THE PEOPLING OF NEW YORK: MHC @ Lehman

SPARK
Chapter 6
This was an interesting narrative and I thought that the author hit every aspect of her childhood. However, I thought the beginning was a bit dry, because it sounded more about her family history and the South than it did New York City. But once she really started to talk about her Grandmother, I think the story picked up. Her narration about her school seemed particularly interesting to me because it reminded me a lot of my own high school experience. It’s wonderful to be at such an impressionable age and have that kind of exposure to all different kinds of food like that. My favorite quote was “… more friends are made around the table than just about anywhere else.” Too true.
Chapter 11
I enjoyed this narrative a lot more than the previous one because Russ’s wording was very vivid, very sincere and full of emotion. I think the theme of this is the same as that of the previous chapter: Food might be the main course of the story, but it’s certainly not the whole meal.
This story does justice to the authenticity of the food available at the small “Mom and Pop” stores of New York City. Anyone who has worked at a store like this can understand the connection that the employees and the customers have between each other and how there are some customers, like Mrs. Manny, that you can never forget. Does anyone else think that losing stores like these to the big franchises that are taking over would mean losing a little bit of New York? While you can probably find what you’re looking for in those big stores, having a connection to the workers and owners is something else.

Chapter 11
The Grandmother- the upholder of all family traditions. They don’t want to let go of their food customs when adopting a different homeland, but in New York City, it doesn’t seem to be so difficult. There is something to be said about being able to recall the taste of “home”, when home is on the other side of the globe.
The little conversations that the author had with her grandmother were something that she clearly prized. Have any of you had a family member like that? Someone who scoffs at our food off the street and who insists that your ethnic food is the best food available? I also found it adorable how the grandmother opened up every conversation with, “ How/what did you eat?”

Fusion City:
This was a very well put together and thoughtful little essay about what it means to have New York food. Although you can find traditional food from other countries, very often they are mixed around with a lot of different tastes and styles making New York the ultimate “Fusion City”.
New Yorkers and our water. As someone who travels frequently, I can vouch firsthand that there is no water comparable to New York water. The only time one can really come close to it’s taste is when he/she drinks bottled water, though even that’s not a hundred percent. The author brought up a point that I found really interesting: the water we use to make our food changes the flavor of the food. I’ve never thought of that but now that she mentions it, it makes sense. No doubt it’s a subtle change, but sometimes it takes a subtle change to make the meal perfect. What are your thoughts about our city’s water? And what’s the most bizarre but amazing combination of food that you’ve every tried in the city?( ex: Japanese and Irish food) For me, it would probably be Desi (Indian/Pakistani/Bengali) Chinese

Fusion City was certainly well written, and provided interesting points on occasion, but overall it came over as just another introduction to this book. It made wide sweeping points that appear to be specified in each story, so that was a little disappointing. However one idea in particular struck me, and that’s when the author pointed out that while this country is often described as “the melting pot” and yet New York, the most ethnically diverse city in the world, is more of a mosaic, where each piece is clearly separate and yet still contributing to the whole of the piece. Yet the author continued on to say how each area of the city is blending culture with culture to make bizarre and unique culinary combinations. If we all live together in such harmony and cooperation, what causes us to remain seperated? and if it is a need to feel familiar with our surroundings, what causes us to blend our traditional foods with those brought from every other corner of the world? I believe there to be a fundamental subconscious type of brotherhood within the hearts of all mankind, so despite what we may do to each other on the surface, hesitance to come together will slowly, inevitably, give way to cooperation. However it is up to discussion, feel free to agree or disagree.

Chapter 6 gave me a new understanding of African-American cuisine. We all know the stereotypes: fried chicken, watermelon, collard greens. Yet in our haste to pigeon-hole everybody, we lose the sense of tradition and belief that accompanies this and all ethnic foods. It’s about more than the food, there is a modicum of respect to be applied to the preparation of these items, they are ingredients to the history of an entire race of people. It’s about more than eating what you like. This chapter more than any other showed the conflict between social status and retaining one’s culture. Generations of immigrants and African-Americans are in the United States and specifically New York City so they can define and achieve the American dream, and that unfortunately dominates their entire life. While the Author’s father would have loved to dine on “a ham hock and some butterbeans” he was restrained to going out and ordering a Caesar salad. So my question is: Is the cost of hiding your heritage and culture worth the upscale in class and quality of life?

Chapter 11 struck me more as a plug than a celebration of a culture. As the owner of the store, he rarely missed the chance to point out the meticulous attention to detail, or the refusal to accept anything but the highest quality fish. Nonetheless, the importance a store can have to a neighbourhood was well outlined by his stories and the values passed through a family business are valuable assets in a country that more often than not rewards the diligent. His personal modesty was endearing, but his writing made it clear that at the end of the day, business is business, and there’s no way to hide that.

Chapter 13 was of particular interest to me because I was immersed in this tradition of connection of health and wealth. though i myself am not the least bit Italian, through numerous marriages of my family members to residents of Staten Island, I found myself surrounded by Italian family. If my grandmother caught me eating Chef Boyardee, I’d be in for one hell of a hurting. The Old World is one of unwavering tradition and the backbone of that tradition is in its food. This is a return to the necessity of familiarity. 3000 miles from home, to recall the flavors of your childhood is necessary to find the strength to build a life for yourself and your family in America. So treat that rigid nagging grandmother with respect and take good consideration of her meals- there is more history and value in that Gnocchi than any amount of words could describe.

also, mayha, it’d have to be sesame chicken pizza. crazy stuff.

Fusion City:
As both Alex and Mayha said, Fusion City was very thoughtful and well written. The part that Alex mentioned, where the author describes the idea of the melting pot, was very interesting to me. In my history classes I have heard the phrase “Melting Pot” used over and over again- and I always believed that it was perfect. Not until last year did I question if “Melting Pot” was the right metaphor. At that time one of my teachers had said that he preferred saying “Salad Bowl” instead. Reading Fusion City brought me back to the idea of “Salad Bowl”, which means that although there are so many groups of people living in NYC, they are still “groups.” People tend to stay with their own “kind,” move into places where their countrymen live. It is interesting because looking from a historical perspective, as NYC became more diverse it became more divided. As people came here from all over the world into one city, they settled in places with their own people.
To comment on the point that Alex brought up with the author saying how each area of the city is “blending culture with culture to make bizarre and unique culinary combinations,” I want to say that I believe that there are two factors contributing to this. One, this is happening unconsciously. Because of the availability and unavailability of products in New York as compared to the other nations, the ingredients and therefore outcome of ethnic foods are changing. The other factor that I believe is contributing to the change in culinary combinations of ethnic cuisine is simply business. Restaurant owners have to appeal to their customers, and they will change their menus according to the popularity of certain kinds of food and ingredients in their location. For example, if I owned a Ukrainian restaurant, I would put on the menu things like French Fries to give a certain kind of familiarity to my customers, so that they feel more comfortable with what my restaurant has to offer. Also, putting things on the menu that are popular within the public will ensure that I don’t lose business. What I mean is that if there is a couple and the husband likes to try different things but the wife sticks to familiar foods, dining in my restaurant wouldn’t be an issue.
Mayha- I can’t really give you the answer I think you’re looking for in your questions. I’ve never really had NY tap water and if I did, it wasn’t anything special to me. But, it does make sense that this water would change the way something tastes; I agree that sometimes it takes a subtle change to make the meal perfect. And I haven’t really eaten out in NYC a lot, so I haven’t tried anything crazy. But I did go to a Turkish restaurant in Manhattan and I must say, it was AMAZING!
I also wanted to comment on something mentioned in Fusion City. On page 5, the author mentions the different kinds of luggage that an immigrant travels with. There is the suitcase luggage, and the baggage carried only in the mind. I totally agree with this, as from my own experience I can say that food-wise, nothing here can compare to the food I had there, because of how I remember the smells and tastes. My grandma can use the same ingredients when cooking here, but it will never taste the same.

Chapter 6:
I agree with Mayha, the narrative was interesting. I think that the author writing about her family history in the South was important to the story because it gave me an understanding of their traditions. When she was talking about her experience at school, it very much reminded me of my experience (especially my ESL classes). Growing up in a diverse community is essential to accepting people from all different backgrounds in the future (not to say that people that don’t- wont). I like the quote Mayha mentioned, but the one that appealed to me the most was on page 115 that says, “…no matter our origins or our regionalisms, when we eat together and share the commensalism of the table, we make ourselves and our worlds better.”
For this chapter, I also saw the struggle that Alex mentioned and questioned. My answer is no, it isn’t worth hiding your heritage and culture. To me, it sounds more like insecurity. I believe that remembering your roots is always important. If it wont help you achieve your aspirations, it certainly wont hinder your progress.

Chapter 11:

In response to Alex’s reaction to this chapter, I got a different feeling from Mark Russ’ story. I believe that he is actually pointing out the opposite, how the family business is MORE that just business. Not only does the title of the chapter, “The Soul of a Store” describe it as more than “just a business,” but also the quote, “I always had a sense that there was something deeper going on at Russ & Daughters, something other than the exchange of money for food across a counter. It is, afterall, a special kind of food, sold in a very special way, and it has been going on like this for a very long time.” This chapter describes how a family business can be important to the family, as well as the neighborhood within which the business stands.
In response to Mayha’s question, I do think that losing businesses like these is losing a little bit of New York. Not only do you lose the connection between the customers and owners, but you also lose a part of yourself (sorry if it sounds cheesy). I feel this way because small businesses like this make you feel like family, and if you are a part of that family for long enough- the store feels kind of like home.

Chapter 13:

This chapter appealed to me because it reminded me so much of my grandmother. For Ukrainians, garlic is a main ingredient in almost every meal. I find it funny how we think that garlic is a remedy for almost anything. I mean, just last month when I had a cold, my dad grinded up garlic, took the juice and forced me to hold my head up while he put a drop in each nostril. Sure, it stung like crazy, but the next morning my cold was gone. And Mayha- I am always reminded that Ukrainian food is the healthiest and most delicious food out there.

SORRY THIS IS SO LONG!!!!!!!!
By the way, thanks Alex and Mayha for the great first sparks!!! You both did a wonderful job and I enjoyed your reactions very much.

I most enjoyed reading Fusion City and chapter 6, the Culinary Seasons of My Childhood, because both readings create a strong bond between food and cultural traditions. Many often, things such as recipe ingredients or cooking techniques have to be improvised because people could not find the original ingredients/cooking wares that were needed to make the dish in a foreign environment . In order to keep the dish alive, people have to negotiate with environment and use whatever they have to reach this goal. Similarly to “Auntie Jemima injera” situation in Fusion City where the Italian used Auntie Jemima to replace authentic injera, my mom has to use powder coconut milk instead of real coconut milk that is required to cook many of her Malaysian deserts. Plus, every time when my mom made them, I feel nostalgia over those childhood times with my grandmother.

In response to Mayha’s question:
What’s the most bizarre but amazing combination of food that you’ve every tried in the city?
I have tried weird things (ex: duck tongue, durian, sambal paste, cow intestine) but nothing bizarre in the city. My uncle once dared me to try Chicken Vindaloo, the spiciest Indian dish, but I was not brave enough to take up the challenge. But the most amazing combination food that I’ve ever tried in the city would be a Argentinian-Chinese restaurant; I had the best squid fried rice ever.

As to Alex’s question:
Is the cost of hiding your heritage and culture worth the upscale in class and quality of life?
I do not think that hiding one’s heritage is worth the upscale in class and quality of life. Instead, we should be proud of our heritage because culture defines a person. If one were to hide his heritage to gain social mobility, it means he has given up his identity and connection to his family.

In response to what Alex, Mayha, May Po, and Anna have said- I agree with pretty much everything. Fusion City was an enjoyable, well written piece. As the other have thus far said, it made an interesting connection between what is a melting pot, a salad bowl, or a mosaic. In terms of living in NYC, it is something I can certainly relate to as I see the “melting pot” every day. The cultures and foods that drives NYC to be one of the fastest growing cities in the world in many different aspects, ties people together in many different ways. In response to what Alex said about how we blend out food and cultures with other places from around the world, aside from food, this is something that people do in every day life. Social interaction is the first step to actually blending, and whether this be through culture or food, it still happens. Food is a great reflection of our world- as it can tell so much about a person. Chinese food does not taste the same throughout all of china- just like other foods. Personality gets wrapped into cuisine, which is really representative of NYC.
What is the most bizarre combination of food I’ve had?
Well, there have been those little dishes that I have whipped up myself, such as making a chicken curry followed by garlic bread and brownies for dessert. While not a strange combination of food in one dish, altogether, it is a strange grouping of food for a meal. I had dutch-indonesian food at a place called Danku in midtown. It is absolutely AMAZING. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys life and good food (which is, everyone).
Is the cost of hiding your heritage and culture worth the upscale in class and quality of life?
I certainly do not think so- what makes people so interesting (especially in NY, but really throughout all walks of life) is their heritage. Knowing someone’s background, whether it be through food, religion, way of dress, language, and more, make people influence each other. People talk of places like Ohio and Utah, where everyone looks, talks, and acts exactly the same way. I have been to places, even places close to nYC, such as Connecticut, where the people I interacted with had never met a Jewish person. This just blows my mind, as I have become accustomed to diversity, I thrive off differences, and enjoy meeting people from all walks of life. Racism is still prominent in society, just based on the question (as developed from the reading) – why would someone have to hide their heritage and culture to maintain the quality of their life? that is a horrible sacrifice to make, and yet, people make it every day. Simple things, such as Anglicizing last names, or dying your hair are ways of blending in to hide who you really are. But at the same time, that is just like the food culture. By blending in, becoming part of the melting pot, influencing each other, we are spreading. Slowly, but surely.

I don’t want to sound too redundant, but along with what everyone else has said so far, Fusion City was a very well executed introduction. The author mentioned many themes as to why fusion is happening and has already happened in New York City. I however am still having trouble figuring out weather New York City is a melting pot, or a mosaic. I feel as though it may be a little bit of both. A mosaic which all the pieces are slowly “melting” together is the best way i can describe it. Fusion City makes it very hard to decide on weather or not the communities are blending together, or if it is just the food that is blending. There are a couple of highlights in Fusion City that stood out to me the most. Fusion can occur when people are forced to substitute certain ingredients in a dish because they do not have access to the original. Its amazing how something so small as a slight change in recipe can trigger assimilation and fusion. One part i thoguht was funny was when the Ukranian-born woman offered the writer her recipe for pierogi. She writes
“Temptee whipped Cream Cheese was the first ingrediant. Velveeta was the last.” It is comical to see how location can have a great impact on culture and to see that in the smallest case, a recipe, shows how much NYC is really blending.

In response to Mayha’s question, i would say the weirdest thing i ever ate was intenstines and kidneys at my uncles house in Montenegro. It was a very painful experience to say the least. In many places in the world rejecting a food offer is very disrespectful, so i had no choice but to try a bit of the intentines. Much to my surprise, both the intestines and the kidneys tasted awful, but maybe because like many things, including opera and beer, you must have a refined taste for them.

In response to Mayha’s other question concerning chapter 11, i absolutely agree that loosing stores like Russ & Daughters would mean losing a bit of New York. I think that the relationship a store has with its customers is critical. Having the same people come into a store because they enjoy the food and the people builds a sense of community, connection, and tradition that cannot be mimicked by any supermarket, and Mrs. Manny was no exception to that. Chapter 11 may have had the best narrarative, and is my favorite chapter of the three that we read. This chapter perfectly depicts what a real, family owned, authentic food store is. What it is is tradition that was passed on from generation to generation. I believe that is why people always come back to stores like these-they are unique and cannot be replicated. One main theme from chapter 11 is that tradition is very hard to break, and sometimes in a city like New York, that is definately a good thing. This can connect back to the discussion on weather NYC is a melting pot or a mosaic. Stores like Russ & Daughters makes the city seem more like a mosaic, because of the strong sense of tradition that cannot be broken by assimilation.

I found “Fusion City” to be the perfect introduction to a book dedicated to food in a city as diverse as New York. As both Alex and Ivan wrote, the author took note of how New York is more of a mosaic than a melting pot. Though we live, eat, and work together, each culture manages to maintain its traditions. I think this is actually a beautiful thing- to hold on to your past and where you come from amidst so many external influences. Our history is what makes us who we are, and is what makes every family so interesting.
The idea of assimilating into a more general, modern American way of life is both sad and somewhat exciting. It is exciting if our cultures find a way to not dissipate, but to combine to form new combinations and new ways of life. The author of this introduction spends a good few paragraphs referencing the many exciting types of fusion cuisine- Italian sushi for instance. This is an example of how we might be able to hold on to our past, while at the same time developing it into a new, limitless future. It’s really something cool to think about- the possibilities and combinations of different ways of life.
The general feeling I got from the authors of the next few chapters was one of nostalgia and pride. In response to the question: What’s the most bizarre but amazing combination of food that you’ve ever tried in the city? I had savory pumpkin and walnut crepes the other week. They were actually extremely delicious! I usually think sweet (nutella…banana…strawberries..mmm..) when I think crepes, but these were a wild combination of sweet and nutty with an Italian twist. The filling was smooth fresh pumpkin with a bit of fresh walnuts, wrapped in crepe batter and topped with a slightly sweet but spicy marinara sauce and mozzerella cheese. At my favorite restaraunt, Hillstone (check it out! 23rd and Park I think..), I always get the spicy tuna roll salad. Though this dish would definitely be considered Asian, it is also really creative. The plate has a chopped salad with avocado and oranges in a sweet dressing, served with a spicy tuna cucumber roll.
Finally, in response to the question Alex posed, as I’m sure everyone else will say, I do not think hiding your heritage and culture is worth appearing high class or wealthy. I think there is a way to always keep your past in your present, and even though with wealth you may be able to experiment and try new foods that were never available to you in the past, it is important to keep your old family recipes and traditions alive! That being said, I don’t really think there was much wrong when the man ordered a Caesar salad so that his family could enjoy the flamboyant table-side preparations. I think it is also important to try new things, and to expose your family to a little bit of everything. Granted, if he hates Caesar salad, or if he was really dying for ham at the moment, what he did was silly, but in general making changes in your dining habits in order to better experience different restaraunts in New York is a good thing.

Fusion City

Fusion City was a great introduction to the anthology of “food voices” in Gastropolis. Cara de Silva makes good points regarding the origins of “fusion” cuisine in NYC. I agree with Mayha’s interest in de Silva’s notion of the importance of NYC water as an ingredient in much of the city’s food. I love NYC’s tap water (even though it can have too much chlorine in it sometimes,) and I think that no other water can really match up to the taste one finds in the city (upstate water tastes really smoky and weird.) I can’t recall anytime I’ve had a weird food combination, since I’m always going for more “authentic” dishes whenever I go out to eat, but I have seen a Chinese/Indian fusion restaurant near Queens Center Mall that I’ve always wanted to try. It looks delicious 🙂
Regarding Alex’s discussion point, I believe that while the different peoples of New York are forced to collide into a single often found to be too small city, each makes an effort to retain its cultural identity. This results in the marked distinction of ethnic cultures despite their geographical proximity, like Chinatown and Little Italy. Essentially, de Silva points out that what happens in cases like those ends up creating a mosaic or “chunky stew”, as opposed to a soup.

Chapter 6
The Culinary Seasons of My Childhood

Jessica B. Harris’ food voice revealed the more complex aspect of her African American culinary roots. The writer broke the misconception that people often hold about Black food, that it is “culturally flat,” and that it is comprised only of few staples that make it easy to over-simplify African American culture. This essay really brought to mind an article I had recently read regarding NBC’s celebratory Black History Month menu, which read items such as fried chicken and grape juice. Wanda Sykes commented her disapproval of the menu, stating it as stereotypical, but I feel that looking at that menu from Harris’ point of view reveals a much more neutral situation. The chef is not a racist, or an ignoramus– he/she was also black, and perhaps knew that many of the items on the menu innocuously derived from the migration of southern food trends.

Chapter 11
The Soul of a Store

Mark Russ Federman’s piece was fun to read, as it chronologically followed the growth and development of an established food store. Russ recounts the personal and financial decisions he made for the family business, and how those decisions impacted outside perception of himself. I understood the Federman family’s desire to escape poverty through their store, and the idea that the third generation is always the one to “kill” the business, and this generalization really seemed to develop into a conflict for Mark Russ himself, who decided to keep the business going despite having already achieved the status of “learned,” “cultured,” or “educated” in the American system. I feel that more than anything, this essay reflected food’s involvement in the financial mobility of an immigrant family, and acknowledging the role that food played in this movement gives the memoir a sort of special tone in regards to the foods we take for granted as present and available in NYC.

Chapter 13
Cosa Mangia Oggi

I found Annie Rachelle Lanzillotto’s essay to be a sort of funny relief from the heavily nostalgic (though pleasant) feel of the other pieces. I love Italian food, I am part Italian, and I have studied the language for four years; this essay in many ways reflected my own relationship with family and food, since my family in Argentina places great emphasis on the quality of diet and the role it plays in enjoying life. The dialogues between Lanzillotto and her grandmother were lighthearted and well captured. I agree on the emphasis placed on the cultural and familial history through the creation and consumption of ethnic foods. I think Alex put it well at the end of his comment. I love Gnocchi :)~

Needless to say, I left the library very hungry after reading this, and bought myself some sesame cookies from the nearby Zaiya cafe (they’re odd, but really good.)

Well, it seems everyone loved Fusion City! I certainly did. I found most interesting the author’s point about how entire cultures fuse together in New York City. The first thing I think of when talking about fusion and cultures is the cuisine: French-Chinese fusion, Italian-Japanese fusion, Korean-German fusion (okay, I’ve never actually seen that last combination, but it’s probably delicious). But it is not only in their cuisines that cultures fuse together, but also more fundamentally in their geographical makeup. In a way, cultures are almost FORCED to fuse together in NYC. Fortunately, many of the times the different cultures get along very well (swimmingly, even), but sometimes one culture harbors animosity against another. I know from my background that Italians and Irish in the early part of the 20th century did not get along very well together: the Italians held a grudge against the Irish because the Irish, who came earlier than the Italians, naturally held many of the political and clerical positions. Despite the hostility, Italians and Irish had to find a way to get along, and we did. It is great to see that now Italians and Irish have no problems with each other (I, at least, certainly don’t). It is because Irish and Italians had to live and work together that they HAD to get along, at least to some degree. Finding a way to get along is so important for every society and culture, and while I think we should all retain our own cultural identities, I think we should also be able to appreciate, if not even adopt, many customs and traditions of other cultures.
Chapter 6 about African-American food had the least relevant material for me, but I still found it interesting how these kinds of food, though different from what I grew up on and was used to eating as a little kid, came with many of the same traditions of Italian food. The grits and collard greens conjured up the same sense of hominess (and homey-ness) and tradition of Italian or German or Irish or French food. Though the foods themselves are very different, their underlying purpose is fundamentally the same: to bring everyone together in camaraderie and brotherly love. Alex, I think you mentioned something very interesting about some kind of psychological urge in people towards brotherly love. I was taking to Gary today, and he mentioned a friend of his who claims that one of human beings’ most fundamental and strongest urges and needs is to be taken care of, and also to take care of others. I think there is some truth to this view, which is maybe why we find such amazing stories of hope and love amidst the greatest tragedies, such as the 2006 tsunami in Indonesia or the recent earthquake in Haiti. I think everyone, or at least many many many people, felt some kind of desire, if not need, to help out the unfortunate sufferers in Haiti. Anyway, I digress.
I found Chapter 11 very interesting, because it recalls the kind of New York old-school family businesses that I grew up with and frequented as a kid. The owners knew all the customers, even feared some. The story of the old Jewish lady who would come in every Rosh Hoshanah eve and demand the most particular types of herring and settle for nothing less than perfection reminded me of some old Italian ladies that I saw growing up in my neighborhood, who would lean over the deli-counter and demand to see a slice of the salami, ensuring with their critical and exacting eyes that it was sliced to just the right thickness, or the old Italian lady who asked me in Italian to get her some escarole (because she was too short to reach it) and when I told her I didn’t understand Italian got frustrated and up-in-arms. It is these very types of people that a family-owned business attracts and is, hopefully, able to maintain. These are the people that define a store, a neighborhood, and a culture.
So, since I’ve pretty much been talking this whole time about Italians and Italian culture, you can probably imagine that I absolutely loved Chapter 13. So many things reminded me of my childhood, but one of the most striking was the story of when the author’s grandmother died and the following year, the peach tree in the backyard flourished immensely and beautifully. One of my favorite and most personally sentimental memories is how the year after my own grandmother died, the basil she had been growing for years in a little flowerpot, and which for the past few years had begun to wither, suddenly bloomed into the biggest jungle of basil I have ever seen. And it tasted so good too! One other thing that struck me very strongly was the concept of food and the table bringing everyone together and settling all disputes. Growing up, I was taught the same thing, that the table was a place for everyone to get together and enjoy each other’s company. Dinner was the time to forget all our quarrels; it was the time to enjoy good food and drink, but most importantly it was the time the whole family got together.
In answer to Mayha’s first question, I think it is vitally important for a neighborhood and a culture to maintain its family-owned businesses. I have nothing against big chains, but I also think it is so important for a small business to continue to thrive. If I would have to make a clear choice between one and the other, I would have to choose the old-school family businesses. We really can’t lose them, because they define us culturally. I think New York does a great job of maintaining family businesses, so I’m very happy about that.
I, like Mayha, find our city’s water absolutely amazing. Having tried, for instance, the water of Washington D.C., I find it wholly abhorrent and unpalatable! You really do get used to the exceptional quality of NYC’s water, and in a way I think also get spoiled. But it’s so true that NYC water can’t be beat!
Well, sorry for writing so long, but as you can probably tell, I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!

In response to Alex’s reflection on what is the root of the cultural “mosaic,” instead of a melting pot, I believe that the idea of assimilation is key. Once immigrants leave their old countries, they fear losing their identities, so they anchor themselves in tradition to maintain their sense of self. By the second generation, perhaps children attend public schools and, embarrassed at their unfamiliarity with American staples (such as hot dogs and apple pie), lecture their parents on becoming “more American.” This became a goal of immigrants years ago, but has since lost popularity as we have since learned to value and celebrate diverse cultural identities.

As usual, change is also brought about by necessity- if people wish to eat foods which are not prepared the way they like it, then they prepare the same food themselves. For instance, if people are limited from trying new foods due to religious dietary restrictions, then they will find a way of recreating the foods in accordance with their dietary laws. Generally, if people labor that much to recreate a food, this expresses a general interest in that cuisine, which means once this speciality is available, it’s probably going to catch on. This happened with sushi; raving reviews were emerging about this delicacy, but people who were disgusted with the idea of ingesting raw fish were reluctant to jump on the bandwagon. However, once vegetarian sushi and other variations were introduced, the course took flight.

On a personal note, I’ve grown used to my grandma’s overflowing shopping bags of baked goods. However, I never stopped to compare this grandmother with my other: why did one express her love through food, in particular her specialities, in which she throws pinches of whatever health foods she feels like tricking me into eating, while my other grandma cooks a menu of steak and potatoes? Does a stubborn insistence on “American” food reflect a fear of being stigmatized as an immigrant? Does my other grandmother, who revels in dishes such as reiback and stuffed cabbage, reflect a lackadaisical attitude towards stigma, or is she expressing pride in her culinary heritage? Or does she just like food?

I have also observed over the years what one can learn about people through their kitchens: not only in terms of their foods, but also their attitudes towards it. My grandma has a kitchen bursting with food, and food is how she expresses her love. On the flip side, sometimes it feels like I’m being pressured to eat. As an immigrant who grew up during World War Two, my grandmother knows what it is like not to have food, and understandably, that notion is one which is hard to shake.

Unlike the family of Jessica B/ Harris, my family does set off on the road with fried chicken; most likely, we slap together whatever is available, which is usually grilled cheese (assuming it’s not summer). It’s my grandmother who insists on us taking home the specialty dishes. Perhaps this is because she has a need to ensure the continuity of our culture, but I always like to think it’s because she’s expressing her love in hard-to-replicate foods.

Fusion City-
Like everyone else, I think that ‘Fusion City’ is a great introduction to the book. I took a lot out of the very beginning, where the author is talking about the superiority of NY tap water. I always thought NY tap water was good growing up, and after having lived in Pennsylvania for 5 years, I can truly attest to the quality of our water and say that it is a significant step above the stuff that came out of the faucet in PA. I thought that this writing was very visual, and the author gave a lot of images to the reader as she described the cultural history of food in NYC. Reading everything she wrote about the fusing cultures and tastes that make up NYC made me proud to live in this great city, and more than that, made me want to go out and eat some of the great food she wrote of. Like Ivan wrote, I laughed at the part where the Ukrainian woman’s pierogi recipe started with Temptee whipped Cream Cheese and ended with Velveeta, though I feel this does show the fusing of foods in the city and the impact America’s market has on immigrant’s native customs.
*****
And in answer to Mayha’s question of what was the most bizarre but interesting food combination we’ve had in the city, I would have to say curry French fries from the Chinese store. I think this combination of curry and French fries being sold by a Chinese person in a Chinese restaurant is a very interesting combination of food and cultures, and one that definitely works.

Chapter 6-
Chapter 6 was a very personal chapter on the part of Jessica B. Harris, the author, as she not only takes us back to her childhood, but writes her feelings on the “undocumented” African American culinary traditions. I enjoyed reading Harris’ telling of her childhood, as I like hearing about everyone’s past and family customs. I found it absolutely fascinating that as a child, Harris went to the United Nations International School, and can only imagine the adventures she must have had everyday as she discovered the world when she went to school. Also, the way she writes about African American’s culture and culinary history, as well as the traditions of her 2 grandmothers and her parents shows me that she is very proud to be an African American woman and is proud of her race’s history.

Chapter 11-
When I started reading the first few pages of this chapter, written by ‘Russ & Daughters’ owner Mark Russ, as he wrote about fish tasting and trips to the smokehouse, it seemed to me like it was going to be Russ walking us through what goes on in the running of a shop, and I thought that this would be a very boring chapter, but as I read on, I found that I was wrong, and this part of the book turned out to be quite interesting and engaging. I can tell by the way that he writes about his customers and his family and the various stories he tells the reader about his 30 year history with the store, that Mark Russ runs Russ & Daughters Appetizers with his heart. To me, the most interesting story he told was the one of how he was humbled by the rich Jewish woman who screamed when he attempted to handle her order, because this really showed him that his years of law school and knowledge of the court room were going to serve him no purpose in running his family’s shop. I had never heard of Russ & Daughters prior to reading this excerpt, but I am now interested in taking a trip there just to experience the atmosphere of the shop that Russ wrote about, and I hope that the 4th generation of Russes that Mark is preparing to hand the store down to have success in running it like their preceding generations have.

Chapter 13-
Chapter 13, ‘Cosa Mangia Oggi’, was a heartwarming story by Annie Rachelle Lanzillotto, who wrote about her memories of her grandmother. Reading her story, I was reminded of both my grandmothers, both my paternal grandmother, who passed away one year ago, and who I think of when I sit down to a lot of meals. When she used to cook for us, she never made elaborate meals. She made traditional meals of meat and potato, but she always made sure that we were never hungry. However, this excerpt reminded me more of my grandmother on my mom’s side, who just like the grandmother in the story, is always asking us what we ate. She is always making sure we ate and that we ate well. On the weekends if you stay at her house, she’ll wake you up so you can eat breakfast, which may bother some people, but I can’t get mad. I can tell by her story that the author was really close to her grandmother and still remembers her today, and I thought it a very loving story to read.

Fusion City did a great job at introducing us, the readers, to the rest of the book. Throughout the whole section, I was able to hear the pride in the author’s voice in being a New Yorker and experiencing the one most amazing part about this city: the food. Along with diverse population comes numerous cultural delicious food. I liked the many points that the author makes about the reasons why there is so much diversity in our plate. Our first assumption would be that people want to hold onto their culture. However, there are so many other reasons why people open up restaurants or food carts to sell cultural food such as no other job specialties, etc. The lack of certain ingredients and the availability of others can have such a grand effect in the taste of our dishes that I never took into consideration before. As Ivan mentioned, ““Temptee whipped Cream Cheese was the first ingredient. Velveeta was the last” was a humor-filled comment that shows how New Yorkers are able to adapt to yet hold onto a culture.
I’d have to agree with Mayha that the beginning of Chapter 6 was kind of dragging but my favorite part was her description of her school and the friends she made there. Coming from a high school that held approximately 5000 kids that were ethnically-bound to places all around the world, I learned a lot about their daily food intakes, etc. For example, I found it so interesting when one of my Korean friends mentioned that she doesn’t have any forks in her house. She eats everything with chopsticks and uses a spoon only for soup and cereal. That was new to me because I thought forks were one of those utensils everyone had and used often. I have to agree with Mayha on the quote she points out: “more friends are made around the table than just about anywhere else.” I can say that from personal experience; I met some of my closest friends while sharing a meal.
My favorite part about Chapter 11 was the description of Russ’s first day at work behind the counter of his store. Being a lawyer, he came in with such an ego, but the day ends with him realizing that the ego needed to go when working inside Russ & Daughters.
I love the character of the Grandmother and the Mother in Chapter 13. I have members of the family who I can compare to these characters and they can be annoying at times, but I secretly enjoy that crazy personality they hold (I couldn’t help but think of my own mother when the mother didn’t make lasagna for two years because she swore she wouldn’t make it until her sons came back). Being raised in America rather than my home country, Bangladesh, there are some traditional Bengali dishes that I avoid because of how greasy and unhealthy they are even though most adults in the family LOVE them the same way the author avoided The Lasagna that her mother made though the adults in her family seemed to love it.
The most bizarre food combination I ever had would be a peanut butter and banana sandwich (I’m sure I probably had a more crazy food combination but I can’t think of any at this point). I’m a very picky eater so I tend to move away from funky dishes.
I don’t think the cost of heritage is ever worth the upscale in class. One of the most important characteristics in a person is the characteristic that makes them unique and a culture does just that. Every culture brings with it a new language, food, clothes, beverages, tales, religion and beliefs. If you cut out all of those things from your life just tot assimilate and move upscale, you’ll be losing out on a whole lot. Living in such a place as New York, I find it so shocking that though we are living in the same country, there are people in other states that don’t encounter people from different backgrounds. In one of my conversations with Rachel, she mentions how she doesn’t see this much people of so many different ethnicities in Alabama.
Oh, and I totally agree with Peter and Mayha about the taste in water. I’ve been to Washington, Michigan, and even our neighbor state of New Jersey and I just hated the water there (the Michigan water smelled like fish to me for some weird reason). New York water just gives this amazing refreshing feeling that none of the others give!

Fusion City:
In a way this phrase described what New york City is. New york city is really a conglomerate of many culture but together. The phrase the author uses is “Melting Pot” Interesting to note that the speaker at the Macaulay event also used this term as well. For me this “Melting Pot” is a molding of all the cultures put together into one giant soup =D Well, not really a giant soup but they co-operate and coexist with each other. One Example I would like to use was the Pizza example. Apparently many cultures have adopted pizza and made it into their own. Its actually amazing because a lot of cultures have variations of food. For instance, regular hot dogs and halal hot dogs. I think halal hot dogs are way better but thats just me. =D My favorite part of the reading was fusion of techniques and ingredients. I live extremely close to a fresh fruit market, a bodega (store) and an indian import shop. When I used to live in Evergreen Avenue I used to have spicy mexican mango lollipops. I dont think you would be able to find this much diversity in a lot of areas making New York City as well as this reading extremely unique.
Chapter 6:
I first thought chapter 6 was a letdown from such a stimulating fusion city but after a while it got better. At first I was saying to myself “Am I reading a stereotypical letter?” For one thing CHICKEN BONES ON THE GROUND TO FIND MY FELLOW BLACK NEWYORKERS!!! WHAT?! D=
okay I exaggerated but still!! It was a little bit shocking to see that in a book o.O but my favorite part would be when she was invited to the birthday party. When a party is to be had, there is no holding back! I love that in a party. You are able to experience the true flavors of what the culture has to offer as well as the sights, the music, the atmosphere of the culture. I think this is very important, parties are used to be relaxing and fun. That is the best way to view a culture, through the method of partying
Chapter 11:
I love this chapter. The real thing that got me interested was the not buisness nor the family nor the history of the particular yiddish family but one very important aspect of food. Smell. When I smell grilled chicken it reminds me of my moms breaded chicken breast. It is so good! Or when I smell a hint of butter in the morning I know we are having pancakes for breakfast. Smell has a large influence on food. When walking into a bakery you are overwhelmed with the smell of sweet bread. Sweet bread for me reminds me of the time my family would go out with my friends family to a mexican bakery to get some. Or when I smell spicy honey it reminds me of these candies called “Pelon Loco” which is spicy candy syrup which squirt out of a bottle. I love the smells of food but I love the fact it introduces the negative aspects of food smell. When I smell Liver I start to get sick or when my friend smells fish he gets nausious. In a way food triggers the good and the bad. And in response to Mayha’s question, I do think it takes away. Everyone has something to offer in food. No one can make a dish exactly identical to another persons. So closing stores is taking a little bit away from the diversity and the creativity.
Chapter 13:
I loved Annie’s Grandmother, She was funny and always loved traditional foods. She hated eating or even seeing anyone related to her eat something non-traditional. Agreeing with What Alex, I feel that in a way they should be valued. And In a way you should continue to carry on the traditions of your family especially when it comes to food. Im still learning how to make pupusas. =D Repeating one of the main focus on all four of these readings
Food=Identity
You must never forget who you are and Im pretty sure one of my fellow Macaulays or the books says this
“you are what you eat”
and right now I am a turkey and whole wheat sandwich with a hint of mustard and a swig of horchata. =D
Thanks Mom for shopping ^^

Intro
Fusion City was interesting once it explained why NYC was diverse. I thought it answered Alex’s question about changing the ingredients in recipes. The reason is out of necessity. If the purpose is for recreating a familiar dish then substitutions will replace hard to come by ingredients. I agree with Anna that business creates the need to adapt certain trends to your cuisine. The blending of cuisines in new to me because if I went to a restaurant that specialized in two cuisines half the menu would be dedicated to either cuisine.
I’ve been to Florida several times and have noticed the difference between the state’s water and NY when drinking. When my Aunt used it while cooking I did notice anything different with taste and probably would not have unless someone convinced me otherwise.
Ch 6
In this narrator’s description of her and her parents eating habits was interesting because of its reflection of the black middle class. I was surprised that she was introduced to so many cuisines from a young age. I didn’t start eating Italian food until the 10th grade and that was after going to school in Italian neighborhoods for 10 years. I was also surprised at the travel and food experiences she had being in the middle class since today’s middle class cannot experience them.
I do think the cost of hiding my heritage and culture is worth a more upscale lifestyle because a better lifestyle gives me more options to fulfill basic needs such as food and shelter. The only reason you learn to cook is so you can function. If that’s the only reason then it for the most part it should not matter what you eat. While her father wished for some of the dishes from his childhood he could not cook which forced him to look elsewhere for food. If a person cannot create the dish they want or cannot get a relative to make the dish then they do not have a food connection to their heritage. I have to admit the narrator mentioned that one of her grandmother’s sent them food weekly and her father enjoyed southern meals at home so it’s not as if he did not benefit from his class and his heritage.
Ch 11
I liked this narration because anecdotes illustrated that small bond the employees and customers had. I would find it interesting to hear about people’s lives and for them to give me updates. I think losing Mom and Pop stores to franchises is not losing a piece of NY. I admit that they are significant to the community but they are also rare nowadays. My part of the neighborhood’s never had one during my life so far. The closest thing would be hair salons like the one I go to. What the loss of Mom and Pop stores indicates is the end of a way to do business. There would not be that one family or several families that could mention your special occasions each time you came into their shop. Also Mom and Pop stores stock reflected the neighborhood. Some neighborhoods are relatively diverse than others but major stores such as Pathmark and Stop and Shop or small stores will carry the ingredients the community wants.
Ch 13
I related to the narrator in this chapter because I went through a period where I wanted to know recipes in case my grandaunt and both grandmothers died soon. My siblings and I didn’t believe my grandaunt Ruby because she gave us answers we didn’t want to hear like “I got it off the back of a box.” So I was annoyed that the narrator’s grandma would mock her attempts at making her dish. I think not sharing you’re “secrets” kind of serves the purpose of showing how important you are in a person’s life. People say this person is important but when that person is gone then they have real understanding of the person’s significance.

Is New York City a melting pot or a mosaic?

Well, moving to New York City has helped me realize how much I value my Southern culture. When I lived in Alabama, I didn’t appreciate it at all. I was always like, “Alabama sucks! I can’t wait to leave!” But the more time I’ve spent away from home, the more I’ve come to appreciate it. I have no problems embracing other cultures, but being away from my own culture has made me want to hold on to it. Therefore, in my own experience, I would agree that New York City is a mosaic. And even though I still live in the same country, I have had to substitute ingredients to make my favourite Southern dishes. For example, when I first moved here in the summer, I wanted to make okra, corn and tomatoes, but I couldn’t find any fresh okra, which was unusual to me because it’s so abundant in Alabama. I had to use frozen, which is nowhere near as good.

What are your thoughts about our city’s water?

Well, honestly, I’ve never given New York City’s water any thought. I was unaware of its reputation or New Yorker’s pretentious attitude about their water. Tap water is tap water, regardless of what anyone says. I have no problem drinking water from any tap. It annoys me when people have problems drinking tap water. It’s just water! I have drunk well water, rain water, pretty much any kind of water, and I don’t notice any difference in taste.

What’s the most bizarre but amazing combination of food that you’ve ever tried in the city?

Since I haven’t lived here that long, I can’t think of any strange combination that I’ve tried so far. Although, I have noticed that all Chinese restaurants serve “American” food like fried chicken and french fries. Apparently that’s really commonplace, but Chinese restaurants in Alabama aren’t like that.

Do you think that losing stores like these to the big franchises that are taking over the world would mean losing a little bit of New York?

Welcome to suburbia. The demise of mom & pop stores to the success of franchises is something that has been happening in suburbs across America for decades. Because New York City has such a unique culture, it’s taken a little longer to be affected. Seriously, you drive through any suburban town in the United States and they all look the same: Walmart here, McDonald’s there, chain store here, fast food restaurant there, etc. My hometown of Montgomery has really seen the effects of this. When I was a kid, my neighbourhood was on the outskirts of town and the nearest store was the Arrowhead Trading Post, which was a little gas station. Now, the Arrowhead Trading Post is closed and there’s two Walmarts within four miles of my house, several chain gas stations, several chain hotels, etc. It’s sad and it definitely kills the character of a town.

Is the cost of hiding your heritage and culture worth the upscale in class and quality of life?

I don’t think it’s necessary to hide your heritage or culture to move up in “class” or quality of life. There’s nothing “low-class” about preferring butter beans over Ceasar salad. Come down South and that would be unheard of. I’d take butter beans over Ceasar salad any day. One thing that has always puzzled me, and I hope I don’t offend anyone by saying this, is what’s the difference between soul food and Southern food? Most of these soul food dishes are foods I grew up eating in the South, so I feel that they’re just as much part of my culture as African Americans feel they are part of their culture. I grew up eating collard greens, butter beans, ham hock, fried chicken, grits, okra, black-eyed peas, cornbread, etc. To me, these food are Southern, not African American.

The title “Fusion City” goes perfectly with the content of the essay, because one of the best things, if not the best thing, about NYC is the diversity (fusion) of cultures and foods. Even the closest places bordering NYC, like Jersey City, does not have anywhere near the diversity that NYC has. With that range of cultures comes the wonderful and tasty mixtures, or fusions, of different cuisines. I loved the example about the Pakistani-style Turkey! Where else can you find something like that? The merging of Pakistani and American traditions is the reason for this unique dish. I eat out at various Chinese restaurants around the city (mostly near Woodside) and I’ve noticed that my favorite one is a place called ‘Spiced’ in Ditmars, which serves Indian-Thai cuisine. It’s this combination of Thai and Indian cuisine that makes the food that much more exotic and flavorsome.

These combinations in cuisine to a certain extent point to NYC being a “melting pot.” However, I do believe that in the larger sense, culturally and residentially, NYC is more of a ‘salad bowl’ or “mosaic.” I agree with writer, that difference in the proportion of ingredients in a dish is at times the result of this fusion. Usually when I make Cup Noodles at home, I’ll pour in some hot sauce in there just because I like my noodles a bit spicy. If I’m in the mood for Cup Noodles, and find that there’s no hot sauce in the refrigerator, I’m likely to change my mind and eat something else. A question that arose while reading is: how did the Halal cart at Fifty-third Street and Sixth Ave, which was initially intended to feed cab drivers, become this hour-long line of customer attraction?

For Chapter 6, I did not at all expect to find a narrative with family background and dialogues. The story is pretty detailed, and I enjoyed the mentioning of the different places that the story is located in. I can relate to an extent, because traveling is greatly linked with food and family. One aunt has the best chicken roast, while the other makes the best quail. Since the first lives in Brooklyn while the other lives in Jamaica, there’s a lot of traveling when I cannot choose one over other. Though I knew that the stereotype of the African American menu could not be true and that there had to be more that just fried chicken and collard greens, I still learned much about the culture from chapter 6.

My favorite line so far without a doubt is: “These smells connect my past to my present […]” (Chap 11; pg. 196). I think anyone can relate to this. When I smell my mom’s spicy duck, I feel like a new me. I feel as though the seven-year-old Kazi and I are in the room together at the same time, and we’re both smiling at each other. As awkward as this sounds, it’s as the quote says, I feel directly connected to the first time I stuffed my stomach with greasy duck meat. From the story in this chapter, we see how food or more specifically—the smell of fish—links a family together.

I liked the narration in Chapter 13 the most because of its unique language. I smiled at the similarities between Grandma Rose and my grandmother. Not only is cooking and making stuff her favorite thing, but she has to teach me something whenever I visit. She knows I won’t make anything that requires too many steps, but still insists that I make something with her every now and then so that my Amree-Khan hands don’t become lazy and useless. She should know it’s already too late. I laughed when I came across “eat all you can trust” (Chap 13; pg. 235). Everyone has experienced at least once in his or her life as to you should only eat what you trust, and why I laughed.

Mayha, one of the most wonderful thing I’ve had in the city, and will never get tired of, is Lollipop Chicken. It’s basically a large drumstick, with a a variety of spices and shaped very much like a lollipop. It also comes with this awesome sauce that is sweet and spicy. Many places have this, especially Indian-Chinese restaurants, but my favorite is at Sagar Restaurant in Hillside. I usually have 6 of these every time I go there, and I’m still not tired of them.

From what I know, NYC’s water is the cleanest in the world (not sure if that is a fact I heard or just something I heard period). But that doesn’t mean I drink it though. I’m Brita all the way. In fact, I don’t even trust bottled-water brands that I’m not familiar with. (Why? See Penn&Tayler’s “The Truth About Bottled Water”)

Alex, as everyone else would agree, I feel that hiding your heritage and culture is not worth upscale in class. Heritage and culture is part of who a person is, and to hide that would be hiding a large part of his/her identity. If someone sees me and thinks I’m from other than a Middle Eastern or Indian background, then I will keep my bread longer just to make it that much more apparent (Just saying. Though I’m sure that can never be the case).

Posting this after so many people it is inevitable and impossible to not be redundant. I do apologize in advance.

Fusion City.
As a New York City boy and a Flushing resident I have indeed witnessed the fusion that takes place in my surroundings. This chapter’s title and details were actually rather comical to me. Many of the restaurants in Flushing have in there name the word fusion. For they like the residents encompassing are indeed fusions of multiple cultures. If I walk from my house towards Flushing Main Street I will encounter “fusion restaurants” serving Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine all under one roof. If I walk towards the Bayside area I will find a string of Diners that serve American foods but have a Greek or Italian special offered daily. If one walks on the border of these neighborhoods down Francis Lewis Boulevard one would find a string of Italian, Greek, and Japanese restaurants. It is interesting to see however Italian deserts being served in Greek restaurants, and a Greek Restaurant spelling a Mediterranean favorite, octopus, as pulpo the Italian word for it. This chapter was as noted a well written introduction but seemed to remind me of my unique neighborhood more and more with each word. The paragraph about the different types of pizza stirred up some very particular memories of mine. I remember eating sushi in a Japanese restaurant while the staff on lunch break enjoyed Pizza from the store next door and Gelato from the bakery across the street. New York is entirely unique: a melting pot that at the same time retains each cultures uniqueness and individuality.

Chapter 6
Having gone to school in Jamaica this chapter’s details jarred other curious memories of mine. I certainly can identify by location. I can clearly picture the small plot of land under the massive Long Island Rail Road station. While I found Harris’ account interesting it did start bland but indeed gained momentum as she moved away from her family history. Her experiences with the UNIS kids and the multiple cultures was fascinating to read about. I will not lie the memories of birthdays celebrated with the appropriate cultures dishes made me extremely hungry. But the jewel of this chapter was indeed “more friends are made around the table than just about anywhere else.” My Brother was for a while the assistant diving coach at Baruch College. He had the opportunity while working there to Coach a UNIS swim team. I distinctly remember swimming the first practice with them. I was astounded by the hostility the kids had for each other at times. But at the end of the practice it was evident there hostility stemmed from lack of understanding. As time progressed they became friendlier and friendlier with each other trading stories and memories and conversing about FOOD! Overhearing several of their conversations I witnessed them swap with smiles and understanding: memories of great meals, invitations to play, and oddly enough jokes against Canada…I’m not quite sure how the last one found its way into their daily conversations.

Chapter 11

I found this chapter to be the best yet. I could truly feel the authors emotions through his diction and tale. I was surprised at how my families history connected to this chapter in so many ways. My Grandmother, an Italian, grew up on the Lower east side and if angered is not afraid to brandish the yiddish she learned while growing up there. Many of her friends recount stories of Russ and Daughters and or other like stores. My Grandma today is extremely picky concerning the salmon and herring she eats is instantly brought back to her childhood with each bite. My Grandfather’s family owned a fish store in Brooklyn for 25 years. He recounts every day a tale of a customer, a mishap in the store, but mostly with a twinkle in his eye the spirit of the business. Each customer in my grandfather’s store lives on and has become ingrained in the foods we eat and the memories I have. His stories and the manner in which they were told and felt mimic in every way the stories and details of this chapter. There is an Italian specialty store on the corner of my block. I love standing inside feeling the vibration of tradition, the spirit of the owners, the joy the customers get with wafts of home and celebration, and likewise the joy the owners get with sharing that with them. Mr Mark Russ Federman wrote he was not a writer, but he could have fooled me. I truly loved and felt the way he described the spirit of his business and the years of tradition. Remembering the twinkle in my grandfathers eyes and reading Federman’s words rekindled in me the desire I had as a little boy to run an Italian bakery and further preserve tradition and spirit.

Chapter 13

At this point I am starting to get scared by the parallels this book shares with my life. As I have said I come from a very strong and proud Italian background. Above my grandparents stove there is a big sign that orders “Mangia Mangia!” My grandfather who descends from Bari as “Grandma Rose” does cooks in the same fashion she does. Measurements are mere suggestions but the process and the life force are everything. It is in this way that me and my brothers cook today. This chapter like the others was very well written and reiterates the jewel of it throughout. “Cosa Mangia Oggi.” It is no secret Italians, are obsessed with food. My family’s existence and the strength of our relations revolves around food. The rules and sayings Lanzillotto writes about I must have heard thousands of times. Food in my family’s eyes as depicted as well in this chapter, is the life force of who we are, it is the years of tradition behind us, and each traditional meal is a highly personal emotional tie and memory.

Like Ivan said, Fusion City was a very well written introduction to Gastropolis. I believe that NYC is a mosaic where every little intricate piece contributes to the whole design. Food is one aspect of a culture that brings people together and sometimes even helps with the inter-mingling of different cultures. For example, since I’ve moved to America, a lot of times while cooking Indian food, my mother adds a few leaves of basil. Basil is not widely grown in India and therefore is not used in Indian cooking. Here, adding a simple leaf of basil (from another culture) adds a lot of flavor to Indian food and so blending between two different cultures can be seen. Food is something we all can relate to and helps different ethnic groups come together and thus like Mimi said, “Personality gets wrapped into cuisine, which is really representative of NYC.”

For Mayha’s question: What’s the most bizarre, but amazing combination of food that you’ve tried in the city? I would have to say goat’s brain (maghaz), tongue (zabaan), liver (kalayji) and kidney (gurda) with naan (toasted bread) in a curry. My dad promised to pay me $50 (this was 5 years ago). I tried it and it tasted like chicken, at least to me it did =). To answer Alex’s question, is the cost of hiding your heritage and culture worth the upscale in class and quality in life? I don’t think this is the best way to go because like Maypoh said, culture defines a person. If you can’t keep up with where you came form or remember your roots, you won’t be happy with yourself because you are in a sense “rejecting” your background.

Fusion City —
I completely agree with Ivan when he says that this chapter wasn’t much of a chapter but rather a sort of introduction. It was almost like a synopsis of the whole book of “Gastropolis” except that it was at the very beginning of the book. Fusion City was of course very well written and I completely agree with the idea of the city being a fusion of many different cultures. As a person who loves food and eats a lot and almost anything I love the fusion of the city. I love the way in the midst of one city block you can find cuisine from almost 10 different cultures and within the menus of each of those restaurants there will be foods from other cultures unrelated to the specific restaurant. For example everyone knows that fried chicken is not and never has been Chinese, however, when I order Chinese food I usually order pork fried rice and chicken wings. There is nothing better than a fusion and a city so diverse, but it can also be overwhelming for those who don’t find it familiar leading to culture shock in many cases. One of the main things I used to love about living in the city was the way I could find about 6 or 7 different “cuchifritos” (little restaurants where traditional Caribbean food is made specifically Latino) all right near my house. When my parents moved us all to Northern Westchester I hated it because not only were there no more “cuchifritos” but there was also almost no one I could speak Spanish with, the school dances never played reggaeton or salsa or merengue or bachata, and to make matters worst there weren’t any places nearby where I could buy platanos to make on my own at home. The outrage of this started my complaints to my abuelita about how much I missed her arroz con gandules, empanadas, pastelillos y platanos. Later that weekend she would visit us at our new house with all of the ingredients to these things to cook it right in our kitchen and she would always make enough “para que pueden comer durante la semana” (to eat for the whole week). Yes I love my traditional grandmother with her beautiful accent and I miss the way she would ask me if I was boring when what she meant was if I was bored. I miss the food and the ready availability of the food, and I miss having people I could relate to about my culture but also knowing people from many different cultures.

Chapter 6 —
I must say that I loved reading Chapter 6. Even though I don’t agree with the whole part about hiding your culture I loved how detailed the writer was. Rejecting your background I feel is one of the worst things a person can do because it is essentially turning your back on who you are. When I went to a New England Prep school I would get tired of the food in the cafeteria. Some of the Latinos in the school would even give the suggestion of the cooks to make rice and beans but it never actually tasted good and the platanos would always come out really soggy and disgusting. My friends and I would always speak Spanish to each other and listen to the music we like and there were people who would say to us “this is America so speak English”. Of course we would promptly reply “we don’t care what you think and if you don’t like us speaking Spanish you can leave” as we continued amongst ourselves “mira este pendejo” which means “look at this idiot” at least that’s the most appropriate translation available. We always held on to our culture and eventually it came to the point that we decided to go to our Puerto Rican teacher’s apartment one afternoon and made about 5 pounds worth of platanos. Then we sat there ate about half of it and left the other half for our teacher; he was pleasantly surprised. All in all food is at the center of everyone’s life, whether it’s the daily meals or it’s your abuelita teaching you how to make alcapurrias in her small kitchen in the projects where I used to live with her.