Hummusgirl's Blog

In light of the recent presidential election, I’ve been questioning our melding of different cultures and if we’re that aware of other cultures (not just through food, despite this blog).  In terms of popular food, it’s obvious that Mexican food has assimilated into American life like no other kind of ethnic food (just look at Taco Bell, Chi Chi’s and Chipotle, to name a few).  But when I do my little research on who eats at McDonald’s and the like, it’s usually the poor, like Latino immigrants who eat fast food.  Isn’t that kind of sad?  Of course, it can’t be everyone and aren’t Latinos more family oriented than other ethnic groups?!?

And on the front page of our Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday, there were masses of people from war torn Honduras dying to get into America (and Mexico which is where the picture was taken).  This despite the fear of Trump, which no doubt has led many Americans to leave America since he became elected (if not when the Great Recession came about 10 years ago).  Does this mean our country’s people will change yet again?  I know Trump promises to be hard on immigration, but really how much power does he have to keep immigrants out?

My Mom and I hope to go to Spain and France next year which, just thinking about going, makes me happy.  I’ve been to Spain before in 2000, but never France, which I’d go to in a heartbeat.  I’ve seen a lot of French movies, and hey, if France’s President is our President’s best political friend, all the more reason to go right?

But anyway, I know from my culinary schooling, that French cuisine is the basis of cooking in general.  I’ve never really attempted cooking French food, unless you count their baking influence.  But it seems to me that gardening and/or farms are more important to France than their restaurants, and I just read an awesome memoir called “French Dirt” which came out in 1991, and is about an American couple who rent a house in Southern France for a year in a provincial town.  It’s exactly how I’d picture the French.