Fast Food Nation

I have seen my share of information concerning the negative attributes of the fast food industry. I know about the expansive amounts of grease, preservatives, and other less than appetizing elements that can be found within their products. However I still find myself craving McDonalds’s french fries, and strawberry milkshakes, Burger King’s onion rings, and Frostys from Wendy’s, on a semi-regular basis (meaning mostly weekends at three or so in the morning, [when they are closed in Athens?!?!] ). To me fast food, presents the opportunity to indulge, and reach my daily caloric intake levels within a single meal, all without spending a lot of money. Fast food provides a break from the monotony of dining hall food, without having to go far, or spend more time and energy than I want. I like many Americans enjoy fast food because of its convenience.

Fast food almost seems essential in some American lives. Yet in other countries these food chains do not bear as much importance. Italy for example puts a lot of time and effort in to the production of their meals. And according to my Italian teacher who is from Italy, European countries normally have better quality ingredients than American food does, and there is also a greater importance to eat as a family and spending a lot of time at the dinner table with one another is also significant in traditional Italian families. For these types of countries (who do in fact have and utilize fast food restaurants) homemade meals have a greater appeal, and the want for fast food is not as great because of it. In developing countries money is the main discrepancy between their fast food utilization and American fast food use. They do not have as much expendable cash, and often rely on their own means for food, which is cheaper.  Still fast food chains do make large enough profits from their overseas chains. This means that the allure of fast food is great not just to Americans but to pretty much everyone.  I’m sure there are hundreds of different reasons for this, but for Americans I believe that there is one central reason why we have made it such a large part of our culture; its convenience.

Fast food, more than anything is convenient. It’s fast, cheap, and has the ability to quiet the hunger pangs that arise in the most undesirable times.  America can easily and rightfully be titled as the fast food capital of the world, not only did it originate here, but we without a doubt consume the most of it.  Fast food is American because from a very early young age we are introduced to it. We have grown up with it, and consequently have a greater appreciation for it.  I know that my four year old little brothers would prefer a happy meal over just about anything.  Fast food is not only introduced to us at a very young age, but it is always reasserting itself into our daily lives. Commercials, billboards, and print ads of these fast food chains are present everywhere, causing us to crave the high calorie meals.  Still, its convenience is what gave these companies their success and allowed them to transform into the ginormous corporations that they have become.  And as long as they continue to serve food at low prices, with high accessibility, they will continue to remain a large part of American culture.  

American Food

My American restaurant would of course have the obvious staples like hamburgers, hot-dogs, and pizza. But to me American food is the combination and modification of other countries staples food. For instance let’s take the college campus champion, CHIPOTLE. This burrito place in the past 18 years since it first opened has taken the food industry by storm. By using Mexican staples like refried beans, guacamole, salsa, and tortillas, this restaurant is quickly becoming an American favorite and classic. Even restaurants that aim to serve “Simple Fresh American Dining” (Ruby Tuesday), serve things like crepes, carbonara, and Asian dumplings, all of which have foreign origins. The reason I think this happens is because America is a country comprised of so many different types of people from hundreds of different countries.  Even from the “start” with settlers at Jamestown then to Ellis Island migration, to the current immigration issues we face, America has always been, and will continue to be a country full of diversity and this is easily reflected in our food.

                That being said the first thing is, my menu would be organized, for efficiency by continent of origin. A few items present in the Asia section would be your normal Chinese takeout essentials, like orange chicken, sesame chicken, general tso chicken, and of course fortune cookies. There would also be sushi, Japanese pan noodles, fresh seafood and of course curry, pad Thai, ramen and tikki masala, just to name a few. In the African section there would items like cassava, yams, lots of spices and stews. Falafel and couscous would also be present.  The European section would much more expansive and contain things like pasta, meals oriented around sausages, potatoes, cheese, cabbage, lamb, beef, and  the finest pork and dairy products available. In the South American section things like fajitas, enchiladas, empanada fritas, queso dips and burritos would be available for ordering as well. In the Australian section items like colorful salads, grilled entrées, meat pies, and exotic meats, for the daring patron would also be available.

                The difficulty in creating a menu setup in this fashion is that a lot of these meals true origins are unknown or debated, still I think that a lot of American favorites even though they are foreign like spaghetti and meatballs (Chinese origin) pancakes (European origin), and bagels( Austrian origin) are facets of American cuisine. Since an overwhelming percent of the population’s family at one point or another migrated to America it is easy to see why some of our favorites, were not created here.  Even if these items did in fact originate somewhere else, we as Americans’ have done a good job of modifying them to fit our taste, this will also be reflected in the menu as well. Another reason I have decided to center my menu on our foreign favorites, is because a large percentage of American dining is comprised of multinational meals (i.e. Panda Express, Godiva, Sbarros, & BD’s Mongolian Barbecue). I believe that this will give non-Americans’ a pretty fair depiction of American food. And of course  the North American section of my menu  would  include things like ice cream, chicken nuggets, and of course apple pie.

Food Memories.

My mother hands down makes the best macaroni and cheese in the world. Not only does this carb-filled entrée spend time cooking in the oven and on top of it, but it contains four different types of cheeses. Adding salt to this perfect blend of everything good in the world, would be such a misfortune mistake, and many of my friends realized this during their first time encountering the mac and cheese. So many times I have seen my friends reach for the salt shaker before even trying the pasta and giving it a good shake, completely destroying my mother’s masterpiece.  Within seconds of trying it, they often realize they have made a huge mistake.  Now after being fully accustomed to the appropriate way to take on the delicacy, my friends often quarrel about who gets to eat dinner at my house when the mac & cheese is being served.

                This dish represents my family to me, because on trying another version of mac and cheese I instantly compare it to my mother’s, and each and every time, the challenger loses.  I think of mother blending milk and butter and cheese galore, into a creamy mixture, while elbow noodles patiently wait to be submerged in the heavenly concoction.  I can picture my mother reaching in the spice cabinet, grabbing bottle after bottle, just quick enough so that my grandmother can’t see, and attempt to steal the recipe, as she has done on many occasions.  I remember my sister and I sneaking into the kitchen to grab a noodle to munch on while my mother’s back is turned, if caught a playful scorning is what we receive, or a warning to leave the kitchen.  When I think of macaroni and cheese I think of the sheer excitement my siblings and I feel when it’s finally time to eat (and we get really, really excited). My mom’s macaroni and cheese triggers these memories, because on nights when the dish is served we all eat dinner together. This is different than any other night when any other meal is eaten in separate rooms of the house, in front of TVs, computers, or cell phones.  I can’t tell if it’s the rare occasion of sitting, eating, and conversing with my family face to face that creates excitements which heightens my sense of taste, but I know that the meal is something really spectacular. 

-WK 2.

Dining with Death- Wk. 1

Recently I watched a show titled ' Dining with Death' on the travel channel.  The show described the potentially fatal foods that are ingested by people all across the world on a regular basis. The episodes I watched were mostly concerned with people located in Southeast Asia (Philippines), East Asia (Japan), and south Asia (India). People in these areas were eating things like rats, crocodiles, live octopi, sea urchins, and komodo dragons! All of these foods have been known to cause numerous human deaths whether it is in the hunt for the animal or the actual eating it. While some of these things were eaten on a regular basis others were considered rare delicacies.

                In class we discussed food cultures as its own entity, However I believe that food is a signifying element of cultures and differentiates it from other cultures.  The information presented in this show echoes this idea.  The practices of capturing and preparing these possibly deadly meals were often passed down from generation to generation, and very tradition based, making them even more distinct cultural foods because they are unique to every population of people (that chooses to eat it). Also the ingesting of these peculiar food items sometimes reflected the culture’s religious, supernatural, and superstitious beliefs, for example in one small village they believed that the intake of poisonous centipedes (although first diluted in alcohol for a week; creates antivenom) had healing and beneficial medical properties(it did contain beneficial minerals and vitamins!).  I think that food is a signifying and potent part of cultures because what may be considered a delicacy in one country/culture could be considered grotesque and avoidable at all cost in a different culture/country.  Our environment and upbringing can effect what we see as edible and nutritious. Our own food culture(s) definitely plays a part in the way we view other food cultures.  

Dining with Death was an interesting show, which allowed its viewers to momentarily view the maybe odd or peculiar food practices used around the world that they might not have been able to see otherwise.