. . . that our potluck yesterday constituted a "perfect meal" for me.
Spending time with people I've grown to care deeply about, sharing delicious food we've prepared for each other and talking about the art you have created is about as good as it gets.
If not a perfect meal in a traditional sense, it was the perfect end to a wonderful quarter. Don't you think?
Friday, March 11, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Preparing the Final Portfolio
Due: Wednesday, March 16, 1 p.m. on your blog
Final revision of restaurant review
Part three, final (restaurant review) assignment (see description in the previous post)
Process Writing (see description below)
What is a portfolio?
Most simply, a portfolio is a way of containing your work for presentation and assessment. It represents you as a writer in this particular class—your current interests, your development as you reworked and revised your work, and your range as a budding food and travel writer. It’s like an artist’s portfolio or a portfolio a photographer might take to a job interview. But in your case, it contains pieces of writing instead of watercolors or photographs, and it’s online in the form of your blog.
What is process writing?
Process writing describes the process you went through when drafting and revising your pieces, and the thinking about yourself as a writer that you engaged in when preparing the portfolio. The jargon for this kind of writing is “metacognition”—thinking about thinking. That makes it sound heavy, but it’s actually relaxing and enjoyable, writing that celebrates the completion of your work for the course.
“What works best is simply to record what actually happened [as you reported, wrote and revised your work], with as much honesty and detail as possible—and with a spirit of calm, benign acceptance of yourself. That is, you aren’t trying to judge yourself or prove anything or reach big conclusions—just to find our what actually goes on when you write” (Elbow and Belanoff, A Community of Writers 12-13).
You don’t have to answer all these questions, but here are some points to think about as you do your process writing:
How did you discover a process for writing each piece?
When were you frustrated?
What were your breakthroughs?
What are the important changes you made throughout the quarter with each draft and workshop?
How did you decide what to write about and what was your writing and research process like?
When were readers’ comments useful?
When did you find your own way to solve a problem rather than following the suggestion of your readers? Why did this seem to work better?
When did you disagree with readers? Why?
What did writing for this course teach you about yourself?
Be as personal and colloquial as you wish—it’s essentially writing you’re doing for yourself, though the class and I will be reading it, too. Like part three of your final assignment, word count is up to you.
Important: I will not give you a final grade for the class unless you’ve included process writing—it’s not optional!
Note: if you feel uncomfortable publishing your process writing on the blog or you prefer that I be the sole reader of your piece, you may email it to me as a WORD file by 1 p.m. on March 16.
Final revision of restaurant review
Part three, final (restaurant review) assignment (see description in the previous post)
Process Writing (see description below)
What is a portfolio?
Most simply, a portfolio is a way of containing your work for presentation and assessment. It represents you as a writer in this particular class—your current interests, your development as you reworked and revised your work, and your range as a budding food and travel writer. It’s like an artist’s portfolio or a portfolio a photographer might take to a job interview. But in your case, it contains pieces of writing instead of watercolors or photographs, and it’s online in the form of your blog.
What is process writing?
Process writing describes the process you went through when drafting and revising your pieces, and the thinking about yourself as a writer that you engaged in when preparing the portfolio. The jargon for this kind of writing is “metacognition”—thinking about thinking. That makes it sound heavy, but it’s actually relaxing and enjoyable, writing that celebrates the completion of your work for the course.
“What works best is simply to record what actually happened [as you reported, wrote and revised your work], with as much honesty and detail as possible—and with a spirit of calm, benign acceptance of yourself. That is, you aren’t trying to judge yourself or prove anything or reach big conclusions—just to find our what actually goes on when you write” (Elbow and Belanoff, A Community of Writers 12-13).
You don’t have to answer all these questions, but here are some points to think about as you do your process writing:
How did you discover a process for writing each piece?
When were you frustrated?
What were your breakthroughs?
What are the important changes you made throughout the quarter with each draft and workshop?
How did you decide what to write about and what was your writing and research process like?
When were readers’ comments useful?
When did you find your own way to solve a problem rather than following the suggestion of your readers? Why did this seem to work better?
When did you disagree with readers? Why?
What did writing for this course teach you about yourself?
Be as personal and colloquial as you wish—it’s essentially writing you’re doing for yourself, though the class and I will be reading it, too. Like part three of your final assignment, word count is up to you.
Important: I will not give you a final grade for the class unless you’ve included process writing—it’s not optional!
Note: if you feel uncomfortable publishing your process writing on the blog or you prefer that I be the sole reader of your piece, you may email it to me as a WORD file by 1 p.m. on March 16.
Part three, final (restaurant review) assignment
Now that you've been to the restaurant, written about the experience and received feedback in workshop on your review, go back to your pre-restaurant-visit writing. Reconsider what your expectations and assumptions were. How were they met by the actual experience? What is the dissonance between your assumptions/expectations and what you actually found? How has this assignment affected and perhaps complicated your understanding of "authenticity"?
Bonus: what will you take from this assignment into future "tourist" experiences--culinary or otherwise, study abroad or otherwise?
Word count: your choice. Whatever number of words it requires to thoroughly assess and communicate your experience and answers to the above questions!
Bonus: what will you take from this assignment into future "tourist" experiences--culinary or otherwise, study abroad or otherwise?
Word count: your choice. Whatever number of words it requires to thoroughly assess and communicate your experience and answers to the above questions!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Final Workshop Lineup
Workshop Tuesday/Reviews Posted by Sunday at 5 p.m.
Alexis
Nora
Hannah
Gabriella
Stephanie
Max
Julia
Workshop Thursday/Reviews Posted by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Jake
Jaime
Alaina
Katie
Elaine
Kelsey
Emily
Note: Thursday's class will meet in Dewing 114 where we will celebrate the last class with a potluck! Bring delicious things to share!
Alexis
Nora
Hannah
Gabriella
Stephanie
Max
Julia
Workshop Thursday/Reviews Posted by Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Jake
Jaime
Alaina
Katie
Elaine
Kelsey
Emily
Note: Thursday's class will meet in Dewing 114 where we will celebrate the last class with a potluck! Bring delicious things to share!
Final Major Assignment
Your final assignment has three parts.
1. The expectation and anticipation: 500 words
Choose a restaurant to review. Choose a restaurant that serves food that represents a “vivid entryway into another culture” for you (Long 1), and that may be a kind of travel or border crossing for you personally. Write a blog post of 500 words or more evaluating your expectations of the experience. What personal experiences or baggage from the past influence what you think will happen in terms of the dining experience? What are your worries or concerns, hopes and desires for the meal? Reference any pertinent readings (including CYOA, classmates’ blog posts and Food, Inc.) and conversations (in class or online via blogs) in this informal, conversational essay. Post to your blog BEFORE you go to the restaurant. The audience for this piece is, indeed, this class.
2. The review: 1000 words
Using Sam Sifton’s restaurant reviews as a model, write a well-reasoned and –argued, structurally sound, utterly readable if not downright entertaining review of the restaurant you chose.
In terms of PROCESS, do background research on the restaurant and the cuisine, take notes (and maybe photos) during the meal, think long and hard about what you have to say about the experience (both the food and the place/ambiance), find a place (aka “The Butt”) on the pan-to-rave continuum where you stand, start to develop the thesis, the main points you’ll argue to support “The Butt.”
With regard to ORGANIZING/WRITING, make sure your piece has clear elements: thesis, point of view, an effective lead, evidence to support your claims, a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression, etc.). Also, provide perspective/context/background/research and analysis. Build your case and do it as artfully and appropriately for your intended audience as you can.
Choose an intended publication and state it before the lead of your piece.
3. The evaluation
This part will be due exam week, with your portfolio, and I will give you the assignment after workshop. Don’t worry about it. It will be pleasant and informal and written for the class on your blog, much as the first part of the assignment.
1. The expectation and anticipation: 500 words
Choose a restaurant to review. Choose a restaurant that serves food that represents a “vivid entryway into another culture” for you (Long 1), and that may be a kind of travel or border crossing for you personally. Write a blog post of 500 words or more evaluating your expectations of the experience. What personal experiences or baggage from the past influence what you think will happen in terms of the dining experience? What are your worries or concerns, hopes and desires for the meal? Reference any pertinent readings (including CYOA, classmates’ blog posts and Food, Inc.) and conversations (in class or online via blogs) in this informal, conversational essay. Post to your blog BEFORE you go to the restaurant. The audience for this piece is, indeed, this class.
2. The review: 1000 words
Using Sam Sifton’s restaurant reviews as a model, write a well-reasoned and –argued, structurally sound, utterly readable if not downright entertaining review of the restaurant you chose.
In terms of PROCESS, do background research on the restaurant and the cuisine, take notes (and maybe photos) during the meal, think long and hard about what you have to say about the experience (both the food and the place/ambiance), find a place (aka “The Butt”) on the pan-to-rave continuum where you stand, start to develop the thesis, the main points you’ll argue to support “The Butt.”
With regard to ORGANIZING/WRITING, make sure your piece has clear elements: thesis, point of view, an effective lead, evidence to support your claims, a conclusion that leaves a lasting impression, etc.). Also, provide perspective/context/background/research and analysis. Build your case and do it as artfully and appropriately for your intended audience as you can.
Choose an intended publication and state it before the lead of your piece.
3. The evaluation
This part will be due exam week, with your portfolio, and I will give you the assignment after workshop. Don’t worry about it. It will be pleasant and informal and written for the class on your blog, much as the first part of the assignment.
A few more reviews to check out for Thursday's class
Make sure to read as writers, discovering and understanding structure and technique in each piece. We'll discuss them Thursday.
Because the Fat Lady has to Eat
Osteria Morini
Il Matto
Kenmare, which gets zero stars
Because the Fat Lady has to Eat
Osteria Morini
Il Matto
Kenmare, which gets zero stars
Friday, February 25, 2011
Reading for 9th week Tuesday
As promised, here are links to the reading due Tuesday. It's all from the New York Times, much of it from Sam Sifton, the Times' chief restaurant critic. I think you'll have a good time with it.
United Tastes comes to the Midwest
Mark Bittman v. McDonald's Oatmeal
Sam Sifton reviews Ai Fiori
Sifton reviews Bar Basque
Hey Mr. Critic
Another Hey Mr. Critic
Sifton does Brooklyn
Sifton says Jamaican is the thing
Sifton blogs about the John Dory Oyster Bar
Sifton on how to eat for a living and stay healthy doing it
Sifton's My Life in Food
Round One Q&A
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
and just for fun, To Catch a Critic
United Tastes comes to the Midwest
Mark Bittman v. McDonald's Oatmeal
Sam Sifton reviews Ai Fiori
Sifton reviews Bar Basque
Hey Mr. Critic
Another Hey Mr. Critic
Sifton does Brooklyn
Sifton says Jamaican is the thing
Sifton blogs about the John Dory Oyster Bar
Sifton on how to eat for a living and stay healthy doing it
Sifton's My Life in Food
Round One Q&A
Round Two
Round Three
Round Four
and just for fun, To Catch a Critic
Monday, February 14, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Bittman takes on the government, big business and OPRAH, oh my!
Mark Bittman wrote a powerful critique for the New York Times that speaks to just about everything we've been talking about lately. Check it out.
What do you think of his acronyms and do you think he goes far enough? Or is it his job? Something we've discussed is how do we fix it? What can we do? What if we all just do what we can? Bittman doesn't have to please, or even address, the lobbyists and the corn growers. He speaks to New York Times readers, which is no small group. If he can convince even a fraction of the people reading this piece to ERF, then he's done a lot.
Here's where you can find his blog post about the resources he used to back up his claims, fyi.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Essay Workshop lineup
For workshop number two, we're reversing the order. That means if you were workshopped Tuesday last time, you'll be workshopped Thursday this time (and vice versa).
That means if you're Jake, Alaina, Julia, Max, Gabriella, Emily or Stephanie, your piece is due Sunday at 5 p.m.
If you're Nora, Hannah, Elaine, Jaime, Kelsey, Katie or Alexis, your piece is due Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Let me know if you have questions!
That means if you're Jake, Alaina, Julia, Max, Gabriella, Emily or Stephanie, your piece is due Sunday at 5 p.m.
If you're Nora, Hannah, Elaine, Jaime, Kelsey, Katie or Alexis, your piece is due Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Let me know if you have questions!
Essay/Advocacy Journalism prompts
Here's the assignment due next week according to your syllabus:
Cook your idea of a perfect meal for others and write about the entire experience.
If you're comfortable working with that, go for it. For those of you who like a little more prompting, here are some considerations:
Use The Omnivore's Dilemma as a jumping off point. Create a list of rules to follow like Pollan does on page 392. Set out to follow them, and allow your discrepancies to provide tension in the narrative.
Another great technique to borrow from Pollan is to write about your expectations and assumptions before the meal and as the experience of hunting, gathering, preparing, feeding and eating unfold, address how your expectations and assumptions are either met or not. This, too, provides tension in the narrative.
Allow yourself to be as transparent and conversational as possible.
Think about the religiosity or other moral implications of your meal. Consider the meal as grace, as Pollan does on page 407.
"Eating's not a bad way to get to know a place," Pollan writes on page 408. Make your meal as much about getting to know a place as possible.
Attempt to create "a meal that is eaten in full consciousness of what it took to make it" (409). Write about your successes and failures in all their glory.
Hopefully that gets you going. I can't wait to read about your experiences!
Cook your idea of a perfect meal for others and write about the entire experience.
If you're comfortable working with that, go for it. For those of you who like a little more prompting, here are some considerations:
Use The Omnivore's Dilemma as a jumping off point. Create a list of rules to follow like Pollan does on page 392. Set out to follow them, and allow your discrepancies to provide tension in the narrative.
Another great technique to borrow from Pollan is to write about your expectations and assumptions before the meal and as the experience of hunting, gathering, preparing, feeding and eating unfold, address how your expectations and assumptions are either met or not. This, too, provides tension in the narrative.
Allow yourself to be as transparent and conversational as possible.
Think about the religiosity or other moral implications of your meal. Consider the meal as grace, as Pollan does on page 407.
"Eating's not a bad way to get to know a place," Pollan writes on page 408. Make your meal as much about getting to know a place as possible.
Attempt to create "a meal that is eaten in full consciousness of what it took to make it" (409). Write about your successes and failures in all their glory.
Hopefully that gets you going. I can't wait to read about your experiences!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
They want to scan our faces to make us eat more Kraft!
I heard about this when I tuned into The Splendid Table for a minute this afternoon. It struck me on a new level how our capitalist system supports corporations in their quest to sell us more processed food.
How do you feel about a Kraft kiosk that scans your face to determine who you are and how they'll best get you to buy more of their products? Are you interested in this kind of "meal planning solution"? Don't you wonder how many fresh ingredients they'll try to get onto your shopping list? It's a very different way of getting to know the customer than the farmer's market model in which your grower knows you by name and what you tend to buy because you actually have conversations with a human being with dirt under her fingernails.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Bittman, Waters, Sifton and the F.D.A.
Here are the links I referenced in class today, as promised:
Mark Bittman in Bon Appetit
Alice Waters' The Edible Schoolyard
Sam Sifton's take on The Fat Radish
The new food guidelines
F.D.A. says no to new obesity drug
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think in the comments!
Mark Bittman in Bon Appetit
Alice Waters' The Edible Schoolyard
Sam Sifton's take on The Fat Radish
The new food guidelines
F.D.A. says no to new obesity drug
Enjoy, and please let me know what you think in the comments!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Memoir prompts
To get the juices flowing (so to speak) on your memoir assignment, here are some possible entry points:
1. Use the scene you began in class about a kitchen from your childhood to explore food, memory and one of your places of origin.
2. After "Stealing Buddha's Dinner," write about a food obsession of yours.
3. After "A Cook's Tour," "[t]hink about the last time food transported you" (10) and write about it.
4. Write about a memory of your first time with a new food, a time when you experienced a completely new flavor. What effect did it have on you?
5. Write about a longing for food that speaks to a bigger, deeper longing.
6. Write about an experience of giving up food--a particular kind of food, a particular amount, food in general--of denying yourself food.
7. Write about a time when you felt different because of the food you ate.
8. Write about "site-specific" food or things you've cooked in conjunction with other activities, perhaps inspired by Jane Kramer. Or write about food you have--or would--travel for, like Bourdain and French Laundry. "I like the idea of having to travel to experience a French Laundry meal. The journey is part of the experience--or was for me--an expression of the seriousness of one's intent . . . " (251).
These are just starting points to get you going. Feel free to write from any other place in the universe as long as it speaks to food and travel.
Whatever you write, keep an eye toward crafting scene, developing character and voice, using dialogue, allowing yourself to meander and wander into the recesses of your mind as well as inform the reader about things s/he may not be familiar with. And have fun!
1. Use the scene you began in class about a kitchen from your childhood to explore food, memory and one of your places of origin.
2. After "Stealing Buddha's Dinner," write about a food obsession of yours.
3. After "A Cook's Tour," "[t]hink about the last time food transported you" (10) and write about it.
4. Write about a memory of your first time with a new food, a time when you experienced a completely new flavor. What effect did it have on you?
5. Write about a longing for food that speaks to a bigger, deeper longing.
6. Write about an experience of giving up food--a particular kind of food, a particular amount, food in general--of denying yourself food.
7. Write about a time when you felt different because of the food you ate.
8. Write about "site-specific" food or things you've cooked in conjunction with other activities, perhaps inspired by Jane Kramer. Or write about food you have--or would--travel for, like Bourdain and French Laundry. "I like the idea of having to travel to experience a French Laundry meal. The journey is part of the experience--or was for me--an expression of the seriousness of one's intent . . . " (251).
These are just starting points to get you going. Feel free to write from any other place in the universe as long as it speaks to food and travel.
Whatever you write, keep an eye toward crafting scene, developing character and voice, using dialogue, allowing yourself to meander and wander into the recesses of your mind as well as inform the reader about things s/he may not be familiar with. And have fun!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Up and running!
Looking forward to seeing you this afternoon, everyone, and discussing the Jane Kramer piece from Secret Ingredients.
Here are sites to get you started in your CYOA assignment:
*Gourmet's favorite food sites
*Bon Appetit magazine online
*Food and Travel magazine online
*The New Yorker online has a terrific search function in which you can find even more recent food pieces than the ones collected in Secret Ingredients
*Every Wednesday, the New York Times has a Dining Section; and every Sunday they put out a Travel Section. There are various food and travel articles throughout the paper everyday (like this one in yesterday's paper about pesticide use threatening a giant ant-eating tradition in Brazil) and you can access all the articles and blogs anytime online. It's worth spending some time on the site.
*This is a delightful radio show devoted to food
*there are, of course, cable networks devoted entirely to food and travel. Take a look here, here and here.
That should at least get you started. Don't at all feel limited to these particular sites in your hunt for your CYOA; my hope is that by bringing what you love to class, you'll expand our knowledge and resources. Also, make sure to present something to us that sustains good discussion. Showing a cooking show clip or a recipe, for example, likely won't get us anywhere. Also, make sure to find something that speaks to the marriage of food and place.
As of 10:11 a.m. today, this blog has only 9 followers. Make sure to follow this blog, and all class blogs, through blogger.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Welcome to English 208 at K-College
If you're reading this, you're more than likely registered for the brand spanking new sophomore seminar Food and Travel Writing at Kalamazoo College. Congratulations. You've made an excellent choice!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)