Draft 1:
The way people value food truly reveals a lot about a person’s personality. These values vary from one person to another, but have dramatically changed throughout the years. From timing to lifestyle changes it is quite obvious we value food in different ways than our grandmothers do. With the typical American’s busy lifestyle today, it seems people value fast, quick meals that do not interfere too much with their schedule over homemade, tasty meals that require time and effort. While meals that require minimal effort and energy tend to be valued more by most people, our favorite meals tend to be those that take time and effort to make. Often times these meals are family recipes and are made from scratch. This reveals that to many people today time is more important than enjoying a delicious meal. This is also seen in Micheal Pollan’s essay, “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch.” Throughout Pollan’s piece interesting points are made supporting the fact that food has developed in so many ways. From how we make and eat food to even how we watch food being made on the TV, changes are drastic compared to other generations.
While reading several classmates, “Favorite Meal Essays” it became prominent that many of us exhibit very similar feelings towards our favorite meals for very similar reasons. The meals themselves tended to be very different, each displaying different family’s love, culture, and traditions. Although no one had the same favorite meal, it was fascinating to see how similar we all felt towards the meal. While reading Angel Fendiana’s essay she talks about her favorite meal, spicy chicken curry, saying, “ It’s always my go-to meal for any type of situation. Some restaurants may have curries that are too sweet, too spicy, or too salty. I’ve tried plenty of spicy chicken curries in my life, but no one cooks it like my mom. My mom’s signature version of spicy chicken curry was the perfect combination of all of the above. She has mastered the spicy chicken curry to the point that no one would be able to top hers.” Similar to my grandmother’s meatballs, Fendiana’s mom spent time mastering her recipe to the point where it can not beat any other spicy chicken curry recipe. It is a meal that will always hit the spot for Fendiana, but especially when it is made by her mom. It is easy to find restaurants that serve spicy chicken curry, but most of the times they are seasoned in ways she is not a fan of. Maddie Shaw shares very similar feeling towards her favorite meal, mac and cheese, explaining, “We have made the dish the same way for years, and he knows me all too well when it comes to change. That is also a component of why I like this meal so much because it has never changed. He knows that change takes me out of my comfort zone so he pushes me to try new things, but at the same time this dish is one of the few things that has never changed. No matter where we are, how old we get, his mac and cheese still hits the same every time.” Mac and cheese to Shaw represents the comfort of food staying the same. As she continues to get older, things in her life are going to change, but one thing in her life that will always stay the same is her dad’s mac and cheese. Similar to Fendiana and I, Shaw’s dad spent time creating the perfect mac and cheese recipe until it became what it is today. The taste is perfect to Shaw and no other recipe will match his. Melissa Stein, a previous student, shares her family’s famous ravioli. Stein says, “We all sit down and await the delicious, mouthwatering food that’s been specially handcrafted for us. It’s the little things in life that we need to be grateful for. The hard work and love that goes into every second of a meal really pays off in the end result. It’s traditions like these that bring our family close. We are able to bond with each other as well as over food. What more could you ask for?” Stein’s favorite meal is also one made by a family member. Her mom’s grandmother introduced this meal to the family and were such a hit they have since been passed down through each generation. While the meal itself is amazing, the fact that it reminds them of family makes it even better. Overall, my grandmother’s meatballs, Fendiana’s spicy chicken curry, Shaw’s mac and cheese, and Stein’s ravioli all are very different. However, to all of us these meals remind us of family and our pasts. They are meals that will always hit the spot and truly tastes amazing. Part of the reason these meals are so mouthwatering is because they took time and effort to create. All four of these meals were not just thrown together last minute. Time probably was not even a factor when these meals were created. They were made to taste good, not to fit into our busy schedules. So why are we so focused on spending as little time as possible on meals when our favorite meals are those that took time and effort to make. When we have these meals we typically are not rushing, but rather enjoying the moment with family surrounding us. If moments like these are so powerful and have been for years, what made quick meals become so valuable?
In Micheal Pollan’s essay, “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” this idea is explored even deeper.
Final Draft
Meal Analysis Essay
The way people value food truly reveals a lot about a person’s personality. These values vary from one person to another, but have dramatically changed throughout the years as a whole. From timing to lifestyle changes it is quite obvious we value food in different ways than our grandmothers do or once did. With the typical American’s busy lifestyle today, it seems people value fast, quick meals that do not interfere too much with their schedule over homemade, tasty meals that require time and effort. While meals that require minimal effort and energy tend to be valued more by most people, our favorite meals tend to be those that take time and effort to make. Often times these meals are family recipes and are made from scratch. This reveals that to many people today time is more important than enjoying a delicious meal. This is also seen in Micheal Pollan’s essay, “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch.” Throughout Pollan’s piece interesting points are made supporting the fact that food has developed in so many ways. From how we make and eat food to even how we watch food being made on the TV, changes are drastic compared to other generations.
While reading several classmates, “Favorite Meal Essays” it became prominent that many of us exhibit very similar feelings towards our favorite meals for very similar reasons. The meals themselves tended to be very different, each displaying a different family’s love, culture, and traditions. Although no one had the same favorite meal or story behind that meal, it was fascinating to see the similarities in the way we all felt towards that meal as well. While reading Angel Fendiana’s essay she talks about her favorite meal, spicy chicken curry, saying, “It’s always my go-to meal for any type of situation. Some restaurants may have curries that are too sweet, too spicy, or too salty. I’ve tried plenty of spicy chicken curries in my life, but no one cooks it like my mom. My mom’s signature version of spicy chicken curry was the perfect combination of all of the above. She has mastered the spicy chicken curry to the point that no one would be able to top hers.” Similar to my grandmother’s meatballs, Fendiana’s mom spent time mastering her recipe to the point where it can not beat any other spicy chicken curry recipe. It is a meal that will always hit the spot for Fendiana, but especially when it is made by her mom. It is easy to find restaurants that serves spicy chicken curry, but most of the time they are seasoned in ways she is not a fan of. Maddie Shaw shares very similar feeling towards her favorite meal, mac and cheese, which is made by her dad explaining, “We have made the dish the same way for years, and he knows me all too well when it comes to change. That is also a component of why I like this meal so much because it has never changed. He knows that change takes me out of my comfort zone so he pushes me to try new things, but at the same time this dish is one of the few things that has never changed. No matter where we are, how old we get, his mac and cheese still hits the same every time.” Mac and cheese to Shaw represents comfort. Life is constantly changing in both good and bad ways, but this can be hard as change is never easy, so Shaw enjoys the fact that her dad’s mac and cheese will always taste the same. As she continues to get older, things in her life are going to continue to change, but one thing in her life that will always stay the same is her dad’s mac and cheese. Similar to Fendiana and I, Shaw’s dad spent time creating the perfect mac and cheese recipe until it became what it is today. The taste is perfect to Shaw and no other recipe will match his. Melissa Stein, a previous student, shares her family’s famous ravioli. Stein states, “We all sit down and await the delicious, mouthwatering food that’s been specially handcrafted for us. It’s the little things in life that we need to be grateful for. The hard work and love that goes into every second of a meal really pays off in the end result. It’s traditions like these that bring our family close. We are able to bond with each other as well as over food. What more could you ask for?” Stein’s favorite meal is also one made by a family member. Her mom’s grandmother introduced this meal to the family and it was such a hit they have since passed it down through each generation. While the meal itself is amazing, the fact that it reminds them of family makes it even better.
Overall, my grandmother’s meatballs, Fendiana’s spicy chicken curry, Shaw’s mac and cheese, and Stein’s ravioli all are very different meals that came about in different ways and were made during different time periods. However, to all of us these meals remind us of family and our pasts. They are meals that will always hit the spot and truly taste amazing. Part of the reason these meals are so mouthwatering is because they took time and effort to create. All four of these meals were not just thrown together last minute. Time probably was not even a factor when these meals were created. They were made specifically to taste good, not to fit into our busy schedules. So why are we so focused on spending as little time as possible on meals when our favorite meals are those that took time and effort to create and make. When we eat these meals that took a while to make and perfect we typically are not rushing, but instead enjoying the moment with family surrounding us. If moments like these are so powerful and have been for years, what made quick meals become so valuable? If they take away from the amount of time spent with the family having fun and laughing, at one point did we lose this value?
In Micheal Pollan’s essay, “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” this idea is explored even deeper. Not only has the amount of time spent in the kitchen changed, but so has the way we watch it on TV. Cooking shows were at one point made to inspire people to get into the kitchen themselves. It motivated people to test their creativity and discover what they are able to do in the kitchen. Julia Child’s show “The French Chef” was something Pollan grew up to. His mother looked up to Child in many ways, inspiring her to cook Child’s meals for her family. Pollan even states, “I was only 8 when ‘The French Chef’ first appeared on American television in 1963, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that this Julia Child had improved the quality of life around our house. My mother began cooking dishes she’d watch Julia cook on TV…” (Page 1). Not only did Julia Child motivate new meals to be cooked, but according to Pollan she also improved their life. It is crazy to think that a TV show can have that much of an impact on people. I think a major reason for this is because Julia Child was real and honest. Her shows were taped live and mistakes occurred. She informed people that this is normal and something to learn from. When she flipped a pancake, for example, it fell. She then explained what she did wrong, motivating her viewers not to make the same mistake. Looking up to someone that is not perfect is, in my opinion, what made Julia Child so powerful.
Today, however, this is not the case. Cooking shows are no longer made to inspire people to cook. They rarely even have recipes or instructions to follow along with. Most cooking shows just make people want to watch more episodes. They are designed to keep us on the couch. Pollan states, “The Food Network has helped to transform cooking from something you do into something you watch… the Food Network leaves you hungry, a condition its advertisers must love. But in neither case is there much risk that you will get off the couch and actually cook a meal” (Page 12). Rather than cooking along with cooking shows like Julia Child’s show, people simply just sit on the couch and watch these pre made and often scripted shows without ever actually making the meal. It is fascinating to see the drastic change in Ameican’s lifestyle now compared to the 1960’s when Child’s show first came out. People have different morals and value different things which is interesting as homemade meals and recipes have such a big and positive impact on so many people. A major reason for this is time. Americans today tend to always be on the go so having meals that take up as little time as possible seem to be the most popular meals. However while this is true, another point to add is that many people are spending more time watching others cook on TV than they are actually cooking themselves. It is a confusing point because it really can go both ways.
Overall, while our favorite meals are the ones that take time and effort to make and consume, fast and easy meals have overwhelmingly become more popular. From the way we make meals to how we watch them being made on TV, it is obvious our values have shifted over the years. It is interesting how regardless of the positive impacts Child and others had on others to cook themselves, it still faded away due to new values. And even though our favorite meals are the ones we take time to cook and eat, we still have fast meals more often because they are easier. It leaves me questioning what our meals will be like in the future. I wonder if this shift will continue, resulting in our favorite meals becoming extinct or if people will go back to what previous generations did and make more homemade meals from scratch.
Works Cited
Maddie Shaw, mshaw11.uneportfolio.org/food-for-thought/.
“Angel’s Site!” Angels Site, afendiana.uneportfolio.org/food-for-thought/.
“Melissa’s Site.” Melissas Site, mstein2.uneportfolio.org/food-for-thought/.Pollan, Michael. “Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 29 July 2009, www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html.
