Five Boroughs Food Talk Review

I want to start this review with the good things I got from this trip. It clicked in my mind when we were discussing the trip in class that food as an art form, like any other art form, involves passion. Every speaker at the food talk was very opinionated and ardent about the food and the discussion, and this really appealed to me. I assume that chefs who spend so much time, effort, and creativity on the food they prepare to be passionate about the art they are creating. When we were talking about how much food means to us, culturally, I brought up my personal connection with my grandmother and my sister. When I was younger, we would prepare rice and meat and roll them into grape leaves together. Whenever I think about grape leaves, see them, or even eat them, I automatically associate them with my grandmother and the memories I have of her making them with me. I think food is one of those art forms that we use to define different cultures, but I can’t help but wonder if we underappreciate this as art. I never thought about the food I have at home as art before this trip. As for the actual food discussion, I really appreciated how there was at least one speaker who kept mentioning the history of the food and how the food immigrated to New York with the people. I also was intrigued by the idea of the food almost “evolving” over the years. For example, the same dish probably will not look or taste the same in Israel as it does in Manhattan or look or taste the same today as it did 30 or 50 years ago.

Now what I did not like about this trip was that the discussion was meant for a specific audience that was well versed in Jewish culture and food. I would have learned so much more had I known what the speakers were talking about. I think if the discussion spent a few minutes trying to introduce audience members who did not know much about Jewish food to the culture, the discussion would have been more effective and I would have been more engaged in the conversation. I honestly apologize if I am being rude or harsh but the name of the event is, “Five Boroughs Food Talk.” I think that the Symphony Space is hosting a series of food discussions. At least I hope that is the case, because the particular one we went to only talked about Jewish food and predominately only in Manhattan. For some reason it really bothered me that almost all of the conversation was about Jewish food in only one borough. I think it would have been interesting to hear about how the food varies across the boroughs and explore the reasons for this and perhaps relate it to the immigration patterns.

I definitely learned a lot from this trip, but I cannot say that enjoyed the physical trip. I felt left out and almost excluded from an inside discussion, and I do not think that the speakers meant to do that, perhaps because they anticipated a specific audience. I think the best word to describe this trip for me is “frustrating.” However, what I love about most of the trip we go on are the questions they bring up. We brought up some of them in class. For example, who is the real artist, the person who prepares the food or the person who makes the recipe? Does the food have to look nice for it to be considered art? Is this art form closed off to those who cannot afford to eat out or explore different ethnic foods? I love it when these trips bring up these debatable questions that have no real right answer.