Here are the guidelines:
- Reading responses must be AT LEAST 200 words.
- Include your full name at the end of your comments. Unnamed comments will be deleted.
- From the "Comment As" drop-down menu, choose Anonymous, then click "Publish."
- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
On Chicken Tenders by Helen Rosner—I found it amusing that something as simple as chicken tenders can be such an interesting topic. I never gave chicken tenders a second thought. Stuff like: burgers, pizza, and even salads, I’ve thought about from time to time. Tenders are not one of them. What I liked Rosner essay, was the childhood theme that was underlying in the essay. It’s like a rite of passage for, a kid to eat chicken tender. Who does not know what a chicken tender is? It’s preposterous to think no one has never had a chicken tender in their life. I liked how the chicken tender stretched out more than I could’ve imagine. The essay, talks about the perfect ingrediets that, I, believe to hilarious and true. I assumed chicken tenders were the leftover meat, like chicken nuggets (which Rosner points out). Rosner description of her job and how something as simple as a chicken tender can be so perfect when compared to oysters.
ReplyDeleteI liked Writing the Gastronomical Essay. Memory plays a big role in food and smell. I never realized that food could take me down memory lane. Just the other day, my mom told my brother and I she was cooking her enchilada casserole, I kept thinking, it is going to be a good day.
When I stop, and analyze why the announcement of Enchiladas improved my day, it reminded me of my dad. My dad was not around as much back in the day. My mom would tell my brother and I when we were younger, that my father would be coming home to eat her famous enchiladas. I would have a great day because I would have my whole family together.
Mathew Betancourt
Within Moore’s “Writing the Gastronomical Essay”, we are introduced to the idea that was makes food important to our central experience is the memories that are intertwined with the various aspects of the said food. He explains that if we were to look back at important moments of our life, we would be able to identify a food present at that moment. He provides evidence to this factor by giving the notion that to eat is human nature, even in the situations that seem unlikely. Overall, when we think of the memories brought back by certain foods, as Moore would put it, “a floodgate of hidden memory opens” (pg. 153).
ReplyDeleteHelen Rosner’s “On Chicken Tenders” is an ode that greatly emphasizes Moore’s ideas in “Writing the Gastronomical Essay”. When taking a break from the various complex foods Rosner eats for her job, she eats simple foods with chicken tenders being the pinnacle of simplicity. When she mentions these, she brings up the idea that eating chicken tenders brings back many complex memories from her childhood, and how something so simple is just as complex. “On Chicken Tenders” is a story that provides to us a comical sense to something that is present on most menus at various eaterys, and how even the most simplest of food can be the most delectable in the sense of taste, availability, and memory.
David Leal
Moore speaks of the Gastronomical Essay in which he speaks of in food writing it is not the food in which we speak of for over 1000 or more words but the experience we have with that food. It can be something as simple as the smell of flour tortillas in the morning, but that fact that your mother or grandmother were the ones that woke au every morning promptly at 7am to get the dough ready, and that church song they sang to themselves while doing so. That is what we should be focusing on the smells and the memories which are brought on by a part of the brain. “The primary olfactory cortex—where messages from the nerves in the nose are processed […] which control the experience of emotion and […] memories” (Moore, 153). Of course, the food as well the taste in that bringing the Gastronomical Essay. “On Chicken Tenders”, by Helen Rosner chicken tenders is the main food that is discussed because of its simplicity and the fact that as a food critic she is open minded about foods “—but I still need the relief chicken tenders provide” (Rosner, 11). As well as she critics food and writes about them she speaks of the environment and the people entirely along with the food.
ReplyDelete-Christina Velasquez
In “Writing the Gastronomical Essay”, Dinty Moore tells us that when writing about food we should also be writing about our experiences behind it and the details surrounding it. The quote “Memory is the key” sort of sprang into my mind when reading this chapter at first as a little joke, but it does ring true when I started to think about it since you can’t focus on just the main subject otherwise your essay will either end up being short or boring. You basically need to go back to the past and immerse yourself in the memory surrounding the meal, remembering the environment, the people present, and what you yourself were going through. Helen Rosner’s “On Chicken Tenders” neatly ties into Moore’s chapter as it sees the author go into detail on why exactly something as simple as chicken tenders has become her favorite thing to eat. In the reading she tells us the experiences she’s had as someone who writes about food for a living and how when someone has eaten the most complex meals to be prepared, something as simple and uninteresting as chicken tenders becomes something equally as complex. Overall, “On Chicken Tenders” was an interesting read as it offered a perspective on a food I didn’t think twice about but at the same time could relate to the satisfaction of eating it.
ReplyDeleteNarciso Garcia Jr.
Rosner’s “On Chicken Tenders” caught my attention from the go. When I first read the title I rolled my eyes a bit because I myself am a vegan for ethical and health related reasons, but when I started reading the piece, I couldn’t help but agree with Rosner about how aesthetically pleasing chicken tenders are. Before I became a vegan, chicken tenders (with a side of ranch, of course) were my go-to order at any restaurant. I had never given it much thought and I didn’t ever realize until I read this that it’s because they really are perfect in taste, texture, smell, and they just look delicious. Rosner’s use of language and taking us through her journey of being a
ReplyDelete“professional eater” really opened my eyes to the way I look at food. Moore’s chapter on writing the gastronomical essay was also quite interesting to read because it brought up a very familiar idea that I came across when I first started researching veganism. We, as humans often connect or correlate food with comfort, as unhealthy as it is. Writing about it can be therapeutic (and can also make you very hungry), and interesting to do. After reading both of these works, I’m quite eager to write a gastronomical essay about my vegan meals.
-Starleen Rendon
On Rosners chapter “On Chicken Tenders” I never thought about chicken tenders as such a beautiful creation in the history of culinary arts. My thoughts while reading the chapter was that it was an interesting and fun experience. It seemed every sentence had a sense of comedy. Even now I question what it truly was about? Was she trying to be comedic or serious? Most food lovers talk about more exquisite and complex food/recipe. I wanted to giggle at every now and then but I forced a straight face. I never thought of food like this. With Moore’s “Writing the Gastronomical Essay” I thought it was similar in terms of writing about food and describing places. I really liked the description and imagery that Moore was able to use throughout his chapter describing Hector’s and Luigi’s. The tips that he includes in the chapter I found to be very helpful. I honestly feel ready to start my food essay and what it will be about.
ReplyDelete-Marco Garza
In Moore’s chapter “Writing the Gastronomical Essay” it talks about how a certain food be it anything can trigger a memory in you. How an essay can be about the food but also about the experience, the taste and the sensations. This chapter triggered a memory of when I was a kid, we used to gather at my grandmas house in Reynosa on Christmas Eve. The smell of bunuelos filled the room as I walked in through the door. Even now the smell of bunuelos makes me remember my grandmothers cozy house and the people we spent time with, the cold weather, the huge Christmas tree that was lit up with multiple colors and the countless gifts seated underneath the tree. This will forever be with me. Now the essay, “On Chicken Tenders” was interesting. I mean I’ve eating them before but never paid any attention to them like she has. I have to say though, I can’t eat them by themselves I have to dip them in ketchup. I guess something like that is done with people who LOVE chicken tenders. I did like though how she describes the children’s menu and how it contains everything that’s good. No kidding. I’ve gone to multiple restaurants that won’t let me eat off the kid’s menu because I’m not a kid anymore. It’s ridiculous but anyway it happens.
ReplyDeleteAlejandra Rodriguez
Moore goes into depth regarding food in the personal essay. "Writing the Gastronomical Essay" really made me think about how certain foods can trigger memories that have lain long hidden. One of the best days in my life regarding food was a day when I was not only owning in video games that day (League of Legends specifically, was on a winning streak) but that my step-mom had made a chuleton that day with refried beans and homemade corn tortillas. Even thinking about it right now is making me salivate. "On Chicken Tenders" the Rosner puts the concepts described by Moore into action. The act of writing out good food just seems to trigger positive memories and could be the reason why Gastronomical essays and TV shows (such as Andrew Zimmer) are popular in this day and age.
ReplyDeleteEutimio Longoria
In Moores “Writing the Gastronomical Essay” he talks about how food could be other things rather than just food. Food could become a memory at your favorite restaurant, food could be also being on a date and the food was great but the date was horrible, food could be Friday night carne asada at your families backyard and all the laughs and the music. Moores essay reminded me of my grammas tortillas de harina. Tortillas de harina during the winter with a side of refried beans with chorizo and some patato and egg with occompanied with some spicy salsa and a cold Mexican soda. Winter at our house were filled with tortillas de harina and good old laughs with aunts and uncles picking at each other because some couldn’t handle the salsa. It brought back the comfort of being at home the comfort of family. With just food Moore helped bring that memory out. In “On Chicken Tenders” I wasn’t expecting wanting to go buy me some chicken tenders right there and then. The description of just simple chicken tenders was mouthwatering I might have been because im hungry but it sure sounded good. I love chicken tenders and you cant go wrong with ordering some when you don’t know what to get. She gave great detail of what a chicken tender was to her and it was really interesting because she is a food critic.
ReplyDelete-Abigail Vasquez
Needless to say, I think we all love food. So, obviously, I loved these two readings. I haven’t done any writing on food, though. I can’t think of any reason why except that it just hasn’t come up. I appreciate that Moore mentions that writing about food isn’t just a review, though. I like that we can attach a story to the food. While I do love food, in my house, we don’t get too fancy. We eat out at least three times a month. Our kitchen is more for display and most days, I won’t even eat until I get home from school and the gym because there’s just no time. In fact, I eat a lot of sandwiches just because I can’t be bothered to make anything else and for that, I really enjoyed Rosner’s piece. It was pretty funny to read, but it made a lot of sense to me. I do have to disagree, however. There’s nothing wrong with wanting some ketchup with a chicken tender. That line reminded me of Cake Boss and their belief that drinking milk with the cake is disrespectful because that would mean that the cake is dry. Anyway, they were cute readings, but nothing too meaningful for me yet.
ReplyDelete-Angie Acuña
In Moores essay “Writing the Gastronomical Essay” He lets us know that the food we eat carry memories along with it. I hadn’t really thought about that until I read it. It is crazy because there several of my favorite dishes that remind me of certain things and places back when I was a kid living in Roswell. He mentioned how the essay isn’t just about the food we eat but the memories that are carried along with it. I really liked that he emphasized on that because I really believe that it is really going to help the writer write their food essay.
ReplyDeleteRosners “On Chicken Tenders” was a fun read. I didn’t think chicken tenders would ever have such value to someone so I thought that was interesting. Chicken Tenders aren’t my favorite especially because now a days they seem to be more like bread tenders than chicken tenders, but they definitely were my first and only choice as a kid at any restaurant. Nonetheless I really thought that it was an interesting thing to talk about. I had never read anything like that before, but the fact the she wrote about chicken tenders like they are the most beautiful thing in the world was something different but fun to read.
Leslie Luna
In Moore’s gastronomical essay, he mentions that when writing about food we should not write as a critic or as if we are writing a review. I see the food essay just as the travel essay. We need to be able to hold the hand of our reader and walk them through every bite, sip, lick and chew of what we are writing about. I found it interesting when Moore mentioned that we can write about a recipe. Growing up I always enjoyed watching my Mom and Grandmother cook and it’s true when Moore wrote that the smell of food or places can trigger memories. Although when I smell trepas I remember the time I got a stomach bug on New Year’s Eve, I also have the memory of Maria’s cookies of my Grandmother’s home and the smell of incense to take me back to my time in Egypt. Smells and memories go hand in hand and to connect certain cultural foods and to write about them or how they are made would be an interesting connection to make with a reader who maybe grew up the same way or for a reader to experience something new through our writings.
ReplyDelete-Joy Perez
Moore’s “Writing the Gastronomical Essay”, we read about how food is important when it comes to previous experiences and memories. He explains that if you were to reminisce on some important times in your life, you would remember and be able to identify any food that was there. I can remember every detail, every face and all the food that was present the day I turned 21. If I hear a certain sound, see a certain color and even a certain smell, it takes me back to that day, and how it is painted fresh on the back of my mind.
ReplyDeleteIn Helen Rosner’s “On Chicken Tenders”, she describes what Moore is explaining in his essay. How writing about food can take you back in time and make you remember everything that was going on. Simply describing the chicken tenders made me hungry and without a doubt was good too. Whenever I go somewhere new and I don’t know what to order, I just go with chicken tenders and fries, you can never go wrong with that. Helen, being a food critic, did a good job describing in detail what a chicken tender was to her and made it interesting.
-Claudia Anzaldua
I've honestly never thought how important food was when it came to writing. Moore makes it clear in "Writing the Gastronomical Essay" that the memories that we build by thinking up our favorite dishes can create a story. Personally, my own experiences with food are never usually anything more than "Oh, I really liked that dish. Om nom nom." But from what I'm seeing, the food doesn't necessarily have to focus on a dish you made or ate. You don't even really have to focus on what the food like or tasted like. The food will lead to memories, and those memories are enough to create material for writing. Even if you don't remember how much you enjoyed that meal (or even enjoyed at all) a memory was still created.
ReplyDelete"On Chicken Nuggets" basically boils down to "you can't go wrong with simple chicken tenders." Helen Rosner not only makes it clear that she loves chicken tenders, but that she's sure everyone does and they just use plenty of reasons for why they don't want to eat them. Now that I think about it, I've NEVER met anybody who has legitimately disliked tenders. There are people that I see that don't include them in their diet for whatever reason. But I'd be surprised to find someone who actually dislikes the taste of tenders. I just find it interesting how much of an analysis Rosner gives on a meal that even she describes as simple. Just as we see from Moore's essay, a simple meal can give you plenty of material for an essay.
Michael McCormick