Food for Thought

Cultural Connections at No Mas Cantina

Introduction:

No Mas Cantina is a Mexican restaurant that the 10th-grade class visited as a part of our field trip. I ordered the Beef Mas Grande Burrito. Inside the flour tortilla was ground beef, black beans, poblano rice, and queso. On the side was pico de gallo, sour cream, and quacamole.

Three Key Ingredients:

Pico de Gallo

The origins of Pico de Gallo date back to the Ancient Aztecs, specifically in the areas of the Yucatan Peninsula, Sonora, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca of Mexico.

Guacamole

Guacamole also comes from the Aztecs, as avocados grew in the southern region of Mexico. The treat was originally called ahuaca-mulli, but the Spaniards who colonized the area mispronounced it..

Poblano Rice

Poblano rice is a mix of long grain white rice and the liquid Poblano Chiles. The mix comes from Mexico, and the Poblano Chile comes from the Mexican state of Puebla, but long grain white rice comes from Asia.

Takeaway:

I have learned that, of course, most Mexican foods originate from Mexico; however, it is interesting how something all the way across the world, from a continent with an entirely different culture, is utilized in an extremely popular Mexican dish. This is a great example of integrating elements from another culture into one's own to make something new and better.

Art, Identity, and Social Commentary at the High Museum

Robert Lugo's Ceramics

Karl L. H. Mueller was a German sculptor who created the Century Vase, which served as the inspiration for Roberto Lugo's Trails and Trials, commissioned by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Both Lugo and Mueller utilize the art of ceramic sculpting to create designs that honor important American icons. Lugo differs in the way he puts his own cultural spin on it, using bright, flashy colors and intricate paintings. Since Roberto Lugo sees himself as a catalyst for change, his ceramics often depict common issues faced among Black Americans, like poverty, food deserts, and racial injustice. Lugo portrays these issues by doing things like drawing food stamps on a vase, or by putting black and brown hip-hop icons and public figures on a pedestal using the high-class material that is porcelain.

Recreating "The Century Vase"

From all we know of him, Roberto Lugo seems to have recreated The Century Vase into the Trail and Trials the way he did because he wanted to draw parallels between an important founding father of America and Martin Luther King. He wanted to highlight people like Andre 3000, a hip-hop icon and creative genius, as well as Jimmy Carter, the benevolent 39th president of the United States, and Leo Frank, a man whose detainment and subsequent death led to the creation of the Anti-Defamation League. What these people have in common is their origins in Atlanta, and the Vase puts a spotlight on those figures in Atlanta who changed the world. If I were to recreate the Vase, I would use my family as the subjects. The center head where George Washington is would be replaced with dual heads of my mother and father back to back. I love my parents, and to me, they are way more important to me than anything else on this planet. God is not on this planet, luckily, but still, in his honor, I would replace the eagle at the mouth of the vase with a lion to represent Jesus being the Lion of Judah.

Making Connections

Art and Design in Food

Food, art, and geometry are closely interconnected, as art and design are all things that make food what it is. Anything is art to me, but I think food is the best example, as making food takes a type of skill and is an art form in it of itself that requires some level of planning or design. The shape or geometry, color, and presentation of a dish are also things that can heighten or lower the satisfaction one gets from eating food.

Questions

At what level is someone no longer considered food insecure?
What is it like to be behind the counter of a soup kitchen?
What type of food do they make in a soup kitchen: desserts, breakfasts, lunches, etc.?
How many people typically come to a soup kitchen a day? What is the demographic of those people, families, races, ethnicities, genders, ages, etc.?
How much food do soup kitchen visitors receive? Does it depend on the person?
When is the time of year when soup kitchens are visited the most?
How many soup kitchens get donations from churches and other non-profits, and how much if so?

Cultural Expression Through Food

Cultural expression through food is often born out of food insecurity, so it is important we talk about the two together. Many classic recipes were born out of a place of necessity and were made using much less ingredients than modern-day iterations. While it is important to mention this, we should also discuss how culture expression, be it through food or elsewhere, can be inhibited by food insecurity, as if I am struggling to find my next meal, where will I have the time to create artwork? To tell stories, to dance, or sing, or act in a way that's unique to me. It is ironic, though, that some of the most iconic forms of culture expression were born from a place of struggle, like the music genre, the Blues, murals you can find that showcase pain and suffering, among many other things.

The picture above shows gumbo, an extremely popular Louisiana dish that was created using whatever available like scraps of sausage and okra.

Final Thoughts...

After these experiences, I now see food as so much more than a tool to nourish our bodies. I see it as a connection to those who have gone through the same struggle as us. I see it as an art form, a language, and an escape. I think I'm going to approach food differently than I did before. I'm going to treat it as a privilege to have enough every day. Like the blessing it is to be able to have a full stomach on the daily. I've always loved food, and now, I think I'll love it even more.

Pictures!!!

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