Importance of Knowledge

This course has taught me so much more than I ever expected. It has been a fantastic journey through a world that I was only vaguely aware of. Coming from a farm-girl background, I am embarrassed to say that there were many dozens of things that I had little or no knowledge of. Genetic manipulation of foods, over-milking of cows, the horrors that factory farmed animals have to go through, the amount of corn in our diets, the great degree to which farmers are losing money, and the amount of processed foods that we consume are just a few things that I can list in the category of new knowledge.

I am a fairly laid back person, but to read books like Ozeki's and Pollan's and to see films like The Future of Food really affect me. I am ashamed that I was not more aware of the situation of our food, but I truly believe that I am only one grain of sand in a desert. Information and education are key in this problem we have with our food, and it is indeed a problem. I urge everyone to spread the word, do what they can to discourage the practices they don't like, and make the world a better, greener, healthier place.

Wonders of a Simple Fruit

Soup, salad dressing, liqueur, salsa, lollipops, juice, supplements, jam, jelly, hand lotion, perfume, and hair conditioner. These are just a few of the things that you can make out of the fruit that has recently been dubbed a new superfood- the pomegranate. While the pomegranate has been around for centuries, dating back to 3000 B.C., it is only in recent years that it has become popular in the west. Originating from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and the Himalayas, the fruit was introduced into Latin America as well as the southwestern United States in 1769 by Spanish settlers.

My personal introduction with pomegranates was in the southwestern United States too, Tucson, Arizona to be exact. It was there, in Tucson, that my aunt had a couple of pomegranate trees in her backyard. Each year she would harvest the fruit and laboriously make delicious jelly out of her crop. Family members would then receive a few of jars of this homemade treat as Christmas gifts. These simple gifts that were made with such love and care meant the world to all of us as a family.

As a child it took a few tastes before I was able to decide that I loved the strange, light red jelly we received from her. The taste was so unique- I still remember it- a mild sweetness with just a hint of a bite to it. I remember that we used to ration out the jelly carefully, trying to make our jars last long enough to make it to the next Christmas batch. It has been years since my aunt made her famous jelly; the incredible amount of time it takes to make jelly from fresh pomegranates is insane, and in her later years she would rather spend her time doing other things. I can't blame her, but I will always remember that wonderful, exotic jelly made from such a strange fruit.

This strange fruit has a rich history in art, religion, mythology, symbol and medicine. In the Jewish culture the pomegranate symbolizes righteousness, the Chinese consider it one of the three blessed fruit along with the citron and the peach, the Muslim Qu’uran refers to the pomegranate as the “fruit of paradise”, and in the Christian faith, some scholars argue that it was actually a pomegranate, not an apple, that tempted Eve.

Perhaps because of the importance of the pomegranate in many different religions, it has often been used in homeopathic remedies. The nutrients that the pomegranate has, as well as different properties of the plant as a whole have led to the root, bark, rind and seeds of the pomegranate bush being used for centuries to treat all sorts of ailments. As strange as it may sound, some of these ailments are indigestion, tapeworms, fevers, diarrhea, heartburn and even impotency and the possibility of miscarriage in pregnancy. Who knew that one little fruit had so much to offer?

I didn't know any of this information about the pomegranate when I reintroduced myself to the pomegranate in my fifth grade year. My teacher, Mrs. Skinner, allowed us to have snacks in class, so on a daily basis there would be a variety of foods in the room. It was because of me that she banned pomegranates from the list of things we could bring. After bringing a few in for myself, my friend Skeeter developed a taste for pomegranates as well. It was the beginning of the end when I started bringing in pomegranates for the both of us.

For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of eating a pomegranate, it is a very sticky, very messy experience. The pomegranate has a thick, red leathery skin that you must break or cut open to get at the fruit itself. The edible part of the berry are the hundreds of seeds inside of it (there are around six hundred seeds in each pomegranate). These seeds are called arils and are very juicy. Because of the natural sugars in the fruit, the aril juice is extremely sticky as well. The arils are held in place and protected by thick white membranes that must be torn apart as well. Eating a pomegranate is a lot of work as you must break the fruit apart and pick out the seeds a few at a time and eat them. While picking out the seeds, they can burst and spray juice across whatever is in front of and below it.

While Skeeter and I loved our unique, tasty snacks, by the time we were done our desks and the floor in front of us were covered with a fine red sticky mist. After a few days of this (and probably many complaints from the janitor) Mrs. Skinner told us that pomegranates were no longer a snack we could bring. It was a sad day, but a memorable one at that. Little did I know that I was providing myself with an incredibly healthy snack. Those little seeds obviously pack a lot of punch, even more than people originally thought.

Much of the recent health information and health studies that are out there on pomegranates came from studies paid for by POMWonderful, a California corporation owned by Stewart and Lynda Resnick. The Resnicks, since expanding their pomegranate farming business into the POMWonderful juice and supplement business that it is today, have spent more than twenty-three million dollars to research the health benefits of pomegranates. They asked Michael Aviram, an Israeli doctor who had done extensive research on the benefits of red wine, to start the research. They were all surprised at the findings.

Through the research that has been done on pomegranates (through POMWonderful funding as well as other studies) it has been found that the pomegranate is extremely high in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Most impressive, the pomegranate has three types of antioxidants that prevent free radicals from damaging our bodies. These three antioxidants are tannins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid. While there are other sources of foods that have these antioxidants, it has been shown that pomegranates have more antioxidants that the previously named superfoods green tea and red wine.

This combination of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals make pomegranates a healthy snack that helps improve blood flow to the heart, reduce systolic blood pressure, fights viruses, and slows down progression of cancer, and possibly prevents the development of cancer.

The nutritional assets the pomegranate holds have pushed the fruit out into the world market. Just a few short years ago it was practically impossible to find pomegranate juice, pomegranate liqueur or anything else remotely pomegranate in the United States. Now, largely thanks to POMWonderful, we have all sorts of different juices to choose from, the pomegranate has made a scene-stealing appearance on the market, and people are just beginning to find out about this seductively tasty berry.

The quiet power of the pomegranate reminds me of how very special nature’s gifts are and reinforces the thought that we take our food for granted much too often. Appreciation of our food and where it comes from can make a world of difference, not only for our gratefulness of our food, but for our own health as well. Bring on the poms!!

References

Wolf, Bonny (2006). Pomegranates: Jewels in the Fruit Crown. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6411097

Tsang, Gloria (2005). http://www.healthcastle.com/pomegranate-juice.shtml

(2005). http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20050321/pomegranate-juice-may-clear-clogged-arteries

Perveen, Shaveen. http://www.fbworld.com/Mag_Fall_2007/pomegranate/index.html

http://www.oakcreekorchard.com/id30.html

http://www.phytochemicals.info/plants/pomegranate.php

(2008). http://www.pomwonderful.com

(2008). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomegranate

Fortini, Amanda. The New Yorker. New York: Mar 31, 2008. Vol. 84, Iss. 7, p. 92

More Food for Less

(photo from wheresmatthew.com)

While I don't know that I actually have the guts to become a dumpster diver, I love the idea. I love the idea of recycling the food that gets thrown out that is still good. I love the idea of eating food that other people don't see as "good enough", and I especially love the idea of preserving what we have and not wasting it. These are all things I saw as I read about the punks in Seattle. I wish that cafe was still around. While I might not physically fit in there, I certainly agree with what they were doing.

I am becoming much more aware of just how much food is wasted by all of us. I think back and think about how much food I end up throwing away because I let it spoil, or I am just not hungry enough and I don't think I will eat it as leftovers. What also strikes me about food is how exquisite we (as "civilized" people) need our food to be. The fact that the punks were, and probably still are, so against the way "normal" people eat makes sense to me. We have become spoiled and pretentious when it comes to our food. We can't have always been like that! In fact, the whole world is NOT like that. Those who struggle for food appreciate what they get.

I honestly wish we could get back to experiencing that appreciation, that gratitude, that thankfulness just to be alive. It seems to me that this is the same appreciation that the punks were looking for at their cafe. They didn't expect, nor did they want, red carpet treatment. They just wanted the experience of sharing time with their friends, eating what was available, and not wasting what they didn't need to.

Pollan refers to this in a number of ways in his book as well. Not only did he forage for one of his meals, but you can hear the reticence in his work as he talks about the billions of pounds of food that get wasted. His image of all of the corn splayed in and on the dirt- how all of the corn could have gone to feed someone was very powerful.

My husband and I sponsor a number of children in poorer countries. Now that we do that, every time I sit down to eat I think of them and what they would be getting if we were not helping them out a bit. Because of this, I try to serve smaller portions to me and my husband so that we will not waste what we cannot eat. I don't always succeed, but I do try.

If I were brave enough and had someone experienced to guide me, I would like to try food foraging or dumpster diving someday. Who knows- maybe it will happen and I will end up getting a good percentage of my food from that practice!! I will just have to talk my husband into it.

Playing God

(cartoons from www.cartoonstock.com)

I have always had a hard time with man thinking that he can manipulate living, breathing things to his liking. It doesn't seem natural to me when man messes with the breeding of animals much less the splicing of genes among species. I realize that there are definitely some beneficial things that can come of it, but it still worries me. There are people out there who say that messing with the genes of plants and animals puts us on a slippery slope, and I tend to agree. It is hard to know what exactly our bodies were made for, why they were made the way they were, and what would happen if we were to alter that. The same goes for all living creatures. I first began to worry after reading Ozeki's book since that was the first I had really heard of the genetic mutating that we were doing to plants.

Then came the movie- The Future of Food, and I really began to worry and wonder at what we as a society are doing to ourselves. It is really scary to think that what we are doing in terms of scientific research and genetic manipulation could in fact be the end of us. I think what surprises me the most about the practice of this type of research is the near-sightedness of those who are performing the research. As an outsider it seems easy to think of the big questions- what is this doing to the beings we are mutating, what is this doing to their surroundings, and what is this going to do to us in the long run.

I pray that the scientists and the corporations who are funding this research are perusing these same questions, but I can't help but be cynical and think that money wins and will always win out in the end. If something turns a profit, then it must be right!! After reading the essay about the Dutch cows, it actually worries me more to know that this is more of a global issue than I would have hoped for. At least if it were constrained to one continent our outlook would be a bit more cheery. I was rather impressed by the ad campaigns that the Dutch Society for the Protection of Animals ran. The boldness of the image is really disturbing, which is what they were going for. Perhaps we need the slap in the face that the mutation and grotesqueness of the human body that has undergone genetic manipulation in order to see what we are doing to the world.

As the article suggested, the type of genetic manipulation we are seeing reeks of the "blond hair, blue eyes" ideal of Nazi Germany. Are we at a point where everyone or everything has to be exactly as we want it? What kind of a world is that, and what kind of people are we if we allow such things to take place? There is a difference between actually doing something for the good of the world and doing something just because we can. I am afraid that man is more interested with the latter choice.

All in all it is a very touchy subject. I applaud the people who are bringing it to the forefront. It is so important to bring more awareness to this subject. As I have said before, the vast majority of the population have very little, if any, knowledge about what happens to their food, where their food comes from, and how it affects them. I hope that we all help to spread the word, get people into the loop, and protect not only ourselves, but all the living things around us as well.

(Picture from www.snafugear.com)

First of all I have to give credit where credit is due- the people who created The Meatrix were brilliant!! What a great way of getting information out to the public in a way that is portrayed in a serious way but is not threatening or too heavy-handed. Watching the three different videos really brought the reality of factory farming into focus for me. After I watched the videos I sat down with my husband and had him watch them as well. This led to us doing a google search on “factory farms” which brought horrifying videos to our attention. Right then and there we promised each other that we would not support certain companies because of our newfound knowledge.

The videos supported what I had already read about in Pollan’s book, but brought it to a whole new level for me. Being able to actually see, whether in cartoon form or in the gruesome reality of documentary film, the horrors that occur in factory farming brought me literally to tears. While books like Pollan’s are extremely important as they start to bring awareness to the public, I think that the shock of actually seeing horrendously overcrowded chickens, cows too weak to walk being shoved around with fork lifts, featherless and debeaked chickens, and the empty eyes of the animals who are basically the walking dead has a much larger impact.

These videos have brought me to a point where I want to spread the information via the most startling, reaction-getting way I can, but I struggle with “forcing” this reality on others. The things I have learned in this class- the over-milking of cows to the point of bleeding and pus (Ozeki’s book), the horribly boring, mundane, painful lives of animals in the overcrowded pens (Pollan’s book and The Meatrix) have stirred a passion in me that is changing my life.

I am much more aware of what I buy and who I will support. No longer will I buy meat from Tyson’s, Foster Farms, or other companies like that. Where my food comes from means so much more to me because I know that I am not contributing to the torture of animals just to get a meal. I am inspired to let more people know about this issue as well, for I had no idea that things were this bad in our food system and I suspect that only a very small percentage of people are aware.

Just a Country Girl

(Painting by Dean Teegarden)

We have read about how different cultures are identified through different foods, different ways of preparing foods, and different ways of eating foods. This concept that food is a part of my own personal identity is a relatively new concept for me. The only thing I have ever really thought of in terms of a regional food that I grew up with is potatoes. After all, Idaho is the land of spuds. Perhaps I am a meat and potatoes girl? Growing up in farm country that sounds plausible. I have never thought of having a specific type of food that defines who I am such as those we read about in Rouse and Hoskins. With some further thought however, I came up with a food that I do associate myself with- not culturally or religiously or even regionally, but strictly through experience and childhood.

This food comes in many different varieties, shapes, colors, sizes and tastes, but there is one type in particular that resonates with me. Fish is what I am referring to, and the Rainbow Trout is the type I am most familiar with. This may sound strange, but I grew up on a fish hatchery. Everything about my life was fish: fertilizing the eggs; incubating the eggs; the hatchlings; feeding, vaccinating and grading the fish; and getting the fish ready for processing. It was a fascinating life for a little girl and one that not too many people get to experience.
Not only was I lucky enough to grow up learning how food is grown and the importance of farming, but I was lucky enough to grow up at the bottom of the Snake River Canyon isolated from pretty much everything. Across the river I could see the orchards, up on top of the canyon there were fields of alfalfa, potatoes, corn and other crops for miles as well as dairy farms littered across the land. It was an amazing place to grow up in- so close to so many kinds of agriculture.

So perhaps it is unfair to say that my food identity relates to fish specifically. I think it is better, and more on target, to say that agriculture in general is my food identity. With the multitude of growth I was surrounded by, I developed a great appreciation for everything hand grown. I remember going to the local Green Giant plant to get fresh corn, straight out of the fields- nothing better than that, let me tell you!!

And so, just as Rouse and Hoskins tie in foods like macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried chicken, potatoes and other things to the Sunni Islam culture, I tie in fish, dairy, corn and potatoes to my country/agricultural upbringing.

The Importance of Awareness

(photo from val's photos on flickr)

Before taking this class I was just your average consumer, blissfully unaware of what was happening with my food- where it comes from, what is in it, what has happened to it in the production process and so forth. Thankfully this class has really opened my eyes and I am now more aware about my food and able to make better decisions and inform others of my newfound knowledge.

Starting this journey I began to read Ruth Ozeki's book, All Over Creation. As I read I was delighted by the plot, moved by the writing, and fascinated by the content regarding plants, genetic modification and the like. Since I had never heard of these things before, it seemed a kind of science fiction, yet in my heart I felt that there was something to this strange information. It still remained distant however. That is until I watched The Future of Food.

The Future of Food was rather appalling. The information I gleaned from that movie brought Ozeki's book to life for me. As I read the book, I was drawn toward the community building that took place, the sense that we are all in this together, and the recognition that if we work together we can make change happen. As a girl from a small town, a farming and dairy community, that attitude really resonates with me. I would love it if we could all work together and change numerous things about our society. But I digress.

While the book struck those particular chords within me, the movie struck my sense of morals, my love of life and creation, my disgust for corporate America and the power of power and money. It made me sick to see the destruction of small farmers and their life works, the industrialization of our life force, the patenting of life. Its really disturbing stuff. I think that film affected me much more than the book simply because it brought it all to life, it made it real for me. Another thing that really disturbed me is that I believe the vast majority of the public have no idea what is happening with their food. Like me, they take it for granted, they assume that because it is on the shelves, on the market, in the stores that it is safe. You never think of the people who grow our food, who produce our food and the risks and losses that they take in order to provide for us. I find that aspect of it one of the biggest disgraces.

We should return to a place where we honestly appreciate where our food comes from, appreciate the people who provide it to us, and return to a time where food is the people's market- not the corporations' or the government's. I truly believe that one way to get to this place and time is through the disbursement of information. As we have seen through the video and in the book, the power of the people can be strong, but the people need to have the information they need to make informed, good decisions. Perhaps we can get there if we spread the word.

Passion in Food

(photo from toyohara's flickr page)

After watching Tampopo, it struck me how serious people were about their food in the film. It was a pleasure to see how much work went into creating the perfect noodle, the perfect soup, the perfect dish. To Tampopo and Goro, along with the others in their group, nothing would do until they were able to turn Tampopo into a true noodle chef. This quest was one that brought an unlikely group together and created memories that each of the characters would carry forever in their memories. Another example of food bringing people together!!

One thing I enjoyed seeing in Tampopo was the science of cooking. Each component of the bowl of noodles was vitally important and took careful planning and measurement. Cooking and baking are sciences - there is so much measurement, preciseness and care that go into each one. I actually learned this awhile ago since my mother-in-law was a rocket scientist before she decided to go to culinary school. She always said that her science background helped her tremendously when it came to measuring, timing, temperatures and the like. To serious chefs and cooks, creating a meal out of love, passion and care is key to making it great.

Can you imagine how amazing our food would be if we all put so much care into preparing our food ? Instead we live in a culture that is all about saving time and using as little of it as possible for such things. Microwave dinners, quick skillets, fast food, stores that prepare and package weekly meals for the busy lifestyle are all perfect examples of what food has become to the majority of our society.

While Tampopo is, in essence, about a fast food culture as well, I feel it is much different than what we experience here. The love and care that goes into preparing a good, fast meal in the movie is exponentially greater than what we find here. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten fast food and been greeted, if you can call it that, by a bored, unimpressed person who could care less what I want to eat and if what I receive is what I ordered. The efficiency and attention that Tampopo learns from Goro is refreshing and inviting.

My observations from Tampopo bring a question to the forefront of my mind. How do we as a culture reconnect with our food? It seems like such a natural thing to do since it sustains us and allows us to do all of the things we love. Since we are in a culture that thrives on fast and easy, how can we change our society to bring back the appreciation of a nice, slow meal shared with others?

Oh boy Obento!!!

When I found out we would be making Bento boxes for our classmates to enjoy (hopefully), I was nervous. I didn't know how to make a Bento box, I didn't have a good grasp on what foods complemented each other, and most of all, I was afraid of making a very unattractive Bento.

Once I started making my Bento, I was still apprehensive, but I soon found myself enjoying the process immensely. Since I still didn't have a good grasp of the individual tastes of foods, I concentrated on the aesthetics of my Bento and hoped for the best. The entire time I was curious as to what my partner's Bento would turn out like- would I be able to eat all of it? Would I enjoy the foods? And would he enjoy the Bento I was putting together for him?

One thing I had on my mind the entire time was the fact that Bentos, according to both Andrea Arai and Anne Allison, are such an important part of the Japanese culture. The time that mothers spend on these lunches are incredible. The pictures we have seen look more like works of art to me than actual food items. Because of this I felt a lot of pressure to create a somewhat decent Bento, but my hopes were not high.

Once my partner Luke (a visitor to our class from Andrea's class) and I sat down, I found out that he was actually born in Japan, both of his parents native Japanese. While he didn't grow up in Japan, he was extremely familiar with the food and customs. I felt like I had won the lottery, especially when he started telling me more about each of the foods and I felt comfortable asking questions and learning more about the Japanese culture of food.

One thing we touched on, which I found extremely sensible and felt that it spoke to the importance of food in the Japanese culture, was the way rice balls are made in Japan. They are always made with the hands. The Japanese believe that the more love and effort you put into making the food, the better it will taste. This was something that I got out of our readings and discussion in class as well. Making food with your hands is the ultimate symbol of love- creating nourishment for your family can only be done with your heart, and therefore your hands. Luke shared with me his experience of working in a Japanese restaurant where one of his jobs was making rice balls by hand. He never could get them quite right until his boss told him that he had to put a part of himself into it, that he couldn't make the rice balls casually and without being connected to the food. That helped Luke immensely and he could instantly see the result of the difference in attitude when preparing the rice balls.

Before we began eating, Luke and I shared our strategies for preparing the Bento boxes for each other. While I focused on the aesthetics of the Bento, Luke's familiarity with the foods lent him the ability to pair foods according to taste and to separate them into two main groups- those that were already seasoned and flavored, and those that would need soy sauce. After giving me another run down of the foods he had chosen, he shared a bit of Japanese custom with me. As I was ready to dig in and get started discovering new tastes, Luke stopped me and told me that before every meal, Japanese say "itadakimas" which means "I will eat". It is a way of honoring the food and honoring the person who prepared the food.

We honored each other and started sharing our meal. The experience spoke to me of everything we have been talking about so far in terms of the social aspect of sharing a meal and sharing cultures. Luke and I learned a lot about each other and formed the beginnings of a friendship. Here I was, with a person I never met before, who I didn't know anything about, and by the end of our time together, we had made enough of a connection that I invited him to keep in contact and to share a meal with my husband and me. He is not from this area, so I am looking forward to preparing a home-cooked meal that he can enjoy as opposed to the school and fast food he is living off of currently.

This experience has been such an amazing one. I am so excited about what I have learned, and I am inspired to create more Bento boxes for myself and my husband. Uwajimaya, here I come!!!

Creating Family

I come from a small family. Growing up it was always just me and my parents. Our extended family lived hundreds of miles away, so we didn't see them very often. It was rare that I experienced the family holidays that were filled with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. We created our own family experience though. My mom worked as an English professor at the local community college. Her loving, compassionate nature led our holidays to be shared with students from the college. Most were international students who had no family here and no where to go for the holidays, but some were American students who couldn't make it home to spend time with their own families.

Sharing our food, our traditions and our love with others made our holidays incredible. I remember the love and passion my mom put into the food she prepared. She was so happy and excited to share our family love and give people a place to be for the holidays, to give them a family to be with that she put everything she had into her food. We usually had our guests come over early in the day. Sometimes they spent a few nights at our house and really became a part of the family. The day of the big dinner, we would sit around relaxing and enjoying each others company.

Soon Mom's kitchen would be filling the house with luscious smells that made all of our stomachs rumble in anticipation. She always made sure there was plenty to snack on, so we weren't completely tortured by the scents saturating the house. When it was time to sit down, we were so enticed by the food, we practically raced to the table.

The dinners themselves were like feasts - beautiful table settings, candles, plenty of food that was welcoming, delightful and satisfying. The ambiance the dining room had was inviting, comforting, and relaxed. I remember the smiles, the looks of gratitude, and the general sense of bonding, creating incredible relationships, and expanding family. As we ate the room filled with light conversation, laughter, comfortable sighs, and most importantly - love.

These holidays were always my favorite and will remain etched in my memory forever. I know that these meals bonded my family with our guests forever. Even if I never see or speak with these people again, we will be in each others hearts and memories forever because of gathering around food.

Memories in Food

Food has always been a big part of my life, but I haven't realized it until recently. Taking this class has brought back a lot of lovely memories of my childhood, my mother's cooking and all of the wonderful experiences that I had. Reading about Nigel's experiences with his mom in the kitchen and her attempts at cooking brought back many memories of my mom's cooking. While she wasn't able to cook as often as she wanted, she did cook an awful lot and was very good at it. Now, as an adult, I really miss my mom's cooking. Not only would I love to come home to a beautiful home-cooked meal, but I simply don't seem to have the time to experiment in the kitchen like she does. It is something that I dream of, and one day I will get the opportunity, but for now daily cooking is not a viable option.

I am lucky in the fact that when I do see my parents my mom loves to cook for me and my husband. In fact she spoils us rotten, especially me since she knows all of my favorite dishes. One of my all time favorite dishes is something we call Spanish Rice. It speaks to me of comfort, home, love, family and mom. The feelings it evokes in me reminds me of MLK Fisher's peach pie experience. It is a warm, delicious comforting food that fills you up and leaves you smiling, happy, sitting on the couch with your pants unbuttoned for comfort. I am proud to say that I now have my husband addicted to this dish as well.

Mom actually got the recipe for Spanish Rice from her mother. Over the years she has improved it with various spices that my grandmother wouldn't have known what to do with. My mother greatly prefers her own version since my grandmother's was a little too bland. The dish itself consists mainly of hamburger, bacon, rice, kidney beans, tomato sauce along with an array of spices that I can't remember off the top of my head. The meat and rice are cooked and then mixed with all of the other ingredients. An hour or so in the oven baking and out comes a delicious Spanish Rice casserole. The smell is heavenly and always makes my mouth water with anticipation. I love opening up the oven to see the juices of the casserole bubbling and creating a tasty, crusty top layer.

My mom always makes sure that my favorite dish is on the menu when I visit, and I usually end up with a container of it in my freezer when my parents visit. I have a great mom! She knows that Spanish Rice has always been one of my soul foods, and probably always will be.

Forever the experimenter in the kitchen, Mom recently made a creative change to her recipe and came up with a new version of Spanish Rice. Instead of the hamburger, bacon and kidney beans, she has included chicken, corn, and a few other southwestern type foods. She is coming up with a new name for it since it isn't Spanish anymore. While it is very tasty, I still prefer my old standby- Spanish Rice. I hope that when I have children, they will appreciate the dish as much as I do. Perhaps they will pass it to their children as well and it can become the family recipe passed on through the ages.