Week 7 – Tasting Lab

Salad provided from Kat:
Spinach (organic) along with harvested foods from around Olympia: kale, wood sorrel, Oregon grape flowers, chives, oregano and rosemary
The salad had a range of flavors and textures, which is something I always tend to notice within the food presented during potluck.
The main dish was delicious because of the association of the food we had, and the celebration of life the meal represented. It was different than expected, when you think of corn, because the texture was so different, and reminded me more of a grain, than what might be thought of as corn.

I personally have never had corn like this before, but eating it with the tortilla and both the red and green chillies we were able to try were delicious. Although both were spicy, they were so full of flavor and complimented the corn nicely.
Things to consider with the meal:
Importance of food history, or birthplace. How does this change with perspective of the food?
Comfort food or memory’s associated with a particular food.
“Eating is the most intimate part of the food chain”. When we are hyperaware, bringing the connection between food and words.

Comfort food: Burritos
There’s a lot of different ways to make them, like breakfast burritos or potato burritos I’ve made a lot as of recently, and can be made for every meal in a variety of ways.
I mostly eat burritos in the dark. It’s been something I’ve turned to recently, and have eaten a lot especially recently having to take antibiotics at night, and eat food with them. I work nights every week and get off work late, around 11pm, and my go to is rice and bean burritos with cheese, lime and hot sauce. Comforting because I’ve spent a lot of time alone, and I sit in the dark eating burritos because I’m trying to be considerate of my housemates if they’re sleeping (even though they never are to me), and just sit downstairs, with low lighting. Partially because of the low lighting trying to wind down from work, and that I get so upset they’ve left the lights on for so many hours, that I just turn them off and sit in the dark, which is relaxing to me.
Knowing the history or birthplace of food helps bring back the connection, and hopefully can be tied into the locality of the food. This reminds me particularly of potatoes for example. How Steve last year in Terroir gave a huge presentation on potatoes from Peru, and we had a potluck where he brought a ton of potatoes for our meal.
Comfort foods – something introduced to as a kid or a meal your parents made, camping foods, memory association. Something that could be cultural. Something that you turn to, that’s going to be good to eat and enjoy, but doesn’t necessarily have to be healthy. Could also just be familiar foods, and knowing what you’re going to get.