Another sequential reading assignment. Read the following stories in the order listed. In your journal, collect your thoughts as you go along.
To what extent, if at all, do you think/care about where your food comes from? What do I mean by where? Whatever you want it to mean. Geographically, ecologically, figuratively, metaphorically. If you do think/care about this, why? And to what degree? And for what specific foods do you most think about this? If you don’t care about this, why? As with all these journal entries, there is not a right answer here. I’m just curious how much, if at all, you think about the point(s) of origin of the food you eat.
Call three people you know — family member, friend, etc. — and tell them that, for your food-writing class, you have to come up with story ideas that touch on the intersection of food and culture. Ask for some ideas. Log these ideas in your journal — even the uninteresting, ridiculous, or incomplete ones — and then pick one that you could envision pursuing in some form. Write a 150-word pitch for this idea. Due by 5pm CT on Friday 10/6.
Your response to the reading below should be in your Reading Responses doc by 5pm CT on Monday, October 9.
Please read the following (longish) stories:
What does Coca Cola mean to you?
On Tuesday, we talked about the guys who cook in the woods and other food TikTokers. One of my children was obsessed for a while with a cake designer on TikTok. We’ve tried to make a couple of cakes from his feed. (They didn’t look great, but they tasted good.) We’ve also tried a bunch of cooking hacks he’s come across on TikTok, Instagram, etc. (We recently made hash browns in a mini waffle maker — pretty good!) For this week’s journal, I want you to continue this conversation and explore how social media affects your food/cooking habits. How much does your social media consumption influence what you cook/eat on a daily basis? Is social media your main source of inspiration for ideas? Or do you instead know what you want and go to TikTok, etc. for ideas on how to make it? Put another way: Does what you watch have a bigger influence on what you cook/eat or how you cook/eat? (In other words, is it more meal ideas or technique? Or both? Or something else?)
Going a little light this week because you have your first story due Friday. Your response to the two readings below should be in your Journal doc by 5pm CT on Monday, September 25.
Advice for Future Food Writers, by Amanda Hesser (food52)
On Chicken Tenders, by Helen Rosner (Guernica)
For this assignment, you’re going to call someone you know and ask them about something they cook: Who taught them to do it? When did they start making it? How did they found about it? Why do they do it the way they do it? Etc.
Several of you have already written about and/or talked about in class someone you know — a parent or grandparent — who has interesting eating habits or recipes. You don’t have to choose that person. It can be anyone, but I’d rather it be a non-roommate/fellow student. And no emailing/texting! Call this person on the phone (or ask them about it in person).
Next, write at least a longish paragraph or two about what you found out from this person. ID the person, the recipe, etc. Let me know if you have any questions.
In at least a few paragraphs, write about your ideal sandwich. Maybe you’ve had this sandwich. Maybe you haven’t. If you have had this sandwich or some version of it, where were you? If you haven’t had it, where would you go to get it or the stuff to make it yourself? Where can you picture yourself eating this sandwich?