Just a bit over the top

Word counts are a terrible thing to have to focus on as one writes an essay.  And within only two or three weeks that happen to be everyone’s favorite time to give out huge projects, a favorable alternative to a 6000 word research paper would be around 4000.

~ Studying for finals, lab reports, presentations, other crazy essays, placement exams…all those are what I still have to deal with while still being able to finish this research essay.

~ Word counts tend to have the writer add in a useless word for almost every good word they put in there.  So unless a reader enjoys bleeping out every other word while reading the dang essay, we should just cut it down.

~ Limited time doesn’t enable for the writer to reread and come up with more useful thoughts that they could add, especially if his or her mind is on the stress that the other projects seem to provide.

 

Did I do well?

Writing strategies…is there one that I exploit well enough to be proud of?  Perhaps.  How?  I’ll get back to you on that.

Computing…

I’ll go ahead and be conceited about my ability to hook my audience’s attention from the beginning.  My visual essay many essays earlier used my huge backyard as an interesting start to the topic of growing food.

Additionally, I can’t stand when one of my topic sentences are dull and bland.  From my celeb chef essay, one of the better topic sentences was:

“Plenty of people in this world can cook a dish decently enough for eating, yet only some can take their skill to the next level and become appreciated by the public for it.”

And for a sneak peak for my next essay…

“America is often dubbed the “great melting pot” to exclaim pride of her cultural diversity, but she tends to mix ingredients from her friends differently depending on how close she is with them.”

That’s it, no more!  You no get to look any more.

 

This is where it’s at

As much as I enjoyed this blog, I really am uncomfortable putting entries about food and research along with the creative artsy stuffs I really enjoy.

So, for a more personal blog: http://oneuldoinfiction.wordpress.com/

That is all.

 

Try again

Fusion cooking ~ Research questions, sort-of revised

How does fusion cooking, specifically between an Eastern culture and a Western culture, looked upon by different locational groups of America?

How has fusion cooking evolved during its presence and influence in a diverse nation such as America?

What impact does fusion cooking have on racial issues revolving cooking in America and how has this influence grown/shrunk?

 

Got any questions?

Ack!  6000 words?  Such an intense research paper.  But, in my opinion, the worst part is having to go from 3500 words for a draft to 6000 for the final.  I find it quite difficult to add sentences that weren’t already there and still not disturb the flow of the essay.  But I will try my best anyhow.

I’m stuck between writing about fusion cooking and technology.  So, I will create a set of 3 research questions for both of these topics, and we’ll see how that turns out.

Fusion Cooking~

How does the fusion cooking affect the general public, and in what ways is it an industry of cooking on its own?

How has fusion cooking evolved from the time the concept was first crafted to the modern day of cooking?

What are the racial issues revolving cooking and how are they affected by fusion cooking?

Technology~

How has technology affected the experience of eating out for the public?

How is technology involved in the process of growing food from the fields to the table?

What are the negative impacts of rising technology on food and how is this issue received by the public?

 

Where did it come from, and where are you going with it?

Sources

“MANNERS on Parade our Worst Sides often are on Display when Eating Out – as Many a Restaurant Worker can Testify.” The Gazette.  Victor Greto.

“Do People with Food Service Experience Tip Better?” Journal of Socio-economics 40.5 (2011): 464-71. Matt Parrett.

The Brilliant Basics to Exceptional Restaurant Service.  Ehab Rashwan.

“Wilson Wang of Baba Sushi.” Worcester Magazine.  Charlene Arsenault.

Davé, Shilipa, LeiLani Nishime, and Tasha G. Oren.  East Main Street: Asian American Popular Culture.

Kooker, Naomi R. “On His New Television show, Chef Ming Tsai Keeps it Simple.” Boston Globe.

Tsai, Ming.  ”CHEF / RESTAURATEUR MING TSAI INTERVIEW BOSTON WINE EXPO 2009″
“Window Farms” Youtube.

“Chop, Fry, Boil: Eating for One, or 6 Billion”  (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02bittman.html?_r=1) Mark Bittel

“The Queen of Mold”, Ruth Reichl.  Eater Reader.

“Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?_r=1), Michael Pollan

Merchant, Brian.  “How Many People in the World Live in Urban Areas?”  planetgreen.com.  Discovery Communications. DCL, 1 May 2009.  Web.  25 Sept. 2011.

Njanja, Tony Chomba Mwangi.  “4 Excuses To Avoid Healthy Eating and Exercise – Which One Do You Use?”  EzineArticles.com.  EzineArticles.  22 May 2008.  Web.  25 Sept. 2011.

Riley, Britta, and Rebecca Bray.  “Window Farms.”  Youtube.  Youtube.  3 Nov. 2009.  Web.  25 Sept. 2011

“Is a Food Revolution Now in Season?  Yes, It Is.” (http://www.organicnation.tv/blog/is-a-food-revolution-now-in-season-yes-it-is.html)

Michael Pollan “Nutritionism” Eater Reader

Steve Ettlinger “Where Does Polysorbate 60 Come from, Daddy?” Eater Reader

New iPhone App Finds You Free Fruit (http://www.chow.com/food-news/36858/new-iphone-app-finds-you-free-fruit/)

Map a Fruit Tree (http://city-fruit.appspot.com/)

California Availability Guide (http://www.locavorenetwork.com/content/california-availability-guide)

“And the Pursuit of Happiness: Back to the Land” written by Maira Kalman in 2009 (http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/26/back-to-the-land/?ref=opinion)

 

 

Interests

cooking shows, cooking at home, fusion cooking, nutritionism, restaurant etiquette, technology w/ food

 

The regret of change

I actually felt that the draft was more pleasant to read, since it already flowed well at 1000 words.  Adding to it in order to get to the word count requirement was the most difficult task, and I’m just hoping right now I didn’t butcher it.  If I had to honestly assess the essay, perhaps a B-something.  I didn’t meet the word count, and after I added some things, I didn’t feel it flowed better, and my structure didn’t include enough biography.

 

Lotsa food

The summer before this fall semester, my most used phrase was: “I love food.”

I never thought this much about food before, not until this interestingly-themed English course.  Food was always just something I put in my mouth…and you know what happens after that.

Maybe the most influential idea I was confronted with, the one that will stick with me the most, is that there’s a whole lot involved with food that most of us don’t think about: where and who it comes from, who prepares it, how it is advertised and consequently how that marketing affects the general public.

I’m not entirely sure any of my ideas changed because I hardly had any about food (besides the opinion that Asian food is the best, so biased, I know).  But maybe I’ll take to heart the seemingly superior way that the French eat, not focusing on nutrients but on the pleasure of eating.  Sounds like fun, no?

 

Argue, argue, argue.

I am not allowed to write an essay, but I will refute one with only a few words to the best of my nonexistent ability…I will refrain from discrediting my argument.

While Sarah Jaffe presents good points in her essay, “Rethinking Work: Cooking as Labor”, she made the statement that the food system had to be changed in order for equality between genders.  This is true only to an extent, because there are factors in the social system, such as unequal pay, that have to be taken care of before changing the food system.  And women are more than allowed to be great paid chefs, so it is really about skill and not certain restraint that forces people to cook for free.  It is essentially up to an individual to take their skill if they want to earn, and share the housekeeping burdens at home for free.

 

Keep working at it

It can be frustrating to write and fix essays, because they can never be perfect.  It’s not like getting the answer right for a math problem and leaving it at that.

~I need to take a the little conversational tone that I slipped in there unintentionally

~Change the title, short and interesting

~Incorporate more research

All of the above are things I need to work on for my food person essay.  And to make it reach 1500 words.  With more research, that should be no problem.