Krazy Knots

Krazy knots is a delicious recipe meant to make with your love one or child. It is quick and easy to  make in less than 20 min.

SMALL BOWL:

1/2 cup of warm water
2 TSP sugar
1 yeast packet
 LET SIT FOR 10 MIN.

LARGE BOWL:

1 1/2 cup of warm water
2 TBSP of oil
2 TSP of salt
3 TBSP of sugar

Add 2 bowls together and 6 to 8 cups of flour. Mix. Knead. Shape. Let the dough rise for 2 hours. Set the oven to 375 and place in the oven for approximately 20 min. For a slightly sweeter taste add icing or sprinkle brown sugar or powder sugar over the treat.

My aunt enjoyed baking and wanted to share her pleasure with her nieces, my cousins and I. Therefore, at the age of nine, she decided to start a tradition with us that consisted of early Saturday morning baking. Every Saturday me and my cousins would go over her house to bake these treats she called, krazy knots. The time spent with each other was very sweet and memorable. We did this tradition well into our teenage years till my aunt passed away. My cousins and I decided to maintain the tradition in honor of keeping our aunt's presence alive and in hopes of passing it down to our children.

A Piece of Carribean

My main priority when choosing an authentic restaurant is the location.  Living in Chicago, I realized that the best restaurants are the "hole in the wall" establishments; they offer the best original and unique food. Therefore, I wanted to choose a location that has a high level of cultural surroundings. I was in the taste for some island cuisines; and, there was a specific place that my friend recommend me to go, Jamaican Jerk. Interested, I went for lunch on a Saturday afternoon, anticipating for a rush period of customers, but upon arriving I was surprise to find it empty. The restaurant is located 1631 W. Howard St in Chicago; the restaurant is off the Howard red line stop. When I step off the red line, the neighborhood appeared scarce of human life. There weren't any running businesses, accept for a liquor store, of course, and a Jamaican bakery. As I arrived to the restaurant, the outside did not look attracting to the eye, the building look like it has withstand some damages and had some mediocre decor. However, when I stepped inside, the layout was actually pleasant, it was as if I stepped into a Caribbean oasis. Plants draped from the ceiling; the sounds of island instruments played in the background, the lighting was perfect; and, the seating arrangements fit right for the size of the restaurant.  I brought my friend along for company, and she was just amazed as I was.

"Hello child, I be Patsy and I be your server today, what can I start you ladies off with today?" Her accent was pleasant and she was real polite. Firstly, I asked about her personal view of the restaurant and Patsy said, "Jamaica Jerk is a restaurant that serves delicious Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine in a wonderful tropical atmosphere. Our food is made from scratch with only top quality ingredients, including spices, vegetables, and fresh fruits. Whether you are in the mood for jerk chicken or oxtail and beans, our food is sure to make your mouth water for more". With that said, we did not waste any time ordering. The menu was filled with mouth watering dishes that began with jerk chicken to escoveitched fish. In the spirit of trying something new, I ordered the curried goat with a side of bammy and a drink called ting. She left with our orders. As I waited, the waitress came back to our table and conversed with us while our food was being prepared; the food did not take long and the smell greeted us before we saw our plates. As the chef, himself, placed the food in front of us the sizzle of my dish satisfied my taste buds before I had the chance to taste.

I began with the curried goat; the meat fell off the bones. As I took my first bite, the spices melt in my mouth and I was all smiles. It didn't take long for my meal to disappear. I was full and satisfied, a great combination. When the bill arrived, my pockets were just as satisfied. The curried goat cost nine dollars and the side, four dollars; the drink cost only three dollars. The overall meal cost was sixteen dollars; and, the overall experience was priceless.

A Taste of Julia Child and Ruth Reichl

Julia Child and Ruth Reichl are two exceptional authors' who captures food as their source of well being in their books. However, the difference between Childs' and Reichl is their unique experience with food that "marked a crucial period" in their life. Child reveals the pleasure and taste of food as her central point to her experience in France. In her novel, My Life In France, she transforms a traditional cookbook into an autobiography of her life and experiences in France. The recipes she illustrates in her novel links to  her developing passion towards food. She explores the content of food to her relationship to her husband, Paul Child's, and how food brought them closer together. As she conveys the significance of food to her experience in France, I notice the french theorist Roland Barthes concept of power and food as he  writes, "When he buys an item of food, consumes it, or serves it, modern man does not manipulate a simple object in a purely transitive fashion; this item of food sums up and transmits a situation; it constitutes an infor- mation; it signifies." He suggests that food has the ability (power) to create and diffuses situations, for instance, in the section of Child's novel, Le Belle France, she describes her explorations of restaurants in France with her husband that created a joyous experience and allowed their bond to become tighter.

Such situations, similar to Child's, exemplifies foods' power to create specific experiences. Her detail to food in her novel signifies her obsession and how she uses her time in France to "master the art" of cooking. Child's focus on food, specifically french cuisines, as an important influence in her life. Unlike Child's, Reichl reveals food as a structure to her world and how her interaction with food enhanced and defined her identity in her family and in society. Through food, Reichl explains her family characteristics and how her "taste" shaped her perception of people. Nevertheless, both authors share the same compassion in the art of food but in a different outlook.

My Daily Bread

After taking a personal inventory of my daily intake over the course of five days, I have concluded that I don't eat food that is beneficial for my body but rather beneficial for my mind.

FRI: Bowl of CoCo Puffs, strawberry kiwi smoothie, turkey and ham sandwich on rye bread, lasagna with bread sticks

SAT: Grits and four strips of bacon, six hot wings with fries, chicken salad, bottle of water, cheese sticks

SUN: Pancakes with watermelon, cinnamon crunch bagel with cream cheese, Caribbean passion jumba juice

MON: Grilled cheese sandwich, watermelon, spaghetti with garlic bread, banana nut cupcake

TUE: Gatorade, Chicken bacon ranch quesadillas with fries, chips and salsa

I  notice that I consume a lot of bread and, generally, food that isn't considered healthy. However, when I eat certain foods, such as wings or burgers, I feel complete and satisfied. Will I receive the same feeling if I ate a salad with a side of a bread stick? Most likely, no. I believe that the food I eat sustains me; and, the same feeling I get from eating quesidillas isn't the same if I at a half turkey sandwich on wheat. The more I analyze my eating habits, I realize that I don't eat for nourishment of the body but rather nourishment for the "soul". I like the feeling of being "full" rather than eating a small portion here and another there.

A 1 star meal

As I skimmed through the list of blog sites, I became overwhelmed; the sites just continued on. I wanted to look at most of them but my lack of patience tends to get the best of me, therefore I read a good variety of blogs to assure myself I made the attempt to actually look. After awhile, I shown interest to a particular blog, Here To Eat: Ace Eats America 10 Plate at a Time. The blogger, Anthony Nguyen, sampled dishes and post his experiences about the dishes on his blog. His page consists of personal interaction with the readers, pictures of the dishes he ate, and his critique on the items. He presented himself as an actual food critique to “usual” American cuisines; his page layout included a picture and title of the meal, price and ratings, and his thoughts on the meal. For instance, the first meal I noticed looked like vomit on a hotdog bun but he titled it as a Circle K Sausage/Egg/ Cheese Roller Bite, which make sense now because gas station food isn’t very satisfying, speaking from experience.  Anyhow, he labels the price and rates it with one star, go figure, while explaining his encounter with the meal. He begins with bullet points that list his steps to retrieving the food, then he adds in a little commentary of his personal thoughts, in this case he outlined a possible sales pitch for this hotdog. Continuing, he describes his first bite experience and compares it to a gut wrenching incident, considering where it came from I believe it, and warns the reader that eating such foolery could lead to stomach flu. If I played role of a critique to this blog site, similar to Anthony’s method, I would give him three stars. His language is personal; yet, anyone read his blog could relate to his experience; he offers similar stories that relates to the reader and his humorous attitude draws the reader in. The purpose could range from him being bored to actually wanting to illustrate his experience with “everyday” meals with his readers, which seems to work because he has quite a number of views, 1562 to be precise.

Now if someone, say for instance a scholarly author, such as Pierre Bourdieu wanted to expand on my mediocre critique of the blog and convey his personal thoughts he would probably take it further than the meal and focus on the blogger instead. Based on his article Taste of Luxury, Taste of Necessity that acknowledges food as a classification of class, he probably would insist that Anthony is a middle class, full time student, fact not belief, that could only afford the basics such as gas station food. Even though he use his blog as leisurely activity, his choice of food to critique could have range from Lamb to the mere necessity of beans; however his choice of food illustrate his lack of culture and his choice of language would be its supportive argument.

chocalate on a cloudy day

The oddest, yet, the most common thing happened to me yesterday. After receiving news about a death in the family, all I could think about was chocolate; the instant thought made me calm. I thought back to my first class session on Tuesday and how the class discussed the purpose for eating but more importantly, the purpose of food. Comfort was its purpose yesterday. Come to think about it, I have used food for comfort since my teenage years. When I was younger, I was a picky eater and the only piece of food that could reach my mouth were chips, candy, everything that isn't considered healthy nutrition. The older I became, the more my eating patterns altered. I believe it was due to the constant moving I did while my father was in the military; and, every coast of the U.S. offer different types of food that I had to adapt to.

I do wonder, however, what does that say about me? The cliche, " you are what you eat" does render a true message behind it, for instance, if I wasn't cautious about what I ate does that consider me a "free spirit" type. Honestly, after taking my ENG 357 course, Textual Consumptions that involves the perception of food, I will have a different outlook on food. Recently found out that food does more for the body and contributes to societal values, but regardless of its effects, I'm content with just my chocolate. Ok...add some steaks, mash potatoes with butter, than I'm content. And yes, I am hungry and could go for that meal right now.