Reading Response Six

I’ve decided I like Joel Salatin. I knew there was something intriguing about him when he stepped on the screen in Food Inc. It was funny because there is this stereotype of farmers as stupid, which isn’t really true, but Joel stepped on the screen wearing overalls and this hat and I was like, really? But, as soon as he opened his mouth I felt completely guilty for not giving the guy a chance. He was incredibly articulate, passionate, and really seemed to know what he was talking about. I believe his bit in The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan makes these characteristics of Joel stand out even more.

            I love when he makes Michael Pollan examine the grass, and makes him do farmwork. I think that it’s amazing that he is so unapologetically who he is as this Christian, Conservative, Libertarian, Environmentalist. Joel receives no subsidies for his love of grass such as corn farmers do, and he places his farm above organic, something that he rightfully should after the book’s examination of organic. I mean, maybe I missed something, but I had no idea that organic had turned into such an industrial machine, which, frankly, worries me. I also love that he refuses to ship Michael Pollan food and says that if he wants to try some he’ll have to come to Swoope to try some. I feel like that statement speaks wonders about how he sticks with what he believes.

            I also am intrigued by his home life. In his colonial style home with little to no news, no TV, alcohol, caffeine, and homeschooled children Joel Salatin seems to have regressed into the colonial era of living completely off the grid, and yet, there is definitely a part of me that is jealous. Dr. Boyer Lewis has often told me that no one wants to go back in time, but this actual pastoral image stirs up such a nostalgia, as Pollan puts it, that it’s hard not to. However, I wonder how idealistic it is. I mean, he’s making it work and it’s successful, but is this a realistic dream for food everywhere? If it is are people not doing it because it’s not efficient enough? Do people not think that unsustainable things are called unsustainable for a reason?

            Joel Salatin’s farm is not the imagined image on the cover of some packaging at Whole Foods, and he is not trying to create something that is unnatural, and over complicated, while he is still being complex, he is the real deal, and doesn’t pretend to be something that he’s not. Pollan says, “What makes this pasture’s complexity so much harder for us to comprehend is that it is not a complexity of our making.” (195) There’s something that is so fascinating in the way that it all can work without us, and maybe that’s what’s scary to people in the food industry.

A Review Of Cosmo's Cucina

Located on the corner of Vine and Locust street off of Westnedge, Cosmo’s Cucina is a bit off the beaten path of restaurant areas in Kalamazoo. Cosmo’s resonates with more of neighborhood spot vibe, and  upon walking inside one can see why it is so crowded.

Cosmo’s Cucina is definitely an experience that blends creativity in a comfortable environment for anyone who enjoys fresh and flavorful meals.

The menu at Cosmo’s  is drenched in different blends of creative flavors with fresh ingredients. It falls under the categories of Italian inspired, farm to table (but not exclusively), and is reminiscent of Food Dance with an added home-style feel.

Entering through the lower level of the historic Kalamazoo building and through O’Duffys Pub there are Halloween decorations in the window, which is appropriate for October, and they are paired with lights and people packed in together talking loudly and drinking.

There is no TV in the bar, which is different for most bar scenes, but in this location it is a blessing. The little building that houses both O’Duffy’s and Cosmo’s seems to be a haven from the pressures of the outside world. To get to Cosmo’s it takes a walk through the bar area of O’Duffy’s, past the bathrooms and upstairs to the restaurant in an even more seemingly different world. Upstairs at Cosmo’s is an escape from the loud crashings of O’Duffy’s bar downstairs.

The tables are situated comfortably close together with candles on each one. The brick walls give the room a sort of classic, historic feeling without being outdated. The small window into the kitchen at the back is an eye into a fast paced world where delicious smells waft out with each dish that leaves the kitchen.             

Cosmo’s is the perfect atmosphere for a cold fall night.

But it is also the perfect atmosphere to cultivate new flavors from the expected flavors that restaurant goers are so accustomed too.

The wait staff is incredibly accommodating, holding tables for customers that are late coming out of the rain, and seating them immediately at one of the tables next to a stained glass window that overlooks the street below.

The room is humming with good vibes. Looking over at a party of four the customers are exclaiming about the goat cheese appetizer while gesticulating wildly with their arms, wine glasses in hands.

            The appetizers arrive promptly and begin with Zucchini Fritters. The Zucchini is shredded and pan seared with fresh dill, feta, and served with a yogurt and cucumber sauce. The Zucchini has a smoky flavor that can be confused with a burnt taste, but the cucumber sauce is brilliant, cold, and refreshing.

A harvest salad is then swept onto the table with fresh greens, walnuts, and soft butternut squash. The menu is infused with squash and other seasonally fresh ingredients. The vinaigrette is tasty without being overpowering.

 The Italian Bread is warm and crusty and served in a paper bag, tied with thread. The dipping oil is a plate of olive oil, decorated with herbs, and a balsamic oil reduction, looking so well done that it is a shame to ruin it with the bread. But, after one bite it is difficult to stop tearing off pieces to swipe across the flavorful oil.

            After a little while of waiting and conversation, the meals are ordered after much deliberation. It is difficult to choose between noodle based dishes, risottos, and braised pork tacos. But, looking around, it seems as if it is impossible to choose wrong.

Most of the customers in Cosmo’s are hungrily eating whatever is placed in front of them with smiles, usually engaged in conversations with the people at their tables.

After asking the waiter for the absolute best thing in the restaurant at this particular time, and being told the right choice is a special plate of scallops in coconut curry broth, pan seared with summer squash, limes, and carrots, the dish is soon brought to the table. The waiter says that they are cooked in a cast iron pan that is older than a nearby customer. They taste sweet and spicy and are the perfect amount of tough, fleshiness without being too chewy. The blend of fruits and vegetables that the scallops are cooked with add to the delightfully unexpected punch of flavor.

            Plate two is an avocado burger. With a toasted bun, the Kobe beef is covered in an avocado, corn blend salsa with Chihuahua cheese. Biting down the burger breaks causing a chin wiping juiciness to leave the meat, a burger at its best. Right next to the burger are redskin potatoes with just a little crunch to them, nestling under a blanket of sea salt and spices. They are definitely a filling addition to the meal.

            Plate three is homemade pasta with prosciutto, asiago cheese, and basil. Tangled together with sweet peppers, and halved cherry tomatoes it is a colorful and fall esque dish that doesn’t disappoint. Slurping up the noodles with the pepper and cheesy flavors is absolutely delicious, and there is plenty to take home after the meal.

Cosmo’s website states that they work under the goal of bringing creative and affordable food to Kalamazoo, and they have achieved this goal. The meals run from about $14.00-$20.00 with appetizers anywhere from $3.00-$10.00, which are reasonable for the amount of quality and quantity that is served on Cosmo’s plates.

The menu is completely based off of new blends of flavors that are unexpected, but make perfect sense after hitting your tongue. These are the best types of foods, dishes that never would have been created in the average kitchen.            

Scanning over the menu, the hungry eye picks up words like grilled, garlic, veggies, cracked pepper, Brie, flavorful, and the food follows through on these claims, leaving the eater food-inspired.

            Leaving Cosmo’s and walking back out into the rainy, fall night there is a full and recharged feeling that is present with Cosmo’s customers.

They are already making plans to return to try new and different flavors.            

            

Earth Quarterly

I was reminded of Earth Quarterly, an online and free publication, when Michael Pollan was discussing Whole Earth Catalog. I'm led to believe that whoever was working on Earth Quarterly has since stopped as there are only issues for the Winter Solstice and Vernal Equinox. However, enjoy these two issues. They're beautiful.

Earth Quarterly Vernal Equinox

Winter Solstice

Reading Response Five

Michael Pollan tells us in the first part of The Omnivore’s Dilemma that, “’You are what you eat’ is a truism hard to argue with,” (84) and he goes even farther to tell us that we, “are what what you eat eats, too,” (84) and in this case, it’s mainly corn.

The amount of corn that we consume in our diets is absolutely breathtaking and not in a positive way. Pollan depicts an efficient food system in which there is standardization of corn all the way to feed lots where cows end up eating cows and then we go ahead and eat the cows. We have engineered the new, efficient food chain and at what cost? The cows are getting diseases that are traced back into their diets, farmers are going bankrupt raising this cheap corn, and corn is taking over complete areas of land that can be seen from outer space. Absolute corn takeover.

It’s difficult to keep it all straight.

The question that comes to my mind while reading the first section is, how much is the $1 coke at McDonald’s costing me, really. Pollan discusses our obese nation that is hungering for some sort of comfort in this enriched, salty, fattening food, and yet it is this food that is only reminiscent of what we want. How much chicken is actually in the chicken nugget?

Gluttony has been used against us. They’ve supersized our portions to make us feel less gluttonous, and allowed there to be some traces of strange ingredients like lighter fluid in our food. 19% of meals are eaten in the car. Advertising has changed what they are actually selling, we are no longer buying the food, but rather the status, or the packaging, or something else entirely.

Scarier yet, it can all be traced back to corn.

This makes me think about the drought that we had this year and how that will affect this whole system. What if something happened to corn? Looking back on history it seems silly to base a whole system off one crop. Why do not more people notice this, and I guess problematically what would they do even if they did? How much corn is in the cafeteria? My stomach hurts from considering it.

One of my parent’s friends works in cereal at Kellogg’s in Battle Creek, Michigan. He used to bring over new cereals and pop tarts that were being tested. I am reminded of the bowling pin cereal. We all buy into it every time we’re at the grocery store. What makes me even more nervous is how can we ever go back from what we’ve already done, the food system, the natural, biological aspect, and our society. 

Spend Sunday With The Amish Cook

Here

Cosmo's Cucina

            Walking into Cosmo’s Cucina you can see why it would be so crowded.

            Located on the corner of Vine and Locust street off of Westnedge Cosmo’s is definitely a bit off the beaten path of restaurant areas in Kalamazoo and definitely resonates more of a vibe as the neighborhood spot to go. Entering through the lower level of the historic Kalamazoo building and through O’Duffys Pub there were Halloween decorations in the window, paired with lights and people packed in together talking loudly and drinking. I noticed there was no TV in the bar which struck me as different, but at the same time a blessing. This little building seemed to be a haven from the pressures of the outside world. To get to Cosmo’s we had to walk through this bar area, past the bathrooms and upstairs to the restaurant in an even more seemingly different world. Upstairs was an escape from the loud crashings of the bar downstairs.

 The tables were situation comfortably close together with candles on each one. The brick walls give the room a sort of classic, historic feeling without being outdated. The small window into the kitchen at the back was an eye into a fast paced world where delicious smells were wafting out with each dish that left the kitchen.  It is the perfect atmosphere for a cold fall night.

            The wait staff was incredibly accommodating, as it was raining outside last Friday, and we were forty minutes late for our reservation due to an accident in the rainy Michigan weather. For any of you that know I-94, you know how much of a nightmare driving can be. They held the table for us and thanked us for calling to let them know. They sat us immediately next to a stained glass window that overlooked the street below. The room was humming with good vibes. Looking over at the table next to us a party of four was exclaiming about the goat cheese appetizer while gesticulating wildly with their arms, wine glass in hand.

            The appetizers we ordered arrived promptly and began with Zucchini Fritters. The Zucchini was shredded and pan seared with fresh dill, feta, and served with a yogurt and cucumber sauce. The Zucchini had a smoky flavor that could have been confused with being burnt, but the cucumber sauce was brilliant, cold, and refreshing.

A harvest salad was then swept over to our table with fresh greens, walnuts, and soft butternut squash. The menu was infused with squash and other seasonally fresh ingredients. The vinageratte was tasty without being overpowering.

 We ordered the Italian Bread that was warm and crusty and served in a paper bag, tied with thread. The dipping oil was a plate of olive oil, decorated with herbs, and a balsamic oil reduction. It looked so well done that I hated to ruin it with the bread. But after one bite I kept tearing off pieces to swipe across the flavorful oil.

            After a little while of waiting, and conversation our meals arrived after much deliberation over what to order. It was difficult to choose between noodle based dishes, risottos, and braised pork tacos. Looking around, it seemed as if we could not go wrong. Most of the customers in Cosmo’s were hungrily eating whatever was placed in front of them with smiles, usually engaged in conversation with the people at their table.

After asking the waiter for the absolute best thing in the restaurant at this particular time, we decided on plate one that was a special for the evening. It was a plate of scallops in coconut curry broth, pan seared with summer squash, limes, and carrots. The waiter informed us that they were cooked in a cast iron pan that was older than me. They tasted sweet and spicy and were the perfect amount of tough, fleshiness without being too chewy. The blend of fruits and vegetables that the scallops were cooked with added to the delightfully unexpected punch of flavor.

            Plate two was an avocado burger. With a toasted bun, the Kobe beef covered in an avocado, corn blend salsa with Chihuahua cheese. Biting down I literally had to wipe my chin from the juiciness of the meat, a burger at its best. Right next to the burger nestled under a blanket of sea salt and spices were redskin potatoes with just a little crunch to them, they were definitely a filling addition to the meal.

            Plate three was homemade pasta with prosciutto, asiago cheese, and basil. Tangled together with sweet peppers, and halved cherry tomatoes it was a colorful and fall esque dish that didn’t disappoint. Slurping up the noodles with the pepper and cheesy flavors was absolutely delicious and there was plenty to take home for leftover deliciousness.

            The menu at Cosmo’s Cucina is drenched in these different blends of creative flavors with fresh ingredients. Cosmo’s website states that they work under the goal of bringing creative and affordable food to Kalamazoo, and I believe that they have achieved this goal. The meals ran from about $14.00-$20.00 with appetizers anywhere from $3.00-$10.00, which I find reasonable for the amount of quality and quantity that is served on Cosmo’s plates. The menu is completely based off of new blends of flavors that are unexpected, but make perfect sense after hitting your tongue. I believe these are the best types of foods, dishes that you never would have thought to make for yourself. Scanning over the menu, the hungry eye picks up words like grilled, garlic, veggies, cracked pepper, Brie, flavorful, and the food follows through on these claims, leaving the eater food inspired.

            When we walked back out into the rainy, fall night we left feeling full and recharged. Cosmo’s was definitely an experience that blended creativity in a comfortable environment for anyone who enjoys fresh and flavorful meals that they couldn’t just whip up at home without some effort.

I plan on going back to try more tastes off the menu soon.       

       

Expectations For Cosmo's Cucina

            From what little I know about Romance Languages I know that cocinar means to cook in Spanish, so when I see cucina I think similarly. I think it must be Italian, and so when I go to Google and I am correct I assume that a restaurant with the word cucina in its name may have a little Italian flair. Tonight my mom, her fiance and I will be attending Cosmo’s Cucina for dinner, and this is the restaurant that I plan to be reviewing for the class. Cosmo’s is located within the Vine Street Neighborhood in Kalamazoo.

In my opinion, that seems a little bit off the beaten path in terms of restaurants. After living in Kalamazoo all summer most of my dining haunts were located in the Tiffany’s vicinity or the downtown area, or even off of Westnedge (I do love Bagel Beanery). Going to a newer area is a form of tourism itself, especially when Kalamzoo is pretty familiar to me. Their website mentions nothing about Italian like I originally thought, but instead states that they want to bring, “simply creative cooking to Kalamazoo.” In this claim, they’ve really set me up with some interesting expectations. I love creative things. I enjoy new blends of flavors. I wonder exactly what they mean when they say creative? This comment makes me think of our conversations in class over the subject of food as art. I wonder how the food and the atmosphere intersect to foster this so-called creative atmosphere.             From their picture on the website, I see a restaurant with big windows lit up with twinkling lights. I am quite fond of white holiday lights, and I believe that they better any environment. Good choice, Cosmo’s.  I heard about the restaurant from my roommate Tessa, which may also have clouded my judgments about the place. She says that it’s one of her favorites, because of the atmosphere of the restaurant. I will just have to see what she means!

The article, Culinary Tourism, that we read for class discusses new experiences for the sake of the experience itself, which is what this situation truly is. I am going somewhere for the sake of taking it all in and experiencing it. In this way, like the article suggests I am thinking of this restaurant as, “somehow different, new, or exotic.” It is a “tourist” destination.

Upon looking over their menu words catch my eye like Feta, Goat Cheese, Hummus, Spinach, all a few of my favorite words. These flavors make me so hungry. I imagine biting down on warm, cheesy, flavorful food.

  I’m happy to have included my mom and her fiancé, because not only will they want to buy me dinner, but also because she has quite the background in food experience. My mom has spent the majority of her life as a travelling and cooking woman and this background could potentially help me to better understand the food by taking in information from her into my own perspective. I know that I still have a lot to learn about tastes and the world so it’s important to learn from the people who still know more than I do.

As for my mood before I go to review this restaurant? It’s absolutely soaring as I just found out that I’m going to study away in New York City for my Winter Quarter!