Soul Food Junkies

Here is everything I shared in class on Friday. 

Link to the Film: Soul Food Junkies

This is the quote on food and race that appears towards the end of the film and that I read in class.  

"The reality is that in America there is a class and race based apartheid in the food system"....“There is no better example of racism in the 21st century than the relationship between black people (and other people of color and those living in economic hardship) and access to healthy foods. People think about racism as an individual act of discrimination from one person to another, but that's not what its about. Its about systems, its about structures, its about institutions. And the fact that black people live in neighborhoods where they cant get access to healthy food choices and white people can get healthy food choices, that is classic text book racism. You want to wipe out an entire generation of people, you want to engage in a kind of 21st century genocide, all you have to do is continue what we are doing: which is deprive black people (and other people of color and those living in economic hardship) access to healthy food.”

The quote is from an interview with Dr. Marc Lamont Hill who teaches at Columbia University.

see everyone this afternoon.

John

Quinoa - Changing Consumption, changing the Lives of Producers

Hey guys,

We had a conversation about Quinoa, its consumption in the United States and the lives of farmers in Latin America.

If you are interested in learning more check out this article I came across this afternoon.  Quinoa Boom

It does a great job linking consumption of a food in the United States to the lived day to day lives of farmers on the ground in Latin America.

see everyone tomorrow afternoon.

John

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you are enjoying the documentary Soul Food Junkies.  I think you will really take a lot out of the second half that we will watch in class this afternoon.

Here is a link to the video if you wanted to check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW5sEGzy6k4

Also, if you have some time, check out the work being done by Bryant Terry.  He is a chef that cooks vegan soul food.  He is featured heavily in the documentary and well he is just generally pretty awesome. I am not vegan or vegetarian, but I really love the work Terry is doing both in and out of the kitchen.

Here are some links to his work.

http://www.bryant-terry.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant_Terry

http://www.motherjones.com/media/2009/04/mojo-video-bryant-terrys-vegan-soul-kitchen

See everyone this afternoon,

John

Sea Bar

My roommate recently turned 21, so to celebrate we decided to try out a new restaurant downtown. After some research, we found Sea Bar on Ellicott St. It had great reviews, so we figured let's give it a try.

I was immediately impressed once I walked in. The lighting was the first thing that really caught my interest. It was floor to ceiling colors that kept changing.
It was the food, however, that kept my interest. I had probably the best taco....ever. And who would have thought at a place called Sea Bar?!
The taco was an appetizer, but it was supposedly an oriental style taco. Whatever style it really was, it was delicious.
The sushi was also really good!
To celebrate, my roommate had tried their oriental style beer, which to me tasted like a regular old Bud Light, but, whatever sells I guess.

Definitely a place to go to!!

bday dinner at clam bar

On Monday, I went with my friends to eat at Boston Hotel aka Clam bar. It was my 2nd time there and I really like it. We went around 8pm, so the wait was not bad at all because of the Monday special deals. The entire place was packed and the aroma smelled so good. It smelt like crab legs. I ordered crab leg clusters, raw clams and steamed clams. Everything was just so fresh that day. The raw clams were amazing even though some still have a little sand, but that did not stop us from eating it. The steam clams were very chewy. I had a great time. I recommend trying this place if you guys haven't yet. The deals are very good: 1 dozen clams for $1.99 and crab clusters are like $3.99? I don't remember.

Fried Shrimp is Not Exactly What You Think..

My dad tends to spoil me with vacations and food, which I try to stay as humble as possible about, but when it comes to something like this deceptive dish I would want to let everyone know what it's all about.

Fried shrimp. When you think of "fried shrimp" you probably think of those tasty, breaded little shrimp tails that most of us could eat all day long. At least that's what I usually think of them as, but when ordering Fried shrimp at a sushi restaurant in San Diego, I was definitely expecting something a little different, but not what was handed to me on my plate.

I was expecting something along the lines of the shrimp tempura we have here at Soma Sushi on campus, or even just shrimp sashimi with some extra delights on them.

Nope. I got a head. A fried shrimp head that looked like someone cut a big shrimps head off, stuck it in a deep fryer, and plopped it right onto my plate. In fact I was given 2 of them.

I, again, don't have my own picture of it. Google fried shrimp and you might find what I'm talking about, this picture is the closest I could find:

Apparently it's usually called Atama, and I didn't know whether or not I should be eating something that still had it's eyes on it.

I told my dad if he ate one I'd eat the other, so he reached over and bit its eyes and antennae off.

I gagged.

He said it was delicious! Usually I'm into eating unusual foods, but this time seemed different. I picked up the shrimp, and tried to prepare myself for the entire head I was about to put into my mouth. The shrimp stared back at me with clear disappointment, and I stared right back. 

I took the bite, and was hesitant to keep chewing. I needed to know if it tasted good to keep going. And then it hit me, it was delicious! Kinda odd to eat something that is staring at me but it was definitely worth it. 

.. It just takes some mental preparation to enjoy.

(the eyeballs were what really got me)  

The Enormous Wegmans

I went to a concert last night in Rochester, and when I go to Rochester I like to explore the super giant Wegmans in Pittsford.  

This place offers a huge variety of things in the food bar area.  Of course there is the usual burrito station and sub shop, but then there is also basically any type of food you could imagine.  There was "Indian" (which I believe is the picture I took), "Chinese", "Italian", "Vegetarian", then there was things like macaroni and cheese, fried foods, enchiladas, different rices, salads... basically just a lot of food.

Also, a huge bakery section exists!  There were tons of different types of cookies, brownies, pastries, etc.  I tried a whole grain chocolate banana cookie, which was actually pretty awesome.  Next to the bakery is a coffee shop with a fairly large amount of drink choices.

Then, there is so much seating, to the point where it's almost crazy.   There are two floors of seats with multiple rooms on the second floor.  Oddly, I felt like each room was trying to enhance a certain 

mood, or tried to mimic a certain type of feel.

This Wegmans also has a restaurant called "The Food Bar" located basically inside and a more upscale restaurant across the street called "Next Door Bar and Grill"

Basically, Wegmans is a big deal.  Especially to Rochester dwellers (someone at the concert even brought up Wegmans to the opening act of the show).   Wegmans really does have a lot of pretty good stuff to choose from...it still is just slightly crazy though that this is all inside of a grocery store!  You have to imagine that this place is quite the competition for not only other grocery stores, but also other restaurants/bakeries/cafes/everything.

CNY in buffalo

        This year is the first year that I am spending Chinese New Year away from home.
When I am back at home, Chinese New Year is a time for delicious foods and of course red envelopes. My whole dinner table is always filled with different dishes. However since this year I am in school, I had to make the best of my Chinese New Year. My friends and I went to Eastern Pearl for lunch in hopes of food that would remind us of back home, and it definitely did. There was only 3 of us so we didn't order a lot. We order half a roasted duck, mayo jumbo shrimp with walmuts and mixed veggies. The portions were big and the food tasted just like home.

        For dinner, my sorority planned a hotpot. For those who don't know, hotpot is basically a pot boiling on a automatic stove with a soup base in it and we throw in frozen foods to cook in it. It is very instant so we cook what we want to eat and then eat it. Hotpot is easy and very filling.

Hello all,

As you may know, Lockwood Library has an exhibit in their main library about food related books (what an awesome coincidence with the timing of this course!). With my help, the library has been purchasing a number of books and materials that relate to food.

I want you to start thinking about possible themes for your papers/final presentations. Many of these should be helpful for both choosing a theme and for the completion of your final project.

Here are two interactive links, that were forwarded to me by the UB Library, that you could use to browse their collections.

UB Libraries: Food Collection

UB Libraries Pinterest: Food and Drink

Check out what they have because these materials could be invaluable resources for your papers.  Because it is an academic paper, you will need at least 3 academic sources, and these links could be a great place to start.

see everyone Wednesday!

-John

Twisted Lasagna

Instead of making the typical lasagna last weekend, I decided to switch it up.
I included zucchini, spinach, onions, ground sausage, chopped up peppers, and lots of different spices. I added a lot of cheese too (of course). I really didn't do much measuring of the ingredients because I was primarily the only one that was going to eat it, and I felt like experimenting. Next thing I knew my mouth was on fire after the addition of siracha, red peppeer, cayenne pepper, and some of my roommate's Indian spices. Never had spicy lasagna before but, I have to say, it was pretty damn good!

When we're with friends... We eat

I noticed that every time I make a trip to visit friends,
or they manage to make their way over to me here in Buffalo, we indulge.

Kike Alicha Watt

My friend Joe and I were in the Elmwood/Allen area to check out the shops, decided to try a random place, and ended up at  Gatur's Ethiopian Cuisine.

I have always wanted try to African food, any type, and Ethiopian made it's way to first on the list.

I wasn't sure on what to expect at all and sat down with good intentions. Since the vegetarian dishes managed to be half the price compared to the meat ones, I went with Kike Alicha Watt (red lentils, onion, garlic, and spices)

The salad had a pretty nice homemade citrus dressing, and the lentils were spiced at a good level for my taste. Underneath is spongy bread called Inerja. The texture might be a little off for some people, and it doesn't have much taste. My only negative thought about it was that it soaked up the dressing from the salad, making into that soggy bread that we all hate.

Veggie Wet Shoes

For brunch on Sunday, we headed to Amy's Place, right near all of the happening spots that South Campus Main St. has to offer. I hope you all have been here, because it is literally a piece of gold place right at hand's reach. Every time I've been here, I've ordered a different item and for about 2 months I've been craving the Veggie Wet Shoes (pictured right - Curly Q fries smothered with spicy lentils, grilled onions, peppers, tomatoes, cheddar, with a side of sour cream)

The cheese makes it look a little unappetizing due it's glazed coverage, but throw some hot sauce on this and it is all of the tastes you've wanted in one dish on a cold day.

In relation to our Friday discussion, after eating all of these lentils, it really made me want to try quinoa and lentils together!


Lastly, since we were so close, I made my friend make a quick stop at Paula's Donuts.

Paula's Chocolate Peanut Donut

(I actually made two stops there this past weekend, our little secret)

Another little joint right at our fingertips, on the corner of Englewood and Kenmore. I suggest stopping everything and going there right now.

I have never had regular donut so fluffy and sweet. I love, love, love peanut donuts and Paula's has created my all time love - the peanut cream.

At this trip, a lady made a chocolate peanut for me without a question.
Also, I found out my boss's brother in law is the main donut chef, so he gets free d-rings all the time, oh how I wish I had that connection.

Trattoria Aroma

This past weekend I met up with friends to celebrate a birthday. I have heard a lot of buzz about the Trattoria Aroma company (there are two restaurants, a caffe, and a wine bar) so I was excited to try the one right off Main Street in Williamsville for the first time. The atmosphere was right up my alley. Brick walls and candles that made it feel very warm and "homey". It reminded me of a restaurant that I would go to back home with my family. They started us off with bread and a really good roasted red pepper oil that we couldn't stop eating. We ordered wine and split salads for an appetizer. I ordered a grilled romaine salad with prosciutto, roasted red peppers, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese. The salad was delicious but was pretty small and probably not worth the $12 it cost. For my entree I fought between getting the butternut squash ravioli with pancetta, or the mushroom risotto. I decided to go with the ravioli and my roommate ordered the risotto so we could taste both. The butternut squash ravioli was delicious, but a little too sweet for my palate, even with the pancetta. On the other hand, the mushroom risotto was very salty. Because we decided to share the plates, I didn't mind the extreme flavors, but if I only had one of those entrees to eat, I don't know if I would have enjoyed the meal as much because the ravioli was as sweet as a dessert, and the risotto was very salty.

All-in-all I enjoyed the experience of the restaurant and would definitely give it another chance and try a different entree.

Below if a picture of the butternut squash ravioli with maple thyme cream sauce and pancetta.

Southern Food Experience

During the final week of the winter break, I went to see one of my friends in Chapel hill, North Carolina. I ate two southern dishes there: barbeque and grits. Before I visited her,  another friend from Florida told me that I should eat those two dishes in the Southern part of America, so I asked the friend living in NC before I visited to feed me them. One evening, she took me to the restaurant which is called “MAMA DIP’s.” (http://www.mamadips.com/) I ordered “Chopped Bar-B-QUE Pork”, which is next to yam in the picture. Barbeque, to me, is an event that a certain number of people gather and grill not only meat but various vegetables, sometimes fish and shellfish, or whatever I want to eat. However,  I realized that barbeque is also a term for a certain dish, which a sort of meat is grilled and covered with sauce;  I double checked what the barbeque is in the AMS295 class. The sauce was a little sweet and sour. The taste was okay.  

Next morning, we went to another restaurant, where I ate grits. This place was connected with a supermarket and was like a local morning cafeteria. As for grits, the main ingredient is liquid and alkali-treated corn called hominy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominy). It’s a little hard for me to describe what it is, so please see the picture below. The one I ate was probably contained butter and salt too since the girts itself has not so much taste. Getting  an advice from my friend, I put some cheddar cheese at bottom of the cup and put black peppers on the top; that was a really good combo. I love it. Only grits is not enough for breakfast, so I had a piece of pan cake and a little salad with it. Because Grits is a really light meal and very suitable for breakfast,  I could see a lot of elderly people around us eating grits after their morning walk. 

This is my southern food experience during the winter break.

PIEROGI + CREPE = LOVE

So when I was little my polish grandma always made me one of my favorite dishes of her's: "crepe suzette".

However she had an interesting take on the french dish: she would fry pierogi dough in a frying pan and then roll her pierogi mix (farmer's cheese, sugar, and other fun ingredients) inside. Her concoction was delicious!
It was a pierogi crepe! How awesome is that! Now I'm totally craving one!

Chicken Wings? How about buffalo frog legs.

Its safe to say that most people you will meet in buffalo had tried a chicken wing in at least two or three different variants.It has become a staple that can be found in most places and cities.
Something so simple as a chicken wing doesn't leave much room for new ways of producing the dish. Besides different flavors there isn't much that can be done to make one chicken wing be significantly different than the other.

One major aspect of the food world is the constant need to renovate and invent new spins to dishes we all know. Food had always touched similar bases with art, where a meal is sometimes more than just a meal. Its an expression.

How do you express your ideas in something so simple such as a chicken wing?

Well my experience takes me to Shango's Bistro, which is located right off main st, near UB south.

Shango's is a small cajun bistro that doesn't look like it belongs to the area it is in. The quality of food, and prices are pretty high, but i do recommend on going there, as the dishes and specials are always superb.

One of the appetizers that is offered there is Frog legs which are cooked just like chicken wings.
Same traditional buffalo sauce (they actually use an habanero extract)

The taste?

Much better than chicken wings.
Frog legs are crispy, yet very tender sweet meat. Its something like a really good chicken with a fish flakiness, and a somewhat fishy flavor. Their very soft texture in the inside goes perfect with the crispy outside, and as far as the sweet meat, well there are many great combinations of sweet and sour with a hint of spice.

I cant remember the exact price of the dish, but if i remember right it was 8$ for 4 legs.

I also added a picture of a goose breast cooked medium rare i had there on a different occasion.

Painted Medow Farms Goose Breast. Sweet potato & goose confit hash