revision

Food and Knowledge

Did you know that food is connected to one’s knowledge? Indeed it is in certain cases, food can give you knowledge but, it can also take it away. I will explain this theory with the help of the Book of J, the Odyssey and, Like water for Chocolate .

In the Book of J by Harold Bloom we meet a man and a women who were soon called ‘’Adam and Hava.’’ They us an example of how food can give you knowledge. In the book, God creates two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil from which no women or men were consent to touch or eat. In the book we meet a wise man named Yahwen he once said to the world, ‘’from all the trees in the garden you are free to eat except the tree of good and evil.’’ Eve forgot and ignored these words and ate an apple from the tree of knowledge tempted by the serpent, now evil was allowed to enter the world. After taking a bit she gave Adam the same apple. If Adam and Eve would have never been tempted to touch the tree of knowledge they would’ve never recognize what was good and bad, and through their actions is that today we have learn to tell the difference between the two. Eating the apple gave them the knowledge to see things from another perspective they were able to gain the knowledge they didn’t have before .

In the ancient Greek epic poem “Odyssey,” we learn about the time when Odysseus and his men landed on the island of the lotus-eaters. Odysseus’s men were offer a sweet fruit called ‘’lotus flowers’’ "Whoever ate that sweet fruit lost the will to report back, preferring instead to stay there, munching Lotus, oblivious of home"(Homer 127). Eating the fruit caused them to sleep, stop thinking, and stop caring about ‘’home’’ in another words, it made them lose knowledge of what they already knew. This story like the previous one shows us a couple of men who instead of gaining knowledge like Adam and Hava, lost their knowledge by eating the lotus flowers.

In the story Like Water for Chocolate, we meet Tita who is one of the main possessive characters in the novel. As we read the story we come across the time when Tita couldn’t remember her ‘’life.’’ Feed up with the way Mama Elena treated her and her metal abuse ,She went on to live with a man named John. John at the time was her doctor,One day Chencha showed up at John house, chencha used to be a server in Mama Elenas house her and tita used to cook meals together when tita lived in the ranch.One day she went to visit tita and took her a ox-tail soup, Tita noticed a familiar smell from far away it smell like ox-tail soup ‘’ox-tail soup she couldn’t believe it.” (Esquirel 124) After tasting a spoonful of the soup Tita returned to her senses. She was able to gain her knowledge once again and everything went back to normal. This example takes us to the time when Tita’s mom Elena got sick. Mama Elena was known for her bad temper so no one wanted to take care of her, after hearing the news tita knew she was the only person who can helped her mom she knew she was the youngest daughter the one who had to take care of mama elena till the day she died. She returned to the ranch and was in charge of making her mom’s meals and bathing her. One day she decide to make her an Ox-tail soup the same soup Chencha made he.Tita was attempting to revive Mama Elena’s knowledge due to her medications it was hard for her to stay on top of everything going on. Tita took Mama Elena the soup as soon as she walked away she heard‘’ Tita come here! I told you to take this away!’’(Esquirel 131) Mama Elena didn’t appreciate what Tita had done for her, her ego and attitude didn’t allow her to drink the soup. If Mama Elena would’ve drank some of the soup she would’ve recover some of her lost knowledge the same way tita did when she had the soup but instead she refuse and not only did she not recover a couple of months after she died.

Another great example can be found in Like Water for Chocolate. Here we meet Esperanza who happens to be Rosaura daughter, Tita’s niece. After Rosaura passed away, Tita had to take care of Esperanza. She always took good care of her since Rosaura was sick for couple of month after giving birth to Esperanza. As time went by we met Esperanza’s daughter who followed her mom’s foot steps, the same steps her mom pursue from Tita. ’’Perhaps I am as sensitive to onions as Tita, my great-aunt , who will go on living as long as there is someone who works her recipes’’(Esquirel 246). What tita thought Esperanza will now be thought to Esperanza’s daughter and the food knowledge of the family will be pass on to many generations.

Therefore, food and knowledge go hand in hand. In the case of “The book of J” men and women were able to obtain knowledge through a fruit. In “The Odyssey”, eating the fruit caused them to lose knowledge and in the case of “Like Water for Chocolate” we learn about the time when knowledge was obtain but also when it was taken away. All different stories with the same analogies.

Tortilla Soup: Carmen

This week in class we watched the movie Tortilla Soup. There were four main characters in the story Leticia,Carmen,Martin and the youngest sister, the movie had a lot going on it was basically a single parent raising four grown womens martin wife died so he took over the girls cooking for them , washing their clothes and just being there for them.

The character i liked the most was Carmen i noticed the author of the story wanted to persue us with four different sisters with different points of view, features and ages. At first carmen seem stuckup but as the story progresses we get to see who she really was she noticed her interested for food she loved to cook and everytime her father made a meal she will kind of complain about it saying something was missing her father never agree with the idea of her being a cheft he mentions he didnt sent her to grad school for her to be stuck in a kitchen. Everytime carmen used to go visit her Exboyfriend she will always make him lots of food until the day she found him with another women.
The author wanted to show us carmen was very closed to her sisters and father everyday they all had meals together and during these meals they discuss anything interesting happening she cared alot about her dad but she felt he didnt return all that caring. Leticia her older sister once called her a ''whore'' because supposably she sleeps around with every guy she meets she seem like the smartest one and at the end both of her sisters and dad go on with their lives and she stays alone.

Overal the author wanted to give us four different types of characters to see which one we felt more comfortable with and i choose carmen she seems very smart and knew what she wanted at the end of the story she became her dad's restaurant cheft, one day she cooked something for him which gave him back this sense of taste so that was nice i enjoy this movie alot

food & communication

In class we been discussing how the idea of food & communication related to each other. This past week i was determine to find a reliable answer to the question. How can food and communication have similarities ? ,how can it make sense? I don't believe its so much about communication but being able to express what you feeling through the food you cook. A great example of this can be found in the book Like Water for Chocolate.

Like Water for Chocolate we met Tita one of the main characters , she was practically born with a spoon in her hands she loved everything that involved cooking. Every event host by her family(De la Garza )she had to make the food. As the story kept progressing we met Pedro ''the love of her life'' unfortunately her Mexican mom believed she was not allow to get married or have a life on her own since she was the youngest daughter her job was to take care of her until the day she died. Pedro wanted to married tita but her mom refuse and instead offer titas sister to Pedro (Rosaura) he accepted thinking he would be near tita all the time and their love will grow. Sadly tita was designated to prepare the dish for the men she loved and her sister wedding ,those were her mom wishes since she was the best cooker in the house.

In the month of February , tita had to prepare the cake for rosauras weeding. Chabela wedding cake as it was called. Suffering with the pain of having to give up her love towards Pedro didn't seem enough to her mom. Instead she wanted tita to take care of every single meals that related to the weeding. Nacha and tita were preparing the cake when tita burst down crying she couldn't help it, nacha on her side told tita to stop crying because it will affect the cake, she tasted the cake icing to make sure everything was fine, she wanted to make sure tita tears didn't affect the cake. As they started serving the cake she was so into her own world that she didn't notice something strange was happening, the moment the guest took a bite of the cake they were flooded with longing including Pedro and mama Elena who had never shared a tear for her dead husband. It seem like everyone got intoxicated and sad over love they all started vomiting except tita. It was clear that Tita sad emotions had been express through the cake,after this mama elena was convinced that tita and nacha agreed on adding a emetic into the cake to ruin rosaura wedding. Another case in which its proven that food can express what you feeling is when tita did the dish with the flowers that lead to Gertrudis running away with Juan. The fire she felt inside her with the dish had gone beyond the limits it made her make love on top of the horse as they started fading in the distance in titas eyes.

This book proves that idea that what you feeling can be express through your cooking. It happens alot in the real world but focusing on this story and the examples I've giving it makes it easier to understand the similarities between the two.Its possible for tita to cook but also let others know how she feels wether she sad or happy because as long as you have emotions it will transmitted in your food.

turkey on thanksgiving

Turkey on Thanksgiving

Many of us wonder why is turkey serve on thanksgiving? many believe it was what pilgrims ate others believe what they want to believe. I believe you can eat whatever your want on thanksgiving.

I read on a website called thelaboroflove.com that Queen Elizabeth was at a fall harvest and decide to older a baked goose (turkey) because at this time it was the most desirable dish. After this happened many others started hearing about turkey. After the ''word'' went around queen Elizabeth was so satisfied she order another turkey many other people started following her steps in England they believed turkey was the dish everyone needed on their table on thanksgiving eve.

I come from Dominican Republic. In my country we don't celebrate thanksgiving we have what its called ''noche buena'' which consist of having a potatoes salad with ''pernil'' pork , rice and the desert a flan. To us Noche buena will never be the same without those items, the same happens in USA thanksgiving cannot be thanksgiving without the turkey. But my point its we cannot believe what others are usually saying the history behind the turkey on thanksgiving its unknown because it will always be your opinion or whatever u believe you know.

In conclusion having turkey on thanksgiving might of came from Queen Elizabeth idea or the pilgrims seating down to have it as dinner on thanksgiving but to me i believe you can have whatever you want to eat on a day such as or any other '' important'' day. Turkey symbolizes happiness to others as pernil symbolizes noche buena to us Dominicans , i believe as long as you spending time with your family that's what matters.

what food means to me

Everyday i wake up at 6:45 am to get ready for school. I get my daughter ready and head out, as my day goes on i eat small snacks knowing that when i get home i will need to cook a nice dinner for my family. By 4pm sometimes 5 depending on my schedule i pick the baby up from daycare and head home, by the time i actually get home is 6:45 i shower the baby and start cooking. By the time my fiance gets home dinner is set on the table so we eat as a family and talk about our day.
Food to me mean spending time with my family and responsibility. Everyday i know its my job to cook for my family instead of feeding them ''crap'' from the streets. After i move out on my own i realize how important all those times my mom cooked for me after coming home tired from work were. It makes me miss her and love her more because i know its hard, sometimes i wish i can come home and find the food made but i know that's not going to happen. That's part of growing up =/ i wouldn't change the experience I'm going through right now for nothing if that means i will need to cook forever let it be it =).