Process of Writing

Everything began two months and half ago. I was sitting in front of my laptop, scared and not confident at all. The only idea that came to my mind was “Am I going to be able to do this? Was it a good decision to take this class?” This is my first journalism class in English. I know I’m a good writer in Spanish, but I didn’t know if it was going to be the same in another language. Finally, I decided to take the risk. During this moment, I remembered what my journalism teachers told me once “if you don’t know how to start, brainstorm”. Going back to Tata’s kitchen helped me to get relax and take this assignment as something fun and new. While I was eating a big box of cinnamon cereals, I wrote down all the ideas that came to my mind. I just wanted to transmit all my good child memories with the same feeling as I remember them. Then in the first workshop my classmates talked about my piece with the same enthusiasm as I wrote it; definitely this was my principle motivation for the rest of the quarter.  

            While weeks passed, I realized that the fear and stress were gone. The panic was replaced with the excitement of how I’m going to begin my next pieces. I was thinking on this all the time; while I was taking a shower, teaching my Spanish Labs, watching a movie, chatting with my friends. Topics, words and phrases came, went, return and left my mind. Yes, my ideas appeared from my daily and everyday’s life. The initiative of my perfect meal came into rise from a conversation with my friend Hanna when were describing Ecuadorian food in the first floor of the library.   

Back home, I always write about politics and more intellectual subjects. I haven’t had the opportunity to experiment a more creative writing style. This helped to develop other skills like describing situation and places, balancing my pieces with action and informative facts, and using humor in a way that doesn’t sound artificial.  I’m sure I wouldn’t learn all these things without writing about myself and my personal experiences.  A more intimate way of writing gave me the chance of trying out different techniques. This surprised me. After reading all my pieces again, I found a Maria’s style. It is a just a combination of a simple language, but with some small details that sometimes become really important elements in the story. Several evocative descriptions come into view, as well. I discovered my own style.

After ten weeks of continuously writing and reading about food, I realized how my culture and my background are reflected in my work. Without even expecting anything like this, I ended writing about Ecuador and his culture. It was an automatic action. The fact is that sometimes I feel so different from the rest, that I just want to remember myself where I come from and show my readers (my teacher and my classmates) how I identify myself. This is the perfect space; I mean my blog, where I can express myself. Each of my pieces had several details about my culture.

Something that helped to improve my writing style was critics. At first I was horrified with the idea that people sat in a circle will judge me, especially if you are an international student and you would probably have thousands of errors. Now, I really appreciate it. Writing can become a very personal activity, that sometimes you lose the notion of reality. When it comes to an end, you don’t know if your piece is a ball of garbage or if it is a masterpiece. That’s why suggestions and observations are always useful. I must say, that I learned more from others people errors than mine. Listening critics and comparing my work with other was a great exercise.

I can end this class telling you and me that I feel proud of myself. I didn’t only overcome all my language/cultural/writing obstacles; I enjoyed this class as well. The initial suffer was worth of it. I demonstrate myself that with practice and dedication I can also be a journalist, but in an English version. I feel that my mind has been expanded and that journalism can’t be limited to politics. There’s a lot more to explore. This world has other fascinating things like food! 

100% Ecuadorian - Second Edition

It is around 3 pm. All types of vegetables and fruit are around me. Meijers is so big that I don’t know from which section I should begin my journey. The groceries’ list is on my mind, but right now I’m a little confused: too many ingredients, too many things to do. For cooking a perfect Ecuadorian meal it is necessary to prepare at least three dishes; one that represents the coast area, another one for the Galapagos Islands and finally the mountainous region. This is the ideal combination of flavors and ingredients because they are completely different from each other. Several dishes, but in small amounts, is the way you can taste different things at the same time. Ecuador is a tiny country; it is only three miles bigger than Michigan. Despite its size, it’s one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of nature, culture, language and food. In a couple of hours, you can travel from Quito (the capital) to the rainforest, jungle or the beach. Each region has its own products and obviously, its cuisine is based on different cooking techniques and amalgamations. My perfect meal definitely has to be diverse - as Ecuador is. In addition, this combination of dishes has just the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates and sugars. However, my mission’s challenge will be to replace the original ingredients with local ones because not all of them exist in the United States.  

Probably, this wouldn’t be a perfect meal if I was in Ecuador. Nonetheless, having been away from home for so many months and having eaten cafeteria food every single day, makes me crave this food. Now that I am hundreds of miles away from my country, I just figure out the importance of local products, how different the combination of flavors from one place to another can be and how rich Ecuadorian food is. I definitely want to recapture all these flavors, but with American products.

            While I was in Meijers, I had to calculate the three recipes’ ingredients for four people. My guests/ sub chefs are two Ecuadorian friends and Hanna, a girl from Ann Harbor, who went to Quito last year and fall in love with Ecuadorian food. I decided to begin with the starter. For this dish, I needed three big tomatoes as I would have to grate them; one onion -the Shallot type is better because its flavor is less strong- but I picked the purple one because I couldn’t find the other one; and a big green lemon’s bag. These last ones come exclusively from Mexico. For Ceviche, the starter, any kind of seafood is necessary; whether octopus, squid, shrimps or fish. Ceviche is a cold soup based on lemon juice, tomatoes and seafood. It is traditionally from the Galapagos Islands as you can find all types of animals there that are typically prepared for seafood dishes, especially lobsters. I opted for shrimps because they are easier to wash and cook. I bought the pre -cooked ones.

            The main dish represents the Andean region of Ecuador. The Indians’ diet consists of potatoes, different types of corn, pork and beef. I had the idea of cooking Llapingachos, which are small potato cakes with a cheese filling. Before going to Meijer’s, I had wanted to go to the Mexican market in Kalamazoo to buy fresh cheese and a type of potatoes called Chola, but it was closed; so I replaced these ingredients with mozzarella cheese and red potatoes. I wondered how these ingredients would affect the final result. The potato cake would be accompanied with steak and fresh salad.

            Another big bag of lemons was necessary for the dessert. The Ecuadorian coast is famous for having a huge variety of lemons. The meal’s final dish characterized this part of Ecuador. The dessert was really simple: ten lemons, condensed milk, evaporated milk and crackers. Even though, there weren’t the appropriate lemons, I was sure it was going to be delicious.

            Almost 4 pm. After one hour in the supermarket, I realized the most important and hardest part of my job was lying ahead: the cooking. I started making the Ceviche. Squeezing twenty lemons was harder than I would have imagined, especially when they are not ripe enough. The next day, my arms were sore because of all the force I had to put into it. However, lemons were the most important ingredients in this soup. Hanna and Majo (one of the Ecuadorian girls) were cutting and grading the onions and the tomatoes. They were laughing at all the tears the onions were taking out from their eyes. A secret someone once taught me for Cebiche is leaving the onions to rest in the lemon juice and when the soup is ready put it in the fridge. I continued with the entrée. I peeled, boiled and smashed the potatoes. Kneading the small potato cakes with cheese was so relaxing. I could feel the cheese melting in my hands. In contrast to that, frying the potato cakes was agonizing. We didn’t take into account that the only pan in the kitchen was small and old. Besides, the potatoes didn’t stick together. It took us almost one hour to fry them. Thankfully, I had people who helped me. The dessert was fast to prepare: blend all the ingredients with lemon juice, and then build different layers of crackers and the lemon cream, as it was lasagna.

            7pm. A diverse gastronomy was waiting for us! A small and squared table with a white and red mantle and a bottle with a candle on top was the first view of this meal. Despite all the technical problems and three hours cooking, Hanna and my Ecuadorian friends were finally sitting down around the table. The acidic Ceviche was like the ones I usually eat in the beach. The only difference was that outside, it was snowing; something that would never happen in Ecuador. However, the landscape was really pretty outside. We didn’t talk a lot while we are eating, we just savored the food, and every once in a while, someone made sounds of pleasure. The shrimps with lemon juice, tomatoes and onions were followed by a more salty flavor like steak, potato cake and salad. The Llapingachos didn’t have their normal aspect and texture because of the different type of potato, but it was still crunchy and cheesy. The lemon mousse was creamy, sweet and fluffy. It was my favorite dish among all because of its natural lemon flavor and unique texture.

Good and funny anecdotes came up after we finished eating. We spent one hour more chatting. Our conversation was a Span-English hard to follow, just like the meal: a mix up of cultures. It was a blending of national products with international recipes. Despite the ingredients weren’t the original ones, the flavors were almost the same. I only felt small differences like the shrimps and potatoes, which usually have a more concentrated taste.

Sometimes certain food becomes special only because we can’t have it every day or is not close to us. I hadn’t realized the importance of food as part of my culture and identity until now. Besides, shared food with people that enjoyed it as much as I do was something incomparable. Recaptured again my home flavors after so many months away were a new experience for me. Achieved a multi diverse meal was rewarding. This was just my perfect meal!

Union's Trip - Third Edition

The Soul music is the first thing that can be distinguish in this restaurant. It is hard to recognize if it is Aretha Franklin or another 1960´s singer. The music fits perfectly with the environment. As the restaurant’s name “The Union Grill Cabaret Grille” alludes, the place is reminiscent of the mid 1950’s New York or Chicago bars and cabarets, where Jazz and Blues musicians met up and played. White and black paintings decorate the brick walls, giving it a classic touch. A mini scenario with a big piano is in the center. Velvet curtains separate these two areas. The scenario lights give an artistic air to this place. Stained glass windows transform the inside light into different colors during the daytime. A bar table is in the back part for those who profit from Happy Hour martinis from five to eight in the night all the week long. It is more a casual than a fancy place. The atmosphere is nonetheless pleasant.

“This is an American restaurant with a little twist”, says –“The Union’s”- chef, Eric Gillish. It is difficult to find that “twist” he referred to in the menu. It is a mix of different cuisines. While reading the options, there are principally Mediterranean food like seafood and pasta; and all of them are based on ingredients like basil, pesto or balsamic vinegar. However, some of them have an American touch. Many are deep fried, have bacon or are served with mashed potatoes. You could find hamburgers and sandwiches, except for the fact that they are prepared in a more gourmet way. There are Salmon Burgers or Smoked Gouda Chicken Burgers. Most of the hamburgers are seven to nine dollars. Steaks are the top dishes of –“The Union”-. There are five types of steaks, whether with mushrooms, garlic or peppers. All of them are accompanied with vegetables and some kind of potatoes or rice. Steaks are twice most expensive than sandwiches, they are between $15.25 and $18.95 dollars. Gillishe’s educational influence is clearly reflected in la carte du jour. After studying at Grand Valley State University (-in Grand Rapids-), he did a food tour and training in France, Italy and Spain.

            Even if Kalamazoo is a student’s city; the Union is full of middle-aged people around 40 or 50 years old. Customers enjoy their Saturday drinking from the enormous variety of domestic and imported wines the restaurant offers. A bottle of wine ranges from $19 to $40.

You could also find some families chatting while Western Michigan University College of Fine Arts renowned musicians entertain the guests with live jazz music. Music is the principle ingredient in this restaurant. Even when Gillish is in the kitchen, he cooks with the rhythm of music.

The best way to begin a “Union’s” dinner is with a Fried Boursin Cheese. One of the waitresses always highly recommends it to all of her customers because it is her             -“favorite”-. The fresh goat cheese covered with crunchy fried pastry looks unappetizingly like a deep-fried potato, but once it is in someone’s mouth, opinions usually change. Slices of hot baguette and glorious small tomatoes seasoned with basil and olive oil surround the cheese. The combination of the cheese with the tomatoes and the bread is simply delectable. It is easy to feel how the palate expanded with the mixing of the sweet tomatoes and the milky cheese. This appetizer is so good it could pass for one offered in a restaurant on Rome’s Via Veneto. The appetizer prices are between $3.99 and $9.25. The most expensive is a sampler platter of several options.

The Grilled and Chilled Shrimp Cocktail is six large herb and garlic - grilled shrimps, served with a hot sauce and corn tortillas. The shrimps are fresh, huge and have a lot of flavor.  However, the combination of the shrimp with the hot tomato sauce simply does not match, and the sauce is bland. They are discordant. It is like putting together red pants and a boring yellow blouse.

            The recorded music that comes on is Aretha Franklin again. The musicians take a break and drink water to moisten their throats and discuss among themselves. They can rest, but the waiters can’t. They are walking, nearly running, from one place to another. Dishes come in, dishes go out. People continue inspecting the menu. It is hard to figure out exactly what type of food this restaurant offers. This is not specifically American food. It is a wild European, Mediterranean, American combination. The place adapts perfectly to a Unites States environment, but the food does not.

            The Union is close to celebrating its tenth birthday; it opened in 2002. Eric Gillish says that in commemoration of this celebration, he is planning to change the restaurant’s menu. However, he must not change the incredible and extravagant Seafood Papardelle, handmade wide noodles tossed with shrimp, lobster meat, pan-seared scallops and pesto cream sauce topped with a lump of crab and a few drops of balsamic. The mix of the cream and the balsamic dissolves easily in anyone’s mouth. They serve generous pieces of lobster and again, huge fat shrimps. For seafood lovers this is the perfect dish because it has a variety of everything. The Papardelle is $19.50, the most expensive dish on the menu.

            Eric Gillish explains that compared with normal American food, he doesn’t use a lot fat in his food. He tries to make it as healthy as possible and relies on olive oil or light butter. “This is one of the biggest problems with American food,” affirmed Gillish. He also says he can’t choose his favorite menu dish.  It depends on his humor and the day. According to him, our appetites and tastes change every day.

            While this is true, most of people can’t deny desserts, especially in - “The Union”-. This restaurant does not have a lot of dessert options, but they are worth of eating. Their prices are from $3.75 to $4.50. The Pecan Toffee Chocolate Torte and the Apple Blueberry Crisp are the most popular. The first one is a cake which has three layers of different types of chocolate and pecans. The layers of dark chocolate, butter toffee and the chocolate mousse look thick and rich in chocolate. Even though the second one also has different layers, in this case it has oatmeal, nuts, apples in caramel, and blueberries. It is served warm with vanilla ice cream. This one looks homemade. Delicate and tasty!

            -“The Union”- is a good casual place to enjoy an evening out with friends, have a drink, listen to good music and eat something fancier. Nevertheless, before deciding to go there, it would be better to have a large budget because it might be more expensive compared with other restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo like Epic Bistro or Martell’s.

100% Ecuadorian

It is around 3 pm. All types of vegetables and fruit are around me. Meijers is so big that I don’t know from which section I should begin my journey. The groceries’ list is on my mind, but right now I’m a little confused: too many ingredients, too many things to do. For cooking a perfect Ecuadorian meal it is necessary to prepare at least three dishes; one that represents the coast area, another one for the Galapagos Islands and finally the mountainous region. This is the ideal combination of flavors and ingredients because they are completely different from each other.  Several dishes, but in small amounts, is the way you can taste different things at the same time. Ecuador is a tiny country; it is only three miles bigger than Michigan. Despite its size, it’s one of the most diverse countries in the world in terms of nature, culture, language and food. In a couple of hours, you can travel from Quito (the capital) to the rainforest, jungle or the beach. Each region has its own products and obviously, its cuisine is based on different cooking techniques and amalgamations. My perfect meal definitely has to be diverse - as Ecuador is. In addition, this combination of dishes has just the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates and sugar. However, my mission’s challenge will be to replace the original ingredients with local ones because not all of them exist in the United States.  

Probably, this wouldn’t be a perfect meal if I was in Ecuador. Nonetheless, having been away from home for so many months and having eaten cafeteria food every single day, I’m craving for this type of food. Now that I am hundreds of miles away from my country, I just figured out the importance of local products, how different the combination of flavors from one place to another can be and how rich Ecuadorian food is. I definitely want to recapture all these flavors, but with American products.

            While I was in Meijers, I had to calculate the three recipes’ ingredients for four people. My guests/ sub chefs are two Ecuadorian friends and Hanna, a girl from Ann Harbor, who went to Quito last year and fell in love with Ecuadorian food. I decided to begin with the starter. For this dish, I need three big tomatoes as I will have to grate them; one onion -the Shallot type is better because its flavor is less strong- but I picked the purple one because I couldn’t find the other one; and a big green lemon bag. These last ones come exclusively from Mexico. For Ceviche, the starter, any kind of seafood is necessary; whether octopus, squid, shrimps or fish. Ceviche is a cold soup based on lemon juice, tomatoes and seafood. It is traditionally from the Galapagos Islands as you can find all types of animals there that are typically prepared for seafood dishes, especially lobsters. I opted for shrimps because they are easier to wash and cook. I bought the pre -cooked ones.

            The main dish represents the Andean region of Ecuador. The Indians’ diet consists of potatoes, different types of corn, pork and beef. I had the idea of cooking Llapingachos, which are small potato cakes with a cheese filling. Before going to Meijer’s, I had wanted to go to the Mexican market in Kalamazoo to buy fresh cheese and a type of potatoes called Chola, but it was closed; so I replaced these ingredients with mozzarella cheese and red potatoes. I wondered how these ingredients would affect the final result. The potato cake would be accompanied with steak and fresh salad.

            Another big bag of lemons is necessary for the dessert. The Ecuadorian coast is famous for having a huge variety of lemons. The meal’s final dish will characterize this part of Ecuador. The dessert is really simple: ten lemons, condensed milk, evaporated milk and crackers. Even though, there are not appropriate lemons, I was sure it was going to be delicious.

            Almost 4 pm. After one hour in the supermarket, I realized the most important and hardest part of my job was lying ahead: the cooking. I started making the Ceviche. Squeezing 20 lemons was harder than I would have imagined, especially when they are not ripe enough. The next day, my arms were sore because of all the force I had to put into it. However, lemons are the most important ingredients in this soup. Hanna and Majo (one of the Ecuadorian girls) were cutting and grading the onions and the tomatoes. They were laughing at all the tears the onions were taking out from their eyes. A secret someone once taught me for the Cebiche is leave the onions to rest in the lemon juice and when the soup is ready put it in the fridge. I continued with the entrée. I peeled, boiled and smashed the potatoes. Kneading the small potato cakes with cheese was so relaxing. I could feel the cheese melting in my hands. In contrast to that, frying the potato cakes was agonizing. We didn’t take into account that the only pan in the kitchen was small and old. Besides, the potatoes didn’t stick together. It took us almost one hour to fry them. Thankfully, I had people who helped me. The dessert was fast to prepare: blend all the ingredients with lemon juice, and then build different layers of crackers and the lemon cream, as it was lasagna.

            7pm. A diverse gastronomy was waiting for us! A small and squared table with a white and red mantle and a bottle with a candle on top was the first view of this meal. Despite all the technical problems and three hours cooking, Hanna and my Ecuadorian friends were finally sitting down around the table. The acidic Ceviche was like the ones I usually eat in the beach. The only difference was that outside, it was snowing; something that would never happen in Ecuador. However, the landscape was really pretty outside. We didn’t talk a lot while we are eating, we just savored the food, and every once in a while, someone made sounds of pleasure. The shrimps with lemon juice, tomatoes and lots of salt were followed by some neutral flavor like steak, potato cake and salad. The Llapingachos didn’t have their normal aspect and texture because of the different type of potato, but their flavor was still delicious and full of cheese. The lemon mousse was creamy, sweet and fluffy. It was my favorite dish among all. Sharing Ecuadorian food with people that enjoy it just as much as I do is incomparable. Recapturing again my home flavors after so many months away is unique. Achieving a multi diverse meal is amazing. This was just my perfect meal!

Hanna and Majo cutting tomatoes and onions

 Ceviche 

Llapingachos

Preparing the Lemon Mousse

Before eating

Enjoying my entrée