Friday, April 10, 2015

Blog Topics

Blog post #1                                  Due on Monday April 13th 
This post should introduce the culture on which you are choosing to focus. Tell why you are interested in this culture and give some background of what you already know and what you hope to find out. Research two or three interesting facts about the food in this culture. Find and include an image or picture of the country or one of the places associated with this type of food. Tell a bit about the geography and history of the place. How might this have shaped the type of food that is featured in this culture? 250 words. Cite sources appropriately.


Blog post #2                                     Due on  Monday April 13th 
Focus this blog on making connections between the life of the people of the culture and their food. What feasts and holidays do they celebrate? You might want to choose a certain feast or special day to focus on i.e., the wedding in Like Water for Chocolate. Many cultures, for example, venerate a saint as a patron or honor another kind of deity or historical figure. You can also choose one particular food or recipe and discuss its central place in the culture. Share pictures, recipes (as links), music, and any rituals associated with the feast. Cite sources appropriately


Blog post #3                                        Due on Monday April 20th 
Talk about the actual food used in traditional cooking. If I were blogging about Okinawa, for example, I would discuss kombu or a sea vegetable that is most prominent in traditional cooking. I might bring up how it is harvested, why it is so healthy, what dishes it is used in, how it might be declining in use with young Okinawans, etc. You can discuss more than one food! Connect the food to the land—is this food a limited resource? Is it sustainably harvested or has it become part of a agri-business? Pictures and links to news stories or video would be appropriate. Don’t forget that tables, charts, graphs, and maps are great ways to present facts and jazz up your post. Cite sources appropriately.

Blog post #4                                          Due on Monday April 20th 
Discuss the overall health implications of the traditional diet or foods of the culture. You can discuss how the people who follow the traditional diet differ from those who eat another way, perhaps a western or American diet. Mention any foods or recipes that are particularly healthy or unhealthy. Recipes would be great to share. Are there updated versions of traditional foods that are more or less healthy? Discuss these. For example, years ago, the nouvelle cuisine movement in France tried to go beyond the traditional heavy cream and butter basics of classic French food to include more broth and seasonal fresh vegetables more simply prepared. Remember to discuss your point of view. Is there a similar shift in the American diet going on? What are you eating? Why? How are food and health, including emotional health, portrayed in the novel? Cite sources appropriately.



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