When we think of food, ingredients, dishes and meals come to mind -- the dinner we recently enjoyed, something served at a favorite restaurant or take out spot, a go-to lunch plate, or maybe a family recipe. There are many layers to a favorite food. Is it the taste? The practice of procuring that meal? The good times you’ve had while enjoying it? Or the careful art of making it?
Food is visceral experience. We make deep connections through the food we eat. Our memories, experiences, and preferences are what make up our food values. These food values are important to our daily lives. They help shape our personalities and forge connections with people, places and points in our lives.
We learn so much about each other when we talk about what we eat, what we ate, and what we want to eat.
MAP Youth in the Mobile Market work group recently worked on telling our Food Story -- the practice of recalling and sharing a deep connection to food. We traced a favorite food back to our earliest or favorite memory of it, in hopes to get to know each other a little better.
This is Amariella's Food Story!
Mac and Cheese to you might just be a food that you crave once a while and something you can get at The Dollar Tree [store]. To me, it is very meaningful. It’s something we can make together and bond over. It is like a way my grandma showed her love by making me my favorite meal. Even my great-grandmother made it for me.
Mac and Cheese is cheesy and gooey. It’s pasta that isn't mushy and doesn't swim in watery sauce, instead it’s coated with cheese and buttery goodness. Mac and Cheese is caloric, which carries its fair share of delights. Macaroni looks as good as candy [to me]. It’s pleasantly buttery, without being too wet or soggy. It's creamy, comforting and innocuous. July 7 is actually National Macaroni Day.
The smell is rich. It smells like my childhood. It smells like buttery melting cheese. Mac and Cheese taste as good as honey. The taste of the cheese shouldn’t be too sharp, too sweet, or artificial. The cheese sauce is balanced, mild, and also has a tangy taste. Mac and Cheese is also one of the most popular [American] comfort foods.
Make Amariella's Mac and Cheese!
Steps:
- Grab a pot
- Fill the pot up halfway with water
- Boil for 20 min
- After boiling grab 1 ½ cups of macaroni
- Let them cook for 10-15 min
- Take them out and strain them
- After straining put it back in the pot you cooked it in
- Add 1 cup of milk
- A slice of butter
- Then add Velveeta cheese or any cheese of your choice
Share Your Food Story!
Think of-your relationship with food.
-your personal history with food, eating, diet, wellness.
-your food heritage.
-food patterns you participate in, traditions you hold dear, practices that are unique to you.
-how you have come to know a particular food
-where ingredients come from
-how food is made, where food is made, when food is made
Choose a food you are close to.
Trace this food back to your earliest memory of it. Think of a dish or ingredient, its significance, the preparation, the taste and overall feeling you get when eating it. Think of how you will carry on the tradition of making or eating this food for years to come.
-your personal history with food, eating, diet, wellness.
-your food heritage.
-food patterns you participate in, traditions you hold dear, practices that are unique to you.
-how you have come to know a particular food
-where ingredients come from
-how food is made, where food is made, when food is made
Choose a food you are close to.
Trace this food back to your earliest memory of it. Think of a dish or ingredient, its significance, the preparation, the taste and overall feeling you get when eating it. Think of how you will carry on the tradition of making or eating this food for years to come.
Tell me your food story.
If you would like to share your food story on our blog, please leave a comment below or send your submission to danielle@mass-ave.org.
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