My Sandwich is a History Book

I believe food tells a story, a story of past, present, future, fiction, non-fiction, how-to, or autobiography. People take food for granted. They view it as a necessity of life, a source of energy to keep you going throughout the day. But it is more than that. Each bite is like turning the page in a book; it takes you deeper and deeper into the story of the maker, the culture, the food. It takes you on an adventure without leaving the country; it can unite a family.

One bite transports you back to your mother or grandmother’s kitchen. It brings back memories of cracking your first egg, making your first cookie or taking the bite of your first birthday cake. It lets you experience friends and family when they are not there. Every time I sit down to a plate of biscuits and gravy I go back to Sunday mornings with my family, the one day of the week that my mother cooked breakfast and we sat down for breakfast as a family. It was a time that we got to enjoy each other’s company after a busy week.

Food tells you about culture. It tells you about the evolution of a culture, the hardships of what a culture has gone through. It shows you how cultures merge, and how it varies from region to region. When my wife and I go out for sushi, we don’t go for the food but for the journey we are about to take. Sushi isn’t just a culinary mastery with raw fish, vegetables, and seaweed, but it tells the evolution of preservation. Sushi was originally conceived as a way to preserve fish that villagers would catch. Enjoying sushi allows me and my wife to experience a part of Japanese history

Food is the autobiography of its creator. It tells the story of the upbringing of the chef, , their style, and favorite foods. When I cook a meal, I try to express my beliefs how food should be prepared, how it should be treated. I try to express my upbringing by reinterpreting the food I grew up with and by using ingredients that are local to my location. I try to treat each ingredient with the upmost respect. The animal gave its life so I can allow others to enjoy it in a respectable manor. I try to put a part of me into every dish I create.

Overall, food is positive, selfless, and diverse; it is able to bring equality and tell a story. Where would the world be without food? Where would food be without the world? As people and the world change, food changes as well. Food should be enjoyed for what it was, for as it is and for what it will be. People need to look past the necessity of eating and see it as a way to enjoy the past, present and future. They need to open their sandwich and learn from it.

I listened to my sandwich, and look what happened!

In my TIB I talk about how food tells a story how it influences people and how people influence food. This is exactly what happened to me. I let food lead me to where i am now. I let food take me to my current degree and job. Before listening to food I was not happy. I was going with the flow and living the typical cookie cutter life, but once I listedn to my food I am now creating a life that others want to follow.

I am now able to help others listen to food and take it to where they desire. My food lead me to a degree and job, but for others it can lead them to a new lifestyle, new friends, or new expereinces. The places that it wil them is endless. SO I encourage the next time you go out to eat or sit down for a meal to take a bite and see what it tells you and see where it leads. It may surprise you what your sandwich may say to you.

There Is No Such Thing As Too Much Barbecue

The TIB essay "There Is No Such Thing As Too Much Barbecue" by Jason Sheehan is good example of what I am trying to portary in my essay. It tells the story that barbecue is more then just food, but it's history culture, and a life style. It describes how it affects him and the people around him. It follows along the same line of my beleif that food shouldn't just be comsumed but enjoyed and thought through when having a meal.

My essay will tell more about the stories food converys and how it can take you to places without leavin you living room. Chefs are more then creators of food, but they are visual and mental writers. Creating a story out of simple and/or complex ingredients.

Networking: Making the Right Connections

Networking is the single most valuable things you can do. It helps build relationships that will stay with you for the rest of your career. Currently at Bradford Woods, we are built upon networking. When ever we talk with a new vendor, client, or staff, we try to see how they can benefit us and how we can benefit them. Through networking we are able to function at a level that others are not able to function.

On a personal level, networking will give me contacts and leads to jobs if I decide to leave my current job. Also, it allows me to get advice and find mentors. At Bradford Woods we host an event that brings in several restaurants throughout the state and it allows me to gain connections with other people in my industry. If I ever need anything I can call them up and they are willing to help however they can.

But with networking, there is a fine line that you have to watch between making a connection to asking too much. Always utilizing a network connection could break that connection and leave you in the dust when you really need it.