Indian Cuisine

Today I had the pleasure of having lunch with Anita and Katelyn at Saffron on West Main in Kalamazoo.  Saffrons was open on January 19th, 2004 and has been open for 10 years and 2 months today.  The owner began working under his brother in a restaurant in Boston after they had moved to the United States.  This is where he began learning how to cook Indian food properly and all the cooking secrets.  He eventually moved to Kalamazoo and opened up Saffrons on his own.  At first there were only three people running the business when it first opened.  To be quite honest, when I had decided to experience Indian food, I was quite nervous  thinking what if I don't like what I order.  Of course that was all part of the experience of trying new things!  I was blown away with how tasty their food was! For lunch it is a buffet style and all the food is hand made! It was delicious.   The food was presented in beautiful dishes that had very creative designs and stones.  This was not your typical silver plate buffet. As we made our way up towards the food, there were signs above each of the dishes that gave a description of what exactly is was so you would not be afraid to taste anything.

One of the main dishes that I found to be very interesting, and tasty, was a salad mixed with fruits and vegetables with dressing that had a hint of vinegar.  One of my other favorite dishes that I tried was the chicken curry.  It was delicious and had a sweet and spicy taste to it! 

We had the pleasure to sit and talk with an employee with the name of Abhinav or Abhi for short.  He told us about the history of Saffrons, where they get their food, and a little bit about the Indian culture.  Abhi told us that they get some of their food from Gordon Food Services (GFS), Northern Michigan, the rice is from India and their meet that has been through a particular slaughterhouse.  Their chicken and meet is sent through a slaughterhouse that slits the throat of the animal to let the blood drain out.  They view this as more humane and respectable towards the animal.  Interestingly enough, this also helps prevent from diseases to occur, like they do in most slaughter houses. 






 

The owner of the restaurant is not only just the owner, he is also the chef, and is very involved with his restaurant.  If he is sick or is not able to go to work that day, Saffrons shuts down.  They do this because he is only one in the restaurant that cooks the food to a particular taste.  Most Indian dishes contain 30 or more seasonings!  I can only recall using about 4-5 in any of my recipes at home!  The base gravy for dishes takes about three days to make and prepare.  Abhi explained to us that in the American culture, we typically use the same spices but in the Indian culture, they vary spices depending on the dish so each dish tastes different.  In his opinion, deep down, all American food tastes the same.  Indian food contains lots of beans and grains.  During a typical Indian family dinner, lentils is always served and apart of the meal.  There are approximately 8 or 9 different kinds of lentils.       

 (Below is an example of what was placed next to each dish)

A Place at the Table

 


Today I attended a showing, A Place at the Table,  at The Alamo downtown Kalamazoo.  I walked in ready to view the film with an idea of what it was going to cover since it was sponsored by Loaves and Fishes. When the movie began to play, I was taken back by the many stories of the different families struggling to feed their children.  Most families live in small towns in which the income has decreased along with the amount of jobs available.  Most of these small towns only have gas stations or small stores and no local grocery stores that families can utilize to feed their families.  Most families who are considered "low poverty" have to travel to stores that are as far as 66 miles away in which they will have to also pay for the gas to get there.  Some families do not even have transportation to get to these stores.  Some towns are in what one may call a "food desert".  There are many mom and pop shops that do not have fresh fruits and vegetables.  It is expensive for the delivery trucks to drive all the way out to the mom and pop places to deliver to them.When you think of kids or families starving of hunger, you think of skin and bones from a third world country.  Wrong.  There are many families out there that are just like you and me who are in need of food assistance.  Sometimes life happens unexpectedly and you may need a month of assistance to get by.  In America alone, there are 50 million hungry and in need of food assistance.  Mississippi has increased the rate of food insecurity and obesity as well.  From what the movie was trying to say, obesity is a result of what people are eating.  Since 1980, fruits and vegetables have increased in price of 40% while processed foods have gone down in price 40%.  Families who are struggling to afford food will turn to processed foods because its cheaper and they get more for the dollar.  This in turn will lead to obesity.

You would be surprised how many children are coming to school hungry.  This affects their performance in school and their attitude.  As a future educator, this is important to know what children are coming to school hungry so you can provide a snack or make sure they are getting something to eat.  In schools today, there are not enough vegetables and fruits and too much sugars and starch being served at school breakfasts and lunches.  I think that it is sad that we, as U.S citizens, are spending more money on gourmet coffee than we do on food for kids in on week at school! 

 

It broke my heart to hear the stories from the kids perspective and what they are going through and what exactly is on their mind about being hungry.  Food stamps are based on the total household income but for some families this is not enough.  I hope that one day hunger will end in America.  Fortunately today, there are over 40 million food pantries across the nation. Although this benefits, it is still not enough.

I am very glad I took the time to see this film.  Although we took a class trip to Loaves and Fishes, this really hit hard after hearing the many stories and listening to what the young children had to say.  

Wintergirls part 2

As I have been reading Wintergirls I have began to realize that there is not just an eating disorder that the main character battles with.  The main character, Lia, also battles with interpersonal problems and guilt.  From the readings, she feels guilty that she did not answer her phone for her friend and that she was not there.  Lia has this constant battle with her eating disorder and is constantly counting calories.  Her parents are divorced and it seems that she feels tension from both parents.  Her birth mother is very concerned about her and believes that due to her friend's death she will fall back into her eating disorder and will need to see the therapist. 

There is one person, Elijah, that knows what has possibly happened to  Cassie the night of her death.  When Elijah tries to get a hold of Lia to ask her questions about Cassie, he leaves a message on her answering machine.  Lia ends up driving to the hotel where her friend passed away and eventually meets Elijah, but does not tell him who she is. 

The character, Lia, believes that she is the thinnest and strongest person in the room when describing the girls at school.  I think that she is actually the weakest in the room with a lot of insecurities.  She is mentally weak.  I believe that social media and the environment has an impact on eating disorders in young girls and boys.  Eating disorders can be deathly and a struggle that many people deal with.  This is an important issue that needs to be addressed and I believe that the social media needs to take this into consideration when creating advertisements, etc. 

Wintergirls

For my novel, I am reading Wintergirls written by Laurie Halse Anderson.  This book follows the life of an eight-teen year old girl named Lia and the struggle she faces with an eating disorder, Anorexia.  In the first 50 pages of the novel, you find out that her best friend, Cassie, of ten years has passed away.  I have not found out how the incident occurred, but she tried calling Lia the night of her death.  You find out that Cassie was found alone, dead, in a motel room,  and possibly dying of natural causes.  Due to the fact that Lia struggles with an eating disorder herself, it makes me wonder if Cassie's death was linked to an eating disorder as well.  In the first 50 pages, there is a lot that you learn is going on in Lia's life.  Her parents are divorced and argue, she moved out of her mom's house to live with her dad, she battles an eating disorder, and has been in and out of treatment for a while. The author of this book uses descriptive words such as cows and large to help portray what Lia is viewing of other people.  I like how the author has used lines through words to cross them out in a way of showing that Lia either does not care or is thinking of saying one thing but says another.  Whenever Lia is thinking about eating food, she is constantly counting the calorie intake and what it may do to her body.   I am interested in continuing reading this novel and to see how she battles with the death of her friend and her eating disorder.  Eating disorders in today's society are more common than one may think.  It is a tragic disease that is hard to control and admit.  Girl and boys are suffering from bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating which is putting their health in danger.          

The Hunger Games part 2

 

 


Now having read chapters 5-18 in The Hunger Games we now have learned more about our main characters in the book on a deeper level.  Peeta and Katniss are from the same district but lead very different roles as they begin their journey into the games.  Peeta seems more to be a "people person" trying to please and win over the crowds whether it is during the interviews or during the games.  I view this as a survival tip he is using to get a sponsor.  When comparing Katniss to Peeta, she does not seem to care to make friends or be a "crowd pleaser".  Peeta and his family are more well of than Katniss's and only wishes to come out of the games alive.  Part of the winning of the games is a supply of food which would greatly benefit not only Katniss and her family but the district as well.  The winning of the food supply is not a top priority for Peeta.  When comparing the two characters, Peeta is not very athletic and does not have the same survival techniques that Katniss has developed and practiced when catching game with Gale.  Reading the book for the second time allows me to compare it to today's society.  The districts are somewhat ranked as a class system.  The Capitol and President Snow purposely keep the districts divided, weak, and hungry to prevent an uprising from happening.  If the various districts have something to focus on, such as food and where they will find it, they will never really have a chance to develop a plan for an uprising against the Capitol.  Districts 1 and 2 are much more wealthier than district 12, Katiniss and Peeta's home.  During the games, when Katniss destroys their food supply, she looks at it as an advantage because the tributes from district 1 and 2 will not know how to survive and deal with their hunger.  Although Katniss has to be a strong person during the games, I have found that she is a very selfless and humble character as well.  For example, when Rue, her companion, died, Katniss took her time and gave her a funeral when she could have easily went on into the games.  As so slowly decorated Rue with wildflowers she took her time when another tribute could have come up behind her and killed her as well.  I believe this was a turning point in the book.  Prior to Rue's death, Katniss was not very found of killing anyone and in hopes of surviving by finding food, hiding in trees, and sneaking around.  Now after Rue died, Katniss knew there was not going to be anymore sneaking and hiding in the trees.  If she had to survive she had to kill.

I have read the book twice and have seen the movie multiple times.  There are many details  from the book that are left out of the movie that I believe can be significant.  I believe that the book is ten times better than the movie, although I do love the movie too!

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is one of my favorite set of books to ever read.  I am very excited to be reading the first book again but with a different perspective with keeping in mind all that we have talked about in class.  The book begins with introducing us to a few characters, one in particular Katniss Everdeen.  She is the main supporter of her family when it comes to meals.  She and Gale go out hunting past the fence for game to support their families and so they will not die of starvation.  Katniss and her family are from district 12 which is one of the poorest districts surrounding Panem.  The ruins of a place, once known as North America, lies the nation of Panem a shining Capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts.  As part of the surrender terms, each district has agreed to send one boy and one girl from their district to take part in the annual Hunger Games which is a televised fight until death.  Prim, Katniss's sister is originally the one chosen to enter the games but Katniss volunteers in her place.  Since district 12 is one of the poorest districts, when Katniss enters the games most of the people from her district think that it may be a loss cause. 

The book is set in some unidentified time in the future.  Reading these books and watching these movies, has put so many thoughts and questions into my head.  What if our economy becomes so bad this is what our lives would be like.  What if we had to fight to death to earn food so that our families will not starve.  I could never imagine living like this, but when it comes down to it you will do just about anything to survive.  I am excited to pick a part this book from a new perspective!

 

The Jungle - Ch. 14-20

 Chapter 14

Jurgis and his family know all the hidden secrets in the meat-packing industry.  He finds that spoiled meats are becoming sausage and sold to people and the work conditions are terrible.  The working members of the family begin to fall in a great diminution of sensibility while  Jurgis and Ona begin to grow apart, and Jurgis then develops a habit for drinking heavily.  Sickness and disease is affecting the family.  Antanas suffers from measles and Ona develops a bad cough while bearing a child.

 

Chapter 15

It is the winter arrives and with it comes the grueling rush season which include 15-16 hour work days.  Ona sometimes doesn't return home and uses the snow as an excuse and explains she stayed with a friend.  Turns out, Ona's boss has harassed and pleaded her to stay with him and become his mistress.  Ona tells Jurgis of this news and that her boss, Connor, has raped her after everyone has left the plant.  He had threatened her pay and her family.   He also threatened to prevent her or her family any work in Packingtown and he forced her into accompanying him to Miss Henderson's brothel in the evenings.  Jrugis is angry with this news and attacks Connor at his work and then is sent to jail.

Chapter 16 

Once Jurgis goes to jail, he is given a date for his trial and a bond that is set to $300.  He is forced to strip naked and walk the halls of the jail past inmates who make leer comments and remarks.  He is placed in tiny cell that contains a bug infested mattress.  He hears some bells in the distance and realizes that it is Christmas even and begins to feel guilty and think of his family.

 

Chapter 17

While waiting for his trial, Jurigs becomes friends with his cellmate, Jack.  Jack explains that he was cheated out by a big company of a lucrative invention which led him to become a safe breaker.  Jack gives Juris that address of his mistress and explains that he should turn to her if he is need of anything.  Jurgis's trial occurs and Connor explains that he fired Ona fairly and Jurgis attacked him for revenge.  Jurgis explains the truth of what really happened but the judge is not sympathetic.  He is sentenced to 30 days in prison.  While he is in prison, he finds that his family has been fired and can not find jobs or afford to buy food.  Marija is suffering from blood poisoning from an accident that occurred at work.

Chapter 18         

Towards the end of his 30 days in jail, Jurgis is forced to stay an extra day because he can not afford to pay the cost of the trial.  Once he is released he walks a great distance home.  Once he returns home, he finds a new family living in his house and he sends for grandmother for information as to where his family has went.  He finds that they could not afford rent and was evicted from their house and are staying in a boarding house.  Once he arrives to the boarding house, he finds that Ona is about to have her baby and is in extreme pain.  He sends for help. 

Chapter 19,20

They find a midwife that agrees to help but then sends Jurgis out of the house explaining that he will just be in the way.  Jurgis finds himself resorting to the saloon that he used to visit frequently and the owner gives him food, drink, and a place to rest.  Once he returns back to the boarding house, the midwife explains that the baby passed and that Ona is dying as well. He sits by her bedside while she passes.  Jurgis is upset and angry that he returns back to the bar to get drunk with the money he has.