MY PERFECT MEAL IN KALAMAZOO

Alejandra Alfaro

Food and Travel Writing.

My Perfect Meal

When it comes to think about a perfect meal it is certainly true that everybody will have a personal perspective towards what an ideal lunch could be. My perfect meal is always in Nochebuena. When I think of Nochebuena, it’s always a feast, a buffet table filled with yummy treats that is shared with family and friends. Turkey is never missing in this buffet, either Stuffed Turkey or the Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breasts, my mom's best recipe. Whenever Christmas comes around, I impatiently wait for my sister’s chopped apple salad with toasted walnuts and blue cheese, which she makes once a year. As a self- respecting sweet tooth I always contribute preparing my best dessert recipe: Tarta Helada which basically is vanilla sponge, mousse and on the top of that a layer of gelatin with little pieces of seasonal fruits. It sounds delicious, isn’t it? However is not only the food but also the company that makes this feast a deliciousness. This idea of perfect is what came to my mind when I was trying to think how I would prepare a perfect meal by myself. I came to the conclusion that I did not want a recreation of  the Nochebuena meal but to experiment and create my own memorable perfect meal in Kalamazoo with people I have recently known and who have helped me in this personal project.
 Here, in Kalamazoo I wanted to challenge myself to create a tasty perfect lunch with full consciousness of what was involved. What I had in mind was a lunch in which organic and fresh meat and locally grown veggies were the star ingredients. Organic food is almost non existent in Nochebuena. At most the lettuce or spinach for salads that my mum’s friend who has a little farm, gives for free to the family. The true is that there is an ease of mindlessness when it comes to think of what we are putting in our stomach, but food ignorance is not a healthy bliss. 
I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do for my perfect meal and I would fill in the details along the way. As a whole in this project I want to achieve a memorable, engaging as well as healthy lunch in which all people involved could feel comfortable.
Being away from my blood family and friends so many times I have met amazing people everywhere I go. Now, being a student in Kalamazoo College I have created my own K- family. Sara, a Spanish girl and my classmate in college has become one of the closest people I know here. Once I told her about my project, she was more than willing to go downtown with me to help me to find the ingredients for the meal.
Autumn had officially arrived and it was getting cooler and cooler here in little Kalamazoo. Although it was a cold morning the sun was a steady companion in our forty minutes walking from Kalamazoo college to the People's Food- Coop. As international students in Kalamazoo College who barely got around the town, we had to make use of that great friend called Google Maps in order not to get lost in our expedition.  
People’s Food Coop is a small store away from the hustle and and bustle of the city center. As far I was concerned, there the customer could find anything from organic meat to home- grown fruit and vegetables. Once we got in, a stunning display of different kind of veggies as well as locally grown legumes in big and transparent containers were in front of us. We looked around the store getting more and more surprised by the prices. Unfortunately, most humane, organic, antibiotic- free options are more expensive. I knew that being cheap would only fill me with regret but I only had thirty five dollars in my pocket. It was good to think that I was paying for healthier options while supporting the local community, however I am not made of money. The meat- based products, even frozen, were totally overpriced. This made me think about the almost nonexistent options of healthy and accessible priced food for students or people with a reduced budget.  Finally, I just could afford some ingredients for my menu a little piece of beef (18$!!!), organic soy sauce, organic girasol oil, organic onions, potatoes and garlic as well as two dozens of free-cage eggs. With these ingredients in hand I decided to make a Peruvian sauteed beef and Sara wanted to contribute with a Spanish potato omelette.
We left the store and went ahead to Kike’s apartment, a Spanish guy we met just one month ago in a Halloween party he and his flatmates hold. He offered his apartment so that I could cook the meal when I had told him about it the day before. Kike welcomed us to his little and cozy apartment which he shares with other Mexican and Spanish college students. At the moment we arrived Kike was alone at home.
It is so interesting how although we are very far away from our countries we still continue doing the same things. As a good Spanish host Kike welcomed us with a kiss on both cheeks as well as cold beer bottles, they were not organic beer but beer always pull their own weight. This is something I love from Spain and its people, they are not rushing all the time but they always have time to drink a coffee or a beer with a good friend.
After a long talk between laughter about our experiences in America it was time to start cooking. Latino music never fails in my culinary experiences wherever I go, and I was very happy to know that they love it too. Yes, I am the kind of person who dances while cooking. La bilirrubina by Juan Luis Guerra was next in the Spotify list we were listening to. Peeling the potatoes, Sara and I exchanged looks and started moving from right to left as if we were one while laughing at how we communicate just looking at each other. My mum always says: Listening to music you cook better.  I cannot assure that it is true but I can admit that music makes the experience way more fun.
I would say that this was a cooperative cooking. We three were preparing our dishes to contribute to a one perfect meal only with the ingredients I bought in the store. While I was preparing the main course which consisted of sautéed beef previously marinated with garlic, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. I heated the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat and then put the sliced beef in it. After a couple of minutes the odor filled the apartment. That was a good sign. Then, I cut onions and tomatoes in big pieces that I will after add to the frying pan when the meat was almost ready. Next to me, Sara started cutting the potatoes in medium squares for her Spanish potato omelette. I was very surprised and intrigued by her way to do it  My mum always cut the potatoes into very thin slices and then fry them in abundant olive oil. Kike resulted to have another way to do it. It was funny for us to find out how many different ways for preparing the same dish exist and how our own mother’s recipe is  the best.
Sara made her mother’s recipe putting together the row cut potatoes and six cage- free eggs. It is unsure if the potatoes were too tough or if the eggs were so liquid, but we couldn’t achieve a consistent mixture needed for a good potato omelette. I remembered my fails in the kitchen when I was younger and my mum saying:  The important thing is not the mistake but how you solve it.  The omelette looked more like scrambled eggs with little pieces of potato, so we added a little bit of black pepper and shredded cheese.  I don't know if someone had created this dish before but it tasted delicious. When you go with the flow, there is no reason to have regrets or to think you made a mistake.
There weren’t trays in the kitchen so we used big blue plastic plates to put the food on. I put the beef with the tomatoes and onions with a dish side of fried potatoes in the same plate. We put the plates on the wooden round table that separated the kitchen from the living room. There were still remains of the halloween party from the day we met, specially the little Mexican sugar colourful skulls and the paper figures that Wendy, his Mexican flatmate disposed all over the apartment. Sara put the “scrambled eggs with potatoes sprinkled with shredded cheese” next to mine. On his part, Kike prepared an appetizer composed of little pieces of green pepper as well as rustic loaf of bread smeared with gluten free chickpea humus. He said that it was the first time he prepared something by himself since he came to America and his excitement was reflected in his face. The dishes looked really colorful and appetizing and the smell sauteed beef filled the room. The second round of cold beer bottles were ready for us to drink. We gathered around the table and started eating. Since we sat there wasn’t a moment of silence. The talk at the table was mainly about food, travels and our culinary experiences. “I am the worst Spanish ever!! “Sara mourned every time she saw her attempt of Spanish omelette, “but that thing tastes very good!” said afterwards to comfort herself. I didn’t expected but they had a second round of food. Either because they were very hungry or because they really liked the food I admit that I felt happy because they really liked my meal but, especially because I could overcome the challenge I impose myself: To prepare a healthy and engaged meal with the company of  two amazing people who have gone out of their way to help me. This project has taught me that the old saying is true: you can always depend on the kindness of strangers.

This meal was not as celebrated as the Nochebuena dinner, but with their differences both of them 
are perfect. The food itself honestly looked and smelled very good (maybe because of the dancing). Neither Kike nor Sara nor me are professional cooks and it would be a total lie if we cooked a great and fancy meal. We didn’t and we didn’t pretend neither. Maybe, for others is no more than a simple meal but for me, it was my perfect meal and the gratitude my company offered me was a sign that for them it was perfect too, or at least they enjoyed it.  Now I can say that eating and enjoying food together, sharing a wonderful time  and make some memories it is what my perfect meal is all about.

When it comes to think about a perfect meal it is certainly true that everybody will have a personal perspective towards what an ideal lunch could be. My perfect meal is always in Nochebuena. When I think of Nochebuena, it’s always a feast, a buffet table filled with yummy treats that is shared with family and friends. Turkey is never missing in this buffet, either Stuffed Turkey or the Cranberry Stuffed Turkey Breasts, my mom's best recipe. Whenever Christmas comes around, I impatiently wait for my sister’s chopped apple salad with toasted walnuts and blue cheese, which she makes once a year and is super special. As a self- respected sweet tooth I always contribute preparing my best dessert’ recipe: Tarta Helada which consists of three layers, a thin vanilla sponge, mouse and on the top of that a layer of gelatine with little pieces of fruits.

Here, in Kalamazoo I want to challenge myself to create a tasty perfect lunch with full consciousness of what is involved. What I had in mind was a lunch in which organic and fresh meat and locally grown veggies were the star ingredients. I had a rough idea of what I wanted to do for my perfect meal and I would fill in the details along the way. In conclusion, I want to achieve a memorable, engaging as well as healthy lunch in which all people involved could feel comfortable.

Being away from my blood’s family and friends so many times I have met amazing people everywhere I go. Now, being a student in Kalamazoo College I have created my own K- family. Sara, a Spanish girl I met in college has become one of the closest persons I have here. Once I told her about my project, she was more than willing to come to downtown with me to help me to find the ingredients for the meal.

Autumn had officially arrived and it was getting cooler and cooler here in little Kalamazoo. Although it was a cold morning the sun was a steady companion in our forty minutes walking from Kalamazoo college to the People's Food- Coop. As international students in Kalamazoo College who barely got around the town, we had to make use of that great friend called Google Maps in order not to get lost in our expedition.  

People’s Food Coop is a small store away from the hustle and and bustle of the city center. As far I was concerned, there the customer could find anything from organic meat to home- grown fruit and vegetables. Once we got in, a stunning display of different kind of veggies as well as locally grown legumes in big and transparent containers were in front of us. We looked around the store getting more and more surprised by the prices. Unfortunately, most humane, organic, antibiotic- free options are more expensive. I knew that being cheap would only fill me with regret but I only had thirty five dollars in my pocket. It was good to think that I was paying for healthier options while supporting the local community, however I am not made of money. The meat- based products, even frozen, were totally overpriced. Finally, I just could afford a little piece of beef for my meal and some organic veggies I needed. This made me think about the almost nonexistent options of healthy and accessible priced food for students or people with a reduced budget.

Sara and I went ahead to Kike’s apartment, a Spanish guy we met just one month ago but who was the host for our meal. He offered his apartment so that I could cook the meal when I had told him about it the day before. He welcomed us to his little and cozy apartment which he shares with other Mexican and Spanish college students. At the moment we arrived Kike was alone at home.

It is so interesting how although we are very far away from our countries we still continue doing the same things. As a good Spanish host Kike welcomed us with kiss on both cheeks as well as cold beer bottles, they were not organic beer but beer always pull their own weight. This is something I love from Spain and its people, they are not rushing all the time but they always have time to drink a coffee or a beer with a good friend.

After a long talk between laughters about our experiences in America it was time to start cooking. Latino music never fails in my culinary experiences wherever I go, and I was very happy to know that they love it too. Yes, I am the kind of person who dances while cooking. My mum always says: Listening to music you cook better.  I cannot assure that it is true but I can admit that music makes the experience way more fun.

I would say that this was a cooperative cooking. We three were preparing our dishes to contribute to a one perfect meal only with the ingredients I bought in the store. While I was preparing the main course which consisted of sautée beef previously marinated with garlic, salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Once I put the beef in the pan the odour filled the apartment. That is a good sign. Then, I cut onions and tomatoes in big pieces. Next to me, Sara started cutting the potatoes in medium squares for her Spanish potato omelette. I was very surprised and intrigued by her way to do it  My mum always cut the potatoes into very thin slices and then fry them in abundant olive oil. Kike resulted to have another way to do it. It was funny for us to find out how many different ways for preparing the same dish exist and how our own mother’s recipe is  the best.

Sara made her mother’s recipe putting together the row cut potatoes and six cage- free eggs. It is unsure if the potatoes were too though or if the eggs were so liquid, but we couldn’t achieve a consistent mixture needed for a good potato omelette. I remembered my fails in the kitchen when I was younger and my mum saying:  The important thing is not the mistake but how you solve it.  The omelette looked more like scrambled eggs with little pieces of potato, so we added a little bit of black pepper and shredded cheese.  I don't know if someone had created this dish before but it tasted delicious. When you go with the flow, there is no reason to have regrets or think you made a mistake.

On his part, Kike prepared an appetizer composed of little pieces of green pepper and rustic loaf bread accompanied with a gluten free chickpea humus. He said that it was the first time he prepared something by himself since he came to America and his excitement was reflected in his face.

It was as I imagined my perfect meal would be? The answer is no. It was better than any idea I could have had. My conclusion was that I achieved to prepare a healthy and engaged meal but I also got to know two amazing people who have gone out of their way to help me. It has taught me that the old saying is true: you can always depend on the kindness of strangers. Now I can say that eat and enjoy food together, share a wonderful time  and make some memories it is what my perfect meal is all about.

Omnivore's Dilemna. Response

After have finished reading this book I have two encountered feelings. I really liked how Michael Pollan gives strong and fascinating statements of how corn is present in our everyday diet nowadays, specially in processed food. In the second part of the book it was surprising how organic food are not as local or organic as they advertise. This made me feel really bad because people, like me, who now know the reality of the industrial food chain, who try to make a change in their diet by consuming organic food which don’t rely on pesticides or antibiotics cannot trust anymore in supermarkets because organic food in there is much close to the industrial food. So, basically one of the solutions that came to my mind was to start eating locally as much as possible. In the third part of the book he counts how was his experience of preparing his final perfect meal from ingredients derived from his efforts through hunting and gathering. It was a very enjoyable part to read. He hunted a wild pig, gathered mushrooms from the forest, collected cherries from a tree in the neighborhood, everything to prepared what he considers his perfect meal. However, he realizes that this is an unrealistic option in terms of daily eating, and I totally agree with that. It is impossible to feed an entire country in that way. Specially for those people who don’t have the chance to live on a farm or close to one, eating locally is a very hard work. Also, a very good example of why this way of eating is unrealistic is when he tells that he was not able to clean the pig he shoot. This part was a bit disappointing. I know that killing and cleaning a dead animal is not for everyone, it isn’t for me. And less in the nowadays society in which we have everything clean and ready to eat within reach. I am not against what he considers a perfect meal, it was interesting instead. Michael Pollan finds out what he considers a perfect meal is a meal he knows where all the ingredients come from and also the company of the people who made possible this meal helping him in his hunting and gathering endeavours. However, after have read about the reality of the industrial and organic food, I would like to read about what Michael thinks could be a solution for people who cannot afford or don’t have access to organically grown food. Apart of that, the conclusion I take from this book is that eating locally as much as possible is a great step to improve our diet and that we must be more conscious of what we are eating and try to make our personal food chain. That maybe I can't change the world eating disorder but I can change mine and in that way supporting local farms. He could discover what is a perfect meal for fim and now I need to find what is a perfect meal for me.

CYOA

There is a story behind each dish. In class we have been working writing our memoirs and we have talked about the power of food of making us travel in time and the importance of food in our everyday life. This class has helped me to realise that after more than 10 years out of Peru, Peruvian food has still a strong power on me. I would like to share with you a little of bit of the Peruvian culinary tradition. Peruvian cuisine is unmatched in both its diversity and individuality – in my humble opinion, anyway. It is a fusion of many different cultures; it retains unique elements of each, yet is a distinct cuisine all its own. Its main influences are the indigenous Inca peoples; the Spanish conquistadors; African slaves brought by the Spanish; and large waves of immigrants who became integral components of the cultural and culinary framework.  I was interested about how the world perceive Peruvian cuisine and made a little bit of research and I would like to share this two observations from experts of the culinary art.

Ferrán Adriá, owner and chef of the Spanish restaurant “El Bulli” and recognized as one of the best chef in the world, says: “I know the Peruvian cuisine has a lot of tradition and a great variety of products that would surprise me. What is traditional for Peruvians may be modern for us; the combination of sweet, salty and sour tastes is also something different. This makes it a very personal cuisine, with lots of tradition but which is also open to change. I believe that Peruvian cuisine will offer a lot to talk about.”

Juan Mari Arzak, chef and owner of the three Michelin-starred Arzak restaurant, says: “Peru is one of the places I would like to go. I have heard about ceviche and Peruvian potatoes, which are like jewels. I’ve read a lot about their gastronomy, and I believe it is considered one of the great cuisines. It’s a cuisine with heritage, with roots in the past, and a nutritional balance. Usually cuisines evolve over time, and some lose their richness because the ingredients change, but in Peruvian cuisine this doesn’t seem to have happened because the quality of their products doesn’t have anything to do with price. They have great markets and great ingredients, an immense variety. There you will find everything, including a history that not many people know comes from there.”

If you have time please check this video: http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/19/peruvian-pleasures-of-the-table

Omnivore's Dilemna

After reading this part of the book, I'm not sure what to eat anymore. It made me think that we don't give much thought to what we put in our bodies. Pollan points out that we are what we eat, then when it comes to meat, we are what the animal eats; and when it comes to produce, we are what the plant's grown in. Michael Pollan challenges us to examine our food a little closer, to consider where it comes from. In most cases, the answers are simple. Most of our food likely comes from a massive industrial farm or feed-lots hundreds of miles away. Pollan's descriptions of these farms and in particular, the feed lots are quite disturbing. However, Pollan does not outright condemn the industrial food chain but he concedes that it would be difficult to feed billions of people inexpensively without it. Pollan starts this first of the food telling about the prevalence of corn in the American diet. He tells how in the past, when the English settlers came to America, this product helped them to survive in these unknown and dangerous lands. I knew that America grows corn and that the government pays the farmers to grow it but I had no idea that food industry was exploiting it to the extent that corn is now infiltrated in every processed food in the supermarket and in different forms. Now even animals like cows, chicken, pigs are fed with corn. This is problematic due to the fact that the cows aren't built to eat corn but grass. And this creates a chain of problems because this unnatural diet leads to various health problems for these animals that must be countered with antibiotics and hormones, creating more health problems for people. Corn is not precisely good for our health, it is just cheap calories for our bodies and it is sad and disappointing to realise that when we think that we are eating a varied diet, as Pollan says, we are simply surviving on corn. As an international student in the United States, who is discovering this new culture and food culture too, this book is really attractive. I think that America has this big problem that needs a solution and of course, not only America has this problem but a lot of nations in the world as well. In a way, Pollan finds out that the food we put in our mouths turns out to be a big decision; political, moral and environmental one. Capitalism is in our everyday lives but as a customers, we have the power to decide what we consume. Maybe, one solution could be eating locally. By eating foods we produce as close to my home as possible and also support the local economy, less fossil fuels are used, and the food should have fewer preservatives, hormones, and other chemical ingredients. Best of all, the food should be fresher and more flavorful. Yes, it will cost more, but I think it will be worth it. At least I'm willing to try it.

Giordano's Stuffed Deep-dish Pizza in Magnificient Mile, Chicago

Pizza, the first dish that comes to our mind when we think of Italy, is an iconic dish of considerable popularity worldwide. Nowadays, with this theme of globalization one can eat pizza everywhere. The thickness of the crust depends on what the customer prefers; both thick and thin crust are popular. Pizza is a popular fast food item in United States and there are many regional variations, like the famous Chicago pizza style or deep-dish pizza. For those who are used to Domino’s pizza or Pizza Hut, like me, a deep-dish pizza is an altogether different beast than the ones that offer these known fast food pizzerias.

There a lot of places that offer the famous deep-dish pizzas in Chicago including Gino’s Pizza, Pizzeria Uno and among them is Giordano's, which has proclaimed itself as "Chicago's World Famous Stuffed Pizza,". Giordano’s located in Gold Coast, Magnificient Mile was my starting point in this adventure not because it is the best Chicago has to offer, but because it was the one I heard of while I was there. The stuffed pizza entered the American culinary scene when Giordano's opened in Chicago. The Blogio Brothers, who founded Giordano's in 1974, are from a small town near Turin, Italy, and claim that their stuffed pizza is based on their mother's Easter pizza, which featured a double crust and was stuffed with ricotta cheese.

Anyhow, because of its deep- dish pizzas or location, Giordano’s is generally flooded with locals and tourists and it is common for people to wait more than an hour or two to be seated, that is why is recommendable to make a reservation beforehand. My company and I made a reservation one day before but we still had to wait more than ten minutes to be seated. Once one enters in the restaurant, there is a bar where you can spend time but it only has a few seats. So you can either go at an off- peak time or else put your name down and leave for a while.

Our table ready with iced-cold water glasses was located in the second stage, near a large window. At first sight the restaurant was packed, there wasn’t space for more people.The tasteful decoration with red-brick walls covered with big frames in a row and the natural lighting and moderate temperature create a perfect atmosphere. There are televisions placed in many parts of the restaurants so people could watch their favourite matches. The restaurant is big enough to make their customers feel comfortable, it has two stages with big tables and smaller ones but the bad distribution of those tables and the flowing of customers and waiters gave the impression of low organization.

The waiter, a chatty young, came to the table to note the order Giordano’s menu offers a variety of starters, sandwiches, salads, Italian dishes, desserts and three types of pizzas: the crispy extra thin crust pizza, hand- stretched thin crust pizza and the stuffed deep dish pizza. We ordered three types of pizza, the most famous in the menu, Cheese Pizza, Chicago Pizza and More Meat and meat Pizza. The stuffed deep-dish pizza takes 45 minutes to cook but it is worth it. At first glance the whole stuffed pizza looks virtually identical to the Giordano’s website photo. The outer crust around the edge of the pizza is generally higher. The difference of a Domino’s pizza and the Giordano's is very clear, the deep dish pizza has more cheese, more toppings and more sauce. The stuffed pizza has a thinner bottom crust that seemed more like a pie crust than a pizza crust. On top of that is between 3/4 and 1 full inch of cheese with the toppings mixed in rather than on top. The next layer, which most people don't realize is there, is a paper-thin layer of dough. It is that second layer that makes the pizza "stuffed." As is the case with a deep dish pizza, the chunky tomato sauce goes on top.

As cheese lover I decided to start with the Cheese pizza. The Giordano’s crust contains some corn flavor and a noticeable amount of butter, it has the flavour of a heavy piece of toast. The next layer is the mozzarella cheese, lots of mozzarella. On top of the cheese there is tomato sauce, which was good but not great. The sauce is much chunkier than it is typical in Domino’s pizza but it had no that pinch of sweetness that I generally like. That said the pizza was still excellent, it was tasty and cheesy but not greasy, which is a really good compliment for the stuffed cheese pizza.

The Chicago pizza was my second victim, in which I had big expectations, because of the name, perhaps. Right away, I saw a problem. Some of the sauce on top had dried a bit. I'm not sure if they just didn't put enough sauce on or if they cooked the pizza a little too much.. The Chicago Pizza was stuffed with green peppers, mushrooms and onions finely chops mixed with ricotta cheese. However, the cheese flavor outshone all the flavor of the other ingredients giving the feeling of having another piece of the Cheese pizza, no difference between them. After the cheese pizza I expected this one had a different flavor but it turned into a complete disappointment. The Meat & more meat pizza closed this adventure leaving a good taste in the mouth. It was stuffed with pepperoni, bacon, sausage and  salami. It was a bomb of flavor in the mouth. This time on top of the sauce there were thin layers of bacon in chops as part of the decoration. The mixture of flavors was perfect and  there was enough meat which it is strongly appreciated. In my stomach there was not room for more food. the pizzas had a small size but there are medium and large size for the most gluttons. The price varies depending on the size from 20$ to 30$, which is quite convenient for a stuffed dish pizza in Chicago.

I've always been a fan of cheese, and this was for me a wonderful adventure. If the cheese is not your thing, perhaps that would be too much cheese for you. But Giordano’s offers a great variety of options that will make easier the decision. Giordano’s is worth a visit every self- respecting pizza connoisseur and the fact that you can get a deep dish pizza in the place where it began, Chicago, is a bonus.

Thou Shall Eat Pizza- 11th Commandment

I've always been a fan of the pizzas, but the kind of pizzas I am used to are not from Italy, of course, I wish they would but they are from Domino’s or pizza Hut. The pizza, the first dish that comes to our mind when we think of Italy, has always been one of my favorite dishes in the world. I have not had the opportunity to go to Italy but with this theme of globalization one can eat Italian food everywhere, and the pizza is the most popular. While in Chicago, heard about the deep dish stuffed pizza which I have never have heard before. There a lot of places that offer it and among them Giorganos's, which has proclaimed itself as "Chicago's World Famous Stuffed Pizza," is the best known and most popular.

The stuffed pizza entered the American culinary scene when Giorgano's opened in Chicago. As I have read in their website ( where you can find any infomation about this restaurant) the Blogio Brothers, who founded Giorgano's in 1974, are from a samll town near Turin, Italy, and say that their stuffed pizza is based on their mother's pizza, which featured a double crust and was stuffed with riccotta cheese.

My friends and me decided make the reservation one day before in order not to have to wait too much time to eat that delicious pizza from I have had heard wonderful comments. Anfortunately, when we arrived we were surprised by a big number of people staying in the entrance of the restaurant. We entered to ask for aur reservation but they said that we had to wait until they send us a text message. If we had not had the urge to eat this unknown type of pizza, we would not have stayed, but we decided to wait. After a little more than 10 minutes we received in message. Our table was in the second stage, near a large window. The restaurant was packed, there wasn’t space for more people. However, the restaurant was big enough to have the tables well organized but sometimes the owners give more importance to the money than the customer’s comfort. It was big enough to give a different impression that we had, but the comings and goings of waiters and customers between the tables gave the impression of being overwhelmed and low organized.  The walls were covered with frames in a row holding newspaper pages. The temperature was not to neither hot nor cold, helping to create an atmosphere of relaxation that I personally appreciated. The lighting of the restaurant was perfect, was not so brilliant that dazzles you and it was not so dark that barely allow to see what you are eating. I like to see the appearance of my food.

Not enough with having us waiting outside, we had to wait inside more than ten minutes for the waiter. The waiter with a very characteristic beard came to our table, went straight to a friend of mine from Spain whose accent is quite predictable. Surprisily, he started talking to us in Spanish. She told us that he had lived in Argentina and that is why his Spanish was so good. We started looking uncomfortable because we were really hungry, we only wanted pizza, and the waiter didn’t stop his speech.

We ordered three types of pizza, the most famous in the menu, Cheese Pizza, Chicago Pizza and More Meat and meat Pizza.

After some minutes waiting the famous deep dish pizzas arrived. At first glance a whole stuffed pizza looked virtually identical to the website photo. The outer crust around the edge of the pizza was generally higher. The difference of a Domino’s pizza (until that moment my favorite) and the Giorgano’s is very clear.

The stuffed pizza has a thinner bottom crust that seemed more like a pie crust than a pizza crust. On top of that is between 3/4 and 1 full inch of cheese with the toppings mixed in rather than on top. The next layer, which most people don't realize is there, is a paper-thin layer of dough. It is that second layer that makes the pizza "stuffed." As is the case with a deep dish pizza, the chunky tomato sauce goes on top.

As  cheese lover I decided to start with the Cheese Pizza. Of course, the main ingredients were the mozzarella cheese and the crusty dough. On top there was the tomato sauce, which was good but not great. That said the pizza was still excellent, it was tasty and cheesy but not greasy, which is a really good compliment for a pizza. I cannot say the same of the Chicago pizza, in which I had big expectations, because of the name, perhaps. Right away, I saw a problem. Some of the sauce on top had dried a bit. I'm not sure if they just didn't put enough sauce on or if they cooked the pizza a little too long, but it was a bit disappointing. The ingredients of the Chicago Pizza, were green peppers, mushrooms and onions. The peppers were not well cooked, fried onion seemed to have been fried in used oil, and the only thing that could save the mushrooms were conspicuous by their absence. The cheese flavor outshone all the flavor of the other ingredients. After the cheese pizza I expected this one that had a different flavor. I turned a complete disappointment. The third pizza More Meat and meat had pepperoni, bacon, sausage, salami. It was a bomb of flavor in my mouth. The mixture of flavors was perfect and this time he had put enough meat to cheese not overshadow its flavor, which I strongly appreciated. I've always been a fan of cheese, and it was the first time I said, too much cheese. Cheese is and is always going to be great complement of the pizza, but it may become an important problem when it blur the flavors of the rest of the ingredients. It can be repetitive pair the palate and can give the impression that we are eating the same cheesy pizza all the time. I will not say it was the worst pizza I've ever eaten in my life, it would be a total lie. To be honest, I would come back again, but I would like to have a better service. If you are a cheese lover like me, I encourage you to go to Giordano’s  and try it.

Memoir. My first Paella

“Be good and grateful. I love you so much”, my mum told me before she left me there.I was seven years old when I moved to Magdalena del Mar, to that big and three-story house with white walls and tile flooring from which rooftop I could see and smell the sea. Compared to my old and dowdy home this house looked like a palace for me. I had to stay with those women I didn't know but with whom I would have to live thereafter. They were three unmarried Spanish sisters who came to Peru sent by their parents before the imminent defeat of the Franco regime in Spain. That was how Spain came into my life, so suddenly and without asking. Miss Ana Maria welcomed me with a smile on her chubby and pale face, she seemed very happy to have me there, after all, I was there to help her. She always told me that I looked like the little Nestor and that I should never forget about him. Nestor was my father. He passed away before I could have memories of him and apparently, he lived with them when he was my age, she remembered him very fondly so I imagine that he was a very cool guy. Miss Ana Maria and her sisters always were kind with me, however I never felt as part of the family. I had strict restrictions since the first day, I couldn’t go out and play with the other children so I stayed always at home and couldn't eat candies or chocolate like other children because they told me candies were bad for my teeth. I never felt like a child living there, but I had to be grateful after all. In that house I met Anita, who lived there since she lost all her family being a little girl. I spent most of the time with her, we shared a room in the third floor. She was like my older sister, and taught me everything she knew.

From the moment I put my feet in that house, I only remember my childhood steeped in Spanish flavor. Extremadura crumbs, paella, Madrilean stew, marzipans, churros with chocolate, lentils with chorizo and all kinds of dishes that Miss Ana Maria prepared for the family and for Anita and me. It was so different from my mum’s food... Mom was not a professional cook but had been working in many restaurants as a cook since she was young. She made the most delicious dishes I remember. Her delicious Pachamanca made on an earthen oven was my favorite. Mum used to prepare this dish when the family came to visit us, they rarely did it, so it was considered a big event. My family gathered in my dad’s roofless and untidy woodwork workshop in which nobody worked since he died. Everybody worked as a group, my uncles dug a hole in the earth as my mum and my aunts were in the kitchen seasoning the meat while listening to huayno, an Andean joyful music very loud. My mom put  lamb, mutton, pork and chicken marinated in spices as well as, potatoes, green lima beans, sweet potatoes, yuca, and ears of corn,tamales and chili, everything together in the earthen oven with heating stones, in that way, all the flavours are mixed. My sisters Gabriela and Irene always asked for a fork to eat the Pachamanca, but my brother Juan and I were more practical and used our fingers. These moments with my mom and my older siblings were limited. As I can recall mom worked very hard every day since my dad died, but when she didn’t, she endeavored to prepare her best dishes. We could not afford those fancy meals prepared by Miss Ana Maria, but my mom gave everything, often with very little, to see us grow happily. I was very happy living there but I knew things were not going well. That is why I understood her reasons without she explained to me, I did not blame her for not spending time with me and even less for leaving me there.

With Miss Ana Maria I learned a lot about the art of cooking. She was a famous cook in her young age. She had a business of paellas. I remember the first time I helped her to make a seafood paella. I liked helping. I was very restless, and the worst they could tell me was that I stay seated. They knew it from the first time I arrived at the house, I wanted to see everything and try everything, so they always kept me busy.

That day, everybody in the house woke up early. The doorbell rang. It was a man bringing vegetables and seafood for the paella. Miss Ana Maria only used first quality products to prepare her dishes and payed a lot of money for them. She had promised me I could help her to prepare the paella so there I was, eager for her to tell me what to do, watching them carefully until they got nervous and I was sent to do something. “ Go to the kitchen and help Anita”, Ana Maria said. I ran into the kitchen but Anita was not there. I remember that day as it was yesterday. Something made a sound in the sink, I approached, there was a white bag with something moving. I did not dare touch it but wanted to know what it was. The smell coming from the bag was unpleasant and nauseating. Anita entered the kitchen. She must have noticed the horror on my face because she laughed mockingly. She went straight to the sink and washed her hands. Then she took the bag and opened it without a second thought. They were two red spiders with huge claws, larger than my own fingers. They were horrible, they were really ugly. Anita took a knife, the biggest one in the kitchen drawer and with the other hand grabbed one of those spiders.”They're crabs, do not panic. Come here and see” she said. I approached, but kept a considerable distance, just in case one of those beasts dared to jump. Pointing the tip of the knife in the thorax of the crab said, “ if you remove this part of the crab it dies” while explaining to me, she struck the crab killing it quickly. I stared intently watching the crab until it stopped moving its horrible legs suddenly. Then, Anita put the crabs in a pot of boiling water that had prepared above the stove. I felt so bad for them, really bad. After that, Anita asked me to help to  peel the pea and garlics but I couldn't stop thinking about the poor crabs. Anita cut the peppers, onion and garlic, and prepared the seafood as she listened and hummed to cumbia playing on the radio. When she finished chopping the vegetables she put them in separate Tupperware containers, to make the work easier for Miss Ana Maria. Miss Ana Maria, wearing an apron and a white hat came into the kitchen. She looked very funny, but I could not laugh, it would be disrespectful. Miss Ana Maria ordered Anita to turn off the radio and to put on her Sevillanas CD, a smile drawn on her face whilst listening. She began preparing the paella. I watched everything she did carefully from the window of the kitchen. She sprayed a little oil on the paellera then put the onions and green and red peppers finely chopped until they were poached. You could see her experience, her passion when you saw her cooking, it looked like she had a great respect for each of the ingredients. After stirring the rice, she grabbed the pot with broth crabs and added it until it covered the rice. The broth bubbled, now yellow from the saffron. The paella was ready. It looked like the Spanish flag, yellow as the rice and red for the red pepper and crabs decorating it. The smell of the paella was so strong that it permeated my clothes. It was a new smell. I had not tasted food that had that smell. I wanted to try “ Can I try some?” I asked Anita. “ No, Mirtha, that food is not for you.” I was disappointed, I did not understand very well because I could not try, it was unfair. I helped and she did not even give me a little to try. I later overheard Miss Ana Maria on the phone, talking with one of her customers about a paella order and the price. Now I understood everything, I could not afford the price nor the smallest bit of the food. Paellas was for rich people. Not for me.

Secret Ingredients The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink "Local Delicacies"

This part of the book was amazing, and so much fun in some parts. The essays were more varied, and it is not only because of the personality that each author gives to their texts, which is amazing but also because each essay told about a different local delicacies in different parts of the world, which gives the book different perspectives of food preparation and surrounding culture. And, to be honest I wish this part were longer so that I could read more and of course, learn more, because this is something that I really appreciate when I read, the fact that the text could teach or show me something that I don’t know.

One more time, The Homesick Restaurant shows how food is so related to history. I really liked this essay because there was a lot of back story and implications about expatriate life and nostalgia and memory. I also enjoyed the essays about food processes I knew very little about, for example, in Raw Faith by Burkhard Bilger telling about Mother Noella (the cheese nun) and the raw milk cheese she made at her abbey in Connecticut and how she and her fellow nuns were obtaining Ph. Ds in sciences in  order to further their cheese research. It makes me think that behind a delicious artesanal delicacy there is lot of  hard work behind and of course, knowledge. The same with the art of tofu in Japan, a hard and time consuming work but it is very interesting how the heritage processes was so important in order to make unique kind of tofu as she says in these lines: “"When a tofu master offers you a slice of bean curd he has just unmolded, he is inviting you to partake, insofar as a stranger can, of what it means to be Japanese." . I liked so much reading An attempt to compile a short history of the buffalo chicken wing by Calvin Trilling, the way he tells the story was very funny and definitely, I would like to try those famous buffalo chickens. However,  my favourite essay in this part was A Rat in my Soup, I don't know why but this essay was very attractive, maybe because it was something completely new for me or because of the grotesque scenes, or both of them. For sure, this part is more appetizing for carnivores with an adventurous palate which includes, arts, snakes, cats…. I just felt the same way as Hessler when he went to the shed to choose the rat he was going to eat. I had lost my appetite. However, it made me think how something that I would consider unthinkable, like eating rats or cats, it is something natural in other countries and cultures. I think that this is one of the pleasures of reading, to expand your knowledge and it is something that I really appreciate from this book.

Secret Ingredients The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink

After reading the first seven essays of Secret Ingredients The New Yorker I started loving food much more, but I am also eager to read more not only about food itself but the background and history that surround it, in other words, this book it was very appealing to me because shows that each meal has a interesting story behind and it is worth to telling it. Reading this book, I sometimes felt transported to France (Paris and Provence), the luxuriate descriptions that the writers give of le grand cuisine of pre war French cuisine is very fascinating. I really appreciate that this first part of the book have essays dating back nearly 100 years which I think that give the book a little more substance, rather than only stories related only to food experiences. In this first part of the book titled “Dining Out”, four of the seven pieces are about French cooking, which three of the out of those four were written prior to the 70s, which shows that French cooking was and still is one of the best cuisines in the world, or at least that is what the writers say in their essays. Although I don't have an overwhelming interest in reading about French cooking, these essays were very interesting for me, but perhaps, I would have liked to read more about other’s countries cooking, for example, some Mexican cooking or Indian cooking, Mediterranean food or ,of course, Peruvian gastronomy. From my point of view, that would have given the book more perspectives of the international cuisine, rather than only focusing on Europe, and specially on France.

I really liked the fact that the essays are written by different authors, which makes the book far more attractive. This part of the book includes some interesting essays, from “ All you can hold for five bucks” which is a description of Beefsteak parties, which I enjoyed because it showed the cooking and eating trends in the early part of the 20th century in New York,  or the description of a thirty- seven course lunch designed and hosted by Gerard Depardieu, or the Anthony Bourdain's “Don't Eat Before Reading This”, in which Bourdain tells his insider view of what actually happens in restaurant kitchens and why is not a good idea to order well-done steak in a restaurant. The beginning of his essay “ Good food, good eating, is all about blood and organs, cruelty and decay” shows himself as I imagine he is, a very bold and proud person who know very well his profession. To be honest, this was my favourite essay of this first part. For me, this part of the book was a journey of discovery and I am looking forward to see what fascinating stories are going to tell in the second chapter.

Memoir draft

My first Spanish paella

-Be good and grateful. I love you so much, my daughter- my mum told me before she left me there in that big two-story house with white walls with those  women who did not know and with whom I would live thereafter. They were three Spanish sisters who came to Peru sent by their parents before the imminent defeat of the Franco regime in Spain. That was how Spain came into my life, so suddenly and without asking. From that moment I only remember my childhood steeped in Spanish flavor. Extremadura crumbs, paella, Madrilean stew, marzipans, churros with chocolate, lentils with chorizo and all kinds of dishes that Miss Ana Maria prepared for the family and for Anita and me. It was so different from my mum’ food .... Mom was not a professional cook but had been working in the kitchen since she was young. She made the most delicious dishes I remember, for me she is a master of traditional Peruvian food, especially her delicious Pachamanca. ... Unfortunately I remember few, mom worked hard every day, but when she did not, she endeavored to prepare their best dishes, green rice with chicken and Peruvian ceviche. We could not afford those meals prepared by Miss Ana Maria, but Mom gave everything, often with very little, to see our smiles and see us grow. that is why I understood her reasons, I did not blame her for not spending time with us and less for leaving me there.

With Miss Ana Maria I learned a lot about the art of cooking, she was a passionate cook in her young age. He had a business of paellas. I remember the first time I helped her make a seafood paella. I liked helping, I was very restless, and the worst that they could tell me was that I stay seated. They knew it from the first time I arrived at the house, I wanted to see everything and try everything, so they always kept me busy.

The days of paella, were noticeable, they were all up and down the house, as if they were nervous. The tension in the environment was noticeable. The doorbell rang. It was a man bringing vegetables and seafood for the paella. Miss Ana Maria had promised me to help her to prepare the paella so there I was, eager she tell me what to do, watching them carefully until they caught nervous and I was sent to do something. - Go to the kitchen and help Anita- I ran into the kitchen but Anita was not there. Something sounded in the sink, I approached, there was a white bag with something moving. I did not dare touch it but wanted to know what it was. The smell given from the bag was unpleasant and nauseating, like the odour of those mornings when the smell of sea came to the house. Anita entered the kitchen. She must have noted the horror on my face because she laughed mockingly. She went straight to the sink and washed her hands. Then she took the bag and opened it without a second thought. They were two red spiders with huge claws, larger than my own fingers. They were horrible, they were really ugly. Anita took a knife, the biggest one in the kitchen drawer and with her hand grabbed one of those spiders.- They're crabs, do not panic. Come here and see- she said. I approached, but kept a considerable distance, just in case one of those beasts dared to jump. Pointing the tip of the knife in the thorax of the crab said - if you remove this part of the crab it dies- she did at the same time she explained it to me. I stared intently watching the crab until it stopped moving its horrible legs suddenly. She did it quickly, at least the crab had a quick death. Then, Anita put the crabs in a pot of boiling water that had prepared above the kitchen. I felt so bad for them, really bad.. I helped peel the peas, garlic but I couldn't stop thinking about the poor crabs. I peeled so many peas that my nails hurt. Anita cut the peppers, onion, garlic, and prepared the seafood as she listened and hummed to cumbia playing on the radio. When she finished chopping vegetables put them in separate Tupperware containers, to make the work easier for Miss Ana Maria. Miss Ana Maria, came with an apron and a white hat into the kitchen. She looked so funny, but I could not laugh, it would be disrespectful. The paellera was ready since the night before, seated on the round little stove, on a table in the middle of the courtyard. Miss Ana Maria ordered Anita to turn off the radio and to put his Sevillanas CD, a smile drawn on her face whilst listening. She began preparing the paella. I watched everything she did carefully. She sprayed a little oil on the paellera then put the onions and green and red peppers finely chopped until they were poached. You could see her experience, her passion when you saw her cooking. After stirring the rice, she grabbed the pot with broth crabs and added it until it covered the rice. The broth bubbled, now yellow from the saffron. The paella was ready. It looked like the Spanish flag, yellow as the rice and the red pepper and crabs decorating it. The smell of the paella was so strong that it permeated my clothes, it was a new smell, I had not tasted food that had that smell. I wanted to try - Can I try some? I asked Anita. - No, Mirtha, that food is not for you.- I was disappointed, I did not understand very well because I could not try, it was unfair. I helped and she did not even give me a little to try. I later overheard Miss Ana Maria on the phone, talking with one of her customers about a paella order and the price. Now I understood everything, I could not afford the price nor the smallest. Paellas was for rich people. Not for me.

A Cook's Tour Reading Response

Anthony Bourdain’ A cooks tour is about food. He tells where food comes from, our relation to it and what it reflects, through a narrative of vivid and sometimes grotesque anecdotes in his adventure around the globe looking for the perfect meal.
I didn't know much about this famous chef and writer but I totally loved this book, his sense of adventure and his respect for the food and the culture of the places he visits. He understands that food comes from a place and people, and he wants to know both as intimately as he can. He visits many locals in France, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Japan among others pushed for a personal purpose.

Anthony Bourdain's purpose is to try authentic food, fresh food and not be afraid to join in and eat like locals. He counts the slaughter of a pig in farm house in Portugal and how every part of the animal was used (intestines, the liver and heart, even the bladder was used to make a soccer ball for the children), when he ate lamb testicles in the Sahara desert in Morocco, the natto in Japan and his descriptions of each meal make them exquisite and tasty, although I am not very fan of eating brain, heart and tongues.
I love his believe that nothing should be wasted and the places he visits are cultures that share that philosophy too. It just make me think the amount of food I waste each day and I just cannot imagine the food is wasted per day in the world. That the most is used from an animals, the less animals are killed. 

His sense of experimentalism makes this book very interesting. His irony, self- criticism and complete honesty and his expertise as a chef adds so much to the story. He counts how guilty he felt in the slaughtering of the animal and that it was the first time he looked his victim in the face. After he witnessed he slaughtering, he realized that he was " a pathetic city boy, all too comfortable with my ignorance of the facts". I like how he is not afraid of telling that he was ignorant after years and years of cooking animals dead bodies and how she discovers new things too at the same time he is telling us about his grotesque experience. Moreover, I like how Bourdain gives extended information of the countries and locations he is visiting, the culture and its people because that gives more reliability to his story, however I would like it was longer, since I am a fan of the cultures of the world and I just want to know more and more. I have always been willing to try anything once, though i don't have a very refined palate as Tony Bourdain has, but after reading his stories I’d be willing to try his trip and expand my horizons in many senses.

Stealing Buddha's Dinner

I like relating my own experiences with the pieces of literature I read. While I was reading this book I felt like I was a child again, watching the world around me with those innocent eyes that only a child can have, constantly wondering questions and trying to find an answer for them. The funny and clear way Bich remembers her childhood and count her attempt to fit into the American society and how that process of assimilation and Americanism is paved with American junk food makes this book an interesting and readable journey. She is a Vietnamese refugee who comes with her family to live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a christian dutch society in  which Bich struggles to find her own identity and in which she doesn't belong to. I could see her world through her descriptive words and how she struggled with her sense of  identity in an extended family including her father, her buddhist grandmother, her sister, her missing mother replaced by a Mexican- american stepmother and her half American sister.

One of the memorable moments in the book for me was when Bich won first place in her school's spelling bee. Then, she tells she had forgotten her rain boots in class,  and after coming back to the school she overheard her teachers saying: “Can you believe it?....A foreigner winning our spelling bee!” After this, the story ends with bich contemplating over these words. The emotion of nostalgia I felt towards this passage moved me, I felt like a child again, being part of a very traditional Peruvian family living in a little town in Spain, trying to identify myself with any place and asking myself why I was and felt different compared to everyone else. I didn't know that someone felt the same way i felt about finding my own identity. Over time I have learn to accept myself the way I am, it is great to be different and lucky to be a bicultural individual. This is the message I also have taken from this book, that it is a waste of time wishing to be someone else rather than accepting yourself and being proud of your culture and knowledge.