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(02/14/20 4:57am)
Bloomington’s Department of Economic and Sustainable Development is inviting residents to participate in an online survey to help the city identify climate-related risks to the community and risks to Monroe County, the city announced Feb. 6.
(05/02/11 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I am inspired by only a few well-known figures, but you would be wrong in assuming that I am most inspired by Giada De Laurentiis or Julia Child.My best and greatest inspiration is Linda Ellerbee.When I was young, my mom introduced me to “Girl Reporter,” a children’s book series based on the childhood journalism career of a fifth grader named Casey. I read all eight books over and over again, and those books were the driving force that made me pursue the newspaper in fifth grade, as well as start a paper in middle school.Obviously, I outgrew the book series, as they were only meant for children in elementary school. But soon afterward, I purchased Ellerbee’s memoirs of working in the world of news. I kept pushing myself forward in this field through high school.I got jaded by journalism by the end of my freshman year and pursued other extra-curricular activities that, looking back, I greatly regret. I keep kicking myself for not sticking with the newspaper. But it didn’t stop my love or appreciation for the world of journalism, as I would still read Ellerbee’s memoirs.When I finally came to IU, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. All I knew was that I was a decent writer. I started at the Indiana Daily Student and registered for a few journalism courses, and then I learned about the Individualized Major Program, which is what allows me to design my major in food journalism. I’m not technically a journalism major, but I get to take a bunch of classes in food. It sounds like a fun degree, as well as a fun career choice.“So, Lily, are you going to be a restaurant critic?”Well, not necessarily. People always assume that about my degree, and I even thought the same until I received a book as a gift from a family member.“Take Big Bites” by Linda Ellerbee. Adventures around the world and across the table.This book was the sign I needed to reaffirm my self-confidence in my degree and my passions. I always loved food, as well as writing. This book is everything that I want my future to be.Ellerbee’s writing is flawless, discussing her food experiences as well as advice for being in the real world. Of all the books I own, this is the one I recommend to everyone. Just read this excerpt, which summarizes everything I feel about journalism and discovering parts of the world I haven’t found yet:“Of course like all good little girls, I was taught never to talk to strangers. I liked talking to strangers. They told stories I hadn’t already heard.”I am moving to Orlando in two weeks to start an internship with Disney World, and I am scared beyond belief. I personally believe I’m terrible at meeting new people, and I have a great phobia of disappointing my bosses. But it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I passed it up, I know I’d regret it later. Besides, Linda Ellerbee would want me to experience this now.So my advice to our graduates, as well as all my readers, is to be fearless.Go ahead. Take big bites.
(04/26/11 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Lunchables. I do not care how childish I look when I eat them. They are wonderful.My mom was not a big fan of me eating Lunchables when I was younger, and I understand why. They’re a bunch of processed foods filled with all sorts of things that shouldn’t naturally go into my body. But that didn’t stop me from loving them at all.I feel like Lunchables were one of those food items that determined your social status in grade school. The cool kids brought Lunchables. The kids who had the really awesome parents, who would bring in the best birthday snacks, brought Lunchables.Given the fact that I considered myself an outcast throughout school, I was desperate for a way to be accepted. Lunchables seemed to be the key. To give my mom some credit, though, most of my favorite grade school lunches were made and packed by hand. Do you remember how trading Lunchables used to be on par with trading for dessert? Or chips? Or everything that you could scrounge up for that cool kid at lunch that day?I remember all the types, too. There were the classic sub sandwiches and cracker combinations. I always liked the ones with the cheddar and turkey.The sub sandwich was always weird to me, though, because it came with mayonnaise that didn’t really taste like mayonnaise. It was too sweet. Maybe I’m the only one who thought that.The Tex-Mex Lunchables were fun too — nachos with salsa and cheese as well as the tacos. They don’t make the tacos anymore, or maybe I just can’t find them. It did seem weird to me that you could sell tacos like that.And then, of course, my favorite: the pizzas.Lunchable pizzas have been one of those strange foods that have helped me get through college. There’s just something so comforting about the cracker-like pizza crusts, sweet tomato sauce and the shredded cheeses. Granted, it’s not the same as my childhood. I remember the pepperonis having a much different texture, more like a processed meat and with less spices. Now the pepperonis are trying to be like real pepperonis.And there is no longer a red stick you can use to spread your pizza sauce on the crust. I actually found a fan page devoted to the Lunchables red pizza sauce stick, and there’s a fictional story that goes along in the basic info. It’s quite clever, even if overdramatic.Also, Tombstone no longer distributes the pizza sauce. But the sauce seems to taste the same, at least from my memory.Regardless of the changes, I’ll still stare longingly at the Lunchables at Kroger or the C-stores on campus. And occasionally, I’ll buy pizza Lunchables and snack on them for lunch or while writing a stressful paper.Let’s face it: Sometimes, when you’re in the heat of final papers and end-of-semester stress, your best comfort can come from a nostalgic childhood treat.
(04/19/11 2:46am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When I was a little girl, I grew up in Whiting, Ind., a small town on the northwestern-most point of the state. My parents moved there after getting married but had problems fitting in and being accepted by the neighbors and townspeople for reasons none of us really understand. But down the street in a cute brick house lived Dora, our adopted grandmother.Dora was the one who introduced me to authentic Italian food as a child. Dora took my family in because she was treated the same way by the townspeople and wanted to be our friend, so she became close with my mom. They babbled on and on about politics, which I never understood or paid attention to as I was always distracted by the smells in her kitchen.But when Dora baby-sat, she taught me about food, particularly how to make some Italian food. I was very little when she taught me how to cook, so I have few memories, and what little I remember is spotty. But I cannot imagine a better adopted grandmother to teach me about food. I think part of my obsession with Mediterranean cooking is because of Dora. After all, she was the first real food influence on me outside of my parents. I remember her pouring flour onto the table and adding eggs and letting me knead it. Then she would do her part to ensure everything was mixed well and would put it all through the pasta maker. We would have fresh pasta that night for dinner.I was so spoiled. If only I knew then what I know now.I also feel like she made me pizza because I have a small memory of smelling the pizza cooking in her house, but who knows for sure?Then there were the sweets.Dora also introduced me to pizzelles, the Italian cookies that look like waffles. I would sit at the kitchen table as she made them, listening to WGN evening news in the background as I read a children’s book that taught Italian, a gift from Dora. She would always give me a few to snack on while I waited for her to wrap a box up for my parents, and I can recall salivating over the flavor of the amaretto.Then there were the Capezolli di Venere, beautiful little cookies that melted in your mouth with anisette. I’m not going to tell you the English name for the cookies, as I will leave that to you to look up on your own. I will tell you that they were smaller, round cookies with a very fine crumb, and they were always topped with a very thin layer of pink frosting.Dora, I know you are out there somewhere in the universe, so know this: One day, I will go to Italy, and I will make pasta from scratch, knowing that you are watching over me to make sure I do it right.
(04/12/11 2:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I have a terrible confession to share with all of you: I used to really hate pizza. Part of this stems from moving at a younger age and relying on the local pizza joint in town for a few months. I got really sick of pizza really quickly. I couldn’t stand the taste of pizza sauce, I hated the melted cheese, and I didn’t like how any of the toppings tasted.I was incredibly pessimistic about the whole thing. Until college. I had to learn quickly to like pizza, or at least look like I liked pizza, because of all the events around the dorms that involved free food.Quickly I learned that Pizza X was okay, Aver’s was amazing, Mother Bear’s was for special occasions, and Mad Mushroom was just not at all for me. But as time progressed, I began to develop an appreciation for pizza, for which my friends are grateful.That being said, I still do not fully understand the hype around pizza. Is its popularity due to its simplicity, or the infinite combinations of toppings? Surely it can’t be based on taste, right?I ask because the other night I was looking for a quick, easy dinner and picked up a frozen pizza. I found one I liked just fine, but the majority of the frozen pizza section in the store was cleared out. Perhaps other people needed something quick to eat as well, or maybe they just had a craving.I also saw that some of the big brands were on sale, so maybe everyone thought they were saving a bunch of money.The pizza I bought cost about $8, which is not too shabby for being split between two people. But a good price on food does not necessarily mean the food is good for you. If I had pizza every night of the week for dinner, I feel like I would get sick just from all the carbs in the crust.I’ve seen people this semester eating nothing but pizza practically every night, praising it and loving the fact that they can eat whatever they want because they’re independent.But I’m sorry. It’s just not healthy.I’m not saying this because I used to hate pizza. I’m not even saying this because I can be picky and appear to be a food snob. I’m bringing this all up because of finances and personal health, two things that have worried me all semester.The fact of the matter is that pizza every night for dinner is not healthy, nor is it financially wise in the long run. If you make pizza a balanced meal with a healthy side, it’s so much better for you. If you cut down on buying pizzas, frozen or delivered, from every day to just once a week, you’re saving a lot of money.Pizza is really good, but I’m trying not to buy it again until finals week. I guess to me, it’s just not worth risking my financial stability and physical health over a craving for a fast or frozen food like pizza. I hope you know yourself well enough to make that personal judgement.
(04/05/11 3:25am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Strawberries.If I could get away with typing a smiley face throughout this column I would, because I can only smile when I think about strawberries.I can pretty much guarantee they are my favorite fruit. This is saying a lot, as I typically do not get excited about fruit.But strawberries have been a big part of my life since I was a child.For as long as I can remember, nearly every birthday was celebrated with my mom making me a cake. It was a simple enough recipe, a 1-2-3-4 cake from a Martha Stewart magazine. And Mom would whip up a batch of buttercream frosting using only unsalted butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and really good vanilla. There’s no need for milk or heavy cream or any other ingredient, as long as everything is mixed well together. And then she would pour in the strawberry puree and mix all of that until everything was incorporated, and magically I would have strawberry cupcakes for my birthday dessert.Oh man. This is the dessert I brag to my friends about. This is the cake and frosting recipe I would beg my mom to make for my birthday, to bring cupcakes into class.And then there were the birthday tea parties. They were a big deal, as all the girls in the neighborhood would come over in their Sunday best, all dolled up to sip out of dainty cups and eat dainty tea sandwiches. And along with the strawberry cupcakes, Mom would order chocolate-covered strawberries.Overkill? Of course not. There’s no such thing as too much strawberry, right?Eventually I grew out of that girlish phase of wanting tea parties and fancy dresses, but the strawberry cupcakes remained.Some years they’d be really fancy. Mom would get her special frosting tool out to decorate the tops and put frosting in the middle too. Or she’d just spread the frosting across the cupcakes — or a whole cake — without all the fussiness but still all the strawberry love.And I would continue to bring my cupcakes to class until teachers no longer allowed it.It was still the most requested birthday cake in the house. Dad would take a cupcake to work to go with his lunch. Mom would send me to friends’ houses with them for the families, especially if they liked the recipe.Mom even made them for me during college. My birthday is a week after finals, so I come home and sleep for a week and wake up to strawberry cupcakes.I know it may seem like a trivial thing, to write just about these cupcakes and the mouth-watering, fresh-tasting frosting, but it is just one of those things that is a big part of my life.
(03/29/11 2:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Within my dad’s personal office, there is a book. Typically it stands tall and upright alongside our cookbooks in our bookshelves in the dining room, but this past weekend it lay on his desk, amidst work notes and papers. It is a chili cookbook, and I absolutely adore it.“Chili Nation,” written by Jane and Michael Stern, is a cookbook devoted to chili recipes found in every state in the United States. Each state has a different recipe, even if it only varies slightly from others. At the end of the book, there are other recipes for side dishes.But this past weekend, as with all other times my family has thumbed through the book, we only chose to make one recipe: Wyoming’s Code 10 Chili, the chili that can truly set your insides on fire and leave embers within for days if you add too many jalapeños.This is my dad’s chili. No, he may not have come up with it out of thin air or developed it with help from others’ influences, but it is his chili, and man, do I love the stuff.It started a few years back, when we originally bought the book. I don’t recall why we ended up buying it in the first place, or how or why we came to starting with the Wyoming recipe. I would assume it’s because the recipes sounded good and Code 10 sounded like it didn’t belong in Wyoming.The authors wrote that they had gotten this recipe from a Wyoming resident who was originally from Santa Fe, N.M. It may hardly seem authentic, but that doesn’t make it any less delicious.My dad took it upon himself one bitterly cold night to make the chili. Potatoes, chilies, spices, jalapeños, spicy sausage, onion and many other ingredients eventually found their way into a giant pot with steam that could clear out your sinuses if you breathed it in enough. The recipe suggested sour cream to top and tortillas on the side to cut the heat and protect your stomach lining.I exaggerate the spiciness a tad bit. It’s only ridiculously spicy when you add too many fresh jalapenos, especially with their seeds. Then again, I’m the girl who drinks out of hot sauce bottles.Regardless of the spiciness, Dad created a new family favorite, and it’s now a winter standby in our house. It’s a hearty chili, unlike anything else, and I beg for it every time I’m home for Christmas. This past Christmas, we didn’t get the opportunity to make it while I was home, but I craved the chili all winter. So this weekend, I went home and had Dad make me chili.I don’t care if it’s almost April; the fact that it was snowing last week tells me it’s chili weather.I didn’t copy the recipe or find it online, but I do recommend you check out the cookbook. Besides the Code 10 chili, there’s a mean garlic chili from California that looks delightful.And thank you, Dad, for indulging my need for heat once more before the end of my junior year.
(03/22/11 1:32am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are two large posters hanging in my room: one of Bob Dylan that everyone has from the poster sale and a movie poster of “Being Julia.” But my other, smaller posters seem to overwhelm the two largest.I have four or five miniature posters and advertisements for the film “Julie and Julia.” It’s the film about a young Brooklyn-based woman, Julie Powell, who decides to create every recipe in the cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child. Powell created a blog and gained lots of publicity, which led to a book deal and eventually the movie.The film itself is not just based off of Powell’s memoir; it also takes from Julia Child’s autobiography and has a nice balance of swinging back and forth from gritty modern day Brooklyn to life in France in the 1950s.I have pretty much become obsessed with this movie.I remember seeing it for the first time right before heading down to Bloomington for sophomore year, and I had this sparkly, giddy feeling rising up inside of me after coming out of the theater. I felt so happy. I felt hopeful.Of course, I’m always ridiculously happy after watching food-based films, with the exception of “Food, Inc.” I’ve seen that documentary way too many times for classes to the point where I can practically mouth along with the interviewee.But there’s something about “Julie and Julia” in particular that always makes me feel good, no matter what.Maybe it’s because Powell had so much success with what really started out as a narcissistic project she posted online. I am, after all, a writer, and the economy has not really favored writers as of late. It doesn’t seem to favor journalism too much, either.I’m at that point where I really don’t know what to do with my life because everything I turn to only seems to bring me frustration, and I’ve started daydreaming about how I could win the lottery or rob banks or have one of those email spam scams actually work out in my favor.But this silly little blog, just a simple blog about cooking classic French dishes, changed Powell’s life, particularly her career.It gives me hope that I can make some decent income after getting my diploma in a year.But what of Julia Child?I’m not going to lie. I really want to be her more than Julie Powell. Powell is a bit crazy (if you haven’t seen the film), and Child is just so ladylike. She’s eccentric, funny and smart and loves to cook almost as much as she loves to savor food.I could practically write her a love letter.Without fail, this movie can bring me back to reality and remind me of why I’m pursuing my degree in the first place. So here’s to you, Julie Powell, and especially to you, Julia Child. Without you, I might not have the patience to continue pursuing my passions.
(03/08/11 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There are two words that I absolutely dread during the academic year: midterms and finals.This past week has been fairly hellish for me, as three of my classes had midterm essays and projects due nonstop. I’m really worn down after all of it and just want a rest, but, alas, I still have another midterm this week, as well as another writing project due.One of my projects due this past week was for my class in prehistoric diet and nutrition. It involved observing my diet for two days and analyzing the nutritional data that I obtained. This really isn’t anything new for me; a lot of my food-related courses end up requiring me to keep track of what I eat for part of the semester. As a result, I am more aware of what I’m eating during the week. This is definitely a good thing when I’m trying to keep healthier habits, as I don’t count calories. I merely keep track of what categories certain foods fall into.As it has been midterms week, however, my diet has changed negatively. I have been trying to stay healthy since my first column, when I wrote about trying to lose weight as a New Year’s resolution. I have not been doing my best to keep up with my efforts.For example, since I had essays due nonstop until Wednesday afternoon last week, I was not able to get to the gym until Wednesday evening. I really wanted to work out after finishing my essays each night, but it was so late and I was so tired that it didn’t make sense.I seemed to care less about my health in general. I ate more junk foods, although I did put forth effort to eat some vegetables — I know myself well enough to know that I’m always more stressed when I don’t eat enough leafy greens.But worse than that, when I was busy juggling four essays at once, I felt myself playing an internal game of tug-of-war. I didn’t know if I should eat or not.I think this is the case for everyone during stressful testing weeks.How sad is it that midterms stress us out so much that we end up not eating?I know I’m not the only one. I see friends end up forgetting to eat all the time because they feel that academics are more important than personal health. And lately, I’ve been feeling the same way.What are we supposed to do? There’s no easy way to convince ourselves to stop and eat for a moment, if only to fuel ourselves through our academic pain.I wish I could just magically feed everyone, like I do with my good friends. Obviously that’s impossible, but you get the idea.The important thing to remember is not just eating when you know you need nourishment. In my opinion, it’s more important to not let academia keep you from your meals. After all, what’s more important — academics or your personal health?It’s just some food for thought while cramming for midterms.
(03/01/11 3:33am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>What does it mean to be a food journalist? I’ve been asking myself this question frequently as of late because I have hit my junior-year rut. At the bottom of each of my columns, you can read, “Lily Miller is a junior majoring in food journalism.”It’s not a common major, nor is it specifically offered through the School of Journalism.I designed my major through the Individualized Major Program, which I strongly recommend to any freshmen or sophomores who feel conflicted academically.I decided that a skillful blend of journalism and food anthropology courses would be the best bet for my major. Throughout my food-based courses, I’ve been reading a lot of Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, people who I consider to be more investigatory food journalists. I love what they do and believe it’s important for our society. But it’s not really what I want to do. Chasing down food corporations and overly analyzing ingredients sounds exhausting. However, everyone who hears about my major automatically assumes that I want to strictly be a restaurant reviewer. Frankly, that’s just not true.Actually, the thought of only reviewing restaurants the rest of my life sounds boring. Not that I wouldn’t love the job, but it’s just not what I want to do straight out of school.So what on earth do I want to do with a specially designed degree in food journalism, a degree that technically does not exist and has only been taken by a few other IMP students before me?I have no clue. I’ve toyed with restaurant reviews and investigations. I could have my own show on Food Network, or write for a food magazine.Actually, it was Gourmet magazine that drew me to food journalism in the first place. Former Editor-in-Chief Ruth Reichl is one of my idols, and the writing in the magazine was simply superb. So you can imagine me crying when I heard Condé Nast pulled the plug on my favorite magazine. To be honest, I still tell people my dream job is to be editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine one day. But is this what people consider to be food journalism? And more importantly, is food journalism, whatever it may be, actually what I want to do with the rest of my life?I’m running out of time and white space to figure out what this all means.Maybe I’m just another baffled undergraduate, searching for answers, clinging to a passion and hoping that it sticks. Or maybe I know exactly what I’m looking for and don’t know how to put it into words.I guess as long as I’m happy, that’s all that matters.Right?
(02/22/11 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I love burgers probably more than I should. What’s not to like?So much food is related in some degree to the hamburger. It’s essentially become an American phenomenon. After all, what’s more American than the hamburger?It’s funny that we associate the hamburger as the quintessential American food, since it technically was created in Germany. But does it really matter?We are the ones who created the popularity of the burger. Heck, look at McDonald’s. It became one of the largest franchises in the world and all because hamburgers are a delicious food that everyone seems to like to eat.You can make them quickly or take your time. Create the smallest, thinnest patty like White Castle or create a ridiculously oversized patty like Burger King. But really, why is this food so popular?If you think about it, the hamburger has changed the way of American life. If the hamburger had not been introduced, who could tell how food franchises would have developed and grown during the decades? The hamburger has become a way of life for many people.We seek out places like McDonald’s and Burger King when we’re in a hurry or stressed, creating this food sanctuary. We go there because we know what to expect and exactly what we’ll receive.When we go on vacation, we search for diners for an old-time feel because we associate nostalgia and the 1950s with drive-ins and diners with classic shakes, fries and burgers. We want to relive the past or at least try to feel like we live in a different time.When we go out to eat in fancy restaurants, burgers are still there. Granted, there are so many variations of the burger that it will make your head spin. But we order these burgers to feel fancy and important while still fixing a craving.Or perhaps it’s to appear laid back while looking fancy while eating a truffle-infused Kobe beef burger.Even further, vegetarians and vegans have influenced the burger franchise. Veggie burgers have found their place in the modern world, helping everyone get their cravings, even if it’s not real meat. I still love my Boca Burgers, but I’ll be honest — for me, nothing beats the taste of a perfectly done burger.Regardless, I still feel a twinge of guilt whenever I eat one.I think cows are absolutely adorable, even if they are just dumb farm animals. I mean, look at those big brown eyes. How could you ever contemplate killing one for food?This is coming from the girl who has sworn by a medium-rare steak her whole life.Not to mention there’s that whole tearing down the rainforest to make room for cows to graze for McDonalds. I don’t know the actual numbers on that, but it’s still sad that we should have to tear down any area to harvest bovines for ground, fried beef patties.Will this ever stop me from eating hamburgers? Ha. Not a chance.I’m sorry, but I really think that all of the bad anyone can attach to the idea of the hamburger is just nonsense. The same things would be said of another franchised fast food if hamburgers had not been there first. And like I said, they’re just so delicious.On that bittersweet note, I think I’ve gotten hungry for burgers again. Anyone care to join me for Five Guys?
(02/15/11 3:20am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>So this week in my Southern culture course, we get to learn about food.I am so excited.What we’ve been learning about in the course so far pertains to everything in the South after the Civil War. Makes sense, right?So of course we’re going to be talking about traditional Southern food. Visions of Paula Deen and endless amounts of gravy come to mind.But that obviously does not describe the entire menu for the South. The Carolinas are known for their barbecue. Louisiana is known for its Cajun-style cooking.Ahh, Louisiana. This, I guess, is what confuses me about Southern cooking.Cajun and Creole foods are similar to, but not truly like, other Southern foods. Actually, the whole culture is different than the stereotypical Southern culture.I asked a friend in my class about it since she grew up in Tennessee and considers herself to be a true Southern girl. She said she felt Cajun culture is separate from Southern culture, but she didn’t specify if it was completely outside of the Southern culture.So is Cajun or Creole food really Southern?I’m just wondering because we can bring food in to class this week. What would my class’s response be to me bringing dirty rice or jambalaya?Heck, what if I even just brought fried chicken, but with different, spicier seasonings?Look at KFC and Popeyes. I’ve always preferred Popeyes’ seasonings to KFC’s, but what does my opinion matter?The general recipe is bound to be similar. Just dip pieces of chicken into the ingredients you choose and fry it. Drain and finish, or repeat if you’d like crispier chicken.But the flavors that come through, whether it’s because of the oil used or the seasonings, is going be different.Is Cajun food still a type of Southern food, or is it like saying Greek food is separate from Mediterranean? Or is it like saying traditional Italian pizzas are more southern Italian food than general Italian food?To be honest, I’m not really sure what to think. The deal with Cajun culture is that it would be different if it weren’t for the ways of Southern culture. I don’t know how different it would be, but it would not be everything that we associate with Cajun culture.So wouldn’t this influence the food and change what people who consider themselves Cajun eat?I’m probably just overthinking this. My assumption is that most people would say, “Does it really matter? And who cares?”Nonetheless, on Thursday I will be bringing in some kind of Southern food to class. My friend from Tennessee is hoping to bring a type of hors d’oeuvres involving pickled okra. If I have the time to make them, I’d like to make johnnycakes or my dad’s amazing biscuits.And I guess I’ll find the answer to my hankering question soon enough. But who knows, maybe I’ll sneak a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce to class to get a kick of Cajun spice.
(02/08/11 3:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You know what’s not fun? Being underage.Not that I want to go and get wasted every weekend. I really don’t. The idea of the typical college party actually kind of annoys me.My problem with being underage is that I want to be a wine connoisseur. I want to school myself in the world of wines so badly. This is partly due to my major and future career. I feel that it is pretty much a necessity for me to learn these things before going into a food career that I have created without going to culinary school.Don’t you think it makes sense for me to do this? I think so.The problem is not just my age, but my actual birthdate. Many of my friends have been 21 for months. My 21st birthday is not until the week after finals.It’s a major bummer because although I am not the partying type, it would be nice to celebrate my birthday with my friends in town. But I am excited about going home to Chicago for my birthday.Regardless of all of this, it gives me merely a year to figure out what all of that wine stuff is about and what it means and its importance and so on.I don’t suppose there’s really a point to me saying all this. I’ve already written about how people need to be more respectful toward alcoholic beverages, as we, the college students, only seem to be known for abusing them. It doesn’t really matter to me one way or the other about being able to legally drink, which I think is how most people should feel about it anyway.But sometimes, when I’ve had a long week or when I’m trying to get people together or just when I’m trying to keep things simple, it would be nice to just throw a wine and cheese party.It’s easy, it’s definitely affordable, and I’ve seen it trending more across the college atmosphere.But I’m pretty positive that given our alcoholic experiences, none of us know what we should about wines, other than there being white and red.Don’t you think it’d be cool to just have knowledge of the world of wines?I think it would be rather handy. Impress people easily with your excellent taste in wine as well as your knowledge and courage to pair certain vintages with meals. Be able to talk about the crops each year and actually understand what the Judgment of Paris blind wine tasting was about.Food and drink go hand in hand and are therefore important. It’s a part of life and has played a big part of many lives in history.I mean, wine is considered the blood of Christ. And if that’s not important, I don’t know what is.Maybe I’m rambling pointlessly, but it’s something that I’ve felt strongly about since watching the film “Bottle Shock.”Give it a look and maybe you’ll understand where I’m coming from.I don’t even know how one goes about becoming a connoisseur. Is there a school? Do I need to have a certain level of snobbery?Nonetheless, I will continue to wish for infinite knowledge of wines while awaiting my official adulthood in May. Until then, I will comfort myself with the minimal knowledge of food items that I have.
(02/01/11 3:51am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Last week was one of the worst weeks I had in a long time. Good thing my boyfriend and I already had plans to go home to escape the bad insanity that was Bloomington this weekend.We rolled into Valparaiso at about dinner time, to my dad’s special spaghetti sauce. We sat around the kitchen table, talking and relaxing, until dinner was served.“Lil, your turn.”“What? Oh ...”My turn to say grace.I don’t know what is the norm for saying grace at meals, but I definitely have an unorthodox method that I created back when I was in first grade. It involves a simple dinner prayer I learned in preschool with “to infinity and beyond” added at the end and is said at record-breaking high speeds.Needless to say, it’s a bit ridiculous. And immature. After all, I am 20. But I’ve gotten into a few enthusiastic discussion with my parents, as I did that night, about the importance of grace and why we have to say it.In our times, it seems we live in a world of too many rapid changes — changes to religion, changes to lifestyles, changes to classes, changes to every single little thing that we choose to affect our lives.And currently, I am of the opinion that grace hardly has a place at modern meals.After all, you don’t say grace when going out to eat. I’ve never heard of anyone saying grace when they eat alone. And you hardly see dinner with grace within our age group.For me, it’s a choice. I choose not to say grace at dinner for many reasons, including time restraint and setting. As I consider myself agnostic at this point in time, it seems strange to send up praise to a god when I don’t even know what denomination that god or I belong to.For my parents, especially my mom, it makes more sense. Mom came from a fairly strict Catholic background, so grace was part of every dinner. I don’t know about Dad’s family, but he has his own Scottish grace as well.Their prayers just sound so much more, well, official. Maybe it’s the wording, but comparing it to mine with “to infinity and beyond” at the end, it’s just not juvenile. I definitely like the ring of the Scottish grace my dad says. But heaven knows I can’t understand it, especially when I don’t care enough to learn it.So why should I say grace anyway? Particularly when I don’t have any one god to thank.“Because it’s tradition.”“Because you’re giving thanks.”“Because this is a wonderful gift that you have been blessed with.”Yeah, yeah, yeah, same thing I’ve heard before.I hate to sound like I’m repeating myself. I know I’ve written a few columns about being truly grateful for all that we have here on earth, especially us here at school.What it comes down to is everyone is fighting a difficult battle, whether it’s hidden from everyone else’s sight or involving many different friends and family members.But for some reason, there is always food available somewhere, somehow. It grows in every fertile part of the land through plants and animals. No matter who prays to what deity, food is provided in edible form.I know my current lifestyle doesn’t really allow me to say grace at meals. But down the line, I know I’ll teach my family to say something at dinner.After all, if you’re not thankful for the food you eat, the food you eat to survive and thrive, what are you thankful for?
(01/25/11 2:06am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I have a slightly gross story to share with you. Don’t worry, it’s actually relevant to my column this week.I was a strange child, especially in terms of eating habits. Maybe it wasn’t so much that my eating habits were strange; I just don’t know of that many kids who are enthusiastic to eat almost anything.After all, I was the toddler who would take raw garlic and lemon wedges from my mom’s cutting board and go on to eat them.But my parents love to tell me the story of my love for steak, even as a tiny baby with the tiniest teeth imaginable.Mom would make steaks for each of us every now and then. This was, and still occasionally is, my favorite meal. I just really love steak.And what’s not to love?It’s juicy and tender. Cooked at medium-rare, you can taste everything perfect about steak. The texture, the warmth of the juices, how everything melts in your mouth as you chew it.Oh man. I’m getting hungry just talking about it, and I just had a steak.Anyway, I loved steak so much as a baby that I would shove it all in my mouth. At once. Not my smartest idea.Regardless of how tiny the pieces were, regardless of how my mother arranged my plate, regardless of any factors that could have changed my eating habits. I still shoved every last piece into my mouth at once.As a result, my lucky parents got to perform the Heimlich Maneuver on me as an infant.Twice.I can’t explain my love for steak so simply. I’ve always been a lover of cows, whether they’re eaten or kept for milking purposes or just wander around fields with those big brown eyes that seem to say, “I love you. Please don’t hurt me.”I will admit, I feel a slight twinge of guilt eating beef. But it doesn’t really have to do with my being conscious of eating a living creature. I just feel bad of how the industry has turned everything into a giant assembly line.Nonetheless, I love my steak.It’s such a versatile food item. You can add nearly anything to it to add favor or mask flavor if it’s not well cooked.For example, tonight I split a steak with my boyfriend and had an amazing lobster-mushroom topping with it. It’s been one of my better decisions for steak.Maybe it’s a bit too decadent, but you know what? It all worked. All of the flavors melted into each other.Vegans and vegetarians, I do respect your beliefs and understand why you maintain your diets. But please don’t hate on me.Besides, without meat in our diets we would not have evolved the way we did. The proteins we get from animal meat are pretty necessary and hard to substitute.Honestly, I’d rather just take the easier, and still delicious, route. So steak lovers of the world, unite! Raise your forks in enthusiasm and deliciousness. Just don’t eat it all at once. You might require the Heimlich Maneuver.Until next time, I’ll keep daydreaming of my next medium-rare, juicy, savory steak.
(01/18/11 2:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This past Christmas, I did not receive a Kindle like nearly everyone else on my friends list on Facebook who exclaimed their joy for small electronics.But the Kindle, along with every other technological advance in media, is seriously changing the way we view our reading materials.We’ve seen the transition through the past few years. Newspapers are going online, with full access to each article published — if you have an online account. Blogs are increasing in popularity and might well take over the magazine industry.And of course, the Kindle is replacing books.I think this is a superb idea, especially if it means buying my textbooks for a tenth of the price of what the IU Bookstore offers. But a thought struck me the other day as I was flipping through a few of my books, looking for a dinner recipe.Will cookbooks be able to survive the transition to an all-digital media?Here’s my concern. Cookbooks are used in the kitchen, meaning they are exposed to anything and everything you are cooking. They get worn down, they get stained, they get grease spots — they just get food on them everywhere.And that’s part of the charm of cookbooks, especially those passed down through generations of families. The one cookbook I’m looking forward to receiving from my mom is her copy of The New York Times Cookbook that was published back in the ’60s. Sure, some of the pages are ready to fall out, but you can’t find that edition anymore.Trust me, I’ve looked.Now try and imagine keeping your electronic cookbook in the kitchen. Imagine your freshly made tomato sauce bubbling and bursting onto the screen. Imagine keeping it on the counter and accidentally knocking it off as you try to make room for another cutting board or mixing bowl.It sounds like a technological and financial nightmare.The buzz in journalism, as well as any form of media today, is that we are entering a new era. When I hear this, I can only imagine a life without paperback anything.But this can’t apply to cookbooks. It just wouldn’t make sense.Have you tried going online to find a recipe for dinner or for a cake? Have you noticed how hard it is to find the exact information for a certain baking or cooking technique online?And have you noticed how much easier it is to find what you’re looking for in a cookbook you or another relative has used before?The other problem is clipping recipes. I suppose you could scan them and save them to your Kindle or iPad or even your computer, but wouldn’t it be simpler to put them in the recipe box that has been passed down through your family for generations?Maybe I’m overthinking this. All I know is I’ve tried cooking recipes found on my computer and it’s not as easy as keeping the cookbook around.I think it’s sort of comforting to know that I will more than likely be able to find cookbooks still made with paper as times change and books become digital. Granted, I know this is not the case for every copy of Gourmet magazine or other cookbooks, and people will likely try keeping recipes in their electronics.But if you do rely on your digital cookbook while working in the kitchen, don’t be surprised if you miss the old-fashioned, non-fancy, all-paper cookbook when your Kindle gets ruined from a cooking mishap.
(01/11/11 3:03am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Happy 2011 everyone. Only a little less than two years until the end of the world or the zombie apocalypse, depending on your opinion.As it is the new year, ’tis the season for everyone to make New Year’s resolutions. I bet you can guess where I’m going with this — I’m going to talk about the typical resolution to lose weight.I am going to do my best to lose weight this year. I’ve decided to do this for a number of reasons, some involving self-confidence, others involving health concerns.I want to feel better about myself when I get dressed up. I want to be happier and less stressed.I know I’ve made this resolution in the past, or I’ve at least thought about making this resolution. But you have no idea how conflicted I can feel about this at times.My major is food journalism. A good portion of my happy memories from growing up involve food. Whatever future career I have will eventually involve food somehow.I can’t abandon any food. I can’t wrap my head around the idea of sticking to a specific diet, unless seriously ill and directed by a doctor. I eat what I want because I figure my body craves it for a reason.My other concern with this is that I’ve finally started coming to terms with my curves. I am, without a doubt, what most people consider an hourglass figure. Friends like to comment on my “Beyoncé booty” from time to time.I’m okay with this. And I’m mostly okay with my body.So it’s going to be a struggle to figure out a way to efficiently lose some weight while maintaining my lifestyle and beliefs.However, it’s not impossible. I know this because I’ve been able to work at this before and have been somewhat successful when I’ve tried.So what is my diet going to consist of this semester or for the rest of this year? Well, this past semester I really got into eating soups and salads, even if they weren’t that healthy. That’s bound to affect my tastes and cravings because when you get in the habit of eating certain foods, you begin to crave them.But what happened to the weight I gained this past semester from my new diet? To be honest, I can’t tell you how much weight I gained, so for all I know it’s just an illusion.But perhaps it has less to do with what I eat and maybe more with my being a stress eater. Even as I’m writing this column, I’m snacking on crunchy things to soothe myself. But if I stick to healthier snacks like trail mix, which contain more good proteins and fat, I’ll be putting better things into my body.What about eating out? Restaurants are fairly important for what I’m going to do with my life. But I realized this year that since my boyfriend has a car now, we have not been walking downtown like we used to.Last year, I really didn’t have the time to work out, so I would just go for walks at night with him or other friends. If I can pick up that habit again, I should be fine.I guess to sum it up, I’m not changing that much for my resolutions. If anything, it’s like restocking my pantry or my fridge with better ingredients and doing my best to keep all of the good things stocked.Just remember, if you have similar resolutions, they are attainable as long as you keep them realistic. Just never try to lose more than two pounds per week, as that’s not healthy.Good luck, and happy first week back.
(12/08/10 5:15am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You know what’s my favorite part about the holidays?Cranberry sauce.Okay, well, it’s not my absolute favorite thing. But it’s definitely in the top five.I always liked less-sweet foods like citrus and cranberries. My mom claimed I used to suck on lemon slices as a young child, and I’ve liked cranberry juice ever since I can remember. So it makes perfect sense why I love cranberry sauce, especially my mom’s.Celene’s cranberry sauce is well known and widely asked for among family and my dad’s coworkers. It’s kind of silly, considering how simple it is.It’s just fresh cranberries, orange juice, sugar and freshly grated ginger.Okay, so here’s the deal from what I can remember. Each bag of fresh cranberries comes with a recipe for cranberry sauce on the back. Mom stays pretty close to that recipe.She replaces the water with orange juice and cuts the sugar down by one-fourth. Then she adds ginger to taste, but we like ours pretty gingery.I can’t express to you how miraculous this sauce is. It’s requested at every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I eat it as a snack. I smear it on sandwiches, eat it with crackers, or just spoon it into my mouth. There are so many different things going on when I eat it.I taste the tartness of the berries, bursting in every corner of my mouth. The orange juice rounds out the taste and keeps the tart flavor without making it too harsh. And the ginger adds a nice kick that will wake you right up.Essentially, this is a variation off of the current cranberry sauce trend. People really seem to like the combination of cranberries and orange, especially for cranberry sauce. It’s a nice change of pace from the traditional canned sauce, not that there’s anything wrong with it.By sticking with the orange juice, you keep the typical cranberry sauce recipe. If you want to add the same flavor but change the texture, you can add actual orange — I know a lot of people like using orange rind in their sauces.Other people like to change it up with other spices as well. Cinnamon and clove balance well with the citrus-cranberry flavor if used in the right amounts. Don’t forget that there can be too much of a good thing, so don’t drown out the other flavors.Though, to be quite honest, I’d much rather take my mom’s cranberry sauce at the end of the day.What can I say? I grew up with it. I eat it when I’m sick — I swear it will cure any common cold you have.Plus, since it looks like I’ll be in Orlando from May to January, chances are I won’t be home for either Thanksgiving or Christmas next year.It’s sad and scary to think about, to not be home for the holidays. I always associated this time of year with being with the ones you love. Granted, one day I’ll have my own family, but it’s difficult to imagine taking that first step as soon as next year.But no matter what, I can always rely on my mom’s brilliant cranberry sauce — really, it’s nothing short of extraordinary — to make me feel good and remind me that there’s no place like home for the holidays.E-mail: lm35@indiana.edu
(12/01/10 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I’ve gotten to that point in the semester where I just want to curl up into a ball of self-pity and ignore everyone else around me. I’m ridiculously disappointed with my grades, worried about my future and want to have only “me” time for the rest of my life.Not exactly the right mood to have during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving.Our country’s whole thing about Thanksgiving is that we are thankful for what we have. Granted, many things that we are thankful for have changed through the years, but the main necessities stay the same — food, water, shelter and heat.We are all incredibly lucky to be in the positions we are at this very moment.We’re in Bloomington, a wonderful town full of diversity and new experiences. We, as students, are fortunate enough to be in the position to afford our education, whether through personal finances, scholarships or financial aid.And, one way or another, we are able to afford food. Residential Programs and Services meal contracts give us major discounts throughout on-campus dining facilities, and groceries are fairly affordable off-campus as well. And usually, when all meal points or dollars are gone, we can rely on good friends to help out here and there.There are people out there who are not as lucky as us. Each year, I give thanks for simply being able to eat, as so many people die from hunger each year.I am able to live because of food. And food has also helped me find passion to design my own major in food journalism.Somehow I always seem to forget, or simply put out of mind, how many people are in need in the world. Even worse, I can walk by some of these in need on Kirkwood any given day.When was the last time you did something nice for those in need?Unfortunately, I cannot recall my last volunteer experience. Granted, we can volunteer for many things to help out in schools or by cleaning up our planet. And it’s hard to tell what’s most important to take care of.But my past two roommates did a lot of volunteer work in Bloomington. My roommate last year even worked regularly at a soup kitchen. Can you tell me the last time you worked at a soup kitchen, or consciously donated food on your own and not simply in your family’s name?The Hoosier Hills Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, an organization dedicated to relieving hunger in the United States. Hoosier Hills has been around since 1982 and has many opportunities for you to give back to Bloomington. If you have the means to do so, you can donate food to many different locations that are associated with Hoosier Hills. Both the Center for Sustainable Living, on South Rose Avenue, and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard on South Walnut Street. In addition, First United Methodist Church on East Fourth Street takes donations as well. If you live in the dorms, keep an eye out for boxes or bins labeled for Hoosier Hills in your main center. You can buy canned goods from the convenience stores to donate. If you want to volunteer, there are many ways to get involved. The Shalom Community Center, located in the basement of the First United Methodist Church, has a soup kitchen Monday through Friday for breakfast and lunch. You can also pack meals for families in need, as well as be a driver or warehouse assistant. Check out www.hhfoodbank.org to find out more.Right now, I have way too much to do before finals week, and I keep lamenting the fact that I could be living a better life. But given the circumstances, I think I’m pretty lucky. So I’m very thankful for what I have.Be thankful. Give back. We all have our own struggles in life, but the least you can do is give someone a meal.
(11/17/10 5:13am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>You know what I had the biggest hankering for last night?Chocolate chip cookies. Who doesn’t love them? They’re the perfect dessert, after school snack and reminder of home.But did you know that they were actually an accident?Actually, a lot of our favorite foods were discovered accidentally. Cookies, potato chips and even ice cream cones were food accidents. Who would’ve thought such popular food items were unintentional?Chocolate Chip CookiesCan you believe that chocolate chip cookies have only been around since 1930? Ruth Wakefield was preparing chocolate cookies but had run out of baking chocolate. In attempts to still have chocolate dough, she broke a semi-sweet chocolate bar and mixed the tiny pieces into the dough, believing it would melt.But instead of the pieces incorporating into the dough, the chips remained in place and helped create the first chocolate chip cookie. Wakefield started selling the cookies from then on and helped create a favorite American snack.SandwichesI find it amusing that the sandwich was actually named after the Earl of Sandwich. Apparently in the 1700s, the Earl could not bring himself to leave the gambling tables in order to get a meal. So he ordered for meat to be delivered to him between slices of bread, starting the trend.Another version of the story involves the Earl being too involved with work. Instead of having his meal brought to him with a fork and knife, he requested it to be placed between two slices of bread. Potato ChipsSometimes, customer complaints can be a blessing in disguise. A customer at Moon Lake Lodge in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., had ordered a side of French fries from chef George Crum in 1853. Apparently the fries were too thick.Crum returned to the kitchen, making a thinner batch of fries, and returned them to the customer. The customer was still not pleased, and Crum set out to make the thinnest fried potatoes possible. He ended up creating the potato chip, which the customer, as well as other diners, absolutely loved.Iceberg LettuceWho doesn’t love natural mutations? Iceberg lettuce came from the Crisphead lettuce family and was discovered during a 1920 Crisphead crop. While farmers originally dismissed the crop, they decided to keep breeding it as shippers were happy to see the Iceberg last longer.Ice Cream ConesAn ice cream vendor at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis had run out of cups to serve ice cream to customers. A neighboring vendor selling pastries quickly helped out by taking some of his pastries and rolling them into cones for the ice cream. Regardless of the incident, a patent for an ice cream cone had been filed the previous year by an Italian immigrant.HuitlacocheThis is by far the most bizarre food accident here. Huitlacoche is actually corn smut, created from a fungus that grows within the plant. Most farmers dispose of any crops infected by the smut, but in Mexico, it’s used in many meals and is even considered a delicacy.The blackened kernels are used as filling for food, and while it is not widely popular in the United States, canned huitlacoche can be found in certain grocery stores. The Adobo restaurant chain, which has a location in Indianapolis, even serves a huitlacoche quesadilla.So there you have it! Such widely popular foods are not always the result of genius. Sometimes, crop misfortune and unhappy customers can lead to the happiest, tastiest accidents.