Julie and Julia Response

               Besides Julia’s voice, whose character is played by Meryl Streep, I have really been enjoying Julie and Julia. I was hesitant to like it at first since my mom liked it. My mom and I rarely agree on movies, but I was completely surprised at how much I liked it. I really enjoy how the director chose to make the movie. They constantly jump back and forth between Julie and Julia with Julie working on her blog and Julia creating these recipes for Julie to use in her blog.

               The complexity in both Julie and Julia’s lives makes me keep wanting to know what happens to them. Julia is attempting to write a book on French cooking for the average American housewife while constantly moving around the world. On top of that, she is trying to collaborate with two other people who don’t seem to be working as hard as she is. Julie is attempting to complete Julia’s recipe book and write a blog in a year while attending work and keeping her marriage alive. We will have to see how these situations play out but I hope that Julie gets to meet Julia.

Can a Chef be an Arist

                There are many ways that a chef can be considered an artist. In my opinion, an artist is defined as a person who brings different materials together that are then used to create a piece of art which is enjoyed by another person. A painter uses different colors to create a painting that is then enjoyed through another person’s eyes. In this case, the materials are considered ingredients, the piece of art is the dish being eaten, and the person enjoying it uses their taste buds to enjoy it.

                The person who enjoys the piece of art created by the chef doesn’t only have to use their taste buds. At many restaurants and in a lot of cooking TV shows, presentation is a key factor. Once the food is made, the chef must prepare it in a way that is pleasing to the eye. Why stop there? The person who enjoys the food also enjoys it using their smell. So next time you eat some food think about the effort put into it and how it can be enjoyed in other ways than just taste.

Theme in Babette's Feast

               One important theme in Babette’s Feast is the concept of change verse tradition. This theme comes up a number amount of times in the story starting with the suitors. First Lorenz comes to the village and challenges the tradition established by Phillipa and Martine’s father. Then Achille Papin comes and takes it a step further. Achille Papin challenges the tradition in the small community by not only being a Roman Catholic outsider but also attempting to win Phillipa’s love. Phillipa’s father has “brainwashed” her too much and she rejects his love and even makes her father break the bad news to him.

                The big breaking of tradition in the small community of Jutland comes later when Babette asks the sisters if she can prepare a feast. Trying to please Babette’s first and only request, they accept. When they find out about the extravagance of the meal, they completely regret their decision and have a meeting with the town in order to discuss the news. Their ways and tradition are challenged but the sisters and the town agree to break the tradition in order to please Babette.

My Comfort Food

Smoothies are definitely my comfort food. In my opinion, you can't mess up a smoothie. I make them at home all the time. I take out a blender and throw whatever looks good that I have lying around the house. This usually includes fruit, ice cream, and yogurt. It always tastes good. Knowing that you made the smoothie makes it all the better. So next time you aren't feeling so good try making a smoothie. It will cheer you right up.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

               Although my chocolate chip banana cookies are relatively new compared to most famous family recipes, it has become a favorite and a tradition in the Nemergut household. My mom started making these when I was in lower school. I remember constantly asking her to make them because they were so good and not really filling. She makes them almost every holiday, always on my birthday, and usually whenever I ask. She doesn’t mind me eating them either because they are fairly healthy containing oats and bananas.

                There are a few funny stories that I associate when I think of these cookies but one really shows how good they actually are. When I went on the baseball trip sophomore year, my mom made a batch of these cookies. I remember giving a few out to kids who saw me eating them and asked. One day when I went out, they searched and found the batch of cookies. When I got back, I found that my cookies were gone. I quickly called the cops in hopes that they would be recovered but they said they couldn’t help me. I may be exaggerating a little but from then on I made sure I keep some extras hidden for myself in case they are all stolen and/or eaten.

                Making the cookies was interesting because I got to experience firsthand the work that goes into making them. They weren’t too difficult to make and filming the process was even more fun. I hope you enjoy the video and more importantly the cookies.

               

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking oil spray

Bananas

Canola Oil

Sugar

Vanilla Extract

All-purpose Flour

Baking Soda

Salt

Ground Cinnamon

Quick cooking oatmeal or rolled oats

Chocolate chips

Food Culture in the Nemergut Residence

Friday – Lunch = Frozen pizza - $4

              Dinner = Restaurant – $110

Saturday – Lunch = Frozen pizza - $4

                   Dinner = Nothing

Sunday – Breakfast = Restaurant – $8

                Lunch = Restaurant – $30

                Dinner = Restaurant w/ dessert - $50

Monday – Lunch = restaurant – $10

                  Dinner = Cooked – Chicken, peas, stuffing - $7

Tuesday – Lunch – Cafeteria

                  Dinner = Ordered Pizza - $15

Wednesday – Lunch = Cafeteria

                        Dinner = Cooked - Chicken pot pie - $7

Thursday – Lunch = Restaurant – $5

                   Dinner = Raviolis, bread, sauce - $6

Extras

Dad’s lunch/breakfast – Fruits/Vegetables and cereal - $30

Moms Lunch – Anything – probably leftovers and occasionally eating out - $45

Snacks – Pretzels, chips, oreo’s, yogurt, fruit (bananas, strawberries) - $25

Mom’s birthday – cake, cookies, cupcakes - $25

Drinks – Water, orange juice, milk, soda - $12
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               The kitchen is the center of the household at the Nemergut residence. Whenever there is discussion, it occurs in the kitchen. In general, dinner at the Nemergut household is a little more traditional than at most households. My mom cooks almost every dinner from Monday to Thursday and every meal is eaten at the kitchen table. And also unlike most families, my family eats dinner abnormally early sometimes eating as early as 4:30. This week was special considering it was my mom's birthday. This week she made dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I enjoy most of her meals and one of the best parts of her cooking is how cheap it is.

                Every Friday night my family goes out to dinner to a location that is usually chosen by my dad then argued with by my mom and I. He prefers fancy/elegant restaurants while my mom and I prefer your local good eats. There are often some arguments and often some compromises. I don’t dislike my dad’s favorite restaurants but they can definitely get tiresome. I also dislike the fact of how expensive the meals are especially because I will be attending college next year. This week we went to Old Man Refferty's which cost about $110 dollars. I think this is ridiculous but my dad insists that we go every Friday.

                Saturday is more of a free for all where we either order out or consume things from the refrigerator or the pantry. I prefer to order Dominos in which case my dad will order some cheesy bread. My parents prefer to make pasta and sauce or scavenge for leftovers in the freezer and fridge. This week we ate whatever was in the cabinets so it was fairly cheap. Sunday night is a completely different story. My dad, who is a pretty good cook, usually makes meals that take hours just to prepare. The meals are good but the desserts he also prepares are even better. Occasionally my grandma will join us where she will say, no matter how bad the meal is, that this is the greatest thing she has ever tasted. Since it was my mom's birthday, she got to choose what we ate. She chose Chicken Holiday which I was unhappy with.
                My family spends approximately $400 dollars on food a week with a majority of it coming from the restaurant we go on Friday night's. We also spend a lot on going out in general. We spend approximately $133 dollars per week each on food. Besides going out, which takes up more than half of the money we spend, we spend most of our money on fruits, vegetables, desserts, and snacks. When my mom cooks, the meals are fairly inexpensive so she tries to cook as much as possible. When I grow up I plan on spending my money differently considering I probably won't have the luxury of going out all the time.

                Food is what brings my family together. If we didn’t have dinner at the dinner table then we would lose approximately 30 minutes of family time a night. Kitchen is the ideal place to hang out due to its set up. If you see the pictures below, there is one centerpiece where we are able to sit and hang out. On top of that, there is the kitchen table and a lot of table tops and drawers to put important papers forcing us to be in the kitchen throughout the day. The kitchen, dinner, and food in general are the main reasons why my family is as close as it is.

                

The Diet of a French Family

               The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a typical French diet is cigarettes. Surprisingly, there are no cigarettes on the list. Maybe this is just a non-smoking family. Secondly, I would expect there to be pastries such as croissants mainly because that is what they sell at the French exhibit in Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. And sure enough, this French family spends a lot of money on pastries but not as much as they do on their meats.

                Meat makes up approximately 25% of this French family’s food bill for the week. And according to the picture, this meat is primarily processed and bought from a store thus requiring them to cook it. One of the more surprising facts that really jumps out in the picture and the fact sheet is the amount of fruits, vegetables, and nuts they eat. This French family paid about $55 on fruits, vegetables and nuts which makes up about 15% of their food bill.

                Another key fact that needs to be pointed out is the lack of junk food in their diet. Snacks and desserts only amount to approximately 4% of their food bill. Their healthy diet is clearly reflected in the lack of junk on the table and the family’s overall physique. Their beverage list also backs up a healthy diet. Looking at the array of food on the table, water and juice are a huge part of their diet. You don’t see any soda, beer, or sugary lemonade-like drinks.

Like most families who live in wealthy nations, they buy primarily processed goods. Besides the fresh fruit, a majority of their food is packaged requiring them to cook it. They are also not hesitant to eat out of the house. They spent a whopping $85.66 on prepared food, which is about 23% of their food bill. A family that is experiencing financial difficulties does not have the luxury of eating out this much.

Considering they are able to spare about $375 on their food for the week, you can tell that France is a fairly rich nation. They spend their grocery money wisely by purchasing mainly the necessities. These necessities include meat, fruit, healthy drinks, and few desserts. Although they mainly buy necessities, since they are fairly wealthy, they are willing to splurge every once in a while in foods like their precious croissants. Overall in my opinion, the US should aspire to eat more like France.

Some nice warm croissants