FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

Today we spent a good portion of the day doing the unglamorous but necessary tasks required by our trip--laundry, showers (yeah!), cleaning the bus, and stocking up on groceries. We are eating far too unhealthful and spending far too much eating out. In fact, some days it feels like eating is all we do. But, that makes sense, in a way, because we’re trying to understand American and what better way than through its food. If food is a vehicle through which we can understand local culture then, by extension, maybe we can learn a little about ourselves in the process.

We’ve come a long way since the standard “meat and potatoes” meals of the 1950s. Sure, we still have the “meat and three” in the south, but nowadays, consumers (at least those who have the luxury to afford it) desire beautiful, creative, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing meals. And, organic if we/they can get it. While I normally stick to “healthy” choices at home such as egg whites, fruit, and protein shakes, that’s been pretty hard to do on this trip. So far I’ve take a “when in Rome do as the Romans“ approach. I’m sure it will cost me when I get home, but it’s been a lot of fun. And, I think it’s teaching me some useful things about Americans/America.

For the past several years I’ve been wanting to put together a Sociology of Food class to explore how factors as gender, ethnicity, class, and religion influence the foods we choose to eat as well as those we wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole. (How about that fried tarantula I ate in Cambodia? Um, not a delight. But, folks there eat them by the bucketful without batting an eye.) Similarly, how do social forces such as the economy, media, and political structures influence how/why we consume certain foods? How do people ritualize their food use and in what ways can food help create community or create barriers between people?

While I’d like to say a lot about these topics, it‘s nearly 1:00 a.m., so I simply want to list a few of the foods I’ve eaten--along with some photos--to get you thinking about the connections between food and culture. What do you think we can learn about America by the diversity of its food offerings?

Day 1: Memphis - Rashina’s parents treated the entire group to an amazing array of Indian food. My choices included amazing samosas with chutney, naan, and gulab jamin with chai for dessert. Once you have real, fresh chai like I had in India and, again, at the Bhula’s, you will never, ever go back to tea from a box.


Fantastic! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Bhula for your hospitality.

Day 2: Little Rock. I haven’t had beef, chicken, pork, and many other meats since I left for India in December. But, without eggs and fish…I couldn’t do it. So, at the Express Kitchen we ate at for dinner, I chose fried cat fish, mac & cheese, corn bread, mashed potatoes, and to share with the group… banana pudding. I can almost hear my arteries clogging now. But, it was fantastic fun. Being called “sugar” and “darlin’ ” when being asked what I wanted just added to the charm of the place.

Day 3: New Orleans. How could I go to NOLA and not get a Po Boy? This time it was a shrimp Po Boy and bread pudding for dessert. Lots of students had never tried the latter and it was fun to get their reviews. (My assessment: nice dose of cinnamon, but I make a better version.)

Day 4: San Antonio. My choice for lunch? Enchiladas and guacamole salad down on the Riverwalk. So much food I couldn't eat most of it. It's Texas...even lunch is BIG.

During our afternoon class, Matt and Holly surprised us with cold Dr Pepper. This is the original version--made with a different kind of sugar or something. Better than the usual stuff--not as sweet. And, I also learned that it’s Dr Pepper--without the period (not Dr.). Had never noticed that before.

Day 5: El Paso. We had lunch at Fort Bliss, the largest army base in the country--maybe the world. Would you expect anything less? After all, it *is* Texas. The meal was much like any college cafeteria offering. My tuna sandwich didn’t seem all too Texan so for dinner I sampled chili rellenos and flan. Again, most students had never tried the latter so we each got a custardy mouthful. Big fun. (Thanks to Heather’s aunt, Lounelle, for being our host.)

Day 6: Roswell. Ok, so, what can I say about Roswell NM? I’d hoped to find an Alien Salad or Out-of-this-world vegetable soup, but no luck. So, today I’ll list WATER as my special “food.” Our group spent a few hours out at the lake and I took a pretty long hike. After drinking two big bottles of water, I headed back to the lake and was surprised to find that the state park didn’t have working water fountains. What? Really? At a state park in the desert? (They also didn‘t have any recycling set up even though bottles are bound to be plentiful in such a situation.) My only option--to buy a bottle for $1.50. Boo.


Day 7: Gallup, N.M. Thanks to the women of the Silversmith family, today we all sampled our first Navajo tacos. These consist of ground beef (for most), beans, lettuce, tomatoes, union, and freshly ground chili on top of fried round bread. We had the same delicious bread topped with fresh homemade jam (berries picked in Portland) for dessert. This kept us going for nearly 7 hours!!



Day 8: Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City surprised most of us. We didn’t know much about it except for its Mormon history/present. And, we didn’t have an image of a regional food that went with it. The vibe and diversity in SLC was a pleasant surprise for everyone but the food surprised me, too. We started our day with lunch at Tony Caputo’s Deli. Tony and his restaurant are largely responsible for the urban renewal in that part of town. Apparently, you wouldn’t have wanted to step foot there 10 years ago. Our food choices were diverse and delightful, too. For lunch I had a fresh mozzerella/tomato/basil sandwich and Greek salad. Dinner was amazing Thai that gave Nashville’s Siam Café a good run for its money. Again, it was a blast to be there when several students tried their first Thai food. But, my favorite food of the day was Le Palle del Diavolo (aka “Devil’s Balls”) that I bought for everyone to try. These are wonderful dark chocolates laced with chili pepper. The heat that hits you at the end. Pow! When I find these online I’m going to order more.
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Day 10: Vegas - For me it was a vegan tuna wrap. Dinner at In and Out burger. What’s a pescetarian to do? I opted for fries.

Day 12: Los Angeles. Ah, yes, we’ve made it to the west coast. How do I know? I was able to get an egg white and avocado wrap w/ fruit and bottled jasmine tea for lunch. Made by the former chef for Mohamed Ali. Dinner included a small portion of blackened wahoo (fish), brown rice, black beans, and lime (followed by a short walk along the coast).


That’s it for the food blog, part 1. I’m sure I’ve got some dates wrong…time really blurs. But, you get the (delicious) idea.