Tying It All Together: The Restaurant Assignment

Tying It All Together: The Restaurant Assignment

Wow – you have learned so much! Now is your time to shine and bring all this information full-circle.

General Paper Requirements:

• Choosing one of the 3 options below, and
• write a 1200 word essay on your experience. Your name, tittle and references do not count towards the 1200 word minimum. 
  • this paper should be double-spaced,
  • with 12-point Arial font,
  • include at least 2 references, (other than the documentary you watch for option 3) and be written in AMA, MLA, or APA style with proper usage of citations.
  • The paper should include images where appropriate. The images and reference page do not count toward the final page count.
  • It must be written in essay format. Do not simply copy/past and answer the questions into a document

 

Option 2:  Menu Development

Plan a menu of foods that fit one of these cultures, Mexicans and Central Americans, Caribbean Islanders and South Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and the Middle East. You should make sure to have a complete meal including a protein, a starch, a vegetable, a fruit and finally a dessert. You can also plan the fruit into the dessert, a beverage, or another creative way to include it in the menu. You can use resources like your textbook, online restaurant menus of local restaurants that you might like to visit one day, food magazines and any other resource you may find on that culture. Complete a 1500 word essay addressing the following:

• What are the foods that you are going to include in your meal? How did you decide on these foods?
• How are they prepared?
• What special ingredients native to this culture are used in this recipe?
• Are these foods served for typical meals or are they foods eaten for a holiday or other celebration?
• Describe how you came up with the food items and how you prepare them.
• Are the ingredients for this recipe available in your house and/or your local grocery store or do they need to be purchased from a specialty store? You may be able to use Peapod or Shoprite from home to check ingredient availability.

Guidelines:

You should choose ethnic foods in your menu that are NOT Americanized dishes.  It should be a menu that you are NOT familiar with, or foods that you have not eaten before. 

If you feel like you cannot answer the majority of these questions, please select different food items.

1. Describe the foods that you chose. Include why you chose these foods and apply the flavor principles that you learned from Chapter 1 to this dish. How does it conform to the cooking principles of this cuisine? Relate the ingredients that are traditional to the ethnic cuisine. What food flavors are associated with this cooking? Is this a dish that is served during the holidays? Did any dietary laws dictate its cooking? How might religion influence its food culture?
2. Using the information you gathered about this culture and menu, analyze why it is ethnic by taking into consideration the following: ingredients, cooking methods, special mealtime rituals or rules, utensils needed etc.
3.  How has this menu planning experience contributed to your understanding about cultural differences? From which class readings can you draw on to better explain/justify your reflection? What have you learned about this particular country/region/area of the world that these foods represent?