Russian Hanukkah Dinner

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Every year we start off Hanukkah with a big family dinner that includes an abundance of Russian infused Jewish foods. I love celebrating all of the Jewish Holidays because at every dinner we incorporate Russian dishes into the meal. This past Hanukkah we had a number of Russian dishes at the table. First, we had a soup called Borscht, which is a beet soup that is served with sour cream on top. In addition, we had Gifelte fish, which is a stuffed fish, filled with a mixture of chopped fish, eggs, onions, matzo meal or crumbs, and spices. Nowadays, it usually refers to poached fish cakes or a fish loaf, sometimes made with matzo meal. We had Knish, a kind of turnover, filled with one or more of the following: mashed potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha (buckwheat groats) or cheese, and baked or deep fried. Latkes were also prepared which are fried potato pancakes, usually eaten at Hanukkah with sour cream or apple sauce. Last but not least before the dessert entered the table we had Vorschmack which is also known as gehakte herring or chopped herring. It is strong tasting creamy herring spread, served on crackers or bread, very commonly used as a spread. For dessert, we had Blintz which are thin egg pancake wrapped around a sweet mixture of farmer’s cheese, potato, or fruit pie filling, similar to a crepe, but with the ends tucked in and fried again in butter; often served with sour cream. In addition, we had Hamantashen which is a triangular pastry filled with poppy seed or prune paste, or fruit jams, eaten during Purim. Last but not least we had Kichel which is a cookie commonly made with egg and sugar rolled out flat and cut into large diamond shapes; they are typically eaten with a savoury dip or topping. I am very thankful of my Russian background and the different types of dishes it brings to my dinners.

My Final Visit to Port Richmond HS

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Last Monday was my last visit to my mentee at Port Richmond High School. For our last meeting, we decided to talk about Thanksgiving and how our families celebrate. My mentee shared that every Thanksgiving he assists his grandmother with cooking the turkey and preparing the rest of the side dishes that are served. Together we discussed the different foods that one would traditionally eat for Thanksgiving including stuffing, string beans, mushrooms, regular potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc. and the variations in preparing them. Through his explanations, I noticed that we have similarities in how we prepare the food that both of our families enjoy on Thanksgiving.

After discussing Thanksgiving, I asked him the questions found on the “Mentee” Student Survey. I wish that we had received this survey earlier in our meetings with our mentee so it could have served as an ice breaker to allow us to get to know our mentees better. I also believe that it would have provided great discussion topics to utilize during our meetings.

Overall, I am happy that I had the opportunity to be a mentor for a student at Port Richmond High School. This was a new and exciting experience for me. I gained new social skills and learned how to be a proper role model for those younger than me. Although I was apprehensive about being a mentor, I really came to enjoy spending my Monday mornings at Port Richmond High School visiting my mentee. I hope that I successfully did my job as mentor and gave my mentee options to consider as he plans for his future.

86th Street in Bensonhurst

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This semester, Lauren, Shannon and I had the opportunity to explore Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and learn about this neighborhood. Before we set out to explore, we searched the neighborhood online to find specific areas within the neighborhood that we should make a point to see. One of those areas was 86th Street, formerly known as Little Italy, but now known as a little “Chinatown.” Lining the sidewalks along 86th Street are numerous fruit and vegetable markets. These marks are tightly packed next to one another, giving people a variety of produce to choose from. The prices of the produce found at each of the markets are generally the same, but you could observe patrons searching for a bargain. This caused me to wonder how any of these markets could prosper, considering their abundance and competitive prices.

Mixed in with these produce markets is Meat Supreme, which is regarded as Brooklyn’s gourmet market place. Meat Supreme has handmade pastas, sausage, sharp cheese, and many other Italian offerings from the “old country.” This gourmet market has been around nearly 30 years, which preceded the influx of Chinese immigrants. Meat Supreme represents some of the remaining Italian culture that can be found along 86th Street, since most of the neighborhood has been overrun by the Chinese immigrants who migrated to Brooklyn in the 1990s.

In addition to the produce markets and Meat Supreme, there are nonfood markets as well. Vendors sell items such as bedding, rugs, bags, clothing, and housewares such as plates, pots and bowls. Additionally, there are novelties that you would normally find in a dollar store strung along canopies. This main shopping drag offers a variety of products that appeal to all shopping tastes.

Helping a Friend Go Gluten Free

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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

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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:

  1. 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.
  2. The mentees did not  have any knowledge of the program. Because of this, they seemed very confused of our presense.
  3. The high schoolers did not seem interested because of the fact they did not sign up to be mentored.
  4. 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.

Oxfam Hunger Banquet

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Last week I went to the Oxfam Hunger Banquet. At this banquet I was placed in the lower class and was told to sit on the floor and would later be given rice and beans as dinner. Before the food was out, we discussed statistics and personal experience. It was weird considering myself as “upper class.” It’s strange to see how our ideas change when we think in terms of the whole world rather than just America. Owning just one car can put you in the upper class of the world. They told us how 50% of the world is low income. The average earnings in a day for someone in the low income group would be $2.

The use of the different foods and how the low income group had to sit on the floor did make the banquet interesting. However, I enjoyed the stories the most. First off the stories on the card we were given as we walked in. We each got a different person from a different place with a different story. I enjoyed exchanging the backstories with my friends. I also liked how they made people stand up and move to show the ability for people to move between classes. However, I would have liked if they showed us more concrete stories and images to make everything more real to us. Seeing images of those in the low income group from around the world, hearing real stories, would have made the banquet an even better experience. The only real experience I heard of was from one of the women attending the banquet. She shared with us how she grew up below the poverty line and struggled to move upward economically. Although I enjoyed the banquet, improvements can be made for next year and I encourage everyone to go next year!
oxfam

Oxfam America Hunger Banquet

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One of our last experiential learning opportunities was held on November 30th at 6pm. It was an experience that had me think about a lot of situations that I do not normally think about regarding food. This banquet was held in order to raise awareness about food insecurity and the problems associated with excess food waste in America. When we first entered into our event we were given a card that said what social class we were and that determined where we sat for the evening. On my card I had written, “Middle Income”. AlsoIMG_0019 on that card was a name of someone who survived off of middle income with a short snippet of their lives. I got a woman from Somalia who was named Halima. Halima was a mother of five and worked as a nurse. It was interesting to see what others around me got on their cards. Since I was middle class, I got to sit at a table with others in my social class which I was happy about because I was fortunate enough to actually get a seat. However, my friends who all got “Low Income” on their cards succumbed to sitting on the floor. The very few people who got “High Income” on their cards sat at a table that had a fancier set up and had salads and water waiting for them as they sat.

As the evening progressed, we were informed about the food insecurity that many individuals (more than we think) in America experience. I was particularly intrigued by the situation of excessive food waste. I grew up in a home where I was always forced to eat all the food on my plate. If I left even a bite on the plate, my mother and father would tell me, “There are other kids around the world who are starving.” They never allowed for me or my sibling to leave any food because they hated wasting food. Whenever there were  leftovers for dinner my mother would always pack it up and have it ready for my dad to take to lunch the next day. Throwing out food was never something that happened in my house. However, coming into college and having all these food choices, I’ve experienced myself doing exactly what I was told not to do all my life. Yet, I have not really thought much about my actions until the problems of food insecurity and food waste were brought to my attention. When they mentioned specifically about how kids in our dining hall are notorious for getting plates and plates of food and not finishing it all, it hit close to home and reminded me of my upbringing. Because I am surrounded by so many options, I don’t usually think twice about going up more than once even if my first plate was not finished. Hunger is an issue that many Americans experience everyday which is an unfathomable thing to think about because the amount of food that goes into the garbage everyday is enough to feed those that are hungry. I think this experiential learning was something that I personally needed to hear. It made me aware of my carelessness as well as reminded me that others are not so fortunate to have the options I do. Now will I go into dining hall and attempt to not contribute to this problem of excessive food waste in America. This event was an eye opening experience that I am grateful to have experienced and I think would be very beneficial for others to hear.

Does Dark Chocolate help with Hypertension?

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For our last psychology paper, our class was assigned to choose a super food and find supportive evidence if there were the health benefits that are associated with that food. I chose to research and write about the dark chocolate and its effect on individuals with hypertension. As someone who is a fond lover of chocolate herself, I decided to see if the claims about whether this food can reduce high blood pressure were true. After some research, studies have shown that the consumption of dark chocolate can lower a persons blood pressure with the help of polyphenols. Polyphenols are a micronutrient that carry antioxidant properties and increase a particular nitric acid in our bodies. That increase in acid promotes the widening of our blood vessels which causes a lower systolic an diastolic blood pressure reading.  There was no information that I found that said exactly how much dark chocolate was needed in order to reduce blood pressure. Yet, one experiment showed that as little as 100g of dark chocolate was able to lower blood pressure readings.

When I continued reading about the experiments that were conducted, it elaborated more about the positive relationship between dark chocolate and hypertension. However, there were some experiments where those who participated in the experiments found that eating dark chocolate had some adverse effects. Due to the caffeine content within dark chocolate, individuals reported that after daily consumption of this food, they had difficulty sleeping. Also, some reported that merely eating dark chocolate everyday gave them feelings of nausea. Thus, due to these consequences dark chocolate does not seem like a feasible form of treatment to reduce blood pressure. Growing up, I have always heard how dark chocolate could potentially be beneficial to ones health however, I did not know that there were scientific studies that actually supported the claims. Upon finding these answers about dark chocolate, I was fascinated. Even though it may not be a great form of treatment for individuals with hypertension, it is still satisfying to know that when I do eat dark chocolate there are some benefits.

Here are some articles that I read that helped me write my paper: polyphenols and dark chocolate

Quinoa: Villan or Superfood?

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In psychology class, each individual was required to research the claims regarding the ‘functional food’ status of an allegedly health-beneficial food substance. The food in which I examined was the grain-like food crop: Quinoa. Quinoa is a pseudo cereal substance that is very similar to grain crops like wheat, barley, and corn. Quinoa is a very trendy food right now, receiving a lot of attention from the media in regards to its new “superfood status”. The terms like “superfood” and “functional foods” are “umbrella terms” that are used to describe substances that have “health-promoting benefits” and/or “disease-preventing properties over and above their usual nutritional value” (Lunn, 2006). Quinoa’s complete amino acid track record and numerous amounts of health-beneficial phytochemicals gives it the right to be called a very effective “functional food”. Other defining qualities of “superfoods” can be foods that are “particularly appealing and energy dense… that is especially rich in phytochemicals” (Lunn, 2006). Knowing that Quinoa is filled with beneficial phytochemicals, it is also very much energy dense, considering that one cup can amount to approximately 220 calories. It is a food crop that has been found all throughout the Andes (South America) region, and it has provided “subsistence, nutrition, and medicine… for thousands of years” (Graf et al., 2015). Quinoa has been found to exert “significant, positive effects on metabolic, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal health in humans, which helps Quinoa to be “nutritional superior to traditional cereals and grains” (Johnson et al., 1993). Every piece of evidence supports the alleged claims of its superfood status… but one. There are claims that contradict Quinoa’s natural pesticide, saponins, as they are seen to be very “anti-nutritious” (Grant, 2013).

Saponins in quinoa are under a lot of questioning about their potential toxicity. Saponins are claimed to be the natural defense mechanism of quinoa, which “punch holes” in the gastric mucosal lining, causing “an autoimmune response and systemic inflammation” (Grant, 2013). However, Graf et al. (2015) includes saponins in their list of health beneficial list of phyotchemicals. There is also scientific evidence pertaining to the health promoting components of saponins, which “affect the immune system in ways that help to protect the human body against cancers, and also lower cholesterol levels” (Shi et al., 2004). This information supports the inclusion of saponins in the list of health-beneficial phytochemicals, but this is just the beginning of the controversial evidence discovered about quinoa’s saponin content. Overall, there is an overwhelming amount of negative evidence, as almost every article stated “the saponin content must be removed because they impart bitter taste and are considered to be a main anti nutrient of the quinoa. Saponins are known to cause breakdown in the human small intestine cell membranes and also negatively affect the assimilation of some proteins” (Gianna et al., 2012). There is no question that the saponins need to be removed from the quinoa (just to be safe), and the evidence regarding the positive affects of saponins makes the evidence holistically contentious. However, it is likely that the specific saponins in quinoa are a “deleterious” type of saponin, especially because they are “not normally absorbed from the gut” (Johnson et al.,1993).

No public media can delude the fact that quinoa is superb in its genetic diversity and its nutritional sustainability, but there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that the quinoa needs to be mechanically abraded or washed in order to fulfill its healthy potential. It is not clear that all saponins are anti nutritious and harmful to humans, but it is clear that the deleterious type and excessive amount found on quinoa is toxic for the human body and must be removed.