Recipes

Every chapter (month) of the book Like Water For Chocolate begins with a recipe; Tita (protagonist) spends a lot of time in the kitchen. Each recipe provides some background, adding to the story. Every month / recipe includes the cooking process. Other recipes are also included as the story takes place. Recipes represent culture, family and memories. There is a recipe for every occasion; Birthdays, Holidays, and more!

Some families have secret family recipes. In my family we have a secret family recipe for kugel; which has been passed down generation to generation. Kugel is a baked pudding. It is my absolute favorite food (beside challah). Kugel is also a traditional Jewish dish; frequently served on holidays -- or when I beg request my mom to make it. 

What is your favorite recipe? 

The Taste Of Icing

When you eat cake icing / frosting, does it trigger any memories? 

In Like Water For Chocolate, Tita, Pedro, and Nacha are all working to prepare food for the wedding -- of Pedro and Rosaura. When Pedro picks apricots, Tita run into him. Pedro declares his love to Tita; she didn't want to hear what he has to say. Tita goes back into the kitchen and we learn, she isn't feeling well. Nacha sends Tita away, in hopes she gets better. Then, Nacha checks the cake icing to see if Tita's tears, made the icing salty. Upon taste testing, she didn't taste a change within the flavor. The only thing she feels is great loss; her youthful love and becomes sick -- an is unable to attend the wedding.

Within my life, frosting is a taste of friendship and sisterhood. When I was in high school I was in a youth group called BBYO. A staple at all our meetings and programing was spooey; pretzels and frosting. I then introduced this tasteful treat to my family and friends. Spooey was always the "cure." Didn't do well on a test? Eat spooey. Lost an election? Eat spooey. Won an election? Eat spooey. Stressed with homework? Eat spooey.

Even though I am two years out of BBYO, spooey is still my go-to-snack. All I have to do is dip some frosting onto a pretzel and it will bring me back to all the memories where we would sit on the floor for hours, talking, crying of happiness and eating spooey.

Do you have an food items that are memory triggers?

Place A Bit Of Onion On Your Head

In the beginning of the story Like Water For Chocolate, the author writes: "Take care to chop the onion fine. To keep from crying when you chop it (which is so annoying!), I suggest you place a little bit on your head. The trouble with crying over an onion is that once the chopping gets you started and the tears begin to well up, the next thing you know you just can't stop. I don't know whether that's ever happened to you, but I have to confess it's happened to me, many times. Mama used to say it was because I was especially sensitive to onions, like my great-aunt, Tita." (Page 1)

I found the suggestion of placing a little bit on your head, interesting... Whenever I hear various "methods" of ways-to-not-cry-when-cutting-onion (lighting a candle, tongue to roof of your mouth, wear goggles, chew gum, etc...), I never know if they actually are real techniques, or if someone just made it up.

Personally, because of the saying, I don't usually offer to cut onions. The few times I have cut onions, my eyes got a little teary eyed. The most important lesson I learned in my high school Food and Nutrition class was: "Never rub your eyes when you are cutting / holding onion."

Food Maps

Today on Facebook one of my friends posted a neat video. Thought you all would like it as well! It is called Food Maps. 

Hunting

Reading The Hunger Games, we learn quickly that Katniss is a hunter and provider. 

Katniss and Gale, hunt outside District 12; which gives them the opportunity to provide for others. Hunting is an outlet for Katniss, as it gives her hope and safety during the Games (where there is a limit of food supply). The story describes to us, the reader, that hunting a human is more of a challenge than hunting an animal; Katniss struggles with this. As someone who does not hunt, I don't know how anyone could ever have to complete this challenging task.

--

When I first learned that we would be reading The Hunger Games, I was surprised that reading the book was apart of my college course. To my surprise, the book has hit on multiple similar points, we have talked about as apart of our class.

Now that I have read the book, I hope to read the other books in the series; as well as watch the movies.

The Hunger Games

I have never read the book The Hunger Games before. My (16 year old) sister didn't believe me when I told her that I needed to borrow her copy of the book for my college course.

This past week I was on an alternative spring break trip to Oklahoma; helping to rebuild houses that were effects by the tornado that occurred a few months ago.

Amongst my computer and snacks, was my (sister's) copy of The Hunger Games. I started the book on the plane ride to Oklahoma; since our schedule was so jam packed I ended up reading more of the story on the plane ride back to Michigan. As I was reading the book, I couldn't help but think back to the beginning of the book [chapter 1, page 6]: "Even at home, where I am less pleasant, I avoid discussing tricky topics. Like the reaping, or food shortages, or the Hunger Games."

During my alternative spring break trip, we had a discussion about avoiding discussing tricky topics; since we were working with individuals in the community who were effected by the tornado. We avoided directing asking about the tornado. To this day not everyone in Oklahoma has a home that has a correctly installed roof, or even a rebuild home. One of the women we met, told us that of the three bathrooms she has, one works; none of her showers are working -- due to contractor fraud. Since the tornado occurred less than a year ago, a lot of rebuilding is still taking place. We didn't want to say anything that was a tricky topic.

Katniss also struggled with this; as female tribute of District 12, she tries to be as strong as she is able to be. I'm sure that just as we struggled with avoiding tricky topics, so did Katniss.