A taco spot with out at least one good salsa is not worth visiting. The mild green sauce, the hot red sauce, and the super hot habanerro can make or break a street. A good salsa game can a street vendor cart a store front restaurant.

 

The filling can be any meats or veggies. The most traditional filling are carne asada al pastor. The star of most taco stands is the al pastor because of the spit also known as spits. The Al-pastor is a labanese influence it is pork shoulder

  • 1 large white onion, halved
  • 1 pineapple, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup guajillo chile powder
  • 3 garlic cloves, halved
  • 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles and 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
  • 1 2 1/2-to 3-pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Corn tortilla
  • Lime wedges

 

The trimmings can include lime, beans, onions and cilantro.

 

These tacos are connected to every era in my life.

Here are my favorite Taco places in Los Angeles

  1. Cactus (Vine street and Barton Ave) Order the Al Pastor, Asa
  2. da or chicken with avocado and cheese. This is my childhood taco place
  3. Tacos Los Guichos on Slauson and Broadway right next to the 110 exit going north Al pastor is amazing and the sauces are on point, the tacos de carnitas are the best in the city.
  4. Tacos el Gavilan is starting to become a chain, but my favorite restaurant they have is on Vernon and Broadway. Everything is good here.
  5. Leo’s Tacos on the corner of Venice and La Brea have amazing al pastor with pineapple and avocado sauce.
  6. Tire Shop Taqueria 0n 4069 S. Avalon ave is a secret place with hand made tortillas and a wide range of great tacos.

extra credit

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The Hunger Games (2012): extra credit

                    The hunger games is a book/ film that is based on a young girl named Katniss Everdeen trying to survive in a dystopian version of the United States. Before the hunger games there had been a total of thirteen districts. However, after an uprising; the capital completely obliterated district thirteen to set an example for the rest of the districts. To further discourage any attempt of rebellion the capitol implemented the ‘Treaty of Treason, laws that would guarantee peace and as a reminder they would hold an annual ‘Hunger Games.’ The game was a punishment and it consisted of tributes fighting and killing one another until one ‘victor’ was left, and in turn you would also be bringing honor to your district. Once you reached the age of twelve you were considered eligible and your name would be cast into the reaping as a potential tribute. However, if you were impoverished and starving; you could add your name more times in exchange for tesserae. This tessera was worth a years of supply of grain and oil for one person. When that time of the year came each of the twelve districts would hold a ‘reaping’ in order to provided one boy and one girl from the ages twelve to eighteen. If you weren’t selected you could volunteer to take the place of one of the tributes, but in total there would be twenty four candidates that would part take in the event. It’s important to know that the winner of the event would never have to work for money or scavenge for food for as long as they live… they would be taken care of. This was a perk to districts like one, two, and four because they trained their tributes to be fearsome killers in advance they were known as Career tributes. For the rest of the districts this prize was seen as unobtainable because they were at a serious disadvantage since most of their tributes were malnourished, not suited for combat, and generally unfit to have a real chance at winning,

So how does food and culture contribute to the “Hunger Games?” Well, from the beginning of the film we are introduced to Katniss hunting for a deer to trade and in the book she is concerned about having to feed another mouth because of a cat Prim wanted to keep, and not even a minute after she is entering the woods where she retrieves her bow and arrows and there are venomous snakes, rabid animals, but that if you know how you can also find food. She later reveals going in the woods is illegal and how poaching comes with the most severe penalty, and I think this emphasizes on what someone would do in order to have some food for themselves and their family. In the film and book Katniss is always looking for way to feed her family and herself, and venturing into the woods where she could be killed by one of the animals or be severely punished by the capitol really shows the risks she is willing to take in order to survive, and the only reason she has been able to get away with it is because the peacekeepers are as hungry as everyone else. Katniss considers them some of the best customers. She mocks how in the fall, people from district twelve build up enough courage to sneak into the woods and harvest the apples. However, they’re always close enough to run back to their district if something were to go wrong, “district where you can starve to death in safety,” says Katniss. (ch.1; 6:36) When she meets Gale they become a team and share their hunting secrets with each other and make a pact that of any of them happens to be selected for the Hunger Games that the other would watch out for the family of the one that was chosen. In the book the bread baker lets her know that he will watch over Prim and make sure she’s eating.

Once Katniss volunteers to replace her sister in the games and Peeta has been selected they have a minimal amount of time to say goodbye and Katniss tells Gale to not let her family die (from starvation.) Katniss and Peeta enter a train heading towards the capitol and find there to be way more food than they have ever seen. Katniss immediately begins to stuff her face with food and Effie has to keep reminding her and Peeta to slow down because there would be more food on the way. However, because neither of them have had that much food nor that delicious so  they continued to stuff their faces. At the games Katniss and Peeta were told to run for the woods, but Katniss sees a bow and arrows in the Cornucopia and decides to run for those instead. Before that she got distracted by what she thought was Peeta nodding no so she lost her chance and instead went for a loaf of bread and a bright orange pack. In the book she immediately looks for food. The tributes that didn’t team up with each other spent their time being hungry. They use a “feast” and say that the bags have something that could be life saving, but in turn could just be another way to narrow the list of tributes… another bloodbath. Toward the end of the film the tribute Katniss nicknamed Foxface, was one of the ones that died from being so hungry she failed to notice that the berries she had eaten were poisonous. The berries would later be used by Katniss and Peeta to defy the one victor rule. It’s ironic because they spent their time looking for food and being hungry; only to potentially die from food they found. In other words their disparity was the solution at that point in time.

We are talking about a setting where talking about anything that is deemed controversial can get you severely punished or bring death to you. Even things like food shortages could get you into trouble, and Katniss says she has to bite her tongue and speak accordingly in order to avoid punishment or worse having Prim repeat things she says that could get her killed. The culture developed was so that people would have no way of rebelling we had districts that lived comfortably enough to not want to rebel and if you were someone who did want to rebel you were probably from one of the districts that suffered from malnutrition which meant you weren’t strong enough to fight back against the government that was set up. The odds were not in you favor especially when the better off districts relished with excitement when watching their tributes take out the rest. It was pure entertainment for them both the watching and the killing. Hunger was a way to control the districts because people would be more compliant to do as their told if they are starving or too afraid to starve.

 

Reference

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.

Ross, G., Tucci, S., Bentley, W., Banks, E., Lawrence, J., Hemsworth, L., Collins, S., … Alliance Films. (2012). The hunger games. United States: Alliance Film.

Avocado Presentation

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Toinye Williams
IDS -336 Food and Culture
Food Presentation
Spring 2018

Avocado Tree

​As a child I hated avocados! Being relatively poor we didn’t eat out much and we ate leftovers and used what we had to make food last. What we did have was an avocado tree. This meant to my mother that avocado had to be put in everything! I despised the green fruit and anything associated with it well into my mid-twenties. Later a Guatemalan coworker showed me how to make delicious guacamole and I have been hooked ever since. This fruit is symbolic to me because of the history and memories I have of it but it is also influential in our economy as well.
The avocado is a fruit that is thought to have originated in parts of Mexico, Central and South America. The first avocados were planted in Florida around 1833. The production and value of the avocado in the United States is over 351 million and California production 83 percent of the volume is responsible for 328 million.
The most import thing about the avocado is the many uses for the fruit and its nutrition. As a mother of two very active boys, working full-time, a full-time student, and having a disabled husband I have gotten used to eating very unhealthy finding fast food late nights. There are several uses for the avocado and its an amazing heathy snack.
Avocados have been used in cosmetics for cleaning and moisturizing skin. Over time, the avocado will provide similar hoped for results and is much heathier for skin than chemicals found in many cosmetic products. Avocado oil is much lighter than many cooking oils, and can add flavor to many foods. The avocado for me has become a heathy food choice as it is rich in fats so prevents the need for me to overconsume but also contains antioxidants that are good for my metabolism. I have anemia and low vitamin B so while the avocado contains a low B12 it still contains B6, as well as vitamins C, E and beta-carotene. The avocado has fiber and has been studied for its contribution to prevent and treat particular illnesses.
Guacamole is one of my favorite things to make from avocados. Combined with other nutrient rich fruits guacamoles is a great snack and food topper.

Toni Guacamoni

Ingredients
4 large ripe avocados
1 finely diced roma tomato
Two table spoons of diced white onion
1/2 cup of salt
¼ cup of lemon juice (preferably from fresh lemons)
1 tea spoon paprika

Directions
Take large bowl and place pealed and pitted avocados
Smash with large spoon
Add lemon juice and mix
Add diced onion and tomato mix
Season with salt, paprika, and mix

This guacamole recipe is delicious, but there can be substations. The lemon juice can come from pre-stored or article lemon juice just does not taste quite the same in my opinion. If someone does not like onions, cilantro can be used instead. In addition, the paprika is probably never used in guacamole recipes but I think it gives it extra flavor. There almost zero cholesterol, low carbohydrates, plenty of vitamins and healthier fats. Add this to a salad or a baked chicken breast for a great tasting, good meal.

References

Boriss, Hayley, Brunke, Henrich, Kreith, Marcia Agricultural Issues Center, University of California.
Paleo, M. The most beautiful ugly fruit–the Avocado. Fight Obesity Now November 21, 2010

Classmate’s , Here I’m!!

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My name is Steve Shepard, and I plan to graduate in 2019 from CSUDH. At this present time, I’m enjoying myself back in a learning environment. I’m a Veteran of the Viet-nan era, and lucky to be alive. My favorite dishes is: barbeque sharp rib with cold slaw or French fried potatoes are as a substitute Red Beans, please no bake beans. Yes, I have another dish, and that is steak and shrimps with angel hair pasta, grilled garlic bread.