Do I look like I like avocado?

By now we all know that food exists as a social fact. Food is never just calories and vitamins, but rather has all sorts of cultural connections. While abroad friends often asked me what we ate in America. Pasta, pizza and meat are our American staples. I find, however, that I rarely, if ever, eat these food items, or at least the last two, as a vegetarian with vegan tendencies (I renounced my veganism when I went abroad and would've shriveled if I hadn't, insulting everyone in the process by refusing their food). I have also found that the food choices I have made have influenced the way people perceive me. Although, as we learned, the slow food movement started in Italy, it has really caught on in America where there now seems to be a whole culture based on food that I inadvertently found myself being identified with. My sophomore year Wheaton had an "I am ___" event where students were asked to sum their identity in a couple words. I wondered what word I would use when my roommate offered "Vegan." And like the Victorian women, my eating choices became my identity (Brumberg). That same year my communications with a contemporary were terminated because I was too "crunchy." According to urban dictionary this word is used to describe "persons who have adjusted or altered their lifestyle for environmental reasons. Crunchy is derived from "crunchy granola," apparently a food associated with persons [who] tend to be politically strongly left-leaning and may be additionally but not exclusively categorized as vegetarians, vegans, eco-tarians, conservationists, environmentalists, neo-hippies, tree huggers, nature enthusiasts, etc." (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=crunchy). Clearly this culture is more than just food but it is interesting that a food is used to encapsulate it. Perhaps this is because vegetarianism itself is a way of exerting power as consumers to show disagreement with the meat industry and its environmental as well as human rights offenses, a true example of "Appetite as Voice" (Brumberg). Years later, I was no longer being labeled as crunchy, but I started to notice a new food was starting to be used to describe my "identity." Many of my friends were surprised to hear that I don't like avocado. I kept hearing "You look like you like avocado." I had no idea what that was supposed to me, how could I look like I like a fruit? So I went to my roommate. She smirked and said "hipster." Again we see a food item being used as a symbol for a culture/lifestyle. And by being assigned these foods to define the person I am, I have felt so judged.

What do you do when you are on campus... and no one else is?

Like most students, I left this past Tuesday for a much needed Thanksgiving break with some delicious food and family bonding. Unlike most other students, however, I made the trek back to campus bright and early on Friday morning to join my teammates for an early afternoon basketball practice. As a senior, this routine is nothing new to me. I am used to the early return to an eerie, but peaceful campus. Accordingly, I am used to the campus without open dining halls. Thanksgiving break is only a warm up for winter break when we arrive on campus a couple of days after Christmas. As much as I miss the ease of the dining hall during these times, I look forward to the small stipend that is passed out for food. As a team we take advantage of the closed dining halls to take some of the stipend money and venture out to local restaurants for dinner. A team favorite is Maguire's in Easton. Maguire's is a wonderful pub restaurant with a wide array of yummy food to feed 16 hungry girls (see link below for their menu!). Other favorites include Albertos, Daddy’s Dairy Ice Cream, Farmer’s Daughter, Café on the Common, and Patty’s Place among others. Additionally, as a student who has been on the meal plan for the last four years, I have rarely shopped for my own food. Snacks, yes. Always. But rarely for “real” food. So I like to look at the no dining hall days as a taste of what it is actually like to buy my own food. 

A normal breakfast during break consists of cereal and milk!

After a tough morning practice, a couple teammates and I will squeeze into the car and head out to the closest grocery store, Roche Brothers in Norton. Once we get there, I look for my staples- cereal, milk, oatmeal, peanut butter, bread, turkey, cheese, fruit, goldfish, soup, frozen veggies, and maybe something sweet. While this list may still not seem like a “real world” shopping list, under the confines of a fridge and microwave, it is as close as I can get-one step closer to life after college. The non-dining hall days seem long on paper, but end quickly. As I write, I see cars rolling in with the rest of the student body- signaling the end of our break and the opening of the dining halls. See you in December, stipend money. 

For more information about Maguire's check out the link below!

http://www.maguiresbarandgrill.com/

The Chase Experiment

          Through my first post and responses to it, on the blog and through friends I shared my post with, it seems I am far from the only one experimenting with overcoming the dinning hall foods. This has inspired me to become more innovative and fueled my interest to expand creative menu. Amongst many failures on my part and of others I have a few new foods to add to the list. Also, I have a few ideas to inspire one to get creative. As a transfer student I've had the opportunity to experience two different types of dining halls. My freshman year I was at Champlain College, in Burlington Vermont, which had one dinning hall for about 2000 students. The same company that provides food for Wheaton is the same that supplies food for Champlain. Both schools had very different dinning halls and experiences. however, I still found myself trying to get past the mass produced bland food that is created. One big thing that I remember is their soft serve ice cream machine. I would mix half of a plastics cup of soft serve ice cream with a half of plastic cup of milk. after mixing it together one has a milkshake! In addition, brownies and other sundae toppings could be added to make a a decent milkshake. When Wheaton introduced their soft serve machine in both Chase and Emerson I was very excited. The unfortunate discontinuation of the ice cream fridge in chase was an unknown compromise for me but I digress. One improvement that I think could be made to this amazing machine is the addition of other flavors. I recall the excitement of having a mint milkshake on days were mint soft serve was offered.
         Stated in a response on my first post, innovation directed toward sandwiches has influenced me to show my creations. As sandwiches are one of my favorite foods, through its ability to be anything. Every sandwich is a blank canvas that can go in any direction. I took the same approach with sandwiches as I did with stir fry scouring both Chase and Emerson for the best ingredients. Through trial and error I have come up with some great ideas. These are just a couple of them:

The first sandwich is a fried egg sandwich with provolone, turkey, and cucumbers on an English muffin. Cucumbers seem to be an odd addition to this breakfast food, but don't hate it til you try it. With the saltiness of the deli meat and cheese it tastes pretty good. Through trial and error I have found that I prefer this sandwich on a bagel as it balances everything out a little better. Lastly the cucumbers and turkey add a little more nutrition to a often unhealthy food. The second sandwich is my favorite and one of my best finds. Now there is nothing really special about this sandwich other than the bread. During diner they serve fresh bread which is perfect for sandwiches. Cutting two tick slices and a dash of butter on the outside sides causes a nice toasting of the bread when placed in the panini press. The addition of a good slice of bread can change a sandwich and definitely makes Wheatons dinning hall sandwiches better. What are your sandwich ideas? What can you make using nothing from the deli line?

Thanksgiving and all of its anxieties

Thanksgiving is a holiday that has since my childhood held a lot of complexities and anxieties. The holiday itself is one of a tragic tradition that has over centuries become sugar coated and commercialized; sold with 5 lb turkeys and hallmark cards of smiling families and strong patriarchs standing at the head of the table. Thanksgiving over time, has acquired new and diverse meanings for individuals and their families however, and for me, it is a day (both positive and negative) in which family comes together to break bread and celebrate gratitude together (which I love). Every year that my nuclear family hosted the meal since I can remember, the food has been an adventure; from raw vegan thanksgiving (I'm still traumatized) to the "traditional" turkey themed meal, having Thanksgiving at my house was always cause for much discussion and debate. Such diversity and potential for variation in the meal led to my family being banned from hosting the holiday at our house (which I think my mom may have plotted from day one- brilliant woman). This reminded me of the discussion we had in class surrounding Dancing Skeletons: Life and Death in West Africa by Katherine A. Dettwyler, in which the anthropologist requests food solely from one of her hosts' wives and does her best to avoid houses with food she didn't prefer. It is funny though, because regardless of what wild inventions my mom decided to present on the day of gratitude, the two food items that remained constant throughout, were stuffing and pie, my two favourite dishes, and the things I look forward to most every year. I realize that my mom made the stuffing specifically for my sister and I in order to appease us and it has become such a staple, that the thought of Thanksgiving without these items doesn't feel right.
This year for the first time, I went to visit my paternal family in Pennsylvania and was both excited and terrified for the adventure that was to come. I am ethnically mixed as my maternal family is hispanic and north african, and as I was raised by my mom and maternal side, I identify culturally with the stereotypical loud and feisty female powerhouses, and food-based affection, so when I went to my paternal sides home for such  a food-central holiday, I was anxious to see how the meal and conversation would unfold and was very nervous to see how the family dynamics would allow me to fit in.
Not only did I have nothing to be anxious about, but the dinner, conversation, and family dynamic was really nice, eerily civil, and extremely welcoming. A lot of tragedy has occurred on this side of the family in the past few years and I suppose that for this reason, what remains of the family has come together and become much warmer and closer than ever before. Along with this, the food was unbelievable and incorporated dishes such as cauliflower gratin, string beans, peas, mashed potatoes, candied yams, turkey, turnip and apple puree, and thankfully, my staples of stuffing and pie! The stuffing (although not my mammas' ) was beyond delicious and made me feel connected to this side of the family, regardless of my initial anxieties. The pies were also superb and included a variety of chocolate pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, apple pie, and a milk tart. I felt like I was at home, and realized firsthand, how like we read in the beginning of the year, food can take you back to your home (or country) wherever you are. While I was not with my usual crew (maternal family,) I felt like we were together as I stuffed myself with stuffing and savored sweet pies, and I had a really wonderful time.

Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie

Pumpkin Pie with a "Turkey" pastry on top

Apple Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

Stuffing!!! (My favourite)

String Beans

Thanksgiving Buffet: a plethora of food. This picture is interesting because as I looked at the copious amount of food in front of me, I couldn't help but think of the clients from the "Cupboard of Kindness" and about all of the people who don't have the privilege of feasting as I did with friends and family. It made me feel strange but also deepened my sense of appreciation and gratitude for the opportunities and privilege I live by not having to worry about having enough food. 

marshmallow candied yams... first time I had marshmallows on top- very yummy

cauliflower gratin - yummier than it appears in photo

BEAT THE CLOCK PIZZA

Beat the clock pizza is an offer that happens Mondays and Wednesdays from 5-9 pm at Barrowsville Station Market, Deli and Liqours. This place is located in Norton about 5 minutes from campus, and in my opinion, this pizza is the real deal. The pizzas are massive (18") and very tastey. So here is how it works. From anytime you call in for a large pizza between 5 o clock and 9 o clock, that is the price you pay for your pizza. So for example, like I did today, I called at exactly 5:00 pm and split it with my roommate. So the price of the pizza was 5 dollars and me and my roommate got 4 very large slices of pizza for $2.50! I love cool deals like this one especially when I like the quality of the food.

Pizza isn't the only thing Barrowsville Station excels in. This is also a deli where you can get a variety of sandwiches and it is also a liquor store all in one. At the register, there is the option for lottery tickets tobacco, and what ever else you may need. Along with that, Barrowsville station is a little market that carriers important things you may need for your house. I usually just go for the pizza but this place is

the real deal! Check it out sometime.

Pumping Iron

To be blunt, I know there is a lack of iron in my diet, and that leads me to believe that I am deprived of the nutritional value that comes from iron-rich meals. With no intention to sound like a hypochondriac, after reading Nevin S. Scrimshaw’s article on iron deficiency it dawned on me that a good majority of female and male college students –myself included –have some moderate form of anemia. Iron has the function of transporting oxygen in blood by pairing with hemoglobin to “pick up oxygen in the lungs and shuttle and release it throughout the body”. About 73% of your body’s iron supply is found in hemoglobin during the creation of red blood cells (Scrimshaw). Common symptoms of iron depletion are weakness, headaches, extreme fatigue, chest pains, shortness of breath and paleness. I am not trying to compare the deficiency of iron in students’ diets to that of Scrimshaw’s field of study in developing nations such as Kenya and Indonesia, but his studies did pose the question in my mind –how can I improve my consumption of iron in the foods offered by Wheaton dining?

A woman between the ages of 19 and 50 need 18mg of iron daily, and a man needs 8mg of iron, but vegetarians may need even more milligrams because plant products have a lower iron turnover percentage when it reaches your blood. So, let’s start with the most important meal of the day: breakfast. For me, this seemed to be the easiest meal to find good sources of iron. Breakfast cereals are surprisingly iron-rich because of the whole grains in them. A bowl of Cheerios has 45% of your daily serving of iron in ¾ of a cup. Other cereals high in iron are Frosted Mini Wheat’s, Life cereal and Oat Bran Flakes. Lunch proved to be trickier to find iron for my diet, as I am a pretty picky eater when it comes to meat (a food extremely high in iron). I decided to pair a bowl of clam chowder and a salad to compensate for a plant source and seafood source of iron. A serving of clams (3 oz) is 14 mg of iron. Dinner was very similar to lunch, and I ended up stumbling upon broccoli soup, a type of roasted chicken and brown rice as potential iron rich items. I must say that from reading the nutritional facts of each of these foods, they by themselves are not very iron rich but together they are sufficient enough to supply a meal with enough iron. Broccoli is one of the most iron-rich green vegetables, and poultry along with any other meat will be a reliable supply of iron.

Throughout this day, I realized finding foods to eat with enough iron in them forced me out of my comfort zone of my normal five or six meal choices here at Wheaton. What I need to realize is the importance of iron for my health, and making small adjustments in what I choose for breakfast, lunch or dinner could make all the difference!

Want more information about creating an iron-rich diet? The University Health Center’s website provides tips on which foods to eat and proposed menus to achieve the highest amount of iron in your daily diet. Just click here! https://www.uhs.uga.edu/nutrition/iron.html

Peace and World Conscience House: International Potluck

Apparently, as a Peace House tradition, we have an International Potluck every year to bring together or ethnicities and cultural heritages through the usage of homemade food. When first hearing about this gathering, I was really stumped as to what I should make because another housemate upstairs said he was going to make Irish soda bread so I wasn't allow to duplicate the same country. I thought long and hard about other places where my heritages have stemmed from and I thought of England. An old time favorite of mine was my mother's homemade Shepard's Pie, or otherwise known as Cottage Pie. This dish is thought to have stemmed from Northern England in the 1700s by poor families who needed to use the left over scraps of meat from the previous day's meal. Shepard's pie consists of beef, or lamb, covered in corn and mashed potato which would have been accessible to make a hearty meal. Surprisingly, some of my housemates have never tried, or heard of, Shepard's pie before. It had been a staple food in my household growing up so it was odd to think that other's had never tried a dish like this. Out of respect and hunger, we all agreed to try each other's dishes for a taste of what we all call home (and to judge each other's cooking abilities of course!)

African Donuts and Taco Soup 

At this Pot Luck, we had an array of cultures represent such as the Dominican Republic, Mali, Ivory Coast, Italy, Ireland, and Poland. Everyone was responsible for making their dishes homemade so no frozen dishes were accepted. This gathering brought our house closer together over the shared commonality of food. Not only was the house invited to this gathering, we asked our close friends to come and enjoy the food we prepared as well. We all love to eat and eating food from our culture as well as each others' was a really rewarding experience.

Chicken and Cheese Empanadas 

Even though Peace House consists of eight individuals from eight different places around the world, we were about to connect and share our experiences through the power of food.

Our One-of-a-Kind Pot Luck Experience 

The Duck & Bunny - Providence, RI

Where can Wheaton students go to get delicious and unique food served in a place that reminds them of home? Last weekend I visited the Duck & Bunny in Providence after hearing about it from several different people and it was a dining experience like no other! The restaurant classifies itself as a “snuggery,” which they define as “a space that was as much a work of art as the food itself.” Duck & Bunny is located inside a historic home with preserved wood floors, fireplaces, and framed art which add a lot to the comfortable and home-like atmosphere.

 

The food itself is definitely a work of art. They offer a selection of crepes as well as cheese plates, sandwiches, and cupcakes. All are innovative and original. From my understanding, they are especially known for their tea and coffee. The menu and the location definitely work together to create a certain social experience. Tea and scones by a fire is much more personal and intimate than a large, noisy dining hall, for example. For me, the atmosphere reminded me of home. I strongly recommend Duck & Bunny to anyone who misses home-cooked meals in a cozy environment – the perfect social experience.

Lunchtime Investigation

Lunchtime Investigation

This time around, I decided to do some investigative work. I’m one of the stir-fry junkies on campus, so I became pretty familiar with the options quickly. One ingredient I have often noticed, and have tipped my imaginary hat to those brave enough to opt for it, is the crabmeat. As a general rule, I tend to stay away from cafeteria seafood options. Since my elementary days, when tuna boats were all the rage, I just couldn’t stomach the idea of cafeteria fish. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in a coastal town in southern Alaska, I have a deeply ingrained love of fish. Still, something about the mystery behind cafeteria food makes me extremely wary of anything from below the waves. So as I stood in line, I began to wonder, can it really be that bad? No one has been hospitalized from consuming the crabmeat in Chase thus far, and I’m sure if this were a concern, the cafeterias wouldn’t leave the option open. So I took a deep breath, and placed my order.

I am very relieved to report that I had no life threatening reaction to my crabmeat stir-fry. Not even a slight stomachache. I wouldn’t go as far as to say I liked it, or that I would get it again. More than anything else, the texture threw me off. Still, it wasn’t the horrid result I thought it would be. A little fishy, a little squishy, but in the end, it was just my regular stir-fry meal with a twist.  By the end of lunch, this investigation led me to wonder, what other options are being shunned in the cafeteria simply because of misled perceptions? From now on, I think I’ll try to be a little open minded about what is being offered – maybe even try a few new things.

Halloween: Breaking Boundaries

Well it’s about time that the sugar high from Halloween is wearing off, and we’re all struggling to exercise and trying to get fit until we relapse in a fit of gluttony that is Thanksgiving. Though Halloween was 2 weeks ago, I still find people munching on leftover candy and talking about their experience during the festive holiday.

I am not a person who greatly favors sweets and candy, however the experience that the candy creates is something of a marvel. Little kids love trick-or-treating, but there comes a certain age in which that could be considered ‘socially unacceptable.’ This does not mean that adults are alienated from this event; we just incorporate it into our lives in different ways.

Every year Wheaton hosts a cohort of young trick-or-treaters that flood a designated part of campus to ask for candy. Our private, often seemingly closed-space campus is suddenly opened to the public all for the sake of giving away candy. Well it may not just be the candy per se, having these young children flitter around brings a warm feeling to heart- or at least for me it does. As a person who no longer trick-or-treats, seeing the joy on these children’s faces makes me reflect on the excitement I used to get. As we age and move through different life stages, our ways of eating change and Halloween takes on a new meanings.

Trick-or-treating can be interpreted as just another cog in our blighted, inauthentic culture infected by capitalist, consumerist thinking. I, for one, never thought that the holiday could present issue for some that could not afford it. Observing kids costumes you can sometimes distinguish who has the funds to buy a fancy, high-quality, well-produced store outfit versus one that is put together with objects lying around the house.

But to kids none of this matters. Whether handcrafted or store-bought, kids seem to be able to push this thought away and focus on the fun experience that trick-or-treating. Who cares what you wear when your objective is to have fun collecting candy? As longs as you are able to fashion something, whilst going around the neighborhood class doesn’t- or should not- affect the amount of candy a kid should get. For one time of the year, class lines become blurry and should be almost indistinguishable.

As an adult I find that my idea of Halloween may still be dressing up, but, instead of going out for candy, I often find pleasure in the food I can create to reflect the ‘Halloween experience.’ Making toffee apples, brownie graveyards, incorporating pumpkin spice in everything, and decorating my living accommodation are ways in which I can experience Halloween as an adult. But my student budget can only stretch so far and I have to be aware I may have more limitations than others when it comes to the costume or candy that I buy.

I have been to a fair-share of Halloween parties and one can easily tell who much money was put into the decorations and the food. And yet, just like when we were kids, we push this aside for the sake of having fun. Now, we are often awarded for our creativity of handmade costumes and decorations. As we age we become more aware of our socio-economic status, however when Halloween rolls around we are once again freed of these constraints as long as we wear the holiday proudly, just like when we were young.

It’s all well worth it.

Improvements in Emerson (speaking as a vegetarian)

Do vegetarians have enough options in the dining hall? I’m often tempted to say no, but I’ve noticed a lot of improvements in the past year, especially in Emerson. The salad bar usually contains two different types of beans, an important source of protein, and there is often variety in the types of vegetables offered. Recently, Emerson has had different pre prepared, cold salads such as pasta salad, chickpea salad, quinoa, and couscous. All of these have other vegetables mixed in as well. There are also at least four different types of wraps available (including sun dried tomato and whole wheat) which provide even more options.

These are good options, but I wish there were more.  A few days ago, the only hot food being served were hot dogs and hamburgers. I was very dismayed that they didn’t offer veggie burgers as well. Though there has been some improvement in my opinion, the quality of produce is often very low. After watching Food Inc, I’d like to know more about where the dining halls get their produce. It would be really interesting if Red Tomato could become involved with getting local produce to nearby schools, not just supermarkets. 

Happy Birthday: The Purpose of Food in Celebrations

        Recently, my roommate enjoyed her 21st birthday with friends and family. Typically, food is associated with extravagant celebrations, but it wasn’t until I shared this social experience with her that I realized how highly college students value outside food. I challenged myself to observe food habits surrounding a birthday celebration and consider the purposes for each food related act. Why is food so important in the celebration of a students birthday? Food served three purposes in this context: the first was to apply the culturally embedded practice of cake eating, the second was to create a social experience, and the third was a reflection of student values through gift giving. 

         

       Roommate blowing out candles 

     

      Although food is the central reason for “going out to eat,” the social aspects are far more valuable. When asked by her family to pick a restaurant for dinner her response was “Wherever is fine, I don't really care.” I don’t really care? She had talked my ear off not hours earlier about how excited she was that her family was taking her out to eat, yet she “[didn’t] really care”!? It dawned on me that the value was not in direct correlation to the physical food that she was going to enjoy, but instead was anticipating seeing her family, and spending time with them, whatever the venue. Much like Karps article about beer drinking in Africa, the act of eating or drinking may be the theme or physical activity, but the concept of the social experience is what holds the most value. 

       Next, everyone (friends and family) joined together in our room to eat cake, sing Happy Birthday, and blow out candles. These traditions are decades old, and have become so woven into our culture that there is no question as to why they exist. In the context of birthday celebrations, cake can act as a delicacy, or treat so that someone feels special and celebrated. Other symbols associated with the cake are the birthday song, and the extinguishing of candles. Cake without these two elements can be placed in any other context, but otherwise are strong symbols for one kind of celebration. Just as sugar symbolized a social and economic status in Europe years ago, meat symbolized passion and masculinity for Victorian era women, and beer symbolizes social interaction for Southen Iteso habitants, cake with candles symbolizes the celebration of the anniversary of someones birth for us. 

        After the cake was eaten and gifts were given, it became very clear to me what college students value most. In front of my roommate sat a pile of chips, avocados, cookies, dipping sauces, crackers, cheeses and fruits. The only non-food items were given by her parents. As students of the meal plan, we are given a series of foods, day to day, that may not reflect the kinds of meals that we grew up on. “Comfort foods” such as cheese, crackers and chips that are not available in the dining halls are clearly important to the students of Wheaton College, because each guest individually chose food products to give as gifts. When my roommate asked her friends “how did you know I wanted this?” all of their responses expressed that if the roles were reversed, this is the gift that they would like to receive while living on campus. In another context, for example a birthday celebrated at home, gifts might vary to include more standard presents such as clothes, (like her parents got her) electronics, supplies and other products. The gifts that were exchanged reflected the values of Wheaton College students. 

       Social experiences, symbols of celebration and expression of values through gift giving were all reflected in the evening of my roommates 21st birthday, and clarified for me why food is so central to this celebration, especially for a college student. 

Changing Perceptions of Shared Food

Home-cooked pizza in the oven.

I question I have been asking myself lately is how my perceptions of food have changed. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I believe I was very fortunate to have grown up in a family that made an effort to sit down every evening to dine together. Not only did this teach me to value the company of my parents and siblings, but it also taught me to value the food we were sharing. In my family’s home I was made very aware of the time, effort, and money that went in to each evening meal. My father might have been late to pick me up from school because he had to stop by the grocery store to get ingredients, dinner might have to be served late because my mother had been too busy to start preparing it, or maybe my parents had put in some extra hours this week to ensure we could afford the best options on our next grocery run. Often, my siblings and I were active participants in the preparation of the meal: shucking corn, peeling potatoes, stirring the sauce. And finally, after all the work each one of us had put into preparing the meal, we all sat down to share it. There was no perception of yours and mine at the dinner table, the food was ours. Most importantly however, I was taught to avoid wasting food. To leave the table with food still on my plate was a considered a taboo. How could I waste the product of all of our hard work?  Though as we have gotten older it has become harder to find time to eat together, I still carry the values I learned at my home's dinner table.

            Upon my arrival here at Wheaton however, the values that surrounded my relationship with food were called into question. No longer was I part of the process of gathering ingredients and preparing my meals, the food merely appeared in front of me. It seems fair to say that the same amount of energy and care does not go into preparing a meal in the dining hall as it had in my home. Besides from obviously affecting the taste, this has changed how I perceive food. The food I was eating here was not as valuable to me as the food I had been eating at home. Here, I had unlimited access to food whenever I wanted. I did not have to finish my plate, if I didn’t like what I had chosen I could throw it away and try something else. Sharing food became irrelevant, after all why share when more food can easily be acquired. Neither was sitting down to a meal as important as it had been to me, as I increasingly found myself getting food to go. However this doesn’t mean that the value of food has been lost on me. Wheaton events such as community potlucks and house dinners where friends come together to share dishes they have prepared have kept my value of

a well-cooked meal alive. If anything, my college experience has taught me to not take the experience of sharing a home-cooked meal for granted!

Vegetarians beware

Last week Chase served "Orange Honey glazed potatoes" in addition to fish. I assumed the potatoes were vegetarian friendly because they had not been labels otherwise. However, after trying them I instantly spit them out due to the overwhelming taste of the wish they had been served alongside of. Even though I understand that it's unlikely the potatoes in fact contained fish products, I was still upset by the literal sensation that I was eating fish. A non-vegetarian friend confirmed the overwhelming taste, which didn't in the least resemble honey or orange. Although perhaps this couldn't have been avoided, I feel that the failure to keep vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals separate shows Aramark's lack of attention to a variety of dietary restrictions, and only further limits the options of those who follow them. 

Guacamole, Tzedakah and Friends

Food has an amazing capacity to bring people together around a good cause. A couple weeks ago I saw this in action at theme house event, called the Guac-off. While guacamole might not always seem to be the first choice vehicle for community service, it was just that. After all, who doesn't love guacamole? The competition was an open call to all theme houses to make their own guacamole, which would then be judged by Wheaton faculty and Staff members, who would pick the winner and the winner would win the proceeds from the one dollar admission price to donate to a charity of of their choice. It was a chance for people to show off their culinary skills and creativity, which is something that does not often happen on a college campus. But it was also chance to do something you might love while also giving back to the community. Making the guacamole meant more than just buying a few delicious avocados and googling ways to spice up a recipe but it was also an exercise in mindful action. Every sliced onion, every pinch of salt became a chance to do something beyond yourself, which may sound dramatic but it's true. It made me think about my actions in terms of how the everyday could be extraordinary. Food is a necessary life force, something that I think about all the time, but how often does that thinking about food lead to a greater good? Unfortunately not as often as I'd like. The competition was held at the Jewish Life house, bringing to mind the tradition of Tzedakah, giving back to community in Jewish Faith. Though Tzedakah isn't a tradition I knew a lot about before hand, it's one, along with similar traditions in other cultures that has always struck me has having a certain beauty to it. While religion can manipulated and used to destructive ends, traditions like Tzedakah in Judaism and often times Islam as well, is a reminder of the humanity capacity to care for each other. While neither Jewish or Muslim, myself such human traditions are important to me because they are an acknowledgement of the unequal distribution of resources and power and the ways in which they have been combated across thousands of years. The Guac-off, was a way to connect with that history as well as with the Wheaton community around us. I got to combine my heritage, that of a Mexican-American with the heritage and traditions of others. The different guacamole's reflected the backgrounds of those who made them as well as the spirits of the houses who participated. Some of the dishes were experimental, mixing guacamole with Mediterranean flavors, or seasonal New England vegetables (squash) and some were classic that reminded me of summer picnics with me family. The winner? Not to brag but myself and Ivy took home the prize with a pomegranate, tequila and habanero recipe. The money raised will be donated to the Road Island Center for Sexual Health and Pleasure, an organization dedicated to sex positive education. The Guac-off became representative of so many important things in my life , food, social justice, history and sex education.