Holiday Market in the Garment District

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

On Wednesday, Anna and I went into Manhattan. We went to go visit Macy’s and do some Christmas shopping. However, as we were leaving Macy’s we stumbled upon a small street market. Two blocks had a line of small booths that contained clothes and also a variety of foods. The different foods included were empanadas, macroons, and wine. In fact, there was a separate wine section that was a part of the second block. The whole market was not that busy, but the wi 917 ne sections definitely had some business.

This mo 916 dern day market reminded me of the markets we learned about in Dr.Smith’s class. Even though they do not feature the same format or foods, they are definitely a place for vendors to share their goods.

All in all, even though Anna and I just skimmed the market, the spontaneity of the market made it really fun to look through. The entirety of the market showcased the variety of New York City and how it is truly a melting pot.

Helping a Friend Go Gluten Free

Posted on December 8, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

I had never met someone with celiac disease before. Sure, I had met the many who avoided gluten on their own terms, but I had never met someone who had the same struggles I did. But then a few weeks ago I overheard Lauren say how she was diagnosed with celiac disease. I felt bad for being so happy, but I now had someone I could now bond with.

After a short chat with Lauren I decided to help her out a bit. I made a list of all my favorite gluten free brands and products. I also tried to give her advice and tips. Plus, I gave her a few of the products I have in my dorm. I also gave her the tour of the dining hall and where to find the very small amount of gluten free products.

Overall, I hope that I have made Lauren feel less sad about having celiac disease. I know when I was diagnosed in 8th grade I felt like I would never eat good food again. And now I wish I could have told my past self that everything would be alright. Sure there were bumps along the way, but dietary restrictions should never make someone stop living their life.

Port Richmond Mentor Program: My Thoughts

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

I was actually looking forward to the mentor program at Port Richmond. I enjoy meeting new people and spreading my knowledge to people younger than I am. With that said, the program was a lot different than what I thought it was going to be. Here’s why:

I thought they would assign us mentees. Because they didn’t, I felt like it was kind of a free for all when we were first introduced to the students.
The mentees did not have any knowledge of the program. Because of this, they seemed very confused of our presense.
The high schoolers did not seem interested because of the fact they did not sign up to be mentored.
Even though it was interesting to watch them cook, there was very little time to actually talk to the mentees because they were trying to do their work. I felt that I was getting in their way most of the time.

Overall, the experience was good and bad. I enjoyed meeting new people and learning about Port Richmond. The program however was a little disorganized though. In the end, I’m glad that I met my mentee and I hope I had a positive effect on her.

Thanksgiving: My Food Voice

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

In my food voice paper I wrote about my mom’s lasagna. While home for Thanksgiving she made it like always. When she was making it Thursday morning, I was able to get a picture of her laying down the layers. She gave me a disapproving look as I got in her way, but she let me take the picture.

Like always my paternal side of the family loved it. They commented again about how the German makes the best lasagna at an Italian Thanksgiving. In fact, they almost ate the whole tray of it, and my dad’s side of the family is pretty small.

As for me, my mom made gluten free baked ziti which was amazing. As I talked about in my last pots, I really missed good home cooked meals. So when I got my plate of ziti I downed it in a matter of minutes. My grandma looked so proud.

Eating at Home vs. Eating in College

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

A few days ago I was talking to my mom on the phone and asked her if she could make me grilled cheese and baked ziti when I got home. It is funny because I use to complain that all my mom ever made was pasta and grilled cheese. Now it is all I want.

I’ve noticed how differently I have eaten when I got to college. At home I ate a lot of frozen meals and apples. Now at college the dining hall has so much more variety. And I guess it was because of my pure laziness, but at home I never really cooked the meals that the dining hall offers. Now granted the meals at the dining hall are a little dodgy,they still have a few good dishes.

Another thing I have noticed is how conditioned my body became to meals. I never had breakfast when I was in high school. Now I have trouble at first eating in the morning. I would often feel lack of appetite or nausea before and after breakfast here. For lunch nothing changed. But after is where things I had the most struggles. After a day at high school I would come and immediately get a snack. It was something I did subconsciously. So even though my schedule is different, when I come back from class to my dorm room I always look for a snack. And when I ran out of food a few days ago I called my mom begging her to order me some snacks on Amazon. The same thing happens after dinner too. I ate dinner really late at night (at around 8-9) at home. So now that I eat at around 6 I always feel like I have to eat something at night.

In the end however, I am somewhat getting use to the new eating schedule. I stopped snacking just slightly and can now stomach breakfast. This may not seem significant but to me, the girl who was scared that I would never adjust to college life, I think of it as a small feat.

Orthorexia

Posted on November 23, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

Last week in Dr. Nolan’s class we talked about eating disorders. He mentioned something called Orthorexia. Immediately I remembered it from when I saw an article about it from CNN. Orthorexia nervosa is basically an eating disorder in which a person eats too healthy and in turn causes malnutrition.

The CNN article I found follows Ashley Bailey who fell victim to Orthorexia nervosa. At first she just decided to cut dairy from her life because she was having irritability and bloating problems. When that solved the issue she was intrigued to go further. Within a year she cut out grains, gluten, meat, starchy vegetables and most fruits. What first started off as a quest to stop her slight discomforts turned into an obsession.

Mental health experts are now increasingly worried about people who take healthy eating to an extreme. They believe that Orthorexia nervosa is a new eating disorder that coincides with today’s obsession of eating natural, “raw” food. What can first be a new diet can turn into a lifestyle where a person will avoid going out with friends just to avoid other food.

The end message of the article is that too much “good” food can in fact be bad for you.

The CNN Article

Gentrification in Staten Island

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

In April of 2015, the New York Times published an article entitled “Staten Island’s Turning Point?”. This piece was written by C.J. Hughes who believes Staten Island is turning into more of a gentrified area. However, this gentrification is only happening wherever builders will allow it. The builders are mostly focusing on the Northern Shore where water front homes can be made. This includes areas such as Stapleton, Clifton, St.George and Tompkinsville. Not only do these neighborhoods have views of Manhattan, they are also right near the Staten Island Ferry.

Before I came to Wagner my Dad told me that Staten Island was a semi-trashy area, and believed I would get mugged with in my first week of being here. Now the thing was is he hasn’t been to Staten Island since the early 2000s. He use spend most of his childhood here as well because some of his family lives here. So when I told him about the mansions I saw on the ride to the ferry or how safe I felt on campus he was shocked. And I pretty sure he thinks I am lying to try to make him feel better. My mom who has visited the campus however knows just what I am talking about however. But even so my Dad can’t quite wrap his head around the fact that Staten Island is changing into a gentrified area of prime real estate.

New York Times Article

Lunch in Greenpoint

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

Enid’s

On Saturday, Angelika, Anna and I went to visit our neighborhood, Greenpoint, Brooklyn. We decided to eat lunch there to get a feel of one of the sides Greenpoint has to offer, the “hipster” side. Even though Greenpoint is a huge Polish neighborhood, a younger crowd has began to move in and make the area more “hip”.

Greenpoint Avenue

For lunch we went at a quaint restaurant called Enid’s. Everything was small. From the menu to the place itself, the restaurant was tinier than a regular spot to eat. Even so the atmosphere was nice. It may have been slightly crowded, but the grungy feel to the place created a comfortable vibe.

I ordered Huevos Rancheros for my meal. I was surprised to see it on the menu at first, but after I realized the style of the venue I understood the various selections they had. The menu ranged from burgers to pancakes. It was quite an array for such a small place, but it made sense because it fit the “hipster” feel the place was going for. Overall, the food was really good and I can’t wait to experience the Polish side when my team and I go again this Friday.

Schmackery’s Cookie Shop and the Columbian Exchange

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Cheryl Manole

On Friday, Anna and my roommate, Vanessa, and I went to the city to see an off Broadway play. After, Anna suggested we go to her favorite cookie shop Schmackary’s.

She had told me previously that they made gluten free cookies. This made me super excited because every since moving to Wagner I haven’t really been able to have a lot of deserts or baked goods. So we made our way to the cookie shop where I bought the last remaining gluten free cookie called the “Yogi Bare”.

The “Yogi Bare” consists of gluten free oats, peanut butter, applesauce, cranberries, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seed, raisins, maple syrup, and cinnamon. When I searched for, and found, the ingredient list online before we arrived it got me thinking back to Dr. Smith’s class a week ago when she brought in the Dutch Spice cookies. This was like my own version.

Like the ones in class I dissected the ingredients and tried to figure out where each ingredient came from. Using the Colombian Exchange image Dr. Smith had in class, I found out that the oats and sugar came from the old world while most of the other ingredients were from the new world. Just like the Dutch Spice Cookies, my cookie puts into prospect how global our world became after the age of explorations. Without the exchanges, those cookies would have never existed. Overall, the cookie was amazing and makes me excited to try more gluten free options in New York City.

Citizen Appetites

Blog for Learning Community 13

Author Archives: Cheryl Manole