Image that represents food in Asheville

     When I think of the topic of food in Asheville, I think of organic, natural, and homegrown instead of artificial, processed, and chock full of preservatives. An experience that shaped my perspective of food in Asheville was when a group of students that I belonged to visited the Green Opportunities Kitchen. Food from a local garden was prepared for us, while we learned about the kitchen itself. The food was decadent and it tasted so real compared to something that came out of a box. I believe that Asheville is full of natural foods that are from local sources.
     The reason why I chose this picture was because it looks like natural produce. The picture is full of greens and other vegetables that are comparable to the meals served in the Green Opportunities Kitchen. Also, any other restaurant in Asheville that isn't fast food looks like it is fresh and prepared that morning. The picture represents the freshness of Asheville that cannot be found anywhere else. Asheville's restaurant scene is an organic, fresh, and natural area that is incomparable to many other cities.

http://www.ashevillenc.com/area_info/local_food

Service Learning reflection

     So far, for service-learning opportunities, I have only attended the orientation for service learning. The service learning orientation provided information on what the service-learning model is, how it relates to service learning class, and what can be done to help communities around the area. I actually just sat in a room while I listened to an explanation of service-learning classes,
     This experience has helped me become cognizant of the benefits of a service-learning class. A class such as this can help adjust my perspective on current social issues and also issues plaguing the local community. Also, the service-learning aspect provides something else to the class instead of just having an orthodox academic approach. I now have the opportunity to learn from a social and academic perspective about certain subjects.
     Service learning has helped me in so many ways already. It has taught me that I can be a factor in changing the community for the better and also realizing that I can work with others to solve several social problems. It has also helped learn about myself wanting to help others in need and to want to work with others to solve whatever problems are at hand.
     I have learned several things about Asheville that I would have never learned without the presentation that I attended. Every city or community has something in need of improvement and I can help improve something in that community. Also, Asheville has many wonderful opportunities to help others.
    My service learning goals for the future are to be more active in my hours and actually do something by now. I hope to help improve the community and also learn very important life skills in the future. I am also deciding if I would like to attend another service learning class to graduate with honors.

"Eating the Hyphen" "Reclaiming True Grits"

On Thursday I read two interesting articles named “Eating the Hyphen” and “Reclaiming True Grits”. These articles captured my interest from the very beginning. One was about “soul food” and what it means to modern society and the other is about an Asian American who Americanizes authentic Chinese cuisine. In “Reclaiming True Grits”, the author defines what soul food means today and what it used to mean. Soul food is described as being authentic African American that the media discovered in the 60s. The author persuades the reader that soul food is usually instant today instead of a good home cooked meal. The author also emphasizes that soul food can be healthy, but it is not thought of as healthy currently. In “Eating the Hyphen” a Chinese American describes how Chinese dumplings should be eaten. The author persuades the reader that ketchup is a mandatory condiment to pair with dumplings. The author also provides instructions on how to eat Chinese dumplings correctly.

I do wonder how the author of “Reclaiming True Grits” plans on creating healthier soul foods again. I wonder this because the author mentions that African Americans as a population are unfortunately plagued with health problems compared to other ethnicities. I also wonder if the author can help convince other ethnicities and popular culture that soul food is just black southern cooking instead of this edible anomaly that the media announces it to be. In “Eating the Hyphen”, I wonder how other Chinese Americans or even Chinese people would view her eating habits. Would they give a look of disgust or would they be tempted to try it? In my opinion they sound delicious to me.

I think that all cultures have wonderful foods that can be enjoyed by anyone. I believe that foods should be able to be traced back to a culture, but it shouldn’t be afraid to venture out and become Americanized. I am interested in eating both the authentic version of foods and the more modern versions of foods. I think both of the authors do a great job in describing how certain foods are meaningful to their race and how they contrast their cultural foods becoming Americanized. Both authors offer valid persuasive points and I can’t help but agree with both of them.

Response to food on campus

After living at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, I have ad an interesting dining experience on campus. I usually eat at Brown Hall which is nicknamed "The Caf". I usually eat there three times a day because I selected a meal plan that allowed me to. Anyways, after reading both "Taking Local on the Road" and "You Can't Run Away on Harvest Day", I was forced to review the food that's prepared in The Caf. Back home in Charlotte, my family was always conscious about eating organic meat that wasn't prepared in a processing plant instead of raised on the farm. We have always gone to the local market to purchase meat from the merchants there.
     Here at UNCA, I do have to think about where the meat is coming from and if it is friendly to the environment or not. I do believe that the cafeteria is conscious about what it is serving to its students, and also that it accommodates many different lifestyles including being vegan or vegetarian. I do love our cafeteria and I can't help but feel like the school has a more liberal and non-processed approach to cooking food. The food is tasty and delicious and I love the variety of meals that the cafeteria serves. Overall, the dining experience here at UNCA is fantastic.

"Not Just a White Girl Thing"

In both of the articles, I noticed many interesting things. For example, I noticed that there is a stereotypical person for eating disorders. This stereotypical person is described as being a financially secure, white girl. Instead, eating disorders affect people of all genders, cultures, and races. In the other article I read, titled "Her Chee-to Heart", the author has a penchant for describing foods that she eats as they are, high in fat and full of chemicals. The authors both use rhetoric to help keep the reader interested and also help persuade the reader to a certain view. "Not Just a White Girl Thing" instructs the reader to think outside of the stereotypes that society has. "Her Chee-to Heart" almost forces the reader to reflect on what is inside foods and what is being consumed on an every day basis.

I wonder how many cultures are affected by the current eating disorder pandemic. I know for certain they are in westernized cultures, but I am curious to see the extant of Western culture's influence. I am also wondering what percentage of men in the world are suffering from body-image issues and eating disorders. I wonder if there are any major flaws in both articles' statistics and argument. I wonder if white girls are still being affected as heavily as other races, which I feel like is what the author doesn't want you to believe.

There are copious amounts of information missing from the worlds' point of view about eating disorders. Eating disorders affect a majority of people in western cultures and also cultures that the west influences. I think that men should not be forgotten about when it comes to image issues and eating disorders. I know from personal experience that there are expectations for men when it comes to image and that it does make some men insecure about their bodies. I think both of these articles resonated with me and I was very moved by these articles. Eating disorders and the amount of chemicals and fat in foods should not be treated lightly. They are both serious issues that can harm any person out there who is willing to be sucked into the expectations that society creates. I do believe that the article discussing eating disorders in different cultures uses credible sources for statistics. The author also uses  personal experiences to help persuade the reader to agree with their argument. Overall, both of the articles were informative in their own ways. One used a blend of personal experiences and facts to help the reader understand that eating disorders can affect anybody. The other uses personal experience, descriptive writing, and some statistics to help inform the reader about the fat-filled foods that play a role in peoples' everyday life.

Food Matters

Hello, my name is Macintosh and I am in a class called Language 120 that is taught by professor Pisano. Today I will be discussing why food matters to the individual, the family, and the world.

    Food does and should matter to anybody and everybody in the world. All life would cease to exist without the nutrition that food provides. Food has a deeper meaning than nutrition, though. To me, food is a art. I love the way the flavors dance on my tongue, presenting my taste buds with the unique identity of the dish I am currently eating. I love trying every type of food and learning about the origins of dishes and what culture a certain dish comes from.

    In a family, food is also extremely important. Food can bring families closer by siblings and parents cooking together or even going to a restaurant to go to. Food can be a conversational topic because families can discuss how a dish is made and families can also talk about how good or bad a food is. A dinner table is a social gathering place where food is eaten. Food is a key ingredient in creating stronger bonds between families.

     Lastly, food plays many roles on Earth. Food can identify a culture by unique dishes. Food has played an important role in history. Food is a business, an art, entertainment, a topic, a bond creator, and even a piece of history. Food is all around us and it creates a universal language that words cannot even dream of creating. Food is a gift, it is a treasure. The point is, food really matters.

"What the World Eats"

In the article "What the World Eats", there are pictures of families all throughout the world sitting next to a pile of food. The caption of the pictures explains how much money is spent on food a week for that particular family and it provides information on what the family's favorite dish is.

     While cycling through the pictures of international families and the food that they ate for the week, I noticed some interesting things. One particular thing that I noticed was the range of money spent. One family spent over seven hundred dollars while another family spent a little less than two dollars. Another thing I noticed were the diets of some of the families. Many first world country families typically had an unhealthy diet, such as America with a percentage of the food consisting of pizza, soda, and other sorts of junk food. Other countries who typically spent less on food were eating less portions and were also eating healthier menu items like fruits and vegetables.

     I also wondered about several things in this article. I was curious how some large families depicted in this article could survive on such little money spent a week. I also wonder why a family would need to spend over seven hundred dollars on food a week. That just doesn't make sense to me. I'm also curious whether there is a correlation between money spent on food and the satisfaction of families.

    I think that this article is very powerful in the fact that it compares several families in different countries eating habits and also spending habits. It brings a sort of realization that me being an American could have it a lot worse. I could possibly be living off of approximately 2 dollars of food a week instead of the hundreds that my family would regularly spend a week. I also think that this article creates a sense of gluttony among more developed countries because of all the food that is eaten a week by much smaller families.