WCU Food and Culture

Hot and Spicy Foods

2009-03-30T11:46:00.000-07:00

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetable substance that is used for the purpose of flavor, color, or as a preservative that helps kill bacteria or prevents their growth.

The evidence of the use of spice by man dates back to 50,000 BC.
The Spice trade formed in the Middle East as early as 2,000 BC with cinnamon and pepper.
In the modern era in which we live the amount of spices at our availability is abundant. This has not always been the case in the past.
In the ancient and medieval times spice was a rare and precious commodity. In fact spice played an important role in the development in Western civilization.

Not only do hot spices give your food the kick it needs but they also hold many health advantages. Hot food is proven to kill microbes and burn calories.
Spicy food makes you feel hot and the body senses this and releases endorphins that make you feel good. Who knew that eating spicy foods could even be considered euphoric?

(I chose to do this report due to my love for hot food. I am especially fond of chili peppers. I felt it necessary to include this section)

Chili peppers can increase the heat of any dish.
The Reason why chili peppers can be so hot is because they contain a chemical compound called capsaicin.

Capsaicin stimulates chemoreceptor nerve in the skin, especially in the mucous membrane. The more Capsaicin the hotter you get.

There are many different kinds of chili peppers. All peppers vary in size color and heat. The table that is most commonly used to discern the heat levels of peppers is called the The Scoville Scale.

Food and Culture of Australia

2009-03-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Food and Culture of Australia
By: Alissa Oates

History of Australia
The first modern settlement in Australia was January 1788 by Captain Arthur Phillip of England (Australia).
Immigrants have heavily influenced the diets of today's Australians (Australia).
Australian people have depended on the import of foods to survive since farming is so difficult (Australia).
January 26th has been named National Day to remember the settlement of 1788 (Life in Australia).
There are 2 sets of people who are indigenous to Australian land the Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders have lived on the island since before it was settled on in 1788 (Indigenous Australians).
Lands and Water of Australia
Australia is the smallest continent in the world it is surrounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans (Australia).
The island is dry and has little rain fall on average about 17 inches a year (Australia). The dry climate and scarce rainfall contributes to there being only about 6% of the land being suitable for agriculture (Life in Australia).
Australia's population is approximately 21 Million (Life in Australia).
Capitol is Canberra (Life in Australia)
Surface area is 7.74 Million Square Kilometers which is said to be about the size of the US without Alaska (Life in Australia).
The National language is English (Life in Australia).
The major trade partners are Japan, China, US, Singapore, UK, and Korea (Life in Australia).

Culture of Australia
Meeting Etiquette
. Australians are not very formal so greetings are casual and relaxed. . A handshake and smile suffices.. While an Australian may say, 'G'day' or 'G'day, mate', this may sound patronizing from a foreigner. Visitors should simply say, 'Hello' or 'Hello, how are you?'. Aussies prefer to use first names, even at the initial meeting
Gift Giving Etiquette
. Small gifts are commonly exchanged with family members, close friends, and neighbours on birthdays and Christmas. . Trades people such as sanitation workers may be given a small amount of cash, or more likely, a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer!. If invited to someone's home for dinner, it is polite to bring a box of chocolates or flowers to the hostess. A good quality bottle of wine is always appreciated. . Gifts are opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
. Many invitations to an Aussies home will be for a 'barbie' (BBQ). . Guests to a barbeque typically bring wine or beer for their personal consumption. In some cases, very informal barbecues may suggest that you bring your own meat! . Arrive on time if invited to dinner; no more than 15 minutes late if invited to a barbeque or a large party. . Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would like you to bring a dish. . Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served.
Watch your table manners!
. Table manners are Continental -- hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating. . Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right. . Keep your elbows off the table and your hands above the table when eating.
All retrieved from (Australia-Culture, Customs and Etiquette).

Recipes from Australia
Native Plants and Animals of Australia
Refrences
"Australia" Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World. Ed. Karen L. Hanson. Vol. 1. Detroit: U*X*L, 2002. 19-28. 4 vols. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Gale. WNCLN. 19 Mar. 2009 .
“Life in Australia” Australian Government: Department of Immigration and Citizenship. http://www.immi.gov.au/living-in-australia/values/book/english/lia_english_full.pdf
“Indigenous Australians” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Australians
http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian-wildlife.html

Mexican Food

2009-03-25T20:10:00.000-07:00

Victor Aquilina
ND310
3-13-09
Mexican Food
Authentic Mexican food is believed to be derived from the Mayan Indians from Mexico. They were typically hunter gatherers and there staple foods consisted of maize, which is corn which they would make into tortillas, and bean paste. The Mayans also hunted wild game, ate fish, and tropical fruits. As the Mayan Empire started to decline the Aztec Empire began to take power. Located in modern day Mexico City the Aztecs were a very wealthy civilization. The Aztecs introduced honey, chocolate, chili peppers, and salt into their cooking, while keeping intact the Mayan staple foods. Much of the wild game that the Mayans hunted was now domesticated, such as the turkey and duck.
In 1521 Hernando Cortez and his Spanish Conquistadors landed in Mexico searching for gold. They soon invaded the Aztecs and took control of Mexico. With the Spanish came different kinds of meat and produce. New livestock that was introduced was meat such as sheep, pigs and cows. They also brought different spices, garlic, and wheat.
What we believe to be Mexican food in America is not exactly Mexican food. Many dishes such as burritos, enchiladas, and nachos are dishes which were created by other races. Also there is Tex-Mex food which takes food from both Texas and Mexico and implements them into dishes. Much of what we see today is how many different cultures have came into Mexico and left a footprint on their food.

Bibliography
http://www.world-food-and-wine.com/mexican-food-history.html

Scandinavian Food

2009-03-25T18:52:00.001-07:00

Grant Newman

Section 4

The region of Scandinavia, or also referred to as Nordic which is the Scandinavian countries with the addition of Iceland , which consist of Sweden being the largest county, Norway, Finland, and Denmark. These four countries are in Northern Europe surrounding the Baltic and North Sea and suffer unbearably could winter conditions. The region is also incredibly diverse consisting of large quantities of coastal regions, flat plains and then a substantial amount of mountainous region. Therefore, the food throughout this area differs greatly depending on what type of area you are in. The people of this region pride themselves in several things; however, two of the most pronounced are their food and culture. This area was also home to the Vikings long ago.
The Costal area has been and will continue to be reliant on fish, oysters, muscles, squid or any other thing that they can harvest from the sea to meet their food needs. This is a significant portion of their daily diet in coastal regions and has been. However, with modernizations such as refrigeration seafood has become a moderate portion of the daily diet for those that live in the mountainous regions far from the coastal regions of the Baltic or North Sea.
Though they may have their subtle difference Christmas is a large festive holiday for all the countries of this area consisting of hearty meals and cultural festivities. The reasoning for such a large celebration in late December, which actually is not because it is Christmas but actually is based on regional celebration called Jul or Yule. ““Jul” or Yule, was celebrated long before Christianity came to Scandinavia. At that time it was an observation of the winter solstice, that from then on the days would become longer and darkness gradually recede. It was a celebration of light returning. The word “jul” or Yule means “the change” of “the feast of feasts”, with reference to midwinter reveries celebrated around new years” ("Scandinavian Christmas Traditions"). Jul is extremely important in Scandinavia because of how far north the area is located, being above the rest of Europe their nights are longer and darker, so this celebration is different than anything else you will find in Europe. Even though Christianity spread to Scandinavia and destroyed cultural events, like it did everywhere, they have managed to hold onto a little portion of the heritage (I know this is real because I celebrate it and this was instilled in me by my family) Christmas day is not what people of Scandinavian decent celebrate, if they still keep the faith, but it is Christmas Eve. In essence we still celebrate the night because this is more important to us than Christmas day and it can be seen in the gatherings. Children open Christmas gifts on this night, large dinners are held and everyone seems to come together.
Today Christmas dishes belong to the different countries; However, I see the main dishes that these countries have as Scandinavian because the boundaries for each of these areas have changed but they all go back to when it was Scandinavian territory. “In Norway: roast rib of pork with sauerkraut is served … boiled cod is served in the south, and lutefisk is served in the north. The specialty of the west is pinnekjøtt (stick meat), a dried, salted, and sometimes smoked rib of lamb … served with mashed turnips. Boiled potatoes accompany all the aforementioned dishes. In Sweden julskinka (Christmas ham) is obligatory, but it is only one of the dishes served at an expanded smörgåsbord. Swedes eat lutefisk and rice porridge during the Christmas period. … and a special hard Christmas bread that is a little softer than the crisp rye knäkkebröd”(Ember and Ember 566). Fish and meat are the main focus of these meals and it can be seen that there is some regional differences among this main item it is not that different. The accompanying items seem to be more diverse; however, this can be explained by taking into account the different climates of the regions, as well as the terrain that each country possesses to grow its crops.

Works Cited

Ember , Melvin , and Carol R. Ember. Countries and Their Cultures Volume 2. 3rd ed. New York : Macmillan Reference, 2001.

"Scandinavian Christmas Traditions." Scandinavian Christmas Traditions. 10 Mar 2009 .

Pictures Citation in order as they appear

http://www.wall-maps.com/Countries/scandanavia-over.htm

http://www.foodfromsweden.com/default.aspx?id=82&pageid=72

http://www.sverigeturism.se/smorgasbord/smorgasbord/culture/lifestyle/food.html

http://www.scandinavianchristmastraditions.com/northernyule.html

Scandinavian Christmas Traditions

There was plenty of mead and plenty of food, indulging in a sort of magic of plenty. It was believed that it would ensure prosperity and plenty for the coming year. The “yule night” was loaded with supernatural powers when even the animals could speak. http://www.scandinavianchristmastraditions.com/

The high point of the Scandinavian season is not Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve. This part of Scandinavian Christmas Traditions too may have to do with darkness. Coming to dinner through streets wrapped in darkness, having the door of welcome opened and yellow light suddenly streaming out into the dark - this belongs to Christmas in Scandinavia and is in keeping with Scandinavian Christmas Traditions.

Take a look at the painting Julegilde (Christmas Feast) by Lars Jorde. The original painting hangs in Norway's National Gallery in Oslo. It shows a house lit up from within, with glowing lights in every window, people taking their leave (or are they just arriving?) at the door, sleds parked outside in the snow. The atmosphere is unmistakable. As true a depiction of Scandinavian Christmas Traditions as you are likely to see. http://www.scandinavianchristmastraditions.com/

Something that got the name of one of the countries in this region out was a muppet. The chef in this cartoon show was Swedish and is famous for staying Swedish meatballs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY_Yf4zz-yo

A map of Scandinavian Region

Fish caught on the coastal regions are put into jars with spices and oils to flavor and preserve them.

A traditional ham that would be served during the yule celebration.

An example of a Swedish Smorgasbord

Coming together of people to celebrate the yule celebration.

Fast Food Culture in America

2009-03-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

Allison Mueller

Section 5

WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING??

Well maybe Fast Food Kills is a little dramatic…in moderation like everything else fast food can be “ok”.

FAST FOOD IS FAST AND EASY!

The American culture is built around speed and efficiency. Hectic schedules allow for poor diets and plenty of fast food.

When you’re in a hurry and need to get something to eat most people choose the drive-thru but if you think first you can make a healthier option.

Next time you are in a rush think about the risks of fast food and use this information to make a healthier choice!

UN-NUTRITIOUS FOOD REIGNS

At many fast-food restaurants, a single meal gives a disproportionate share—sometimes more than 100 percent—of the recommended daily intake of fat, cholesterol, salt, and sugar

Not just adults are being affected by the un-nutritious foods being served at fast food restaurants, their children and children all over America are becoming obese at a very young age.

IT’S CHEAP!

Taco Bell Value Menu

Cheesy Roll Up- 200 Calories &10 grams of fat

Triple Layer Nachos- 340 Calories & 18 grams of fat

Cheesy Double Beef Burrito- 460 calories & 20 grams of fat

High Sugar and High Fat foods are cheap, usually cheaper than healthy foods.

Have you ever noticed at McDonalds you can get a burger, fries, and coke for about $3.00 but the salads are $6.00? This doesn’t make sense.

However, the biggest hidden cost of Fast Food is the high pri

ce of bad health.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY HAS DECLINED

A decrease in physical activity plus the added fast food children are consuming is contributing

greatly to the obesity crisis in the United States.

Adult obesity has increased from 15 to 33 percent in past tw

enty-five years according to the CDC.

But much more disturbing is the rate childhood obesity is growing. Children ages 2-5 have jumped from 5 to 14 percent, children 6-11 have jumped from 6.5 to 19 percent, and children 12 to 19 have jumped 5 to 17 percent.

SERVING SIZES ARE HUGE!

Increased portion sizes not only in food but in plates, cups, and bowls call for increased calories and encourage us to eat more.

It also distorts appropriate food quantities. Along with a sedentary lifestyle this has contributed greatly to America’s increased size of our people.

Pizza Slice- was 500 calories now is 850 calories

Cup of Coffee- was 45 calories now is 330 calories

Movie Popcorn- was 270 calories now is 630 calories

HERE’S A QUICK GUIDE TO HELP YOU MEASURE PORTIONS

Baseball- measures one portion of fruit or vegetables

Deck of Cards- serving of meat, fish, or poultry

Golf Ball- quarter of a cup of dried fruits or nuts

Tennis Ball- about ½ cup of ice cream

Compact Disc- one small pancake or waffle

Six Dice- serving of cheese

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Build more walking and biking paths

Regulate TV food ads aimed at children

Mandate Pro-Nutrition messages

Ban fast foods and soft drinks from schools

Restructure school lunch programs and include healthier foods

Subsidize healthy foods

Drive down prices of fruit and vegetables

Add a “fat tax” to discourage consumption of poor foods

Healthy Fast Food Choice Ideas

http://www.apa.org/

http://www.mcspotlight.org/

http://www.catalogs.com/info/bestof/top-10-facts-about-fast-food-and-culture

http://clinical.diabetesjournals.org/

http://www.worldwatch.org/

http://www.mcdonalds.com/

http://www.tacobell.com/

http://www.fastfood.com/

Food and Culture in Thailand

2009-03-24T07:04:00.001-07:00

Mandesa Miller

Section 4

Regions in Thailand:

Nam Prik Yum

Gaeng Som

Som Tam

Kaom Jeen

Food presentation is very important to Thai people

Typical Thai Meal

Jasmin Rice, a staple in Thai Cuisine

Wedding Foods Around the World

2009-03-23T20:04:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Miller

Section 5

Most every country around the world serves different types of food at weddings. The food is very important in some traditions. Certain foods symbolize a meaning, such as happiness. In this paper I am going to talk about the foods eaten at weddings in China, Morocco, and Italy.

The first country I decided to do research on was China. When a couple in China gets engaged, they send out Chinese biscuits called call cakes. This is an announcement for their upcoming marriage. On the day of the wedding a large 10 to 12 course dinner is prepared for family and friends. Shark’s fin soup is a popular dish at Chinese weddings. The soup normally comes after the appetizer. It symbolizes wealth because it is a very expensive food; normally cost about $150 per quest. Families will go all out for the daughter or son because it is a special event that takes place in their life. Another popular food served is roast suckling pig. The roast suckling pig represents virginity. The groom will put forth the pig to the bride’s family to show his love for their daughter. The family will be very accepting of the groom knowing that he will cherish their daughter for the rest of his life. Peking lobster is another important food at Chinese weddings. The lobster is red and the color red means happiness. The lobster represents joy and celebrations for special occasions such as a wedding. If the lobster is served with the head and the legs still on it then completeness is symbolized. Squab is a pigeon with tender meat that means peace. Normally 2 pigeons are offered to the newlyweds to bring peace for the beginning of their life together. Vegetables with sea cucumbers are also part of the meal. Serving this meal can be a sign of selflessness because sea cucumber to the Chinese traditions sounds like good heart. This would wish the newlywed to think in the same way, which would be to avoid conflict. Lastly, a cake to specially designed and prepared for a dessert at the end of the meal. As you can see, each dish that is prepared in China has some type of meaning that wishes the new married couple good luck in the rest of their lifetime together.

Morocco was the second country I picked to research wedding foods. Fish and chicken are considered the main dish at the wedding party. They are a symbolization of fertility. Tajine is a dish that many family and friends appreciate. It is a chicken stew mixed with almonds, apricots, onions, and other spices that is served with pita bread. A famous marriage soup is also served, it is called dugun corbasi. It is made of lamb meat. Bstilla is another popular dish. This is made from dove, lamb, couscous, almonds, and raisins. Fruit bowls are also bring importance because some Moroccan families grow and sell fruit to other countries in Africa. As a dessert sweets and almonds are served to show the young female that she is welcomed by into the family from her new female relatives. In Morocco wedding preparation for the actual passage can take about seven days and is a feast for the family and friends.

The last country I chose was Italy. Meals are a big part of the Italian lifestyle. They are passionate about food and eating, much of their socializing is done during this time. Just like other countries there is a lot of preparation done for wedding ceremonies. Since Italy is known for pasta there is always some type of pasta at a wedding party. Steak pesto pasta is a common dish served for weddings. Also, a roasted baby pig or lamb followed be wanda, which is bow ties of fried dough dipped in powered sugar is popular in this country. During the dinner, women will sip of marsala wine and men will drink stronger grappa. As a dessert confetti is served. Confetti is sugar covered almonds, which we consider Jordan almonds. The almonds are a representation of the bitter and sweet of life that the newlyweds have in store for them. There almonds sometimes will be thrown at the newlyweds as they leave the wedding party.

China, Morocco, and Italy have their own wedding traditions just like every other country does. Weddings are a special time for people and most of the time there is much preparation for the big wedding day. Foods will be served that have a good meaning and good luck for the newlyweds so that they will have a good life together.

Sources

-Heine, Peter. Food Culture in the Near East, Middle East, and North Africa. London: Greenwood Press, 2004.

-Long-Solis, Janet, and Luis Alberto Vargas. Food Culture in Mexico. London: Greenwood Press, 2005.

-Newman, Jacqueline M.. Food Culture in China. London: Greenwood Press, 2004.

-"Wedding Customs: Traditions From Around the Globe." Wedding Customs. 1997-2009. The Knot Inc.. 23 Mar 2009 .

Food Cultures of Birthday Celebrations!

2009-03-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Kaci Daugherty

Section 4

Here in the United States, birthdays are somewhat of a big deal. In most places we celebrate with a cake topped with candles representing our age, ice cream and in certain situations other sides such as chips and dip or candy may be present. We all love birthday cake but why does it represent our birthday? Originated in Greece, the cake was baked round symbolizing a full moon. The candles used to top the cake were representative of the moons glow. The full moon represented new life just like a birthday.

Although there are many places that have rituals that differ from ours, many countries have some of the very same traditions.

In Egypt lots of people are invited to birthday parties. Since so many people will be present, two cakes are used to feed everyone. One with candles keeping in line with our customs and a second with no candles as it is just extra food and not the main event. The host also serves cookies, sesame sticks and small French bread sandwiches for all of the party goers.

In the Netherlands a cake is also served. Candles are used to represent the persons age as well. The person having the birthday is also served powdered sugar topped pancakes and taartjes, which are tarts with filling, along with lemonade or hot chocolate.

In Panama and Mexico they celebrate birthdays with a cake and ice cream, and parties there are most similar to the United States. In Israel, a cake representing the child’s interest is used in place of a regular cake. These shapes range anywhere from soccer balls, to ballerinas and more.

Uruguay and Sudan also celebrate with a birthday cake topped with candles! In Sudan they also have pizza and drink a red punch called Karkady which is made from hibiscus flowers!

In Canada they have homemade birthday cake (which is always the best) covered with colored sugar sprinkles. A coin is wrapped and place in between the layers and the person to find it will be first in all of the games played at the party!

Along the lines of customs we are used to, Norway is quite close. At a birthday celebration there is a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting served along with red gelatin and vanilla sauce!

My favorite place to think of when I think Birthday Food is Nigeria! They go all out for birthdays, but only if you are turning 1, 5, 10 or 15! A whole roasted cow or goat is most commonly served to the birthday guests along with a side of ‘jollof rice’ which is a simple mixture of rice, tomatoes, red peppers, onions and cassava (something like a sweet potato.) Yum!

India likes to do things big as well! The birthday party consists of a spicy vegetable stew of curry and chutney. Dudh Pakh is also served. This dessert is a rice pudding like dish mixed together with pistachios, almonds, raisins and a spice called Cardamom.

Going even further away from our well known tradition of the U.S., Korean children celebrate their first ‘birthday’ party only 100 days after birth! Since death at a young age is very common, these are the crucial days of a child’s life, so when they make it without being sick a huge celebration is held! Rice cakes are handed out to everyone because it is believe that if 100 people celebrate by eating them the child will live a long life. Wine, and red and black bean cakes coated with honey or sugar are also present. If the child makes it to their first birthday, this ritual is repeated!

Long life is also very important Hong Kong. A birthday celebration there consists of a meal simply made of extra long noodles for the birthday person to symbolize the hopes of having a long life!

In Ecuador an afternoon Tea party is most common! Hot chocolate, Tea cookies and raisin cakes are also served. In Ecuador they celebrate the Saints birthday in which a person is named after rather than the person’s real birthday! No Fun!

In England, instead of regular birthday cakes, the person celebrating receives a fortune telling cake instead! This is supposed to represent good fortune in the future!

Another interesting place is Ghana. On the morning of your birthday you would wake up to a breakfast of ‘oto.’ This is a patty mixture of sweet potatoes and eggs! Later in the day you would attend your party where you would have a main course of stew and rice and finish the day off with a dessert of Kelewele, which are fried plantain chunks (similar to a banana.)

In Australia they have Barbeques, which is also a common theme during the summer months here in the United States. At the event Fairy Bread is served which is buttered bread topped with sprinkles! Sounds pretty interesting to me!

China celebrates with simple fortune cookies.

Great Britain is also similar to the United States in its celebration tactics, but also possesses wild traditions like other places I have researched. In Great Britain a person having a birthday will celebrate with a cake and candles just like the United States! They also have chocolate biscuits, Jelly and Ice cream (which is Gelatin and Ice Cream covered in tiny balls of colored sugar) and Squash to drink, which is orange or lemon flavored Kool-aid made from syrup instead of powder! Talk about something unusual!

Although there are many other places I haven’t covered that celebrate birthdays the tradition lives on. Even places like Saudi Arabia and Serbia have their own traditions. Due to religious reasons NEITHER of these places recognizes a person’s birthday. I wouldn’t want to live there!
As you can see people all over the world celebrate, or don’t celebrate birthdays in their own way. Each way is different from another but they are all accepted and all very interesting!

Works Cited
http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/korea/cel/birthday_celebrations.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/recipes.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/africanbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/australianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/brazilianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/canadianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/chinesebirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/dutchbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/ecuadorianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/egyptianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/englishbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/ghanianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/greatbritainbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/hongkongbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/indianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/israelibirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/koreanbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/nigerianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/norwegianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/panamabirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/saudiarabianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/serbianbirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/sudanesebirthdays.htm
http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/usabirthdays.htm

http://www.birthdaycelebrations.net/uruguayianbirthdays.htm

The Slow Food Movement

2009-03-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Kirsten McKeel

Section 4

General Information

- In 1986, Carlo Petrini of Italy founded the Slow Food Movement

- Terra Madre (the first was in 2004) is an international convention in which people (including food producers) gather to strengthen this movement.-

-Today, there are 100,000 members of the movement worldwide, in 1,000 chapters

- There are 200 chapters in the United States

Philosophy of the Movement

- Food should be enjoyed and celebrated

-Our food should be nutritious for us and impact the environment positively

- Healthy, enjoyable food should be available to everyone. Producers of food should be treated fairly (monetarily and socially) for their work.

Education

- Connect people to the source of their food through education

– One initiative of the movement is to create school programs in which children are involved in growing their food

§ Here is a link for a video about “edible schoolyards” http://multimedia.slowfood.it/index.php?method=multi media&action=zoom&id=24096

– The movement also wants to educate adults about the sources of their food.

§ When we understand the sources of our food, we become co-producers

Why the Slow Food Movement is so Important

- Through education, people become more conscious of all aspects of their food – the

producers, nutritional values, etc.

– In our prevalent culture, we are not mindful of the exact origins or ingredients of our food. This means that we are unaware of suffering, small farms or maltreated animals and workers.

– We eat what is perceived to be convenient, regardless of content, which includes a huge variety of additives, such as pesticides, growth hormones, large amounts of sugar and salt.

- Slow Food is nutritious. So, eating Slow Foods will automatically cut down on many of our society’s health issues, including obesity and diabetes.

-Slow Food practices are better for the environment.

– Local food means no factories or large machinery (less pollution, exhaustion of soil, etc).

– We produce less waste (fewer landfills) because nothing is overproduced or over-consumed.

The Slow Food Movement helps build community.

– Communities work together to co-produce food.

– People connect more during the enjoyable consumption of food

Sources

http://www.slowfood.com/

http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/20 03-11-25-slowfood_x.htm

http://www.slowfoodasheville.org/index.htm

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/10/30/MNGBRM2HL51.DT L

http://www.sallybernstein.com/food/single-articles/slow_food.htm

Safety of our food supply

2009-03-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Joshua McDade

Section 5

Safety of our Food Supply
With more and more public outbreaks, sickness,
and deaths due to comtamidation of certain foods,
the notion that the safety of our food supply is
insufficient has become a major topic for debate
in our society.
Outline
-Agencies that regulate food safety
-Historic outbreaks regarding food contamination
-Problems with food safety
-Measures to improve food safety

The Government's Role
-The U.S. Government plays a larger role in
securing our food supply than any other.
-While careless manufactorors and greedy
executives are usually blamed for food
contamination, the public looks to the
government to enforce safety laws.
-The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is
responsible for preventing contaminated drugs
from getting onto the U.S. market.

U.S. Food & Drug Administration

-The FDA has existed for more than 100 years
-Regulates $417 billion worth of domestic food &
$49 billion worth of imported food each year
-The FDA Food Protection Plan builds on:
-Prevention
-Intervention

The prevention plan calls for:
-increasing corporate responsibility to prevent foodborne
illnesses
-identifying food vulnerabilities and assess risks
-expanding the understanding and use of effective
mitigation measures

The intervention plan calls for:
-focus inspections and sampling based on risk
- enhance risk-based surveillance
-improve the detection of food system “signals” that
indicate contamination

The response plan calls for:
-improve immediate response
-improve risk communications to the public, industry
and other stakeholders

Environmental Protection Agency
-The EPA also has a hand in the safety of our
food supply in the United States.
-EPA's mission related to pesticides is to protect
public health and the environment from risks
posed by pesticides and to promote safer
means of pest control.
-Pesticides are used to protect food from pests, such as
insects, rodents, weeds, mold, and bacteria.
-When improperly used or stored, pesticides can potentially
be harmful to humans, wildlife and the environment.

Pesticides in Food
-A study by the University of Hong Kong states
that up to 13% of their vegetables contain
illegal pesticides.

Food Contamination
-The following graph shows all diagosed cases
of infection from 1996 to 2006 relative to the
number of cases in 1996-1998.

All diseases except Vibrio1 have reported less
cases since 1998.

[1] Any of a group of aquatic, comma-shaped bacteria in the family Vibrionaceae. Some species cause serious diseases in humans.
Public Outbreaks from Food
-Salmonella Saintpaul Outbreak (2008)
- Caused by jalapeño peppers and Serrano peppers
grown in Mexico

1442 persons infected; identified
from 43 states, the District of
Columbia, and Canada
●The outbreak strain was isolated
from samples of jalapeño peppers
collected in a US warehouse and
a patient's home and from
samples of serrano peppers and
water collected on a farm in
Mexico.

2.
-Salmonella Typhimurium: Peanut Products
-an ingredient-driven outbreak
-many different products that were distributed
through various channels and consumed in various
settings
-more than 2,100 products in 17 categories have
been voluntarily recalled by more than 200
companies
-six deaths and 107 hospitalizations among the 486
people sickened in 43 U.S. states and one
Canadian province

3. Salmonella Tennessee:
Peter Pan Peanut Butter
and Great Value Peanut
Butter
- faulted by a leaky roof and
malfunctioning sprinkler
system at a production
facility in plant in Sylvester,
Georgia
-linked to more than 600
cases of Salmonella
poisoning in 2007

Food Safety Legislation

-One of President Obama's
concerns is the nation's food
safety system.
- Obama: The nation's food safety
system is a hazard to public
health and overdue for an
overhaul

-The current budget only allows up to a fraction of
150,000 food processing plants to be inspected
-The administration wants more funding for
inspections
-Another approach is a ban on the slaughter of
"downer" cows (too sick or weak to stand on their
own), to keep them out of the food supply. They
pose a higher risk of having mad cow disease, E.
coli and other infections.
-More inspectors are needed and laboratories
need to be modernized for the 21st century.

Summary

There are many food hazards that we need to
know about and how to prevent them from
integrating with our food supply. The government,
suppliers, and consumers need to be aware of all
these hazards:
-Microorganisms
-Chemicals naturally present
-Chemicals produced by cooking
-Environmental Contaminants
- Pesticides
-Additives

References
-U.S. Food & Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov
-Department of Health and Human Services. Food Protection
Plan, Nov 2007. http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/advance/food/plan.html
-Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella
outbreak, Aug 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/saintpaul/
-Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. http://www.britannica.com
-WebMD. Peanut Butter Outbreak Rages On, Jan 2009.
http://www.webmd.com
-NewsInferno.com. Peter Pan Peanut Butter Back In Stores
Following Salmonella Recall, Aug 2007. http://www.newsinferno.com

Wedding Foods Around the World

2009-03-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Anna Whitlock

Slide 22

•Section 5

What do you think of when you see this picture?

I think of wedding cake, please let me share with you a little bit about wedding foods around the world.

Slide 2

Traditional African Wedding Food

Coconuts, stewed vegetables, and meat are often found at traditional African weddings. Also, a bread called “injera” is often provided. This is a flatbread that is supplemented in place of utensils to scoop up the meat or veggies stews. The Liberian Coconut Bread is often served which is similar to having a cake like texture. Majority of traditional African wedding drinks include pineapples or coconuts. Examples, are like a pineapple spice drink or spicy ginger beer.

Liberian coconut bread

Injera

Spicy Ginger Beer

Chicken

in peanut tomato sauce is popular in Sub-Saharan Africa). Poulet’ Mo

ambe is chicken cooked in Moambe sauce which is made from a red ripe fruit.

Liboke’ de Viande is a banana leaf that has some kind of m

eat or poultry and it is grilled on a grill or roasted in a p

ot. Fufu is similar to porridge and y

ou can make it by boiling starchy vegetables.

Fufu

Food Means More than You Think!

At a traditional Chinese wedding there are eight courses served. Typi

cally the Chinese foods sym

bolize prosperity and extended life at weddings. Appetizers sym

bolize the dragon (feminine) and phoenix (masculin

e) symbol. Peking dish

which is a red dish is often served at this type of wedding. The Chinese usually only pick fowl to serve that mate for

life such as duck or geese. Chicken a

nd duck are served b

ecause it can symbolize a man and a woman in their new relationship. A sea cucumber that is served represen

ts harmony and lack of conflict between the marriage. Drinks served consist of tea, alcohol, and 7-Up since “up” sounds like happiness in the Chinese culture.

Chinese Tea…..You See-

According to Lovel

y Mementos:

(http://www.lovelymomentos.com/articles/2008/tradition-symbolic-food-for-chinese-wedding/)

Since tea used to be such a luxury to get it was often used a

s a engagement present for th

e future bride-to-be.

In the present Chinese culture accepting tea is the same saying “yes” to a long term engagement.

Also, another tradition that is ti

ed with the Chinese cultur

e involves a pig’s heart! The bride uses a pig’s heart along with other spices and ingredients to cook a soup. Then she gives the food to her in-laws the day of the wedding which symbolizes “all

of one heart”.

Hawaii Wedding Foods

• American, Chinese, Filipin

o, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian

nd Portuguese are all

incorporated into traditional Hawaii wedding foods.

• Some foods that you might find at your aloha table!

• Sweet and sour pineapple country ribs

• creamy portuguese grits wi

th sauted shrimp

• hirame sashimi with ponzu

sauce

• crabmeat stuffedhirame

• moi poke

• poached or fried moi with shoyu sauce

• vegetab

le tofu

• chicken salad

• crab cakes

• lobster and salmon

• Fresh fruit might include

pineapple, mangos, coconut

s, kiwi, oranges and star anise.

•

Traditional Mexican W

edding Foods

Might consist of beans, tortilla dishes (with chicken or beef), and spicy rice. Also, a popular drink that is served is called Sangria. This drink is made from red or white whine mixed with brandy, sugar, soda water, and fruit juice. Sangria is a cold drink.

Recognize this picture?

Some people have tried Mexican Wedding

Cookies. Howe

ver, this food is really a universal holiday treat. It might be linked to when people would save

rich and expensive foods for very special event. Th

is tasty treat was imported by Moors to S

pain. The sugary delight was introduced into the new world in the 16th century and finally popped up in American cookbooks in the 1950’s!

(http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html#

mexicanweddingcakes)

“Cor’ko” is a Russian toast that means “bitter”

• Alcohol is a must at most traditional weddi

ngs! Typicall

y what is served for toast is champagne. Also, beer is served especially on the second day if they have a 2-day wedding ceremony!

• Some foods that are s

erved include “borsch” which is beetroot s

oup with vegetables, potatoes, and meat. Another popular food is “ukha” that consist of fresh water fish, onions, potatoes. It is a soup.

• “Pelmini” is a typical R

ussian wedding food that is like ravioli except it can be ea

ten with a broth.

• An interesting fact for Russian weddings is that people are supposed to buy their utensils to eat with. Russian’s c

onsider it tacky to bring some from home. The money earne

d from purchasing the forks, spoons, and knives are given in honor to the b

ride and groom!

•

http://www.womenrussia.com/wedding2.htm (Russian Wedding Protocol)

Here is What Russian Wedding Foods Might Look Like

According to the website above, the reason Russian Wedd

ings have so many soups provided is because

it helps with hangovers really well.

Pelmini

Borsch Ukha

Traditional Scottish Wedding Foods

• Smokies (wood-smoked haddock)

• Scottish beef

• Scotch broth (Mutton broth and

vegetables)

•

Black bun (rich fruit cake)

• Colcannon (Stew that contains broiled cabbage, turnips, potatoes, & carrots)

• Scotch meat pies

“Blackening” has a whole new meaning!

A Scottish wedding tradition is for the bride to be “blackened” and covered with spoiled food such as eggs, sauces etc. After all is said and done the bride is taken and

shown around town.

Traditional Jewish Wedding Food

• The rabbi usually blesses the bread which is called “Challah” before the meal

begins. The bride and groom usually give little pieces to their guests.

• Pick a meat or diary to serve. However

, you can never serve both at a wedding. Do not serve pork or shellfish either.

• A traditional ashkenazi jewish wedding typically serves roasted chicken with potatoes and vegetables.

• Shepardic jews typically serve lamb and rice.

• Usually a cake is served that is appropriate for jewish weddings and usually some kind of fruit is served as well.

What Traditional Hindu Wedding Food Is……..

• They usually eat foods such as curry, creamy rice or bean dishes, pastas, roasted potatoes and breads.

• Post-wedding foods typically start becoming non-vegetarian.

• A hot drink that might be served might contain brewed milk with cashews, almonds, pistachios, saffron and sugar.

• Instead of a cake the bride and groom usually feed each other 5 bites of sweet food that contain honey and yogurt mixed together.

Traditional Algonquin (Native American) Wedding Food:

• Frye Bread

• Venison (deer meat)

• Squash

• Beans

• Corn

• Corn soup

• Potato soup

• Fruit such as blueberries, the “heart” berry, strawberries, and raspberries.

• Elders eat first and then the officiant. After that

the bride and groom can. Next the guest are allowed to eat.

Also, none of the food is wasted. It has to be eaten or given away to elders.

Venison Frye Bread

http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/native.cfm (Algonquin Wedding Feast)

http://www.ehow.com/how_4523472_include-african-culture-wedding.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art (African Wedding Foods)

http://www.essortment.com/lifestyle/hinduweddingsf_twyd.htm (Hindu Wedding Foods)

http://www.africanchop.com/coconutbread.jpg (Liberian Coconut Bread Image)

http://www.lovelymomentos.com/articles/2008/tradition-symbolic-food-for-chinese-wedding/ (Lovely Memento’s)

http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/mexican.cfm (Mexican Wedding Food)

http://www.weddingmapper.com/photos/0/87/64924_l.jpg (Mexican Wedding Dish)

http://www.womenrussia.com/wedding2.htm (Russian Wedding Protocol)

http://www.eventective.com/blog/weddings/2008/06/11/worlds-bizarre-wedding-customs/ (Scottish Wedding “ Blackening”)

http://www.congocookbook.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=899 (Traditional African Wedding Food)

http://www.ehow.com/how_2081495_plan-traditional-jewish-wedding-meal.html (Traditional Jewish Wedding Foods)

http://www.foodtv.ca/weddings/ContentDetail.aspx?ContentId=2730 (Traditional Scottish Wedding Food)

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html#mexicanweddingcakes (Wedding Cookies Timeline)

http://www.weddingdetails.com/lore/hawaii.cfm#food (Wedding Foods in Hawaii)

Images

• http://www.hyannisdaysinn.com/nss-folder/pictures/Wedding-Cake.jpg (Wedding Cake Image)

• http://www.bluespringmanor.com/images/wedding-buffet-tbl-lg.jpg (Wedding Buffet Image)

• http://www.weddingsinsedona.com/images/Native_american_weddings01.jpg (Image of Native American Background)

• http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EibMqi9ndj4/SEYBnDnfb7I/AAAAAAAAEu8/KSxMsxBUmSg/s400/13004a.jpg ( Image of Portuguese grits with sautéed shrimp)

• http://www.atlantasushibar.com/appetizer/files/attach/images/101/650/IMG_0154.jpg (Ponzo Sauce)

• http://www.spicelines.com/IMG_4001.JPG ( Image of Star Anise)

• http://69.90.174.250/photos/display_pic_with_logo/9742/9742,1228535633,2.jpg (Image of Salmon)

• http://images.allrecipes.com/site/allrecipes/area/community/userphoto/small/84424.jpg (Image of Chicken Salad)

• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_KRYnA3EqhkU/SA-eSzkCbaI/AAAAAAAABYM/Fyt8mS1VTzg/s400/Maui_2008+036.jpg ( Image of Crab Cakes)

• http://www.onlineembroiderydesigner.com/cgi-images/RL0003.JPG (Image Star of David)

• http://hannahgarippa.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/challah-bread-l.jpg (Image of Challah)

• http://farm1.static.flickr.com/46/146265797_cd2b6bfe95.jpg ( Chinese Wedding Dish)

• http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7l_Y6Ap-VgM/R8tBES4esgI/AAAAAAAAAbc/YEMAyydcHSU/s400/IMG_1128.JPG (Tortilla Dish)

• http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/faculty/hodgson/Courses/so191/Projects2007/Borello/October16/Mexican_Flag.jpg (Mexican Flag)

• http://www.glasgowguide.co.uk/recipes%20images/Scotch%20Broth.jpg (Image Scottish Broth)

• http://www.schaer.com/smartedit/images/rezepte/schottischerfruechtekuchen_en.jpg (Image Black Bun)

• http://thepassionatecook.typepad.com/thepassionatecook/images/colcannon_portrait.jpg (Image Colcannon)

• http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40534000/jpg/_40534695_scotchpieabove203.jpg (Image Scotch Pie)

• http://new-surfingtips.com/Hawaii-surf-2008.jpg (Image of Hawaii)

• http://eatscotland.visitscotland.com/food-drink/scottish-food/meat/beef.html (Image Scottish Beef)

• http://www.donaldrussell.com/PUBLIC/PICTURES/PRODUCTS/LARGE/buy_fish_arbroath_smokies_from_online_butcher.jp g (Image Smokies)

• http://files.turbosquid.com/Preview/Content_on_10_27_2006_05_51_56/bagpipe_im1_persp.tga769c1cd3-bdcf-4e65-97d2-953aaace0351Large.jpg (Image of Scottish Bagpipes)

• http://www.notempire.com/images/uploads/gingerbeer-01.jpg (Image of African Ginger Beer)

• http://www.pjchmiel.com/photo/food/africanhut-fufu2.jpg (Image of Fufu)

• http://www.33ff.com/flags/XL_flags/Russia_flag.gif (Image of Russian Flag)

• http://www.russianfamily.net/images/rf_borsch.jpg (Image of Borsch)

• http://www.travellady.com/images/realrussian2.jpg (Image of Ukha)

• http://www.travellersworldwide.com/Images2000/photos-russia/food/pelmini.jpg (Image of Pelmini)

• http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y240/Thousandbars/?action=view&current=Jets08.jpg (Image of Russian Beer)

• http://www.eng.umu.se/vw/Culture/wedding.jpg (Image of African Wedding)

• http://www.iaej.org.il/graphics/injera.jpg (Image of Injera)

• http://www.cameronlicensing.com/Content/Images/image_0372_0000.jpg (7 Up Logo)

• http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa060499.htm (Chinese Wedding Feast)

• http://www.chinesesymbolsmeaning.com/chinese-symbols/p/prosperity.gif (Chinese Symbol for Prosperity)

• http://blog.shapingyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/8.gif ( Chinese Lucky Number)

• http://www.china-family-adventure.com/images/chinese-dragon-and-phoenix.jpg ( Chinese Symbol Dragon and Phoenix)

• http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1059/1182784066_ffd18575e7.jpg (Chinese Wedding Duck)

Chinese Food Culture

2009-03-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Ashley Whitmore

Section 4

In the Chinese culture it is a commendable custom to respect everyone at the table; this includes the elderly, guests, and teachers. While doing this, children have to be taking good care of. The Chinese practice presenting the fine or best food first to the elderly of the family which has been observed for countless generations.

The hosts in China are known as very friendly and hospitable but you should still show respect to them. When invited to dinner before eating you should wait until the host offers a greeting. If a person was to eat before this it would be shown as a sign of disrespect which causes displeasure.

The meal is placed on the table by arranging the main courses in the center and the other dishes evenly around them. The main dishes are to be prepared in a decorative way either by cut or some other mean and will be placed facing the elder and major guest at the table.

China is known as the hometown of chopsticks. The culture of chopsticks has a very long history and is now used as table ware in countries such as Vietnam, North Korea and South Korea. It is said that the chopsticks reflects the Chinese wisdom of ancient people. This is because they can nip, pick, rip and stir food. Some consider the chopstick to be a lucky gift for marriage or other ceremonies. For more details visit http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine.htm and click on the link Chinese Chopsticks.

When eating meals the Chinese have a rule "waste not, want not". This means that every part of a plant or animal is used. In China cooking is seen as an art. The Chinese allow for a creative and stylistic touch when cooking rather than following step by step instructions. Chinese cooking has many distinctive features. It is varied with flavor which is caused by differences in climate, products, habits, and customs. The taste of sweet, salty, sour, hot are even divided. Sweetness is in the south, saltiness is in the north, sourness is in the east, and hotness is found in the west.
There are four seasons and the Chinese season and match food with the variation of the season. The flavor is light and cool in the summer while pure and thick in the winter. During the winter the foods are mostly braised, stewed, and simmered. While in the summer the food is cold and dressed with sauce and frozen.

Chinese dishes are named by main ingredients, in accordance with historical literary quotations, myths, legends, the interesting events of celebrities taking food, supplementary ingredients and seasoning, or for the cooking methods or called in the image of dishes, such as "beggar's chicken" (roasted chicken in yellow mud) "family collections (made of all sorts of seafood and river food)", "red lion's head (fried meatballs in brown sauce)". For more detailed information visit http://www.chinatravel.com/facts/chinese-food/chinese-cooking-art.htm.

In China certain foods have different meanings and occasions, which can only be eaten by a specific individual, or the kind of food must be eaten during a specific occasion. If an honored guest is present the individual will be served a snapper’s head or shell to hail him or show warm welcome. Seniors and youngsters in China are fed long noodles because it is a symbol of longevity. For more information of the food symbolism used in China visit http://www.warriortours.com/intro/cuisine_culture.htm.

Works Cited
http://www.chinatravel.com/facts/chinese-food/chinese-cooking-art.htm
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine.htm
http://www.warriortours.com/intro/cuisine_culture.htm

How to Properly Use Chopsticks

Step One:
• Place one chopstick in the crook of your thumb and index finger. The chopstick should be at the base of your thumb and your thumb should be about 1/3 the way down from the broad end of the chopstick.

Step Two
• Rest the chopstick on your ring finger between ½ way and 2/3 the way down the chopstick. The first chopstick should now be very stable with one end securely between your thumb and index finger and the other end resting on your ring finger.

Step Three
• Place the second chopstick in your hand the way you would hold a pen. It should rest slightly on the tip of your thumb and be held into place with support from your middle finger.

Step Four
• Use your index and middle fingers to practice moving the tip of the top chopstick up and down. The bottom chopstick should remain relatively still. As you move the top one down the tip should meet up with the tip of the bottom one.

Step Five
• Imagine you are pinching something. If the tips aren't meeting up, adjust one chopstick so they do because it will be very difficult to pick anything up if the two chopsticks aren't evenly aligned.

Step Six
• Attempt to pick up some food! Start with large chunks of food like chopped up vegetables or meat. Once you get the hang of that you can try the trickier foods like rice and grains.

Step Seven
• Practice Practice Practice!
•
•
• If you are more of a visual learner here is a video that also show how to use them.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3Ax_hL33mI&feature=related
• http://www.gomestic.com/Cooking/How-to-Use-Chopsticks-in-Seven-Easy-Steps.39217

Birthday Celebrations

2009-03-23T02:47:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Shuler
Section 5

Food is the ultimate gathering necessity and over the years all cultures as a whole have added certain things that symbolized important things in their lives. For example, in Northern China, wheat noodles are used as a sign of longevity and put in a birthday soup, to help the person have a long and prosperous life. In all cultures there are different rituals that are done each birthday, some may include food and others may not.

It wasn’t until about a century ago, in the United States when birthday cakes took their role. Years before this, “cakes” were made from yeast resembling a pancake and used as a treat for the birthday celebrant. Cakes began to include dried fruit or fruit filling for special occasions in Europe during the fourteenth century. In the sixteenth century an Italian baker started making cakes with eggs and sugar rather than using yeast, giving it a lighter, more fluffy texture. This trend grew rapidly, but without more modern technology it was hard for the regular household to make one of these cakes, so at this time this was usually left up to a professional baker or pastry chef.

By the turn of the twentieth century, more modern products were being made to aid housewives in making cakes and other baked goods. Women’s magazines and newspapers were advertising for these products and also including some new recipes for them to try with their new products. Since cake making was made so easy, the spread of lavish, homemade cakes grew in a hurry. Layered cakes, frosting, decorations were of the utmost importance when making a cake.
When the birthday cake came into the spotlight, they were used for centerpieces at large parties or banquets and the more detailed the cake was, the more important was the event. In many instances, the way the cake was decorated meant more than how it tasted. I am sure that this is a changed in today’s times, but from looking at some of the cakes it seems that if the more decorated the cake was, it meant that the family or recipient had money.

Birthday cakes have come a long way from their plain fruit-filled shape back in the early European days. The American birthday cake in today’s time is a symbol of the person whom is being celebrated. For example, a cartoon character for a small child or a hobby for an older adult. Whichever it may be, the cake is the most important thing at a birthday party.

How do we know it’s a birthday cake?

This question has only one answer and it is the candles. Atop a finely created cake there should always be glowing candles. The candles resemble time, and represent how old a person is. This idea comes from mainly religious influences and signify a long life span.

Over time we have developed many birthday rituals and no birthday party is complete without them. First, the presenting of the cake is always accompanied by the “Happy Birthday” song, and then followed by the birthday boy/girl making a secret wish and blowing out the candles. In many other countries they have their own version of the song, and is sung in the same tune or sometimes different, but always in their native language. For younger children, the birthday party is to promote health and growth over the upcoming year and in older people it celebrates another year of life and gives encouragement for a youthful year to come. But all birthday’s should include birthday spankings, and in many American homes they give the recipient “one to grow on.”

Birthdays and birthday cakes have come a long way from the centuries before now, but now no ones special day is complete without one of these wonderful, meaningful, and delicious creations.

www.google.com/images/birthdaycakes
http://www.enotes.com/food-encyclopedia/birthday-foods
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcakes.html#poundcake
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcookies.html#shortbread

Fast Food Culture in the United States

2009-03-23T02:39:00.000-07:00

Holly Smith

Section 4

Many of us believe that fast food emerged in the 50s, especially when we think of the Golden Arches. It is strange to believe that fast food originated as early as 1867 with the first hot dog stand in Brooklyn, NY. A hot dog stand is not what comes to mind for some when thinking about fast food. Our modern drive-thru restaurants originated in 1921 with White Castle. Curb service was introduced in the 1920s with servers on roller skates emerging in the 40s, a concept still used today, such as the delivery method at the popular fast food chain, Sonic. (Wikipedia)

There are some 85,000 fast food restaurants in the United States. That is hard for one to wrap their head around because we normally think of the most common chains, such as McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Sonic, KFC, etc. With that extreme number of fast food restaurants it is no wonder why there is a restaurant on every corner in every city, making them very accessible. Fast food has become an everyday part of the US culture. Everyday 1 in 4 Americans will eat at a fast food restaurant. (Schlosser 2001) One would be very tempted if they are on the run to stop at the closest fast food restaurant to pick up breakfast or a quick lunch in between meetings. On average, the time spent waiting on food through a fast food drive-thru is 199.9 seconds, or about 3 minutes and 20 seconds. (QSR Magazine 2007) It is hard to beat that time trying to make a healthy meal at the work place when you are pressed for time.

Fast food restaurants are often targeted as contributing to the obesity epidemic in our culture. While many factors make the unhealthy contribution, such as watching too much television and leading a sedentary lifestyle, the fast food industry has brought tremendous health effects to our bodies. Americans need to understand why we are drawn to the fast food culture besides the convenience factor. Some scientists claim that our addiction to hamburgers and french fries can be as addictive as heroin, a very alarming idea. (BBC News 2003) The sugars and fatty substances in fast food can be addictive and it is hard to deviate from eating those types of foods. We have to re-train our bodies to learn to like healthier foods; otherwise we continue to stuff our mouths with unhealthy foods and cannot understand why we cannot get enough of it.

Fast food can also affect our children. Childhood obesity is at the highest it has ever been, with 16% of children ages 6 through 11 are overweight. There was an increase of 300% of fast food consumption for children between the years of 1977 and 1996. (St. Onge, Keller, Heymsfield) These statistics are frightening and need to be addressed. It is difficult, though, to expect our children to not be dependent on fast food when we as adults are hooked as well. The changes needed to be made from the adults before children can be helped. The adults are the ones providing this fast food. The children are not driving themselves to the fast food drive-thru.

It is important to note that the fast food industry has acknowledged the risk factor for the US culture. There have been dramatic changes made by the restaurants to try and curb a healthier approach. For example, McDonalds has done away with “Supersizing” their meals, thus reducing the chance for one to over eat the food. That particular chain, plus many others, has incorporated healthier foods as options. Many of the fast food restaurants offer apple slices as an alternative to french fries, and have salads, parfaits, and low-fat ice cream. These fast food chains are not always credited with their attempts at trying to help rectify the obesity epidemic, even though they held major contributions.

Another positive thing about fast food restaurants is that they provide jobs. They may not be very high-paying, and the work is strenuous, but nonetheless they are jobs. In this economy we cannot afford to lose any jobs. If we did away with fast food restaurants, imagine how many people would lose their jobs; it would be devastating.

In conclusion, the fast food culture in the US has many negative effects on our physical health. The nutritional aspects are abysmal and steadily contributing to our obesity epidemic. We cannot totally blame these restaurants, though. We have the power to decide what we want to eat. As previously stated, fast food restaurants have made attempts to provide healthier options. It is up to the US culture to take advantage of those healthier options and take control of the obesity we have brought upon ourselves.

REFERENCES

From paper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast_food#United_States

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/01/31/health/main326858.shtml

http://www.qsrmagazine.com/reports/drive-thru_time_study/2007/accuracy_speed.phtml

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2707143.stm

The Slow Food Movement

2009-03-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Marcia Ellison

Section 5

The president of slow food movement is Carlo Petrini, in 1980’s when he chose one of the restaurants in Italy; the restaurant was unclean from the floor to the dishes. He thought food and wine should be prepared in cleaned environments, it should focus on the taste, savory, tradition and simple pleasures that would satisfied the customers. The food shouldn’t be prepared in processing food or anything that can be harmful to our body’s system. The food should be cooked fresh, including the herbs, so the food should be grown without harsh chemicals. There are 31,000 people in Italy and 75,000 people throughout the world are following slow food movement.

To watch a video discussing more about the Slow Food Movement, take a look at the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwnFALSbBME

A Night at the Opera with Slow Food Founder, Carlo Petrini and interpreter Corby Kummer.

Slide 5

The Slow food USA Today, there is more than 10,000 people and still counting. Their goals are to educate the schoolchildren about food choices in fast food and school cafeteria and their parents’ aware preparing food is better choice than fast food (Petrini, 2001).” The website for the United States is www.slowfoodusa.org. The members of Slow food in the U.S., are raising public awareness, encourage the people enjoyment of their foods by supporting the locals farmers and seasonal grown; caring for the land and protecting biodiversity, educated the children and adults, and promoting celebration of food in culture and community. The good food should be enjoyment from healthy plants and animals; the clean food should be grown and harvested on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity, and fair food should be accessible to all, and people should be treated with dignity for their labor.

The definitions of slow food are “an alternative to “fast food;” “a descriptive phrase for food that can be traced to its source, esp. food that is produced without chemical and/or other industrial processes;” “a celebration of food traditions, emphasizing seasonal and regional qualities;” “a description of the fundamental human activity of preparing, eating, enjoying, and sharing healthy, flavorful food;” “a global food initiative seeking to counter the industrialized food system’s environmentally and culturally unsustainable methods and their consequences;” “a relationship with food that centers on the values of “good, clean, and fair”: healthy and delicious ingredients, produced with ecologically sound and humane methods, on a fair economic model;” “Any delicious snack or meal, simple or elaborate, from real ingredients” (Heron, 2008). These definitions are very good example how all people should be thinking of preparing and cooking foods. I think in time, the majority of people will understand the chemicals and processing food are harming our bodies.

Here is example when people ordered hamburger, French fries, and cola from fast food chain store, you get a paper cup: full of carbonated water, ice, sugar, corn syrup, food coloring, and “natural flavor;”French Fries: frozen, chemical additives, reheated in hydrogenated vegetable oil, salted, and placed underneath heat lamp; and hamburger: thin, frozen patty which it contain meat from hundreds of different cattle, could be raised different countries, ground together at a distance processing plant, then its reheated on a grill. Also, the pickles and ketchup contain flavor additives in manufactured at high-tech chemical plants in New Jersey Turnpike (Kummer, 2002). This is scary thought to see what these fast food chains contain, and we are putting it in our bodies.

There are five great tools how-to go green in your kitchen: Mortar (heavy bowl) and Pestle (thick baton), these are used to crushed freshly herbs; cast-iron pot, it lasts forever and it will cook everything from meats, eggs, and preparing sauce; food dehydrator, it will preserve fruits, vegetables, and herbs for months; and it will prevents us from uses other than local markets; herb pot, grow own herbs on counter with pot of soil, green because it won’t involved plastic containers; and Terra-Cotta Crock (pot made from clay), its great for cooking beans, soups in the oven, and its green because it goes from oven to fridge (don’t need containers).

The definitions of slow food are explanatory, and fit what slow food movement is all about. I believe if the people spent time in cooking, healthy without processes and added chemicals, we would not see problem in obesity and healthcare. After doing the research on slow food movement, it does make sense. There are problems that need to be iron out for all families to be equal and still have our daily food groups in. The fast food chains should be banned or change their products to something healthier. I don’t see that happen because it created jobs.
There are several good books on slow food and recipes are included in the book. My favorite book is Slow Food: Collected, thoughts on taste, Tradition, and the Honest Pleasures of Food.

Work Cited
Heron, Katrina. Slow Food Nation’s Come To the Table The Slow Food Way of Living. New York: 2008.

Kummer, Corby. The Pleasures of Slow Food Celebrating Authentic Traditions, Flavors, and Recipes. San Francisco: 2002.

Petrini, Carlo. Slow Food. United States: 2001.
Petrini, Carlo. Slow Food The Case for Taste. New York: 2001.
Slow Food USA. http://www.slowfoodusa.org/

Carlo Petrini: A Night at the
Opera
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwnFALSbBME

Interpreter by Corby Kummer

Food Culture of Thailand

2009-03-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

Stacie Nelson

Section 5

Thailand Cultural Facts

Population: 64,865,523

Religions: Mainly Buddhism but also includes Muslim, Christianity, and Hinduism

Family: Families in this culture are very close and children are taught to honor and look up to their parents. If you were to look at a pyramid parents would be on top.

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html

When invited over to eat:

1) You show up on time

2) If the person who invited you is wearing NO shoes then the guest should also remove shoes

3) Step over the threshold not on it

When you eat at the table:

1) A fork and spoon is usually present

2) Spoon is always in the right and fork in the left

3) When you are given your food you can begin to eat

4) Don’t leave rice on your plate

5) Never be last one to take a bite from the serving bowl

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/thailand-country-profile.html

Typical Meal in Thailand

A typical Thai meal would consist of :

Salads (sour, sweet and salty)

General Fare (sweet and sour dish)

Dips

Soups

Curries ( fresh herbs)

Single Dishes (include rice and noodles)

Desserts

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/index.htm#Eating%20&%20Ordering%20Thai%20Food

Regions of Thailand

Thailand is split into four diverse regions. Just like the United States each region has particular foods unique to their location and culture. These four regions consist of 1)The North

2) The Northeast

3) Central Plains

4) The South

The north has a unique culture and the ability to have different foods due to their cooler mountain climate. They have a large array of vegetables, roots, herbs, glutinous rice, and one of the most popular items which is noodles.

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/regional.htm

The Northeast

The northeast is strongly influenced by the Loa and deprived by the flow of the rivers into Loas, Cambodia, and Vietnam instead of the Gulf of Thailand. Some of the foods special to this region are glutinous rice, chilies, green papaya, kai yang chicken, and the Mekong catfish.

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/regional.htm

Central Plains

The central plains are know historically as the delta country. Many crops can be grown because the land is nourished greatly by the rivers and the rain. This is also an area influenced by the Chinese and many of the Thai dishes have originated in this region of Thailand. Some of their specialties when it comes to food are jasmine rice, tom yam (sweet and sour soup), khao lam (sticky rice and coconut), and dried fish.

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/regional.htm

The South

The south is very different from the other three regions of Thailand. It is located on a peninsula covered with areas of jungle, mountains and beaches. They get large amounts of rain during 8 out of the 12 months a year. They are largely recognized for coconut fields, pineapple, fish, crab, chili hot food, and coffee.

http://www.sawadee.com/thailand/food/regional.htm

Holidays in Thailand

01 January, New Year's Day

03 March, Makha Bucha Day
13 April, Elephant Day
06 April, Chakri Memorial Day
12-14 April, Songkran Festival
01 May, National Labour Day
05 May, Coronation Day
31 May, Wisakha Bucha Day
29 July, Asarnha Bucha Day
30 July, Buddhist Lent Day
12 August, H.M. The Queen's Birthday
23 October, Chulalongkorn Day
05 December, H.M. The King's Birthday
10 December, Constitution Day
31 December, New Year's Eve

http://www.geckovilla.com/thailandfacts.html

Traditional Norwegian Foods

2009-03-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

Erin Bakken

Section 5

In the modern day Norway, many of their foods have been more ‘westernized’. At the same time though, their traditional foods are still popular and generally the meals of Norwegian families. The modern western foods are more present in tourist areas to attract visitors and promise a ‘good meal’.

The main staple of the Norwegian diet is fish and this was the same with the ancestors of Norwegians, the Vikings. Norway has a plentiful source of fish, including cod, herring and the most popular, Salmon. Fish are a very healthy meat, containing lots of Omega 3 fatty acid. This fat can help lower cholesterol. This could be why Norwegian’s are such a healthy population! One famous Norwegian dish is made from dried cod that is then soaked in lye. This dish is known as lutefisk, and is either loved or hated by those who try it. For the diner’s that aren’t so brave, they could try a simple smoked salmon. Seafood bisque is a common breakfast dish, along with the Norwegian’s beloved coffee. In America, fish is not seen as a breakfast food, but in Norway it is just as common as bacon or sausage. Kaviar (or caviar) is widely popular in Norway. While it is a delicacy, Kaviar in Norway comes in small tubes, instead of the glass jars, to keep it longer and making it easier to spread on bread.

Reindeer is another major form of supplement, as well as pork and beef. Reindeer is often served as a steak with traditional sauces to accent the distinct flavor of the reindeer. Sauces are usually made from berries such as juniper berries. Other berries are saved for the desserts, such as cloud berries. These berries are popular with whipped cream and known as a delicacy in Norway. Lamb is served in most households and holiday meals tend to include lamb.

Vikings are the ancestors of Norwegians and generally had a poor diet. Their meals were based on simple foods that were easily accessible, such as potatoes. Even today, the meat is seen more as a side dish than the center of the meal. In America, we base our meals off of the meat. Salted and dried foods also used to be more popular in Norway but in more recent times, the healthier fresh fish is now preferred.

While Norway may slowly become westernized, their traditional foods still overwhelm the new food. Their rich source of fish is one of the main factors in this. Norwegians have a healthy diet, mostly thanks to their number one ingredient, fish!

l.Fish is the

References

http://www.norway-hei.com/foods-of-norway.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_cuisine

http://www.iexplore.com/dmap/Norway/Dining

French Food Culture

2009-03-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hidayate Adebo

Section 5

French food is one of the most savoury and refined foods in the world. French food is diverse and each region has its own cuisine.
• The north use butter, potatoes and crème fraiche, pork and beer.
• The southwest uses duck, foie gras and a liquor called Armagnac

Armagnac
• The southeast influenced by Italian cuisine use olive oil, herbs, garlic and tomato
• The east cuisine uses sausage, sauerkraut and beer.
Beside all these regional cuisines we also have basque cuisine which uses a lot of tomato and hot pepper.
Famous French dishes
• Gratin dauphinois

It is a potato casserole made with crème fraiche, milk cheese and spices.
• Ratatouille

It is a mix of vegetables such as onions, green pepper, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes garlic and cooked in olive oil. It is a southern dish

• Coq au vin

It is a chicken dish cooked with wine, mushroom and pork (lardon)

France is also famous for his wines and cheeses.
French wines
There is more than a hundred “ terroirs in France”. A terroir is a region that produces a specific wine. The most famous terroirs are Alsace, Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Champagne, Languedoc, Loire, Provence and Rhone.
Alsace is famous for his “vin blanc” (white wine). The most famous are Riesling and Pinot blanc.
Bordeaux is the most important wine region in France. They produce the best quality of wine in the world. It is the region that produce the famous merlot and cabernet sauvignon.
Bourgogne is famous for its red wine such as pinot noir. This region produces one of the most exciting wines in the world.
Champagne gives his name to the famous champagne wine. It is the most sparkling wine in the world.
Provence wine has a lot of greeks and roman influence. It is produced in the region of Marseille. http://www.terroirs-france.com/

French Cheese
France produce more than 350 types of cheese. Cheese are usually served with wine in France. Here are some famous French cheese

Bleu de bresse

French gruyere

Camembert

Sources:

www.wikipedia.org
http://www.terroirs-france.com/
www.foodtimeline.org

Food and Culture of Australia

2009-03-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Alissa Oates

Section 4

History of Australia

-The first modern settlement in Australia was January 1788 by Captain Arthur Phillip of England (Australia).
-Immigrants have heavily influenced the diets of today's Australians (Australia).
-Australian people have depended on the import of foods to survive since farming is so difficult (Australia).
-January 26th has been named National Day to remember the settlement of 1788 (Life in Australia).
-There are 2 sets of people who are indigenous to Australian land the Aboriginal people or Torres Strait Islanders have lived on the island since before it was settled on in 1788 (Indigenous Australians).

Land and Water of Australia

-Australia is the smallest continent in the world it is surrounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans (Australia).
-The island is dry and has little rain fall on average about 17 inches a year (Australia). The dry climate and scarce rainfall contributes to there being only about 6% of the land being suitable for agriculture (Life in Australia).
-Australia's population is approximately 21 Million (Life in Australia).
-Capitol is Canberra (Life in Australia)
-Surface area is 7.74 Million Square Kilometers which is said to be about the size of the US without Alaska (Life in Australia).
-The National language is English (Life in Australia).
-The major trade partners are Japan, China, US, Singapore, UK, and Korea (Life in Australia).
Culture of Australia
Meeting Etiquette
. Australians are not very formal so greetings are casual and relaxed.
. A handshake and smile suffices.
. While an Australian may say, 'G'day' or 'G'day, mate', this may sound patronizing from a foreigner. Visitors should simply say, 'Hello' or 'Hello, how are you?'
. Aussies prefer to use first names, even at the initial meeting
.Gift Giving Etiquette
. Small gifts are commonly exchanged with family members, close friends, and neighbours on birthdays and Christmas.
. Trades people such as sanitation workers may be given a small amount of cash, or more likely, a bottle of wine or a six-pack of beer!
. If invited to someone's home for dinner, it is polite to bring a box of chocolates or flowers to the hostess. A good quality bottle of wine is always appreciated.
. Gifts are opened when received.
Dining Etiquette
. Many invitations to an Aussies home will be for a 'barbie' (BBQ).
. Guests to a barbeque typically bring wine or beer for their personal consumption. In some cases, very informal barbecues may suggest that you bring your own meat!
. Arrive on time if invited to dinner; no more than 15 minutes late if invited to a barbeque or a large party.
. Contact the hostess ahead of time to see if she would like you to bring a dish.
. Offer to help the hostess with the preparation or clearing up after a meal is served.
Watch your table manners!
. Table manners are Continental -- hold the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right while eating.
. Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right.
. Keep your elbows off the table and your hands above the table when eating.
All retrieved from (Australia-Culture, Customs and Etiquette).

Recipes from Australia

Lamingtons
Ingredients
½ cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
2 cups flour
½ cup milk
Pinch of salt
For icing:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons butter
½ cup milk
Shredded coconut
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix together butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.
Slowly add baking powder, baking soda, flour, milk, and salt.
Pour mixture into an 8-inch square cake pan and bake for about 45 minutes.
Let cool and store overnight in a sealed container.
Make icing: Measure confectioners' sugar and cocoa into a large mixing bowl.
Heat milk and 2 teaspoons butter until the butter is melted. Add the milk gradually to the sugar mixture, stirring constantly. The icing should be fluid but not too runny.
Cut the cooled cake into 2-inch squares, and put the coconut into a shallow baking dish. Have ready a cooling rack set over a sheet of waxed paper to catch icing drips.
Holding a cake square with two forks, dip it into the icing, and then roll in the coconut. Transfer to rack to dry. Repeat until all cake square are coated.
Serves 16.

Australian Meat Pie
Ingredients
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup ketchup
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
? cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon pepper
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 prepared pie shells, 8-inch
Procedure
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine ground beef, ketchup, onion, salt, milk, breadcrumbs, oregano, and pepper in a bowl.
Mix well.
Divide mixture into 2 pie shells and bake for about 45 minutes.
While the pies are baking, mix together Worcestershire sauce and cheese in another bowl.
After about 45 minutes, remove pies from oven.
Spread Worcestershire sauce and cheese mixture on top of pie shells.
Bake for about 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Serves 6.

Black Australian Coffee
Ingredients
4 heaping Tablespoons decaffeinated coffee grounds
4 cups water
Pinch of salt
Pinch of dry powdered mustard (optional)
1 lemon, sliced crosswise into thin rounds
Procedure
Measure water into a saucepan and heat.
Sprinkle coffee on top of water.
Add salt and mustard, if desired.
Heat the mixture slowly to the boiling point.
Remove from heat immediately.
Let stand for 5 minutes and strain.
Serve coffee with a slice of lemon in each cup.

Grated Carrot, Apple, and Raisin Salad
Ingredients
1 head of lettuce
1 medium carrot, grated
1 medium red apple, chopped fine
¼ cup raisins
1 Tablespoon coconut, flaked
Juice of lemon
Procedure
Carefully remove several firm leaves from the head of lettuce, and arrange in a bowl.
Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
Mound mixture in the lettuce "cup." Serve with cottage cheese, chicken, or lean cold meat.
Serves 6.
Native Plants and Animals of Australia

http://www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com/australian-wildlife.html

Mamma Mia Italiana!

2009-03-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

Shanna Bayless

Section 4

Every country has a food staple that is known all over the world. Germany has its beer and schnitzel, Japan has its sake and sushi and United States has its Coca-Cola and hamburgers. None of these compare to how far people will go to get authentic Italian wine and pasta. Italian food became popular in the northern states around 1980’s when Americans started experimenting with new dishes. Italian cuisine though has been around since before the rise of Rome.

In the expansion of Rome their main diet consisted of grains, wild herbs, honey, cheese, vegetables, and a small quantity of meat which were mainly used for agriculture and were only sacrificed and consumed only on religious feats or celebrations such as weddings and births (Parasecoli 7). Italy started to become very friendly with trading the Mediterranean which influenced their daily diet. Foods such as cherries, peaches, fowls, peacocks and spices from far east not only created a connection with other countries but added more variety to their dishes. Dinner became the main meal of the day and lunch was often made from bread and cold cuts left over from dinner the night before. This is still the way it is done today. Breakfast consists of cappuccino and a brioche pastry either with fruit filling or plain. To this day Italians still get most of their food from street markets and meat (butcher) markets.

When people think of Italian food they mainly think of Olive Garden or pizza and lasagna which is far from Italian cuisine. Yes, they are known for their pizza but you would be hard-pressed to find an authentic Italian pizza in the states. The look of, taste, texture, ingredients are far from what we expect a pizza to be in the states. Also in most restaurants they do not serve lasagna and it’s quite hard to find. Pasta on the other hand can be quite similar depending on what village you go to. The different small towns and provinces can be very proud and sometimes even hostel towards their specific dishes. For example Modena is known for their Balsamic Vinegar and Sicily is known for their blood oranges. There are also certain dishes known to be found in

only certain towns.

Another famous staple of Italian cuisine is wine or vino and cheese or formaggio. Wine in Italy is usually found best from family vine owners and the older the better, with the exception of most lambrusco wines which are sparkling wines or summer wines which only need age for about a year. What goes best with wine? Cheese of course! Most cheese that we use in the states comes from Italy such as parmesan, asiago and mozzarella. True Italian parmesan is usually found in large wheels that age for about 12 months.

Italian celebrations are truly spectacular. For weddings and baptisms you can expect up to an eight course dinner! For Christmas and New Years the usually have large gatherings

of friends or family. The cakes can be bought at a store or made in the home. There can be up to five of these traditional cakes at an event or given as gifts. Ice cream is also part of a big celebratory event. Though yet again it’s nothing like the ice cream in America. In Italy it’s called gelato and is less milk based and for most, more fruit based.

Italian food is so popular but oddly enough it is nothing like we think it is. Nonetheless its culture has rippled into ours giving us another subculture to add to our pot. Their culture has relatively stayed the same throughout history and does not look like its showing any divergence.

Early Roman Diet consisted of grains, wild herbs,honey, cheese, vegetables and small servings of meat.

Mediterranean influences from trading from surrounding countries brought even more variety to diet which included cherries, peaches, fowl, peacocks and spices.

Sample breakfast, lunch and supper:

Breakfast-cappuccino and a fruit filled pastry

Lunch-bread and cold cuts

Dinner-appetizer, pasta, meat dish, salad and either cheese platter or dessert, usually served with wine

American versus Italian:

In the early 1980's Americans started experimenting with other cultural food, especially Italian.

Fabrication of Italian foods that are not found in Italy:

-Olive Garden

-Deep dish pizzas

-Lasagna

-Spaghetti with meatballs

Authentic Italian Pizza:

Italian pizza is nothing like any Pizza Hut, Dominoes, or Tony's New York Pizza can offer.

It is found very thin with olive oil and garlic or can be made with a variety of toppings.

Wine and Cheese:

Wine and cheese are famous staples in Italian Cuisine. Wine is usually best from family wine owners and the older the wine the better with the exception of Lambrusco wine which is a sparkling summer wine which only need to age for one year.

Many types of cheeses come from Italy such as parmesan, asiago and maz

zarella and are usually named for the town or region that it originated. True parmesan is found as large wheels and aged for 12 months!

Celebrations:

For weddings and baptisms, there could be as much as an eight course dinner! Traditional holiday cake might be like this:

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 2Works Cited

Parasecoli, Fabio. Food Culture in Italy. 2004. Greenwood Press, Connecticut

Slide 6Slide 4

Slide 5

Slide 3

Guatemalan Food and Culture

2009-03-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

John Morris

Section 4

History of Guatemalan Food:

Three different stages combine to make up the Guatemalan cuisine

-Mayan (until 900 A.D.)

-Spanish (1524-1821)

-Modern Republic (exists today)

No National Dish
Many dishes make up Everyday Diet

-Tortillas (Mayan)

-Black Beans (Mayan)

-Rice

-Eggs

-Cheese

-Grilled/Fried beef

-Guacamole

-Porridge

-Meat and Vegetable stew

Foods Grown in Guatemala

Cocoa Beans
Coffee
Corn
Sugar
Bananas
Mostly exported but also consumed by Guatemalans. However, they tend to drink weaker coffee loaded with sugar. Stronger coffee is found in the tourist areas of the country.

History of Guatemala

Land of Eternal Spring”
Presidential Representative Democratic Republic (President is both head of state and government)
Mostly Mountainous
Slightly smaller than the state of Tennessee
Spanish speaking country
Population 12,728,111

Guatemalan Culture

Modern vs. Traditional

-Modern ways of urban Guatemala as well as Traditional Rural areas gives Guatemala a colorful culture

Language

-The Spanish colonist made Spanish the nation ‘s primary language that still exist today.

Buildings

-Colonial buildings as well as Mayan structure make up most of the Guatemalan landscape.

Crafts

-Weaving, jewelry making, and ceramics are several crafts that take place in Guatemala

Music

-Though the marimba remains as Guatemalan musical medium however, it is challenged by Mexican Ranchero as well as North American Rock music.

People of Guatemala

The wealthy and elite run through all of Guatemala however the lower class is very evident throughout the country.
Over 53% of Guatemalans survive on less than one US dollar per day.
Poverty affects both the country side and the city.
Most of the Maya population lives under harsher conditions.
More than 70% of rural residents are seen as living in extreme poverty. This is compared to 36% of the urban inhabitants.

Urban Culture

The urban area consists of higher education facilities in the capital.

-Most notable is the University of San Carlos of Guatemala which is not only the national university but also tuition is free.

-There are also many private institutions which include

Rafael Landivar University which is run by the Catholics

The Mariano Galvez University which is seen as a Protestant university

The University of Del Valle which is linked to the American School of Guatemala

Francisco Marroguin University

-All are located in the capital city and have several satellite schools in other cities.

-There are also several other small universities in Guatemala City as well.

In the cities there is a major influence of North American culture

-This has taken place through cinema, music, politics, businesses, and even fast-food franchises-

This has led to the diminishing traditional Spanish customs.

Soon Guatemalan culture may turn into a cultural melting pot.

Rural Areas:

In rural areas people tend to stick to their traditions
Brightly colored native dress is worn by both men and women because they are untouched by modern society
Their views are also untouched because women still care for the children and weave textiles unique to their culture while the men work in the fields to make a living for their family.
They tend to eat items that are able to be grown in their community or grown in the fields where they work such as fresh fruit and vegetables
Tamales of course are a part of the rural Guatemalan culture

Music and Religion:

A variety of music makes up the Guatemalan Culture which includes -Marimba (Family of xylophones)

-Wind and percussion bands

-Liturgical chant (early art music)

-Contemporary art music

-Folk music

Religion is a major part of any Hispanic culture and in Guatemala the country consists of the following religions

-50%-60% Catholic (Primary religion during colonial era)

-40% Protestant

-1% Mayan Faith

Depending on where in Guatemala you live depends not only on where you work or how you live but also what you eat. In rural areas people are not as rich but have the richness of family and culture. They still remain unchanged by modern traditions and are staying true to their culture. However, in urban areas they are adapting to modern conveniences as well as North American culture. They however, are still sticking to their religion with 60% being of the Catholic religion as well as to their musical background with their use of the marimba. This is happening even with the introduction of contemporary music. Food in Guatemala is a combination of their three stages of their cultural influence (Mayan, Spanish, and modern republic).

Sources:

Time to Spice Up Your Life!

2009-03-22T06:48:00.000-07:00

A report on the world of hot and spicy food.

By Robert Pearse

Section 5

What is Spice?

A spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetable substance that is used for the purpose of flavor, color, or as a preservative that helps kill bacteria or prevents their growth.

What are the different types of spices?

The most common spices that we encounter; salt, pepper-based flavors like paprika and black pepper, mustard, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, cumin, lemongrass, etc.

Some people categorize spices by the effects the spice has on food.

These four categories are Sweet, Hot, Pungent, and Tangy.

The History of Spices

The evidence of the use of spice by man dates back to 50,000 BC.
The Spice trade formed in the Middle East as early as 2,000 BC with cinnamon and pepper.

In the modern era in which we live the amount of spices at our availability is abundant. This has not always been the case in the past.
In the ancient and medieval times spice was a rare and precious commodity. In fact spice played an important role in the development in Western civilization.

What does eating spicy hot food do to my body.?

Not only do hot spices give your food the kick it needs but they also hold many health advantages. Hot food is proven to kill microbes and burn calories.

Spicy food makes you feel hot and the body senses this and releases endorphins that make you feel good. Who knew that eating spicy foods could even be considered euphoric?

Can you handle the heat?

Many Psychologists share the view that the eating of hot food lays in the competitive nature of man.
It becomes a challenge in itself.
In past ages eating hot foods was considered a way to prove virility or courage.

If you can’t stand the heat then get out of the kitchen

(I chose to do this report due to my love for hot food. I am especially fond of chili peppers. I felt it necessary to include this section)

Chili peppers can increase the heat of any dish.

The Reason why chili peppers can be so hot is because they contain a chemical compound called capsaicin.

Capsaicin stimulates chemoreceptor nerve in the skin, especially in the mucous membrane. The more Capsaicin the hotter you get.

There are many different kinds of chili peppers. All peppers vary in size color and heat. The table that is most commonly used to discern the heat levels of peppers is called the The Scoville Scale.

The Scoville Scale

Sources

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-spices-in-the-world.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spice
http://www.spicyfood101.com/
http://z.about.com/d/greekfood/1/0/s/1/black-pepper-2585-14dec05-399w.jpg

Japanese Food and Culture

2009-03-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Brandon Brown

Section 5

When you think of Japan, what do you think about cars, electronics, or food?

When I think of Japan one of the main things I think of is food. More than the food is the culture that goes along with it. For me the Japanese culture is fascinating from the past to the future. You may ask yourself what are some of the different aspects of the Japanese culture compared to ours. Some of the things that are different include the arts, architecture, clothing, sports, pop culture, and cuisine. Their culture is considered to be a hybrid which means that they are influenced by many different cultures. These cultures include the North Americas U.S. and Canada, the European cultures, the Asian cultures, and their own past. We do share some aspects of the culture by us being influenced by them and vice versa. The more that Japan becomes a superpower the more we learn about their culture. Here I will be discussing Japanese history, clothing and pop culture, and of course their cuisine.

Japan has had a long and futile history. Japans history begins around 10,000. Their first era was the Joman. This period lasted from 14,000 BC - 300 BC. During this prehistoric time the people of this area were hunter gatherers and formed tribal clans. The next era that the culture evolved to was the Yayoi. This period lasted from 500 BC- AD 300 and was a period of time when we start to see the culture start to develop. Three main developments come from this time you have rice cultivation, they have found metal work, and pottery. This pottery was not as ornate as the pottery found in the Joman period. This being because they did not have the pottery wheel which was introduced in the Yayoi period and it was handmade. They have found that rice pattys had been found in great amounts for mass production. Yamato clans start evoling around the Kofun period of 300-645. During this period Yomato clan takes control and changes the government to resemble the Chinese government. The government becomes very military based in the Kamakura era and stays that way for time to come. In 1543 the Portuguese started trading weapons and fire arms were put into use by the military. In 1600 – 1868 enters into the Edo era. This is a new time for the Japanese culture in that we see a middleclass arise and peace settles across the nation. This period also has the U.S. setting up in ports for it commercial ships. Then we have the Showa era during 1926-1989 this area sets up modern Japan. You have the Japanese getting involved in WWII and becoming part of the Axis powers with Germany and Italy. After WWII with the help of the U.S. Japan becomes a democracy and now becomes one of the world powers in the world.

Japan’s clothing and pop culture is very different from ours. Since they are considered a hybrid culture they take what they find cool from each culture and make it their own. In Japan today like here there are many subcultures. Especially with the female population and the way they dress. They have styles that are influenced by the hip hop culture of Americas and the club and dance music of Europe. Their visual entertainment plays a huge role in the way they dress and act. Some of the visual entertainments, such as manga and anime which are comics and cartoons, have spawned a subculture with the teens and young adults called cosplay. This is where the dresses up and acts as their favorite character from a manga or anime. This is something that here in America we may see as childish is wildly regarded and part of the norm for young people in Japan. The car culture in Japan much like ours is huge. Back in the fifties and sixties even for them cars were just a utilitarian item used to get from one place to another. But as did with our culture came need to have cars for other reasons than just as transportation. The companies in japan started making better looking cars modeled after some American and European cars and made these small cars faster. There is a huge subculture of people who have cars customized and tuned for their personal preference. Another part of their entertainment culture is they love karaoke. This is a major pastime for the Japanese they pack themselves into small rooms with groups of friends and sing all night. They use this as a stress reliving device because they work so hard they need some way to relax. Other parts of the Japanese culture of today are that they take their jobs very seriously and seem to cherish what they have. They seem to have a killer work ethic and that is meant in a literal way. The Washington Post reports that death from too much work is common place. It also reports that a 45 year old man died of heart failure. He worked at a Toyota plant as a chief engineer designing one of their new hybrids.

Now we get to the cuisine of Japan. The cuisine in Japan ranges from steak to seaweed and from cooked to raw and more. The main staple in Japan like most Asian countries is rice. You can date rice being used back 2000 years. As was said before rice patties date back to the Joman era in 300 BC. In Japan Rice means meal which is gohan. Sushi is a way to prepare seafood in the raw. It is known to be 1300 years old. This came about by southeastern Japanese learning how to pickle their seafood. It is a technique of pressing fish with rice to cause fermentation. The common ingredients are tuna, squid, prawn, and other aquatic life pressed and rolled with rice and sometimes with seaweed. Some other forms include tempur a technique where they deep fry food in vegetable oil. Then we have sashimi which is raw fish that is thinly sliced and usually eaten with a sauce. Yakitori is a process where meat on skewers and grilled. They also have various pork dishes like tonkatsu. This is a pork cutlet that has been rolled in crumbs of bread and deep fried. Like fondue they have a style of cooking meat but without oil like in fondue they use boiling water. This is called shabu-shabu. Noodles are another staple in the Japanese diet just like rice. Lo mein a type of noodle that is stirred in boiling water and not fried. Then we have soba which these noodles are made from buckwheat. Undon is also another type that is made from flour. These noodles can come in a combination of ways and served with many dishes.

The Japanese culture has so many fascinating attributes. So now when you think of Japan what do you think about? The Japanese as a culture have been thought a lot and have seen many types of change. The culture being a hybrid reminds me of us and how we are a melting pot of many cultures. Because of the work ethic and their role in technology the superpower Japan we may start taken some of their cultural habits.

Citations

http://www.japanesefoodculture.org/exhibitors2009.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Japan

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/history/food/cuisine.html

http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Primer.html

http://www.askasia.org/teachers/essays/essay.php?no=131/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/12/AR2008071201630.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2043.html

http://www.eatsushi.com/whatsushi.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lo_mein

Water as Our Most Precious Resource

2009-03-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Joshua Galloway

Section 5

Why is it that the current droughts are always a part of the news?

Why is it that you constantly read about new water restrictions or what use regulations?

Why is it that such great care is taken in the United States to see that every member of our population has access so some type of water source, be it well or town/city supplied?

The reason is that water is what makes the world run. It is essential to our individual bodies and to the environment that grows and surrounds us. It has so many functions that it is easy to see that without it life would be not only difficult but impossible.

Water in Our Body

Water in its relationship to our own individual bodies is huge. You can live for many weeks without food but only for a few days without water (Friedman). With sixty (60) percent of you body tissues being composed of your body it is easy to see its importance, but that is not all that it does for your body. Water assists with regulating our body temperature, dissolving and transporting vitamins and minerals, diluting and transporting wastes of our body, lubricating joints, promoting mental function, promoting a healthy blood volume and viscosity, promoting healthy performance of all our body systems, among many, many more other things that we have not even began to understand. All these functions make it easy to see that a shortage of water with in your body could be a huge danger. Dehydration has many causes ranging from normal water loss, to increased heat, to sickness. Being even the least little bit dehydrated can cause decreased mental and physical performance (Friedman).

Water in Our Food Supply

Now what makes water outside of our bodies so important? Let’s start by considering the functions that water plays in other animals. When it comes to other animals water plays many of the same rolls that it does in the human body. So it is essential for the healthy of the animals that we depend on for food, just as it is our healthy. Without water they could not survive and therefore would not have them as a resource for the food we need. Taken one step farther, we find fish. Fish must have water survive; their very existence is dependant on the fact that they transfer the oxygen they need to their bodies from the water that surrounds them. So you say we don’t have to have animals to survive we can be vegetarians. This would be a seemingly great idea, except for the fact that plants depend on water just as much as humans and animals. Water is an essential part of plant processes. Water helps move minerals and vitamins through the roots to other parts of the plant, transfer chemicals from one part of the plant to another, with photosynthesis, plant metabolism, and with transpiration to help cool the plant. So like dehydration in humans a lack of water can also be detrimental to the health and productivity of plant life. Lack of water can lead a plant to produce fewer seeds, flowers, roots, and fruit, all of which are crucial to the plants survival (Daily). As you can see water does a lot for plants also.

Water in Our Environment

How does water fit into our Environment? Well for beginners it covers seventy-one (71) percent of the Earth’s surface. Of the surface water ninety-seven (97) percent of it is in oceans and large bodies of water, another two and four tenths (2.4) percent is in the polar ice caps and icebergs, and the other six tenths (0.6) percent is in rivers, lakes, and ponds. (Wiki) Image 1(westbasin.org)

Water in Our Economy

Now let’s take a look at all the industrial processes that require water. Water plays a huge role in chemical solvents, cooling, and transportation. Seventy (70) percent of freshwater consumed is used in the field of agriculture (wiki). Power plants often use water as a source of cooling and water also plays a huge role in paper production.

Conclusion

The fact is that water is a part of everyday life. It is important for our health and our prosperity. There are very few functions that we go through in life that do not involve water at some level. It is predicted that by the year 2025 that twenty-five (25) percent of the world will be in a water crisis (wiki).
Atlas of a thirsty planet"

This map displays the ercentage of population with access to safe water (2000).

How will we function? It is in the best interest of all people of the planet to use it wisely and consider ways of conservation and our ability to use the water we must wisely. All of these uses and predicted problems lead to a very simple fact; water is our most precious resource.

Water Usage

Sources
Daily, Robert. (2008, March 17). How Plants Use Water, Wetting Fronts, Transpiration, Root Zones, Photosynthesis. Retrieved from http://desertwaterwisegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_plants_use_water
Friedman, D.P., Stine, C.C., Whalen, S. (2004). Lifetime Health. United States of American: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
Wikipedia. Online. “Water.” Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/water
Images
Image 1 http://www.westbasin.org/Portals/0/education/waterpercentages.jpg
Image 2 http://www.ci.patterson.ca.us/ImageGallery/Public%20Works/Water%20Conservation/Avg%20Family%20water%20usage-indoors%20v2.JPG
Image 3 http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/uk_drought_in_the_uk/img/6.jpg
Image 4 http://www.oakharbor.org/filemanager/Oak%20Harbor%20-%20decal.JPG
Image 5 http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/business_of_good/images/thirsty_map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/business_of_good/particulars.shtml&usg=__KyUnx47nlTJTfFFVffWTXV7xTA0=&h=252&w=400&sz=70&hl=en&start=9&tbnid=mQ4wtLJBqJ2yZM:&tbnh=78&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanet%2Bwater%2Bpercentages%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den

Other Resources
http://nutrition.about.com/od/hydrationwater/a/waterarticle.htm

French Cuisine

2009-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

Robbie Howard

Section 4

French Food has Diversity:

• French food culture is very diverse

• Has lots of variety which includes a large range of regions/provinces and a variation of climates

• Allows different types of crops to be grown in different regions

Local Availability:

• One aspect of French food culture that explains why it’s so diverse

• Use products that are available locally, and are often specific to certain regions

France’s Geographical Influences:

• Another aspect that explains why French food culture is so diverse

• Regions of France border different countries; their styles of cooking affect each other

• Alsace (NE France) borders Germany; sauerkraut and beer are popular in both regions

Cuisine Bourgeoisie

“Cuisine of the Middle Class”

• France’s main style of cooking

• Food is rich & filling (cream-based sauces)

• Flour, butter, milk, egg yolks, and stock are heavily used

Other Cooking Styles:

• Cuisine Nouvelle

– Developed in 1970s as a mvmt. against the Bourgeoisie style of cooking

– Food is much simpler and lighter (i.e., heavy sauces are avoided)

– Portions are smaller, less elaborate

• Cuisine de Terroir

– Focuses on specific regional specialties, using fresh, local produce

A Typical French Meal:

Aperitif/L’entrée (Appetizers)

– Welcoming of guests

– Champagne/wine with hors d’oeuvres

Le Plat Principal (Main Course)

– Meat and side dish

– Blanquette de veau (“Veal stew”)

3. Le Fromage (Cheese)

– Served “platter style” with 3 or 4 different cheeses and a good wine, such as Burgundy

Le Dessert

– Pastries, pies, cakes, tarts, etc.

– May also consist of coffee or a sweet wine

– Mille Feuille (“1000 leaves”)

– Crème Brûlée (“Burnt cream”)

Resources:

http://france-property-and-information.com/french_food.htm

http://ffcook.com

http://uktv.co.uk/food/item/aid/532965

http://www.ffcook.com/pages/Wquestarch35.htm

http://www.lanierbb.com/recipes/data/ds694.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/creme-brulee-recipe/index.html

Barbeque History and Culture

2009-03-21T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sam Wilkins

Section 4

History of BBQ

• The tradition of slow-roasting a hog for hours to eat in fellowship has been around since before the Civil War.
• Southern states have diversified the styles and recipes that were started by plantation farmers and slaves.
• The culture of today’s barbeque hasn’t changed you can still get it every Sunday after church and there’s always good sides and drink to wash it down.
North Carolina BBQ:

• Eastern North Carolina barbeque uses chopped and pulled pork from whole hog. The use of vinegar and hot pepper is the sauce.
• Lexington style is the norm by using both a vinegar or tomato style sauce and chopped pork shoulder.

South Carolina BBQ:

• “Carolina Gold” or mustard sauce is the primary style of barbeque for the state of South Carolina.
• The sauce includes mustard, apple juice and brown sugar.

Tennessee BBQ:

• Memphis style barbeque is primarily ribs are served wet with sauce or dry rub.
• Traditional style is slow smoked sliced pork with a molasses based spicy tomato sauce.

Texas BBQ:

• East Texas uses traditional pork shoulder cuts and ribs with sweet thick sauce.
• Central Texas uses pork or beef usually made from the leftover cuts and has no sauce.
• South Texas has Mexican and Cuban traits. Resembles a fajita.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_variations_of_barbecue

Funeral Foods Around the World

2009-03-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Jon Magee

Section 4

Funerals and Culture

• Every culture has different traditions and customs when it comes to funerals.

• With those differences, also brings a an array of foods.

The Greeks

• Priests were presented with a dish of corn cooked with sugar (the corn they say was for resurrection and the sugar….heavenly bliss)

Kollyva

Paximadia

The Irish

• One of the more eventful wakes, in which prayers are often exchanged for whiskey, snuff, and tobacco.

• The Irish Church tried to ban alcohol from wakes but was unsuccessful.

• Friends and neighbors bring a cake or a plate of sandwiches.

East Africa

• Require lots of Food (Because lots of family members)

• Funerals a huge expense

• Most East Africans only make $1 a day. Funerals are a Major Financial Burden.

• Interesting to note, in another community in Central Province, those attending a funeral take food with them and the mourners have to pay to eat. This is seen as a contribution , rather than a financial transaction of buying and selling of goods.

North America

Funeral Foods in America:

• Southern Funerals: Funeral Fried Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese.

• Funeral Potatoes: a cheesy hash browns casserole. Funeral Potatoes are so common at Mormon Funerals in Utah that they are commonly called Mormon Potatoes.

• In Wisconsin Jell-O salads, potato salads, relish trays and meat and cheese sandwich trays.

• The Amish prepare a funeral pie with raisins.

Flanders (Dutch: Belgium, France, Netherlands)

• Very Salty and Plain Funeral Food.

Funeral Foods From Around the World Jon Magee Section 4 Funerals and Culture • Every culture has different traditions and customs when it comes to funerals. • With those differences, also brings a an array of foods. The Greeks • Priests were presented with a dish of corn cooked with sugar (the corn they say was for resurrection and the sugar….heavenly bliss) • Kollyva and Paximadia, as well as the traditional dinner following a Greek American funeral. Kollyva Paximadia The Irish • One of the more eventful wakes, in which prayers are often exchanged for whiskey, snuff, and tobacco. • The Irish Church tried to ban alcohol from wakes but was unsuccessful. • Friends and neighbors bring a cake or a plate of sandwiches. East Africa • Require lots of Food (Because lots of family members) • Funerals a huge expense • Most East Africans only make $1 a day. Funerals are a Major Financial Burden. • Interesting to note, in another community in Central Province, those attending a funeral take food with them and the mourners have to pay to eat. This is seen as a contribution , rather than a financial transaction of buying and selling of goods. North America Funeral Foods in America: • Southern Funerals: Funeral Fried Chicken and Macaroni and Cheese. • Funeral Potatoes: a cheesy hash browns casserole. Funeral Potatoes are so common at Mormon Funerals in Utah that they are commonly called Mormon Potatoes. • In Wisconsin Jell-O salads, potato salads, relish trays and meat and cheese sandwich trays. • The Amish prepare a funeral pie with raisins. Flanders (Dutch: Belgium, France, Netherlands) • Very Salty and Plain Funeral Food. • Mourners eat Pistolets with butter and slices of cheese, coffee and tea. Flander- Pistolets • The Dutch also have a Funeral Cake, with the initial of the deceased person on it. • Made from Caraway and Molasses • http://www.yourirish.com/traditional-irish-wakes.htm • Google Earth • http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-4138-funeral-food.html

• Mourners eat Pistolets with butter and slices of cheese, coffee and tea.

Flander- Pistolets

• The Dutch also have a Funeral Cake, with the initial of the deceased person on it.
• Made from Caraway and Molasses

• http://www.yourirish.com/traditional-irish-wakes.htm
• Google Earth
• http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-4138-funeral-food.html

Understanding Media's Influence in Children's Nutritional Development

2009-03-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Childhood Commercialism

Understanding Media’s Influence in Children’s Nutritional Development

By: Elizabeth Ammons

Televison:

-News

-TV Shows

-Reality Shows

-Music Videos

-Commercials

-Sports

-Other- Movies, Cartoons, etc.

The Age of Television:

-More sophisticated and elaborate television sets today than ever before

-248 million TV sets in US households

-98% of households have at least one TV

-Extreme Viewing- access to dozens, even hundreds, of channels and video movies- 1,937 broadcasting networks and stations

-Childhood obesity and violence in US has increased

The Average American Child

-Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television: 1,680

-Percentage of day care centers that use TV during a typical day: 70

-Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television: 54

-Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 3.5

Cartoon characters like Homer Simpson promotes an unhealthy lifestyle for young children.

The Influence of Media on Children

-Dramatically influences children of all ages

-Children are physically passive, yet mentally alert when watching TV

-Vulnerability in the younger years

-In early years children are sensitive to stimulation and modeling, and cannot filter out the negative

-Infants and toddlers need response and reinforced stimulation-two things televisions cannot produce

Food is Top Product Seen Advertised by Children

-American children watch an average of 17 food ads every day--40,000 per year

-One half of all ads shown during children’s programs are for food

-32% of all ads seen by 2-7 yr. olds were for food

-Most heavily advertised food products for kids are candy and snacks

-28% of ads are for cereal and 10% for fast foods

-4% of ads are for dairy and 1% for fruit juices

Screen Time:

-In 2006, virtually all U.S. households had at least one TV with nearly 80% having multiple sets

-On the average, children spend up to 5 to 6 hours a day involved in sedentary activities, including excessive time watching TV

-Children spend more time sitting in front of TV screens than any other activity including sleeping

-Preschool children ages 6 and younger, spend as much screen time as they do playing outside

Even the very youngest children spend time in front of the TV.

Theories on How Media Contributes to Childhood Obesity

-The time children spend in front of TV’s displaces time they could spend in physical activity

-The food advertisements children are exposed to on TV influence them to make unhealthy eating choices

-The cross-promotions between food products and popular TV and movie characters are encouraging children to buy and eat more high-caloric foods

-Children snack excessively while using media, and they eat les healthy meals when eating in front of the TV

-Watching TV and videos lowers children’s metabolic rates below what they would be even if they were sleeping

-Depictions of nutrition and body weight in entertainment media encourage children to develop less healthy diets

Nutrition Education for Preschoolers:

While the magnitude of the impact of media’s effects on childhood obesity is not crystal clear, the body of evidence indicates there is a role for media-related policies to be put in place that would manage and reduce the time children spend with media.

For many preschool age children obesity is among one of many other nutritional concerns. This issue requires direct intervention involving the parents or guardians, caregivers, and nutritional and/or health care professionals. One way to address the obesity issue is through nutritional activities in the childcare setting. Nutrition education can help young children develop healthy eating habits that will carry into their adulthood. By leading children in a variety of simple and fun nutrition activities, caregivers can teach basic nutrition concepts. Caregivers are role models for healthy eating and facilitate healthy decision making by offering children nutritious choices for snacks or meals served in the childcare setting. The inclusion of health education activities revolving around nutrition topics reinforces this healthy learning.

Learning About Nutrition:

Preschoolers are very curious and eager to learn about the foods they eat. Examples of appropriate nutrition fundamentals include the names and sources of different foods; preschoolers need to eat a variety of foods; the fact that some foods are healthier than others; and foods have different textures, shapes, colors, smells and tastes. Most three-to-five year olds can learn to identify foods easily. Many four-to-five year olds can understand basic concepts about energy and that good foods help the body fight germs and keep their heart healthy.

There are many different methods for teaching nutrition education concepts to preschoolers. The preschool-aged child learns by physical manipulation of the environment. Consider including activity-based teaching that encourages interaction objects and includes age-appropriate activities offering children first-hand experience and active participation. Activity-based learning might include art projects, songs, games, stories,, field trips, role playing, pictures, food models, puzzles, and computer lessons.

Food experiences are one of the best ways to teach children about food and nutrition. Meal and snack time provide important and effective opportunities for encouraging positive eating behavior. Children are more likely to choose specific foods if they are able to look at and taste them on a frequent and consistent basis. Food-based activities which have been successful in increasing children’s food preferences include vegetables and fruit gardens, food preparation, tasting parties, engaging the five senses with food and eating healthy meals and snacks with peers and adults.

Learning At Home:

Nutrition education for preschoolers also takes place in the home, so parent involvement is important. Encourage the parents’ interest in nutrition while introducing the child to a variety of foods and healthy eating habits. This increases the likelihood that the desired nutritional behavior will be continued at home. When parents and teachers work together, the nutrition education experience is more meaningful. Invite parents to their child’s preschool program, participate in hands-on nutrition activities with their children or write letters to parents explaining what their children are learning and provide instructions for activities to implement at home. Make nutrition fun, and extend the education process into the home.

We can blame the television for increased childhood obesity, however, parents, schools, and even communities can be influential in preventing and solving the problem.

Fun and Simple Activity:

Basket Targets

This activity integrates nutrition education with color and shape recognition and motor skill development. Tape a picture on the front of several baskets such as different colors or shapes. Next, take several old white socks and help children wad each one into a ball. Using pictures of foods which children have found in magazines, use tape or a rubber band to attach one food picture to each sock-ball. Encourage children to toss the food socks into the appropriate basket, such as al the “green foods” (broccoli, green gelatin, pears) into the “green” basket. All the socks having “round foods” (apples, oranges, pumpkins, potatoes) go into the “round” basket. As children advance, make the choices more difficult, such sorting fruit and vegetables from meat and breads.

Healthy Snacks

From the Grain Group:

Cracker snacks--wheat crackers with cheese

Ready-to-eat low sugar cereals

Flavored mini rice cakes or popcorn cakes

Breads of all kinds such as multi-grain rye, white, wheat

Ginger snaps of fig bars

Popcorn (over age 5)

Trail mix…ready-to-eat cereal with raisins or other dried fruit

Graham crackers with peanut butter, or plain

Resources

(Ahammer & Murray, 1979; Bandura, 1986; Comstock & Paik, 1991; Strasburger, 1995), …www. aacap.org/facts for families.

American Academy of Pediatrics, Polidcy Statement: “Prevention of Pediatric Overweight and Obesity,” Pediatrics 112 (August 2003) 2:424-430.

Comstock, G., & Paik, H. (1991). Television and the American child. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Hoeger, and Hoeger, Lifetime Physical Fitness & Wellness (Thomson Learning Inc., 2007).

Liebert, R. M., & Sprafkin, J. (1988). The early window: Effects of television on children and youth (3rd ed.). New York: Pergamon Press.

Roberts, D. and Foehr, U., Kids and Media in America (Cambridge, MA: University Press, 2004).

Wedding Foods Around the World

2009-03-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wedding Foods Around the World

Latasha Wisdom

Section 4

For my project I have chosen a few different countries and I researched some of the traditional wedding foods that are involved in their weddings. The traditional food in each of these countries are very interesting! Lets begin our tour…

Eastern Europe:

Bulgarian-

• Sweet honeyed cake and wine

• Loaf of freshly baked bread for traditional “bread-breaking”

Belarus-

• Wedding pie (made of bread)

Cretan-

• Wedding bread with candied dried fruit

• Spices include-cinnamon, coriander, clove, allspice, anise, nutmeg and ginger

• Also use rum, lemon peels and almond

Polish-

• Sharing of bread salt and wine

African:

South African-

Wine, wheat, pepper, salt, bitter herbs, water, and honey

Sudanese-

• Rice and candy

North American:

United States-

• Only real traditions are cake and champagne

• Most people pick food their guest will enjoy

Mexico-

• Candy from piñata

• Wedding cake- fruit cake soaked in rum

Caribbean:

• Curried goat, spicy chicken jerky, fried plantains, conch fritters

• Black cake

– Flour, brown sugar, butter, cherries, raisins, prunes, currants, eggs, served with hard rum sauces

– Fruit is soaked in rum for 2 weeks-year