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

Supersize ME Response

Spurlock uses a variety of strategies, especially visual ones, in order to make his argument. What is his argument and what strategies did you find most effective or striking? What strategies were ineffective in persuading you?

due 2/1 as a response to the Course Blog

W4: "American Food" (Winter '12)

Here's your task for this week's post: You get to design the menu for a new "quintessential American restaurant" in, let's say, Russia. What foods best represent "America" and why? At a minimum, your post should list the menu items and the rationale. But no burgers, fries, or pizza. Those are a given--let's dig deeper.

due 2/1 to your Personal Blog

"Southern"

What is the role of our “southern associations” in Paula's Home Cooking? What associations (and stereotypes?) does Deen draw on for her show?  Why?  To what effect?

image credit: pauladeen.com

Julie & Julia as Memoir?

Given what we've read and discussed about memoir in the last few weeks, how does Julie and Julia (the film) function as a memoir?  Does it feel authentic?  Does it have an appropriate scope?  What common experiences are examined?

Post as a comment in class on 1/23.