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Six brilliant student essays on the power of food to spark social change.

Read winning essays from our fall 2018 “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” student writing contest.

For the Fall 2018 student writing competition, “Feeding Ourselves, Feeding Our Revolutions,” we invited students to read the YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,”   by Korsha Wilson and respond to this writing prompt: If you were to host a potluck or dinner to discuss a challenge facing your community or country, what food would you cook? Whom would you invite? On what issue would you deliberate? 

The Winners

From the hundreds of essays written, these six—on anti-Semitism, cultural identity, death row prisoners, coming out as transgender, climate change, and addiction—were chosen as essay winners.  Be sure to read the literary gems and catchy titles that caught our eye.

Middle School Winner: India Brown High School Winner: Grace Williams University Winner: Lillia Borodkin Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Literary Gems Clever Titles

Middle School Winner: India Brown  

A Feast for the Future

Close your eyes and imagine the not too distant future: The Statue of Liberty is up to her knees in water, the streets of lower Manhattan resemble the canals of Venice, and hurricanes arrive in the fall and stay until summer. Now, open your eyes and see the beautiful planet that we will destroy if we do not do something. Now is the time for change. Our future is in our control if we take actions, ranging from small steps, such as not using plastic straws, to large ones, such as reducing fossil fuel consumption and electing leaders who take the problem seriously.

 Hosting a dinner party is an extraordinary way to publicize what is at stake. At my potluck, I would serve linguini with clams. The clams would be sautéed in white wine sauce. The pasta tossed with a light coat of butter and topped with freshly shredded parmesan. I choose this meal because it cannot be made if global warming’s patterns persist. Soon enough, the ocean will be too warm to cultivate clams, vineyards will be too sweltering to grow grapes, and wheat fields will dry out, leaving us without pasta.

I think that giving my guests a delicious meal and then breaking the news to them that its ingredients would be unattainable if Earth continues to get hotter is a creative strategy to initiate action. Plus, on the off chance the conversation gets drastically tense, pasta is a relatively difficult food to throw.

In YES! Magazine’s article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson says “…beyond the narrow definition of what cooking is, you can see that cooking is and has always been an act of resistance.” I hope that my dish inspires people to be aware of what’s at stake with increasing greenhouse gas emissions and work toward creating a clean energy future.

 My guest list for the potluck would include two groups of people: local farmers, who are directly and personally affected by rising temperatures, increased carbon dioxide, drought, and flooding, and people who either do not believe in human-caused climate change or don’t think it affects anyone. I would invite the farmers or farm owners because their jobs and crops are dependent on the weather. I hope that after hearing a farmer’s perspective, climate-deniers would be awakened by the truth and more receptive to the effort to reverse these catastrophic trends.

Earth is a beautiful planet that provides everything we’ll ever need, but because of our pattern of living—wasteful consumption, fossil fuel burning, and greenhouse gas emissions— our habitat is rapidly deteriorating. Whether you are a farmer, a long-shower-taking teenager, a worker in a pollution-producing factory, or a climate-denier, the future of humankind is in our hands. The choices we make and the actions we take will forever affect planet Earth.

 India Brown is an eighth grader who lives in New York City with her parents and older brother. She enjoys spending time with her friends, walking her dog, Morty, playing volleyball and lacrosse, and swimming.

High School Winner: Grace Williams

Apple Pie Embrace

It’s 1:47 a.m. Thanksgiving smells fill the kitchen. The sweet aroma of sugar-covered apples and buttery dough swirls into my nostrils. Fragrant orange and rosemary permeate the room and every corner smells like a stroll past the open door of a French bakery. My eleven-year-old eyes water, red with drowsiness, and refocus on the oven timer counting down. Behind me, my mom and aunt chat to no end, fueled by the seemingly self-replenishable coffee pot stashed in the corner. Their hands work fast, mashing potatoes, crumbling cornbread, and covering finished dishes in a thin layer of plastic wrap. The most my tired body can do is sit slouched on the backless wooden footstool. I bask in the heat escaping under the oven door.

 As a child, I enjoyed Thanksgiving and the preparations that came with it, but it seemed like more of a bridge between my birthday and Christmas than an actual holiday. Now, it’s a time of year I look forward to, dedicated to family, memories, and, most importantly, food. What I realized as I grew older was that my homemade Thanksgiving apple pie was more than its flaky crust and soft-fruit center. This American food symbolized a rite of passage, my Iraqi family’s ticket to assimilation. 

 Some argue that by adopting American customs like the apple pie, we lose our culture. I would argue that while American culture influences what my family eats and celebrates, it doesn’t define our character. In my family, we eat Iraqi dishes like mesta and tahini, but we also eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for breakfast. This doesn’t mean we favor one culture over the other; instead, we create a beautiful blend of the two, adapting traditions to make them our own.

 That said, my family has always been more than the “mashed potatoes and turkey” type.

My mom’s family immigrated to the United States in 1976. Upon their arrival, they encountered a deeply divided America. Racism thrived, even after the significant freedoms gained from the Civil Rights Movement a few years before. Here, my family was thrust into a completely unknown world: they didn’t speak the language, they didn’t dress normally, and dinners like riza maraka seemed strange in comparison to the Pop Tarts and Oreos lining grocery store shelves.

 If I were to host a dinner party, it would be like Thanksgiving with my Chaldean family. The guests, my extended family, are a diverse people, distinct ingredients in a sweet potato casserole, coming together to create a delicious dish.

In her article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” Korsha Wilson writes, “each ingredient that we use, every technique, every spice tells a story about our access, our privilege, our heritage, and our culture.” Voices around the room will echo off the walls into the late hours of the night while the hot apple pie steams at the table’s center.

We will play concan on the blanketed floor and I’ll try to understand my Toto, who, after forty years, still speaks broken English. I’ll listen to my elders as they tell stories about growing up in Unionville, Michigan, a predominately white town where they always felt like outsiders, stories of racism that I have the privilege not to experience. While snacking on sunflower seeds and salted pistachios, we’ll talk about the news- how thousands of people across the country are protesting for justice among immigrants. No one protested to give my family a voice.

Our Thanksgiving food is more than just sustenance, it is a physical representation of my family ’s blended and ever-changing culture, even after 40 years in the United States. No matter how the food on our plates changes, it will always symbolize our sense of family—immediate and extended—and our unbreakable bond.

Grace Williams, a student at Kirkwood High School in Kirkwood, Missouri, enjoys playing tennis, baking, and spending time with her family. Grace also enjoys her time as a writing editor for her school’s yearbook, the Pioneer. In the future, Grace hopes to continue her travels abroad, as well as live near extended family along the sunny beaches of La Jolla, California.

University Winner: Lillia Borodkin

Nourishing Change After Tragedy Strikes

In the Jewish community, food is paramount. We often spend our holidays gathered around a table, sharing a meal and reveling in our people’s story. On other sacred days, we fast, focusing instead on reflection, atonement, and forgiveness.

As a child, I delighted in the comfort of matzo ball soup, the sweetness of hamantaschen, and the beauty of braided challah. But as I grew older and more knowledgeable about my faith, I learned that the origins of these foods are not rooted in joy, but in sacrifice.

The matzo of matzo balls was a necessity as the Jewish people did not have time for their bread to rise as they fled slavery in Egypt. The hamantaschen was an homage to the hat of Haman, the villain of the Purim story who plotted the Jewish people’s destruction. The unbaked portion of braided challah was tithed by commandment to the kohen  or priests. Our food is an expression of our history, commemorating both our struggles and our triumphs.

As I write this, only days have passed since eleven Jews were killed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. These people, intending only to pray and celebrate the Sabbath with their community, were murdered simply for being Jewish. This brutal event, in a temple and city much like my own, is a reminder that anti-Semitism still exists in this country. A reminder that hatred of Jews, of me, my family, and my community, is alive and flourishing in America today. The thought that a difference in religion would make some believe that others do not have the right to exist is frightening and sickening.  

 This is why, if given the chance, I would sit down the entire Jewish American community at one giant Shabbat table. I’d serve matzo ball soup, pass around loaves of challah, and do my best to offer comfort. We would take time to remember the beautiful souls lost to anti-Semitism this October and the countless others who have been victims of such hatred in the past. I would then ask that we channel all we are feeling—all the fear, confusion, and anger —into the fight.

As suggested in Korsha Wilson’s “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” I would urge my guests to direct our passion for justice and the comfort and care provided by the food we are eating into resisting anti-Semitism and hatred of all kinds.

We must use the courage this sustenance provides to create change and honor our people’s suffering and strength. We must remind our neighbors, both Jewish and non-Jewish, that anti-Semitism is alive and well today. We must shout and scream and vote until our elected leaders take this threat to our community seriously. And, we must stand with, support, and listen to other communities that are subjected to vengeful hate today in the same way that many of these groups have supported us in the wake of this tragedy.

This terrible shooting is not the first of its kind, and if conflict and loathing are permitted to grow, I fear it will not be the last. While political change may help, the best way to target this hate is through smaller-scale actions in our own communities.

It is critical that we as a Jewish people take time to congregate and heal together, but it is equally necessary to include those outside the Jewish community to build a powerful crusade against hatred and bigotry. While convening with these individuals, we will work to end the dangerous “otherizing” that plagues our society and seek to understand that we share far more in common than we thought. As disagreements arise during our discussions, we will learn to respect and treat each other with the fairness we each desire. Together, we shall share the comfort, strength, and courage that traditional Jewish foods provide and use them to fuel our revolution. 

We are not alone in the fight despite what extremists and anti-semites might like us to believe.  So, like any Jew would do, I invite you to join me at the Shabbat table. First, we will eat. Then, we will get to work.  

Lillia Borodkin is a senior at Kent State University majoring in Psychology with a concentration in Child Psychology. She plans to attend graduate school and become a school psychologist while continuing to pursue her passion for reading and writing. Outside of class, Lillia is involved in research in the psychology department and volunteers at the Women’s Center on campus.   

Powerful Voice Winner: Paisley Regester

As a kid, I remember asking my friends jokingly, ”If you were stuck on a deserted island, what single item of food would you bring?” Some of my friends answered practically and said they’d bring water. Others answered comically and said they’d bring snacks like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or a banana. However, most of my friends answered sentimentally and listed the foods that made them happy. This seems like fun and games, but what happens if the hypothetical changes? Imagine being asked, on the eve of your death, to choose the final meal you will ever eat. What food would you pick? Something practical? Comical? Sentimental?  

This situation is the reality for the 2,747 American prisoners who are currently awaiting execution on death row. The grim ritual of “last meals,” when prisoners choose their final meal before execution, can reveal a lot about these individuals and what they valued throughout their lives.

It is difficult for us to imagine someone eating steak, lobster tail, apple pie, and vanilla ice cream one moment and being killed by state-approved lethal injection the next. The prisoner can only hope that the apple pie he requested tastes as good as his mom’s. Surprisingly, many people in prison decline the option to request a special last meal. We often think of food as something that keeps us alive, so is there really any point to eating if someone knows they are going to die?

“Controlling food is a means of controlling power,” said chef Sean Sherman in the YES! Magazine article “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” by Korsha Wilson. There are deeper stories that lie behind the final meals of individuals on death row.

I want to bring awareness to the complex and often controversial conditions of this country’s criminal justice system and change the common perception of prisoners as inhuman. To accomplish this, I would host a potluck where I would recreate the last meals of prisoners sentenced to death.

In front of each plate, there would be a place card with the prisoner’s full name, the date of execution, and the method of execution. These meals could range from a plate of fried chicken, peas with butter, apple pie, and a Dr. Pepper, reminiscent of a Sunday dinner at Grandma’s, to a single olive.

Seeing these meals up close, meals that many may eat at their own table or feed to their own kids, would force attendees to face the reality of the death penalty. It will urge my guests to look at these individuals not just as prisoners, assigned a number and a death date, but as people, capable of love and rehabilitation.  

This potluck is not only about realizing a prisoner’s humanity, but it is also about recognizing a flawed criminal justice system. Over the years, I have become skeptical of the American judicial system, especially when only seven states have judges who ethnically represent the people they serve. I was shocked when I found out that the officers who killed Michael Brown and Anthony Lamar Smith were exonerated for their actions. How could that be possible when so many teens and adults of color have spent years in prison, some even executed, for crimes they never committed?  

Lawmakers, police officers, city officials, and young constituents, along with former prisoners and their families, would be invited to my potluck to start an honest conversation about the role and application of inequality, dehumanization, and racism in the death penalty. Food served at the potluck would represent the humanity of prisoners and push people to acknowledge that many inmates are victims of a racist and corrupt judicial system.

Recognizing these injustices is only the first step towards a more equitable society. The second step would be acting on these injustices to ensure that every voice is heard, even ones separated from us by prison walls. Let’s leave that for the next potluck, where I plan to serve humble pie.

Paisley Regester is a high school senior and devotes her life to activism, the arts, and adventure. Inspired by her experiences traveling abroad to Nicaragua, Mexico, and Scotland, Paisley hopes to someday write about the diverse people and places she has encountered and share her stories with the rest of the world.

Powerful Voice Winner: Emma Lingo

The Empty Seat

“If you aren’t sober, then I don’t want to see you on Christmas.”

Harsh words for my father to hear from his daughter but words he needed to hear. Words I needed him to understand and words he seemed to consider as he fiddled with his wine glass at the head of the table. Our guests, my grandma, and her neighbors remained resolutely silent. They were not about to defend my drunken father–or Charles as I call him–from my anger or my ultimatum.

This was the first dinner we had had together in a year. The last meal we shared ended with Charles slopping his drink all over my birthday presents and my mother explaining heroin addiction to me. So, I wasn’t surprised when Charles threw down some liquid valor before dinner in anticipation of my anger. If he wanted to be welcomed on Christmas, he needed to be sober—or he needed to be gone.

Countless dinners, holidays, and birthdays taught me that my demands for sobriety would fall on deaf ears. But not this time. Charles gave me a gift—a one of a kind, limited edition, absolutely awkward treat. One that I didn’t know how to deal with at all. Charles went home that night, smacked a bright red bow on my father, and hand-delivered him to me on Christmas morning.

He arrived for breakfast freshly showered and looking flustered. He would remember this day for once only because his daughter had scolded him into sobriety. Dad teetered between happiness and shame. Grandma distracted us from Dad’s presence by bringing the piping hot bacon and biscuits from the kitchen to the table, theatrically announcing their arrival. Although these foods were the alleged focus of the meal, the real spotlight shined on the unopened liquor cabinet in my grandma’s kitchen—the cabinet I know Charles was begging Dad to open.

I’ve isolated myself from Charles. My family has too. It means we don’t see Dad, but it’s the best way to avoid confrontation and heartache. Sometimes I find myself wondering what it would be like if we talked with him more or if he still lived nearby. Would he be less inclined to use? If all families with an addict tried to hang on to a relationship with the user, would there be fewer addicts in the world? Christmas breakfast with Dad was followed by Charles whisking him away to Colorado where pot had just been legalized. I haven’t talked to Dad since that Christmas.

As Korsha Wilson stated in her YES! Magazine article, “Cooking Stirs the Pot for Social Change,” “Sometimes what we don’t cook says more than what we do cook.” When it comes to addiction, what isn’t served is more important than what is. In quiet moments, I like to imagine a meal with my family–including Dad. He’d have a spot at the table in my little fantasy. No alcohol would push him out of his chair, the cigarettes would remain seated in his back pocket, and the stench of weed wouldn’t invade the dining room. Fruit salad and gumbo would fill the table—foods that Dad likes. We’d talk about trivial matters in life, like how school is going and what we watched last night on TV.

Dad would feel loved. We would connect. He would feel less alone. At the end of the night, he’d walk me to the door and promise to see me again soon. And I would believe him.

Emma Lingo spends her time working as an editor for her school paper, reading, and being vocal about social justice issues. Emma is active with many clubs such as Youth and Government, KHS Cares, and Peer Helpers. She hopes to be a journalist one day and to be able to continue helping out people by volunteering at local nonprofits.

Powerful Voice Winner: Hayden Wilson

Bittersweet Reunion

I close my eyes and envision a dinner of my wildest dreams. I would invite all of my relatives. Not just my sister who doesn’t ask how I am anymore. Not just my nephews who I’m told are too young to understand me. No, I would gather all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins to introduce them to the me they haven’t met.

For almost two years, I’ve gone by a different name that most of my family refuses to acknowledge. My aunt, a nun of 40 years, told me at a recent birthday dinner that she’d heard of my “nickname.” I didn’t want to start a fight, so I decided not to correct her. Even the ones who’ve adjusted to my name have yet to recognize the bigger issue.

Last year on Facebook, I announced to my friends and family that I am transgender. No one in my family has talked to me about it, but they have plenty to say to my parents. I feel as if this is about my parents more than me—that they’ve made some big parenting mistake. Maybe if I invited everyone to dinner and opened up a discussion, they would voice their concerns to me instead of my parents.

I would serve two different meals of comfort food to remind my family of our good times. For my dad’s family, I would cook heavily salted breakfast food, the kind my grandpa used to enjoy. He took all of his kids to IHOP every Sunday and ordered the least healthy option he could find, usually some combination of an overcooked omelet and a loaded Classic Burger. For my mom’s family, I would buy shakes and burgers from Hardee’s. In my grandma’s final weeks, she let aluminum tins of sympathy meals pile up on her dining table while she made my uncle take her to Hardee’s every day.

In her article on cooking and activism, food writer Korsha Wilson writes, “Everyone puts down their guard over a good meal, and in that space, change is possible.” Hopefully the same will apply to my guests.

When I first thought of this idea, my mind rushed to the endless negative possibilities. My nun-aunt and my two non-nun aunts who live like nuns would whip out their Bibles before I even finished my first sentence. My very liberal, state representative cousin would say how proud she is of the guy I’m becoming, but this would trigger my aunts to accuse her of corrupting my mind. My sister, who has never spoken to me about my genderidentity, would cover her children’s ears and rush them out of the house. My Great-Depression-raised grandparents would roll over in their graves, mumbling about how kids have it easy nowadays.

After mentally mapping out every imaginable terrible outcome this dinner could have, I realized a conversation is unavoidable if I want my family to accept who I am. I long to restore the deep connection I used to have with them. Though I often think these former relationships are out of reach, I won’t know until I try to repair them. For a year and a half, I’ve relied on Facebook and my parents to relay messages about my identity, but I need to tell my own story.

At first, I thought Korsha Wilson’s idea of a cooked meal leading the way to social change was too optimistic, but now I understand that I need to think more like her. Maybe, just maybe, my family could all gather around a table, enjoy some overpriced shakes, and be as close as we were when I was a little girl.

 Hayden Wilson is a 17-year-old high school junior from Missouri. He loves writing, making music, and painting. He’s a part of his school’s writing club, as well as the GSA and a few service clubs.

 Literary Gems

We received many outstanding essays for the Fall 2018 Writing Competition. Though not every participant can win the contest, we’d like to share some excerpts that caught our eye.

Thinking of the main staple of the dish—potatoes, the starchy vegetable that provides sustenance for people around the globe. The onion, the layers of sorrow and joy—a base for this dish served during the holidays.  The oil, symbolic of hope and perseverance. All of these elements come together to form this delicious oval pancake permeating with possibilities. I wonder about future possibilities as I flip the latkes.

—Nikki Markman, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

The egg is a treasure. It is a fragile heart of gold that once broken, flows over the blemishless surface of the egg white in dandelion colored streams, like ribbon unraveling from its spool.

—Kaylin Ku, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, New Jersey

If I were to bring one food to a potluck to create social change by addressing anti-Semitism, I would bring gefilte fish because it is different from other fish, just like the Jews are different from other people.  It looks more like a matzo ball than fish, smells extraordinarily fishy, and tastes like sweet brine with the consistency of a crab cake.

—Noah Glassman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

I would not only be serving them something to digest, I would serve them a one-of-a-kind taste of the past, a taste of fear that is felt in the souls of those whose home and land were taken away, a taste of ancestral power that still lives upon us, and a taste of the voices that want to be heard and that want the suffering of the Natives to end.

—Citlalic Anima Guevara, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

It’s the one thing that your parents make sure you have because they didn’t.  Food is what your mother gives you as she lies, telling you she already ate. It’s something not everybody is fortunate to have and it’s also what we throw away without hesitation.  Food is a blessing to me, but what is it to you?

—Mohamed Omar, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

Filleted and fried humphead wrasse, mangrove crab with coconut milk, pounded taro, a whole roast pig, and caramelized nuts—cuisines that will not be simplified to just “food.” Because what we eat is the diligence and pride of our people—a culture that has survived and continues to thrive.

—Mayumi Remengesau, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California

Some people automatically think I’m kosher or ask me to say prayers in Hebrew.  However, guess what? I don’t know many prayers and I eat bacon.

—Hannah Reing, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, The Bronx, New York

Everything was placed before me. Rolling up my sleeves I started cracking eggs, mixing flour, and sampling some chocolate chips, because you can never be too sure. Three separate bowls. All different sizes. Carefully, I tipped the smallest, and the medium-sized bowls into the biggest. Next, I plugged in my hand-held mixer and flicked on the switch. The beaters whirl to life. I lowered it into the bowl and witnessed the creation of something magnificent. Cookie dough.

—Cassandra Amaya, Owen Goodnight Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

Biscuits and bisexuality are both things that are in my life…My grandmother’s biscuits are the best: the good old classic Southern biscuits, crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Except it is mostly Southern people who don’t accept me.

—Jaden Huckaby, Arbor Montessori, Decatur, Georgia

We zest the bright yellow lemons and the peels of flavor fall lightly into the batter.  To make frosting, we keep adding more and more powdered sugar until it looks like fluffy clouds with raspberry seed rain.

—Jane Minus, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Tamales for my grandma, I can still remember her skillfully spreading the perfect layer of masa on every corn husk, looking at me pitifully as my young hands fumbled with the corn wrapper, always too thick or too thin.

—Brenna Eliaz, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

Just like fry bread, MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) remind New Orleanians and others affected by disasters of the devastation throughout our city and the little amount of help we got afterward.

—Madeline Johnson, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

I would bring cream corn and buckeyes and have a big debate on whether marijuana should be illegal or not.

—Lillian Martinez, Miller Middle School, San Marcos, Texas

We would finish the meal off with a delicious apple strudel, topped with schlag, schlag, schlag, more schlag, and a cherry, and finally…more schlag (in case you were wondering, schlag is like whipped cream, but 10 times better because it is heavier and sweeter).

—Morgan Sheehan, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

Clever Titles

This year we decided to do something different. We were so impressed by the number of catchy titles that we decided to feature some of our favorites. 

“Eat Like a Baby: Why Shame Has No Place at a Baby’s Dinner Plate”

—Tate Miller, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas 

“The Cheese in Between”

—Jedd Horowitz, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Harvey, Michael, Florence or Katrina? Invite Them All Because Now We Are Prepared”

—Molly Mendoza, Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama

“Neglecting Our Children: From Broccoli to Bullets”

—Kylie Rollings, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri  

“The Lasagna of Life”

—Max Williams, Wichita North High School, Wichita, Kansas

“Yum, Yum, Carbon Dioxide In Our Lungs”

—Melanie Eickmeyer, Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri

“My Potluck, My Choice”

—Francesca Grossberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Trumping with Tacos”

—Maya Goncalves, Lincoln Middle School, Ypsilanti, Michigan

“Quiche and Climate Change”

—Bernie Waldman, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, Bronx, New York

“Biscuits and Bisexuality”

“W(health)”

—Miles Oshan, San Marcos High School, San Marcos, Texas

“Bubula, Come Eat!”

—Jordan Fienberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School,  Bronx, New York

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Essays on Cooking

Composing a cooking essay is a fun way to learn more about cuisine, its history, and modern techniques. Food is the basic human need, and people have been cooking food since the dawn of time. Cooking essays often take notice of the fact that cooking underwent much change with time. Over the centuries, coking evolved alongside culture, as each nation has developed its own gastronomic tastes, preferences, and ways of cooking food, making culinary an integral part of the culture. Cooking is not the same today as it was in the old times – in the past, people ate simple foods, but now cooking became a lot more artful. Get to know other people’s ideas on cooking by studying their essays – take a look at cooking essay samples below. Studying samples of many essays on cooking can help you be more creative with your own essay.

I enjoy looking at things from the past and finding a deeper meaning about life. In this essay, you will learn about my passion for cooking, my interest in Italian culture, and my love for Education. My passion for cooking began when my Mom started teaching me different recipes that...

After learning that cooking an egg entails denaturing of its proteins content After learning that cooking an egg entails denaturing of its proteins content, I would like to innovate an egg cooking method that does not use any source of heat. The ingredients needed In this case, the ingredients that are required comprise...

Melinda, Anne Mills. ""Cooking with Love": Food, Gender, and Power." Anthropology Theses (2010). :http://scholarworks.gsu.edu/anthro_theses . The source explores the relationship between women, food, and power. The text illustrates women who engage in performances of various roles such as cooking which they are expected to accomplish as expected by the community....

Words: 1379

Food: An Integral Factor in Human Survival Food is considered to be an integral factor in the survival of human beings and animals. If anything, it is in matters regarding food that both formal and informal settings are set. I am Chinese and it is not hard to notice how much...

Cutting fruit or vegetables with thin skins____________ Type of cut Description and notes Draw your observations Cut through the surface, not too deep at different places with both tools. How clean is the cut for the stone relative to the steel? Does is look smooth or jagged? The cut with steel looks...

Green scallions or eggs are options for toppings. acted as:Cup Noodles and Cooked Noodles Wet Noodles Chapagetti accompanied by cucumber rings to boost the nutritional content. Ramen Tonkotsu Served with broth that has a poultry flavor. Toppings: uncooked yolks Slices of chicken Chinese food Slices of ginger are included. The purpose of the garnishes is to increase flavor, add nutrition, and...

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Food plays a significant role in human life on a daily basis because it is both required and comforting. In addition to serving nutritional functions, it is crucial for a person's physical and mental growth. People communicate over meals by exchanging food recipes on trending subjects and participating in cooking...

Words: 2370

Japanese consumers and the success of the Yoku Moku cookie Japanese consumers have enjoyed the success of the Yoku Moku cookie for over 40 years. The creator of the product was motivated to enter the confectionery sector by the cuisine created with his components' confectionery qualities. Due to its standing as...

Words: 1145

Evidently, a substance is dangerous if it seems to be lethal above the client's wishes (Miller and Gaylord 279). Susan Calles is the customer in this case since she is the intended consumer and beneficiary of the commodity (Calles v. Scripto Tokai Corporation). As a result, a corporation is not...

For millennia, nearly all traditions have held that cooking should be confined to women. According to Inness's book "Cooking Lessons: The Politics of Gender and Food," it is not difficult to note that food, as well as its preparation, is heavily gender-coded to the feminine. In most countries, however, masculinity...

Words: 3024

A Restaurant as a Community Institution A restaurant is a location where chefs cook a range of meals and drinks for customers to buy. Vendors either sell the meals inside the restaurant or have them outside, based on the scale of the restaurant and their willingness to cover the rental bill....

1. In my house, one of the most critical ritual meals is the Thanksgiving feast, which must include a stuffed turkey. It is an important feast for thanksgiving and reaffirming ideas and assumptions relevant to American cultural and social solidarity (Williams-Forson, 2008). The family gathered physically and emotionally for the...

Words: 1012

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Essay on Cooking

Students are often asked to write an essay on Cooking in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Cooking

Introduction to cooking.

Cooking is an essential life skill. It’s the process of preparing food, often with heat. People cook for various reasons, like survival, pleasure, or to share with others.

The Importance of Cooking

Cooking is important for health. It allows control over ingredients, ensuring meals are nutritious. Plus, it can be a fun, creative activity.

Methods of Cooking

Various methods exist, including boiling, baking, and grilling. Each method impacts the taste and texture of food differently.

In conclusion, cooking is a valuable skill. It promotes healthy eating and can be a source of joy.

Also check:

• Paragraph on Cooking

250 Words Essay on Cooking

The art and science of cooking.

Cooking, the process of preparing food, is a fundamental human activity that encompasses both art and science. It is an art because it requires creativity and innovation, and a science because it involves precise measurements, temperatures, and timings.

Cooking as an Art

Cooking as an art is about the aesthetic appeal and the sensory experience of food. It involves imagination, creativity, and the ability to create new dishes or reinvent traditional ones. The art of cooking is in the presentation, the combination of flavors, and the overall experience that a dish offers. It is about creating something that not only satisfies hunger but also pleases the senses.

Cooking as a Science

On the other hand, cooking as a science involves understanding the chemistry of ingredients and how they interact with each other. It is about understanding how heat changes food, how different cooking methods affect the texture and flavor of ingredients, and how to use these principles to create dishes with the desired outcome. It is also about precision, consistency, and repeatability, which are crucial in professional cooking.

In conclusion, cooking is a fascinating blend of art and science. It is a skill that requires both creativity and technical understanding. Whether you are a professional chef or a home cook, understanding the art and science of cooking can help you create dishes that are not only delicious but also visually appealing and nutritionally balanced.

500 Words Essay on Cooking

Cooking is not just the process of preparing food for consumption, it’s an art form, a therapeutic activity, and a cultural expression. It involves the application of heat to food items, which transforms them into meals that can be consumed by humans. The culinary world is vast and varied, with each culture having its own unique methods and techniques.

The Science of Cooking

Cooking is deeply rooted in science. The Maillard reaction, for example, is a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its distinct flavor. This reaction is the key to the taste of foods like seared steak, fried dumplings, cookies, and toasted marshmallows.

Understanding the science behind cooking can greatly enhance the quality and consistency of the food we make. For instance, knowing that acidic marinades can tenderize meat can help us prepare a more succulent steak or roast.

Beyond the realm of science, cooking is a creative endeavor. Chefs are much like painters or sculptors, using ingredients as their medium to create edible masterpieces. The color, texture, and presentation of the food are just as important as the taste. This artistic aspect of cooking allows for innovation and creativity, leading to the development of new recipes and culinary techniques.

Cooking and Culture

Cooking plays a significant role in cultural identity and heritage. Each culture has its own unique cuisine, shaped by its history, geography, and traditions. These cuisines are often passed down through generations, preserving a piece of that culture’s identity. The act of cooking traditional dishes can be a way of connecting with one’s roots and heritage.

The Therapeutic Value of Cooking

Cooking also has therapeutic value. The act of preparing a meal can be a calming, meditative experience. The focus required to chop, stir, and season can help clear the mind and reduce stress. Moreover, the satisfaction of creating a meal from scratch can boost self-esteem and confidence.

Conclusion: The Multifaceted Nature of Cooking

In conclusion, cooking is a multifaceted activity. It’s a science, an art, a cultural expression, and a therapeutic process. It allows us to nourish our bodies, express our creativity, connect with our cultural roots, and find a sense of calm in the chaos of life. As we continue to explore and understand the complexities of cooking, we can better appreciate the meals we prepare and consume.

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Essays on Cooking

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Essay Samples on Cooking

The pros of home cooking as compared to fast food.

There is only so much time in the world, people are constantly busy and in a rush. Busy with work, school and other extra activities. Who has time to cook nowadays? Families are constantly going out to eat at restaurants and fast food places rather...

• Healthy Food

Home Cooked Meals Vs. Fast Food: Comparing Nutritious Benefits

Nowadays many people of all ages are becoming more obese simply because they choose to take the easier route when it comes to their appetite; however, the easier route may not be the one that’s healthiest. The vast majority are not cooking as much, which...

The Perfect Agenda for Single People on the Valentine's Day

All lonely women: He returned. Good V word. When a terrible day draws near, we are all surrounded by Valentine's Day attributes. The sweet Hallmark cards make us laugh; The heart shaped chocolate box gives us evil and constantly reminds us that we must be...

• Valentines Day

Nuances of Food Preparation for Astronauts

Summary Astronauts do not only rely on food for their physical well being. Food provides emotional benefits and can lessen the psychological effects of being in space for extended periods of time. However, food on the International Space Station must be specifically prepared for space...

• Space Exploration

Mistake That One Should Avoid During Baking

Spell baking can be a great deal of fun, it likewise needs one serious part of accuracy and meticulousness. Commit one modest error or miss one little fixing and you can wager everything that the dish will be a debacle. I have dependably said that...

• Food Safety

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Traditional Cuisine of the Carribeans, Southern India and Northern France

One of the most important aspects of any culture is food. The reason why traditional cuisine is passed from one generation to another is to preserve the food culture and also express the cultural identity. When one’s traditional food is frequently cooked, there is a...

Cooking a Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is one of the most anticipated and celebrated holidays in the United States. It is a time where family and friends come together as one and give thanks. However, Thanksgiving can be a complex occasion due to the planning, preparing, and cooking the holiday...

• Thanksgiving

Steps to Planning a Successful Thanksgiving

Steps to Planning a Successful Thanksgiving When Thanksgiving comes around, you always want to prepare days before. Thanksgiving involves a lot of work meaning you’ll need plenty of time. Many people think of Thanksgiving as “The Last Supper” so you can imagine lots of people...

The Life of David Chang, a Famous Korean-American Chef

David Chang is a famous Korean-American chef born in Vienna, Virginia but raised in Arlington with his two older brothers, his older sister, his mother and his father. Chang’s father, Joe Chang, was born in North Korea, while his mother, Sherri Chang, was born in...

• Pastry Chef

The Evolution of Pastry Dough

Pastry dough has evolved vastly over time, mainly due to technological advancements and globalization, but its evolution has also had many cultural effects. The evolution of dessert dough and how it's impacted different cultures can be seen from B.C. to the present. With the knowledge...

Pastry Industry in the U.S.: Famous Pastry Chefs

Folks with a distinct sweet tooth tend to have a stronger passion for desserts and greater inclination to flavor. This may not be the ultimate diagnosis for what’s acceptable in someone’s eating behavior, but it’s definitely something necessary if you’re one to pursue a career...

A Research Paper on the Role of a Pastry Chef

A Pastry chef, is a station chef in a professional kitchen, who is skilled in the area of making of pastries, desserts, breads, and other baked goods. Being a pastry chef is not an easy job, but yet a job that is easy to fall...

The Seasonal Beauty of Japanese Food with Film Series “Little Forest”

Japan is well known for its distinct seasonality, especially in its food. Japanese celebrate their seasons by enjoying the fresh ingredients unique to that season, which is a feature for washoku, a famous national cuisine. A meal in Japan goes beyond simply eating the food....

• Japanese Food Culture

The Various Processes of Heat Transfer

The cooling, heating and preserving of food is vital to human survival. We must heat food, so it is safe to eat and preserve it, so it does not become rotten or diseased. There are many things we need to be able to do with...

• Importance of Food

The Forecast Of Demand/Supply Of Labour Phase

At the moment employment is at its highest rate, yet the food industry is continually short of staff. This is meaning some restaurants are only able to open 5 days out of 7 as they don’t have enough staff to run a restaurant efficiently and...

• Employee Retention

A Comparison of the Depiction of Food in Ancient and Modern Art Pieces

Food has always been a sort of release to people whether it be for dining purposes, entertaining your guests, photographs, depicting it on an art piece from vases to scrolls to walls, but now due to the rising technology of the 21st century we can...

Blanching Method For The Shell Life Of Friuts And Vegetables

Objective: 1.To perform the blanching method to preserve fruits and vegetables and to enhance their shelf life. 2. To determine the outcome of blanching on the visual and olfactory quality components of distinct fruits and vegetables. Materials Apparatus 2 fresh cobs of corn 2 pairing...

Cooking Food In Pottery Is More Beneficial

Pottery is a huge part of Pakistani culture especially in Sindh, Hala, Khumar road etc. it is used at various places in the world except for Pakistan that is, India, Siri Lanka, Japan, Korea, Africa, Spain ets. These clay utensils need 20 different step to...

The Depiction Of Italian Cuisine In American Television And Cinema

For any Italian, there is no place more sentimental than the dinner table. The place, which is a constantly changing place of scenery, is so sentimental it borders holiness. From prosciutto to tiramisu, everything has been served in cinema and for a number of occasions....

• American Culture
• The Godfather

The Geography Of Soupe De Chalet

Europe has birthed a vast number of delicious dishes across the nation. The one that will be presented in this exercise is the Soupe de Chalet (Chalet Soup )also called the Fribourg Vegetable Soup, which is a conventional dish created in Switzerland, more particularly in...

• Organic Food

The Health Risk Factors Of Lack Of Proper And Regular Fuel Availability

People under the poverty line are mostly energy poor too. It is estimated that approximately two thirds of these are women, quite a few of whom live in female-headed rural households. It is essential to keep in mind that men and women have different energy...

• Risk Taking

The Pros Of Cooking Meals At Home

I have been passionate by culinary art and today I’m going to tell you why you should cook your own meal. I would like to dedicate this pitch to my mother who introduced me to cooking since I was a kid. With the increasing rate...

My Love For The Art Of Baking

I grab the key ingredient, flour, from the cabinet. I hear the large swoosh of the fan as the white powder swirls around. I tie my hair back and pour the dusty powder in a cup. 2 ½ cups. 3 cups. 1 ⅓ tablespoon. I...

Best topics on Cooking

1. The Pros Of Home Cooking As Compared To Fast Food

2. Home Cooked Meals Vs. Fast Food: Comparing Nutritious Benefits

3. The Perfect Agenda for Single People on the Valentine’s Day

4. Nuances of Food Preparation for Astronauts

5. Mistake That One Should Avoid During Baking

6. Traditional Cuisine of the Carribeans, Southern India and Northern France

7. Cooking a Successful Thanksgiving Dinner

8. Steps to Planning a Successful Thanksgiving

9. The Life of David Chang, a Famous Korean-American Chef

10. The Evolution of Pastry Dough

11. Pastry Industry in the U.S.: Famous Pastry Chefs

12. A Research Paper on the Role of a Pastry Chef

13. The Seasonal Beauty of Japanese Food with Film Series “Little Forest”

14. The Various Processes of Heat Transfer

15. The Forecast Of Demand/Supply Of Labour Phase

• Fast Food Nation
• High Fructose Corn Syrup

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Cooking Essay Examples

My favourite food: why i love spaghetti.

Want to explore different countless food combinations and put your taste buds to work? Well, eating different kinds of food combinations is one of my hobbies. I love spaghetti wholeheartedly, that is why I chose to write my favourite food is spaghetti essay. Moreover, I love...

Culinary Journey: Reflecting on My Cooking Experience

'Home-based education is not an experiment. Its how people learned to function in the world for centuries. And there is no reason to think that people today can't do the same thing. School is the experiment, not the lack of it. And I think that...

Sooking is My Passion Essay

When I was little, I always help my mom in the kitchen. She always makes my favorite dishes just like sinigang na baboy I like the way it tastes sour, adobo, menudo, chicken curry, labong, and the best one is pinakbet. I help her first...

The First Time I Become Truly Intrigued by Baking

I was only eight years old, but I remember it vividly. I walked through the front door of my great aunt's house one winter evening and was immediately greeted with the warm scent of freshly baked lemon cookies. In admiration, I watched her carefully dip...

A Report on Chocolate, Its Types and Process of Making

Chocolate is an important ingredient in the baking industry. The use of chocolate began in the late 450 BC in Mesoamerica. Christopher Columbus was the first foreigner to drink chocolate. Cocoa seeds were believed to be a gift of Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. The...

Effects of Cooking and Roasting on Funtional and Chemical Properties of Beniseed Flour

Glory is to the name of the Lord God Almighty for his love, mercy, favor, protection and grace. My sincere appreciation goes to my mum (Wura Mi) simply because you are the best thing in my life, You are an inspiration to me. May God...

The Reasons of the Importance of Home Made Food

Writer Marcus Samuelson once said, “I cannot stress a greater importance than to teach the young generation about the risk of unhealthy eating. A great way to pique their interest in nutrition is to involve them more in the cooking process. They not only will...

My Receipt of Cheesy Pesto Chicken Pasta

When I cook my favorite meal, I feel double the satisfaction of just eating delicious food; I get to experience the transformation from the ingredients on the shelves of the grocery store to the beautiful meal on my plate sitting on the kitchen table. Cooking...

Fernand Point – the Father of Modern French Cuisine

From “classical” French cooking, with heavy usage of butter and cream, time-consuming reduced sauces and elaborated cooking methods and presentation, tagged with expensive exotic ingredients like foie gras and truffles, Fernand Point was one of the first French chefs that rebelled Escoffier’s rule where he...

The Biography of Mary Marquardt

The name Mary Marquardt is almost synonymous with Harrison Ford, one of America's finest film producer, writer, director, and actor. Popularly known for playing the fictional character Han Solo in the top-grossing movie Star Wars, Ford is an international figure and Hollywood heavyweight whose relationship...

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