Lately, I have been updating the site with recipes and blog entries like a madwoman. Part of it is probably some left over energy from my extended hiatus this spring and summer, but mostly it is because I am gearing up to complete a rather large and ambitious special project. This particular project is going to take things a step further, as I am actually registered for a Liberal Studies Independent Readings course for the semester entitled: What is food?
The purpose of this project is to explore the intrinsic qualities of food and how this is expressed through cultural storytelling. If that sounds like a mouthful, it is. To break it down, there are qualities to food that exist outside of the simple need of eating food to live. We associate emotions and memories to certain foods, such as comfort from a bowl of soup or an image of grandma from the smell of baking cookies. The project will explore how we take these thoughts and create stories, similar to the barrage of cooking memoirs now available that combine recipes with personal stories.
The overall intent of this project is to define how food culture in developed and guided, particularly through the lens of American pop culture. My prelimary answer to the question “What is food?” is that “Food is everything.” I am also using this site as a vehicle for the project, including blog posts that will be considered “assignments” and potentially a resource page relating to food culture and/or storytelling.
Let’s cut to the chase: what does all this mean? Here’s the run down:
- Fewer new recipe posts. There are nearly 400 recipes already on this site and most of my current cooking has been various reincarnations of dishes I have already made, so this is not a detriment to the site.
- More Books for Cooks reviews. As the name suggests, an independent reading project consists of a fair amount of literature. This is exciting because the current Books for Cooks section is quite lacking in variety and substance.
- Regular Bitter/Sweet entries. Consistent project updates will be posted, with discussions ranging from the readings to current events and other related subjects. Not too dissimilar from the current blog, but with a bit more long-term focus.
- Possible design and format changes. There are always updates going on behind the scenes as software becomes out-dated, and there are usually talks of major overhauls on a semi-regular basis. This is not a dramatic departure from the standard mode of operation.
- New categories added. Depending on how I decide to structure this project on the site, there will be new categories on the Bitter/Sweet blog as well as the site in general. It is possible that I will also add additional pages for the information.