Lets talk about food. To some this may be another "dime a dozen" food blog where the blogger has a sense of inflated importance. To others, and these are my intended readers, I hope to demonstrate the importance of food in our lives. I will not stand on a soap box and condemn particular foods as unhealthy, or preach about a diet that requires you to consume 15 lbs of bacon in one sitting while drinking vinegar. That is not my intention.
Food, for all of its many purposes, is a relationship builder. It stems from evolutionary adaptations of gifting food to build social relationships and hierarchies. For example, Chimpanzees in the wild will often organize hunting parties in which they will gather some sort of meat source (i.e. A bush baby) and offer it up to others and share it as a group. This solidifies relationships and status within the community. Is this not unlike humans? Do we not invite and offend through our use of food? Do we not seek to share recipes that are close to our hearts, maybe even representing to us a sense of nostalgia and maternal love? The answer is a very simple yes.
Food is almost universally thought of to be an individuals first glimpse into a foreign culture. We use it to cross boundaries and to sample the practices of cultures we do not quite understand. This sampling certainly brings change to our preferred foods, and opens us up to new culinary traditions and a greater variety. After all, most of our changes in diet are voluntary (with historical exceptions and modern exceptions). Crossing those boundaries of taste begin to allow us to move past ethnocentrism, recognizing the other traditions have much to offer, often far surpassing our own expectations of what is deemed "gourmet cuisine".
However, food offers much more, I think, as we also have recipes we cling to in times of despair and stress. Our comfort foods which envelop our sense of cultural conservatism, which is not a terrible thing, as it is these comfort foods, or in the south "soul" foods, that help us maintain our relationships by giving us something familiar that is commonly appreciated. This allows us to fill the conversation with discussions other than the culinary presentation and to enjoy one another.
To put it short, these are the sort of topics I will be discussing in this blog. I will be providing recipes, and tips on how to get "that darn chili to taste right". I will say this as an instant criticism to negative feedback on this or any other food blog. Taste is subjective, and I will certainly discuss this at a later time. However, I will suggest alternatives and substitutes. I welcome any positive criticism however, and I will take request on foods to prepare. There are no limits, but please be reasonable. I will not be preparing pidan. I will do my best to explore the history of each dish and how it relates to us as modern eaters.
There is certainly a food revolution taking place, and I am trying to do my part by educating and receiving education at the same time. Thank you for coming to my blog.
Food, for all of its many purposes, is a relationship builder. It stems from evolutionary adaptations of gifting food to build social relationships and hierarchies. For example, Chimpanzees in the wild will often organize hunting parties in which they will gather some sort of meat source (i.e. A bush baby) and offer it up to others and share it as a group. This solidifies relationships and status within the community. Is this not unlike humans? Do we not invite and offend through our use of food? Do we not seek to share recipes that are close to our hearts, maybe even representing to us a sense of nostalgia and maternal love? The answer is a very simple yes.
Food is almost universally thought of to be an individuals first glimpse into a foreign culture. We use it to cross boundaries and to sample the practices of cultures we do not quite understand. This sampling certainly brings change to our preferred foods, and opens us up to new culinary traditions and a greater variety. After all, most of our changes in diet are voluntary (with historical exceptions and modern exceptions). Crossing those boundaries of taste begin to allow us to move past ethnocentrism, recognizing the other traditions have much to offer, often far surpassing our own expectations of what is deemed "gourmet cuisine".
However, food offers much more, I think, as we also have recipes we cling to in times of despair and stress. Our comfort foods which envelop our sense of cultural conservatism, which is not a terrible thing, as it is these comfort foods, or in the south "soul" foods, that help us maintain our relationships by giving us something familiar that is commonly appreciated. This allows us to fill the conversation with discussions other than the culinary presentation and to enjoy one another.
To put it short, these are the sort of topics I will be discussing in this blog. I will be providing recipes, and tips on how to get "that darn chili to taste right". I will say this as an instant criticism to negative feedback on this or any other food blog. Taste is subjective, and I will certainly discuss this at a later time. However, I will suggest alternatives and substitutes. I welcome any positive criticism however, and I will take request on foods to prepare. There are no limits, but please be reasonable. I will not be preparing pidan. I will do my best to explore the history of each dish and how it relates to us as modern eaters.
There is certainly a food revolution taking place, and I am trying to do my part by educating and receiving education at the same time. Thank you for coming to my blog.
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