Hello,

My name is Victoria. I’m expected to graduate this upcoming Fall semester 2018 with my Bachelor’s Degree from California State University Dominguez Hills (whoo go Toros!!!) … I’m extremely excited to graduate and move onto obtain my Master’s Degree & Teaching Credential.

When I think of the word food my mind starts thinking of various kinds of food. Food has always been a part of my life. Growing up I was able to try many kinds of food even if my parents didn’t like them, they still allowed their children to explore the foods. My favorite type of food is Mexican food, but my love for sweets is undeniable! When I say sweets, I don’t mean candy I’m talking pastries, cakes, pies, and breads… pretty much any kind of desserts.

This first post of mines is my birthday cake. I just celebrated my birthday this week and I couldn’t be more thankful to live another year! (TYJ!!) This cake is extra special for many reasons. Although,  it looks like a super simple and plain cake it was not at all. One special thing about this cake is that this cake was 4 layers of vanilla and chocolate marble cake. It was filled with Bavarian cream and fresh strawberries and frosted with whipped cream. Another special thing about this cake is that it was made with love from a bakery that ONLY makes wedding cakes, but with family like mines they made it happen and I was able to enjoy the birthday cake I wanted. The final thing that made this cake extra special was the fact that it was delivered to me  all the way from San Diego Ca,. (about 2-3 hours from me) and was a total surprise! No matter the distance, I will always find a way to try delicious foods and sweets!

Vanilla and Chocolate Marble cake filled with Bavarian Cream and Fresh Strawberries frosted with Whipped Cream

Hi Toros!

My name is Estuardo Mazariegos and I am a senior that will graduate at the end of this semester. I am labor studies major. My career aspiration is to run a labor union and become a city council member in the city of Los Angeles. I am looking forward to enjoying all of our conversations about food this year.

Yesterday I came back to my office for a late round of work. When I came back i found a slice of Giordanos chicago style deep dish pizza. My coworker brought the pizza all the way from Chicago. The giordano slice was a small slice of Chicago heaven. The cheese was gooey, the toppings were jalapenos, mushrooms and basil! the crust was crunchy! overall the pizza slice was definitely one of the best pizza slices I have ever had.

Good evening class,
My name is Genesis A. Martinez.
I am months away from earning my Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with the emphasis in Comparative Cultures.
I will be graduating this Spring 2018 and hopefully I will be returning in Fall 2018. I am hoping to get accepted into the Master’s Program for Social Work.

I am food Enthusiast.I love all kinds of foods i.e. Mexican,Chinese,Persian,Japanese and Soul food.
I like a little of everything,especially savory food.
Growing up I grew up eating traditional Mexican foods( Specific to Central Mexico).

The taste of Mexican food varies from region to region.
For instance, mole in central Mexico is Spicier than mole in the southern peninsula of Mexico. Another example is the variation of caldo de albondigas.
Caldo de albondigas in states of Zacatecas and Aguascalientes has clear broth. A contrast to caldo de albondigas made in Puebla which has tomato paste. These variations are essentially what highlights the difference in food preparation in each region.

The picture underneath is of my favorite snack (Gelatina de Leche).
Further explanation to as why this particular snack is special to me will be given during my class presentation.

Hello Toros!

My name is Dana Owens, and I will probably come to be known as the “class mom” considering my 8 year old daughter Heiress will be joining us in class this semester. I am an IDS Senior and this is my (our) last semester. I love to cook and unsurprisingly my daughter is following in my footsteps- so I am constantly teaching her how to cook and quizzing her on recipes I have taught. While I am not necessarily apart of the “fit club” I am always struggling to lose a few pounds or more so I am constantly searching for tasty and healthy recipes to try. Attached you will find my infamous shrimp fried caulirice! Made exactly as traditional shrimp fried rice is with the exception of riced cauliflower (from Trader Joe’s) substituting for rice. Carb and guilt free and absolutely delicious! Conisdering bringing this dish in for my presentation- definitely a game charger! ? Continue reading →

Hello everyone,

My name is Tammy Hernandez. This is my second semester at CSUDH and I expect to graduate with my B.S. in Fall 2019. One of my goals is to pursue a J.D. Public Interest law degree to help the under-served group in my community. I desire to open a shelter for women and children and I am currently in the early stages of working towards this as well.

As far as food is concerned, I love cooking and baking for friends and family and I enjoy visiting restaurants for the ambiance and trying new dishes. I love spicy foods and try very hard to resist a chocolate dessert when offered.  I also love seafood and French fries! My seafood preference is lobster, shrimp, and a variety of fish.  I usually eat my lobster dipped in garlic butter, but this weekend my friend took me for my birthday to the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point for the lobster tacos (of course I had to order fries to accompany them). The tacos were delicious although they could have been spicier in my opinion.  However, the cilantro flavor made up for the lack of heat.  I thought the mini clothespins to hold the tacos neatly together was a nice touch.

They also have a yummy peach mojito for you alcohol connoisseurs and the view wasn’t half bad either – dolphins and whales were the main attraction.

My name is Nora.  I am married with two children; Abel and Fabian. They are my life. This is my last semester at CSUDH. I pray that I finally finish  my B.A.

My food selfie is one I took of the tacos my husband made in celebration of my youngest sons’ birthday on Saturday.

My favorite food is steak. In this case we had steak tacos with cilantro, onion a freshly made salsa and a cacique chipotle sour cream. My husband makes the best tacos for the family. He added my favorite ingredient “cheese”, I can eat almost any kind of cheese, especially with steak.

Growing up, my extended family would get together every other weekend for a bar-b-q or a “carne asada”.  There was no reason for it but to enjoy each others company. The carne asada consisted of a special salsa, chicken and flap steak along with side dishes like; rice, beans and potato salad. These were always prepared by the women.  There was only one uncle who would cook.  He would do a special red salsa, everybody looked forward to “El Gordo’s” red salsa. My other uncles were too “macho”  and would not cook. I thought it was weird until now, I learned that he is a great husband and a loving father who was and is not afraid of cooking nonetheless the  tease against him.  My dad never cooked not even when my mother was tired or sick. My husband enjoys cooking for us, there is no tease, I love and admire him for it.

My husband prepared this taco plate for me after I arrived home from this Food and Culture class.

I’m Gina, I am returning to CSUDH after taking a break  from school . My plan is to graduate within the next two years. I am a huge animal lover and have dreams of owning a pet pig,  but right now I have two dogs and two cats. I am also a big fan of music and have played drums in a few garage bands for fun.

I love a variety of foods so it’s hard for me to pick a favorite. Growing up, I loved my mother’s cooking but I also loved splurging on things like pizza, charbroiled burgers and pretty much anything fried. They are comfort foods that are fast, affordable and just plain delicious. Those foods also remind me of being young and sharing a meal with friends after a night out.

Another thing I love is going to new retauraunts and trying new things.  I’ve recently switched to a vegan diet and thought I wouldn’t be able to have all the food I always enjoyed. My selfie is of a few items my friends and I shared at a vegan festival. The change in diet has defiantly been an adjustment but I am having fun trying all my favorite foods in a whole new way.

“Carnitas” Burrito, Tempeh Ribs, Fried “Chicken” and Colliflower Buffalo Wings

I am a Junior and this is my first course at CSUDH. It has taken a long time and a lot of hard work to get here.  My goal is to eventually earn a Master’s Degree. I work full time for Restaurant Deport/Jetro doing Field Marketing and Demographic studies. I’ve been in the food service industry for over 20 years. I have traveled extensively in the U.S. and throughout Europe and have been exposed to a lot of diverse and unique cuisines. Eating out is expensive and not always healthy, so I make it a priority to make my breakfast and lunch a few times a week. When I do eat out, I try to lunch for under $6.00. It’s not a lot of money but I have found many hidden gems (mom & pop restaurants) that fit my taste and budget. My favorite cuisines are Indian, Greek, Israeli, Mexican, Cuban, Thai, and just about anything that is savory and spicy. Oh, and bread!!!!! I LOVE BREAD.

My “healthy” lunch