Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes

Martha Stewart's Christmas Tree Cupcakes from Martha Stewart's Countdown to Christmas (Syndicated, USA)

Sec. 26-
Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tue 12.15, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)  

Week 17: Stilton Puffs

Nigel Slater's Stilton Puffs from Nigel Slater's Twelve Tastes of Christmas (BBC, UK)

FINALS SCHEDULE:

Sec. 1-
Week 17: Stilton Puffs
Fri 12.11, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Upcoming:

Sec. 26-
Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tue 12.15, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Week 16: Lemon and Pistachio Meringue Roulade

Mary Berry's Lemon and Pistachio Meringue Roulade from Mary Berry's Easter Feast (BBC, UK)

Week 16: Lemon and Pistachio Meringue Roulade
Mon 11.30/Wed 12.2*
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC (FRI 12.4 VIA CANVAS)

*Final regular class meeting of the semester

Upcoming:

FINALS SCHEDULE:

Sec. 1-
Week 17: Stilton Puffs
Fri 12.11, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Sec. 26-
Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tue 12.15, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.) 

 

Food 11.28

• Miles-long lines for food around the country as Trump touts stock market breakthrough (USA Today)
• Here's how Americans celebrated Thanksgiving during a pandemic (CNN)
• Godiva and McDonald's Japan team up for new dessert drink (Japan Today)
• How many of these cake standards can you make (MSN)
  
• Watch Lizzo cook a vegan Thanksgiving dinner (People)
  

Week 15: Caramelized Cream Eggs

Kristen Miglore's Caramelized Cream Eggs from Food52 (YouTube, USA)

Week 15: Caramelized Cream Eggs
Mon 11.23/Wed 11.25 (NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING)
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4 (DUE: MON 11.23)

Upcoming:

Week 16: Lemon and Pistachio Meringue Roulade
Mon 11.30/Wed 12.2*
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC

*Final regular class meeting of the semester

FINALS SCHEDULE:

Sec. 1-
Week 17: Stilton Puffs
Fri 12.11, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Sec. 26-
Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tue 12.15, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.) 

 

Food News 11.21

• Many Americans having a solo Thanksgiving this year thanks to Covid-19 (USA Today)
  
• Two In-N-Out openings in Colorado prompt lines in of up to 12 hours (NBC News)
• Food benefits among the cuts the Trump Administration readies before year's end (HuffPost)
• Why is Starbucks opening more store internationally than domestically (TheMottleyFool)
• Check out this TikTok plastic wrap hack (Delish) 

 

Infographic: The Omnivore's Dilemma

Now that you have identified three practices that consumers can adopt to help both themselves and the environment offered by Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma, you will now reconstruct that essay into an infographic. As you know, an infographic is an illustrated representation of information or an argument. Here, you will visually translate your expository essay, distinctly highlighting the three practices you focused on.

A well-executed infographic will:

• Will reiterate your thesis in the subheading
  
• Have a design and style dictated by the subject
• Stay within the parameters of The Omnivore's Dilemma

Infographics are most easily utilized in PowerPoint (or a comparable program, such as Canva). Additionally, if you are experienced in them, you may also use Photoshop or Illustrator, though it is by no means required.

Due: Fri 12.4 (via Canvas)

Reflection 4B: Faking It—On a Processed Foods Fast

Note: For Reflection 4, do only 4A or 4B—not both.

Since WWII, America has come to rely heavily on processed foods—those foods that have, in some way, been altered from their natural state. Low costs, ease of use, and wide availability have made processed foods convenient and popular options at every meal. However, in recent years many have begun to rethink the place of these foods in the American diet. Now, as people are again recognizing the value of whole foods, processed foods are increasingly under fire for their role in everything from obesity to malnutrition to diabetes. 

How difficult would it be for you to avoid eating any prepackaged or processed foods for 3-5 days? Can you abstain from eating anything that comes frozen, in a box, a can, a bag, or any type of packaging, instead eating only whole, natural foods? Which processed foods would be the most challenging for you to give up? Likewise, with which foods are you most likely to cheat with? And if you must cheat, explain the circumstances. For this reflection, attempt to eat only whole foods for 3-5 days, excluding dairy, meats, grains, coffee and tea.

Include at least two of the following articles in your discussion:

• "Eating Clean? Six Processed Foods You Can Avoid and Easily Make at Home" (Eating Well)  
• "I Cut Out Processed Foods for Two Weeks, and Here’s What Happened" (Bustle)
• "What is Clean Eating? 5 Dos and Don’ts for Your Best Body Ever" (Shape)
• "The Beginner’s Guide to Ditching Processed Foods" (Prevention)
• "Eleven Simple Ways to Start Clean Eating Today" (Healthline)

Mechanics:

• 1-1.5 pages in length
• MLA Style

Due: Mon 11.23 (via Canvas)

Reflection 4A: Sweet Nothings—On Sugar Detoxing

Note: For Reflection 4, do only 4A or 4B—not both.

Unfortunately, the American obsession with sugar has come due. From obesity to diabetes to cancer, sugar is the likeliest culprit in a number of our ailments. The challenge for health-conscious Americans, however, isn't simply to avoid ice cream and cookies. The real challenge comes from the fact that sugar is so pervasive in our foods. In fact, a number of everyday foods, ranging from fruit juice to yogurt, contain surprising amounts of sugar. Thus, the process of eliminating sugar from our diets can feel less like eating better and more like detoxifying from a harmful drug. \

For this reflection, avoid sugar for 3-5 full days. As you do so, consider what urges you must fight. What are the hardest foods to avoid? And what does going without sugar reveal about your everyday diet?

Include at least two of the following articles in your discussion:

• "Ten Things You Don’t Know about Sugar (and What You Don’t Know Could Hurt You)" (Huffington Post)
• "Is Sugar Really Toxic? Sifting through the Evidence" (Scientific American)
• "Dr. Fuhrman's Three-Day Sugar Detox" (The Dr. Oz Show)
• "Your Easy Guide to the Sugar Detox Diet" (Shape)
• "In Defense of Sugar" (Eater) 

Mechanics:

• 1-1.5 pages in length
• MLA Style

Due: Mon 11.23 (via Canvas)

Week 14: Pub-Style Steak and Ale Pie

Bridget Lancaster's Pub-Style Steak and Ale Pie from America's Test Kitchen (PBS, USA)

Week 14: Pub-Style Steak and Ale Pie
Mon 11.16/Wed 11.18
Class: Multimedia presentations

Upcoming:

Week 15: Caramelized Cream Eggs
Mon 11.23/Wed 11.25 (NO CLASS—THANKSGIVING)
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4 (DUE: MON 11.23)

Week 16: Lemon and Pistachio Meringue Roulade
Mon 11.30/Wed 12.2*
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: INFOGRAPHIC

*Final regular class meeting of the semester

FINALS SCHEDULE:

Sec. 1-
Week 17: Stilton Puffs
Fri 12.11, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Sec. 26-
Week 18: Christmas Tree Cupcakes
Tue 12.15, 8 – 9:30 a.m.
Class: Course wrap-up
Due: ENGLISH DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT (SUBMIT VIA CANVAS BY 5 P.M.)

Food News 11.14

• #millionmagamarch: KPop fans troll pro-Trump rally with photos of pancakes on social media (NME)
  
• Why the "we'll all get Covid tests" approach won't necessarily keep you safe at your Thanksgiving gathering (Wired)
• Spend at least $10 at Popeyes and get a free chicken sandwich through Sunday (Delish)
  
• Piedmont home, formerly belonging to the Ghiradelli Chocolate family, is on the market for $5.5 million (Barrons)
• San Diego restaurants sue for right to serve indoors during increased Covid restrictions (San Jsoe Mercury News)

 

Week 13: Pozole Verde

Rick Martinez's Pozole Verde from Bon Appétit (Youtube, USA)

Week 13: Pozole Verde
Mon 11.9/Wed 11.11 (NO CLASS—VETERAN’S DAY)
Class: Lecture—“Infographics 101” 

Upcoming:

Week 14: Pub-Style Steak and Ale Pie
Mon 11.16/Wed 11.18
Class: Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4

Food News 11.3

• New Jersey bakery making pumpkin-shaped bagels (Delish)
• Are restaurant dress codes racist? (Eater) 
• Feast your eyes on these amazing pie designs (MyModernMet)
• What are these Coronavirus experts doing for Thanksgiving? (Business Insider)
• Public freakout at San Diego Starbucks over face mask requirement (CNN)
  

Week 12: Saffron Spinach Risotto

Saffron Spinach Risotto from Annabel Langbein's The Free Range Cook (TV One, New Zealand)

Week 12: Saffron Spinach Risotto
Mon 11.2/Wed 11.4
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY

Upcoming:

Week 13: Pozole Verde
Mon 11.9/Wed 11.11 (NO CLASS—VETERAN’S DAY)
Class: Lecture—“Infographics 101” 

 

Food News 10.30

• The Great British Bake Off's Japanese Week faces a backlash (DigitalSpy)
  
• Here is America's oldest candy company (CBS News)
• The trouble with Trump's food box letters (Politico) 
• Here are Instagram's most popular recipes for October 2020 (HuffPost) 
• Goop getting into the coffee business (Fox Business)
  

Expository: The Omnivore's Dilemma

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma examines the ways in which we have become disconnected with the foods we eat. In fact, it is a dizzying illustration of the journeys plants and animals take their way to our dinner tables. Still, reading Pollan's book can be an overwhelming experience, one in which readers invariably examine their own eating habits—for better or worse. In a concise essay, highlight three practices offered by Pollan that consumers can adopt to help both themselves and the environment. 

Use specific examples from the book to support your thesis. 

Mechanics:

• Approximately 750 words
• MLA Style, plus works cited

Due: Wed 11.4 (via Canvas)

Week 11: Devil's Food Cake

Nigella Lawson's Devil's Food Cake from Nigella Kitchen (BBC, UK)

Week 11: Devil’s Food Cake
Mon 10.26/Wed 10.28
Read: OMNI—12- Slaughter: In a Glass Abattoir - 14- The Meal: Grass-Fed
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: REFLECTION 3

Upcoming:

Week 12: Saffron Spinach Risotto
Mon 11.2/Wed 11.4
Class: Reading discussion; Multimedia presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY