PB&J, Yellow Curry, Gardens, Pho, and Costco

Yesterday, feeling a bit nostalgic for elementary school lunches and also feeling a bit full from being a bit too generous to my stomach with the almonds and popcorn so kindly provided in class, I ate a small peanut butter and jelly sandwich along with a banana for lunch. Simple, delicious, and a fine remedy for a slight case of homesickness and lack of motherly affection. Though not quite cured of my ills, I still felt far more content with my current situation. With this revived spirit, I found myself able to endure my plans for the evening: dinner provided by the brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi, the local Jewish fraternity. Am I Jewish? No, but apparently, due to the supposedly Jewish nature of my last name (Goodman), they assumed that I was. Was it immoral of me to accept their invitation? Perhaps, but they did invite me, I’ve lived in a primarily Jewish community for most of my life, and you don’t have to be Jewish to join the fraternity. Plus, the dinner was free! Who could resist free yellow curry? In the end, it was a fine meal, and I became acquainted with some new fellows in the community.

Today’s food adventure landed me in some unfamiliar territory: Vietnamese cuisine. After class, Jamie and I sampled some Pho from a restauraunt on the Ave. It was a flavor I hadn’t experienced before and was quite delicious. She and I were rather pleased. We learned, though, that the smallest-sized bowl is quite an ample amount of food. Dinner resulted from a trip to the local Costco across the lake in Kirkland. We purchased some water and some bagels…both of which ended up constituting the entirety of our meal. A satisfying meal, however plain and uninspiring it was.

Though I haven’t really been the responsible consumer in regards to what I’ve been eating lately, I certainly was struck by the gardens that we visited today. They were beautiful. It’s wonderful how something can look messy and overgrown, but is much more pleasing to the eye than even the neatest lawn. Plus, they’re so much more useful! I hope to get involved in such a project once I get settled in the city.

I finished the novel tonight. It strongly affected the way I look at the way we produce food. I feel I have a deeper understanding of the organic farming movement and see myself becoming more active in supporting such a societal change.

MONDAY

If there were a day so far up here in Seattle where my taste buds completely lacked enlightenment, today would be that day: a light breakfast of nothing; a lunch consisting of a bland pasta with olive oil and pepper flakes and a flavorless piece of garlic bread; a lukewarm Tully's coffee in the afternoon; two pieces of mediocre Pagliaci pizza; and, finally, an EFS-sponsored mocktail which faintly tasted like pink lemonade. Man, how disappointing and unhealthy.

On the bright side, we caught our first glimpse of the UW student farm. I didn't stay to do any weeding after due to a sore throat, but I hope to have time to volunteer in the future. Gardening and farming have always been activities that have interested me; however, not interesting enough, it seems, to push me to actually pursue them. I'm excited to take advantage of the garden.

Many of the articles we've been reading seem to tie in with the theme of collectivism versus individualism. In almost every thing I study, that theme seems to sprout up. It fascinates me, but at the same time it's absolutely exhausting. To what extent do you sacrifice yourself for others? I wonder if there's a more pressing question we have to ask ourselves and whether there will be a point in ensuing generations when we won't need to ask.

Around Town

I, along with three of my new friends here at school, ventured out today to Downtown Seattle. Lunch with Marie and Danielle consisted of a salad with chicken, green beans, tomatoes, and a vinaigrette dressing. We ate a second lunch at a Pagliaci pizza joint in Capital Hill because Colin, the fourth addition to the group, hadn't eaten yet. Decent pizza, but nothing spectacular. I think it's the water used to make the dough. A local pizza joint in my hometown near Los Angeles ships water all the way from Boston to make its dough. It's fantastic pizza so I guess they're doing something right. We continued by foot to Downtown, where we sat and chatted over some iced coffees and an Italian soda. We enjoyed some organic, locally-grown "pluots" at Pike's Place Market while watching those fish fellows throw around tuna. Back at the dorm we settled on the café's Asian stir-fry selections. I opted for the tofu. Unfortunately, the pieces were a bit too large. After the EFS bonfire we drank some bubble tea at Yunnie's on the Ave. Quite tasty! So, overall, it was a rather delicious, food-filled day. There are so many options up here in Seattle, and it's wonderful talking with new friends over a cup of coffee.

Coffee and Rice

Despite enduring my new coffee-soaked Pacific Northwest lifestyle, I feel as if I've been transported to a bustling, multi-colored urban center in Japan. The film we watched and the literature we read have given me wonderful insight on Japanese culture as a whole, not only the nation's food culture. Tampopo delivered an entertaining and enlightening experience: the fascinating way the Japanese view certain foods, the absurdity of specific cultural references that don't quite translate correctly in to Western society, and, overall, a well-executed and beautiful film. It's almost as if I've been familiar with Japanese culture my whole life, not just since yesterday. To know how much of their culture views food gives me a more realistic and human picture of Japan.

The Bento boxes provided a distinct flavor with which to associate my new feelings towards Japan. I'm glad we were able to physically create something and apply our classroom experience with the real world. My friends and I have also discovered a restaurant in the area which serves noodles! We ate that for lunch today, curious as to what they were like. It was a pleasant experience.

All Over Creation and the class itself have forced me to constantly examine what I've been eating. I feel I've been making wiser choices.

First Post

It's surprising how immediately this class has affected the way I look at food. It's necessary to eat, yet many in our culture have transformed the act into something purely social. For example, the other night I found myself eating alone at the Lander café. A friend of mine, seeing me sitting by myself, invited me to sit with a group of her friends. Eating is such an important social function that seeing one eating alone evokes a sense of pity. We believe one should eat in the company of others.

I’ve eaten a wide array of foods since I’ve arrived in Seattle. I’m excited by the variety provided by the city’s diversity. Thai food (twice already!), spaghetti, scallops and prawns, etc. I look forward to experimenting with foods with which I’m not entirely familiar. I’ve met some friends who seem willing to challenge their palates along with me.

(above) A typical shared meal among my Western counterparts during our five-spice-immersed voyage to China