W9: Open Topic

Choose your own topic (relevant to our course work) for this week's post.

W8: O'Betty's Review

Write a review of your dining experience at O'Betty's on Union. Feel free to discuss any aspect of the restaurant (i.e. not just the food) that you observe.

due to your Personal Blog by 2/29.

Pollan Response 2

Now that you've read about half of the book, what arguments do you see Pollan making here? Second, how does Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms view his own farm in relationship to "Industrial Agriculture" and "Organic Agriculture"? 

W7: Food Inc. & the Persuasive Power of Film

What do you find most persuasive (or unpersuasive) about Food Inc.? Consider the stories told, the credibility of the testimonials, the role of experts, the features of the filming, and the use of elements like captions or transitions.

Now I'd like you to write about whether and how you were persuaded by the film.  Can one film actually persuade us to change our lifestyles? How does the persuasive quality of a film compare with other one-off acts of persuasion (i.e. attending a lecture, reading an editorial)? Feel free to draw on your viewing of Supersize Me or other documentaries in your answer as well.

Pollan Response 1

For your first response on Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, you should address these three questions.

1. What is Pollan's project here?  What is he trying to accomplish in this b ook?
2. What have you learned so far about America's food chains?
3. How would you respond to Pollan's argument?

due in class 2/15/12

W6: Open Topic

Craft your own food-related post for this week's blog.

due 2/20 to your Personal Blog--I'm giving you a couple of extra days on this one, but your W7 post will still be due on 2/22.

W5: Our Fast Food Nation (Winter '12)

For this week's post I'm interested in your own "fast food story" but then I really want you to move beyond that and do some thinking about why America is such a fast food nation. I've traveled quite a bit and I know that many of you have too. Nowhere else in the world does fast food like America does fast food. In developing countries, places like McDonald's are luxury items. When you walk inside you'll see a pretty wealthy clientele. In other developed countries (say, in Europe) fast food tends to be relegated to freeway rest stops and a few locations "downtown".


What is it that makes fast food so American? (And, what have you seen fulfilling this role in other countries if you've traveled? How are those foods different from fast foods?) 

 

due to Personal Blog by 2/8

Food Histories & Mysteries

What have you learned so far about some of America's iconic (?) foods?  Be sure to demonstrate that you've read the material from this week. Next, choose one food that remains a mystery to you and do some research on it (e.g. Velveeta cheese).  Tell us a bit about the history of your food mystery.

due in class 2/1/12