Monday, January 23, 2012
Kitchen Scales
Apparently it's all the rage to measure ingredients in dry ounces or grams, rather than by good old volume.
It all seems a little ridiculous, though, when we think of all these 'authentic' ethnic foods:
Did grand-mère really measure out 700mg of butter for her quiche crust?
Did abuelita sort through all the peppers to find one that would bring the mass to 500mg for mole?
I see a lot of mg-oz conversions as well, and I swear you've got to be losing 3mg just to rounding, so chill. out.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Alfabetismo
Hace años, compré un juego de sobres y hojas de papel para escribir cartas, pero lo que me llamó fué que eran de "Curious George," y se me ocurrió guardarlos hasta que Najai creciera y aprendiera a leer. Se me había olvidado hasta ahorita, que encuentro el juego otra vez y me doy cuenta que si le escribo una carta, si va a poder leerla y podra responder, también. Qué sorprendente.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Desambiguación - Musica Latino-Americana: no toda es mexicana
Empiezo con la musica de mi tierra, porque es la que conozco mejor.
Banda (Mexico) [Brass and Percussion, some woodwind, very loud and booming.]
Mariachi (Mexico) [Mostly string, less prominent brass, classical guitar prominent.]
Norteño (Mexico) [accordeon]
Cumbia (Colombia)[para bailar :)]
Bachata (Republica Dominicana)
Merengue (Republica Dominicana)
Salsa (Cuba)
Y luego las que no se
Y luego las que no se
Monday, June 14, 2010
Positive Racism
While working on this paper for my Philosophy 306: Philosophy of Race and Racism class, I recalled all the comments I've ever heard about racism in California. That is, most people I know speak wonders of the San Francisco Bay Area, how progressive it and how great it is and how everyone just loves each other, there is no racism. Racism is just terrible and it's a plague on America that we, the liberal SFBayians, will change.
However, I truly find fault with these statements. I find fault because the definition of racism here is so narrow. I do not believe that racism is comprised of deliberate racist actions like name calling or threats. Racism is in the fabric of our institutions, in our subconscious.
I would like to know, why there are still ghettos, if there is no racism. I would like to someone to explain Hunter's Point to me, if there is no racism. I would like someone to explain the Mission, if there is no racism. Why are ethnic communities living in distinct physical locations? Like in "A Raisin in the Sun," you can argue that it is because blacks like living with blacks and latin americans like living among other latin americans, etc. This does not, however, explain, why they are in the poorest neighborhoods.
A recent conversation with a Bay-Arean lead me to some of these thoughts. Appalled to hear that there was racism in Arcata and that people experienced direct, individual experiences, she went on to talk about the Bay Area and how there was no racism there. People didn't drive by people's houses and yell derogatory terms. People in the Bay Area were much too progressive and "civilized" to do that.
There are a lot of points that make the situation in the Bay Area so much different than the situation in a relatively small, isolated town. I just don't understand how someone can claim that the Bay Area is so much better, when all you have to do is look at Palo Alto vs East Palo Alto, Berkeley vs Oakland. Communities are divided, and it is NOT simply due to income. For all the love that they Bay Areas have for their "ethnic communities," I would like to know why they aren't neighbors and why they don't mingle. I don't feel that "going to the Mission" counts as proof that you're not racist if you're going there to experience "culture."
If you're going to the Mission to experience "culture," that means it's still "other;" integration is an illusion. That means there's still a "we are different" mentality. And that's what racism really is to me. It isn't when people call your names, make assumptions about your qualifications and background, but when they fail to see you as a human being with distinct qualities but instead see you as "Mexican."
That's definitely something I've seen all over the Bay Area. Sure, I saw persons of all sorts of "races" interact and "accept" each other. What I failed to see was acceptance of people as persons, rather there was an acceptance of persons as representatives of a certain group. "We're all friends, let's hang out! Let's chill and because none of us are racists it's okay to say you can dance, it's okay to say you're a fast runner, it's okay to say you cook well. Because positive stereotypes about race are ok."
Am I being overly sensitive? The sentiment in the Bay Area that I've gotten is that in lieu of negative racism, they've established "positive racism." I have no idea what positive racism is but it suits what I'm trying to express. Instead of putting down certain races for certain qualities, they are now trying to exalt all the positive differences. How is that any better? Racism to me isn't about treating someone negatively, but making any assumption about their personality, traits or capabilities based on their race.
"Blacks are great because ___" isn't any different to me than "blacks are terrible because ___." There is a disrespect to an individual here, and that's what I think racism is. No one in the San Francisco Bay Area has a right to be smug because they're so progressive about race- it's impossible to integrate communities when you're still harping on the differences, positive or negative.
However, I truly find fault with these statements. I find fault because the definition of racism here is so narrow. I do not believe that racism is comprised of deliberate racist actions like name calling or threats. Racism is in the fabric of our institutions, in our subconscious.
I would like to know, why there are still ghettos, if there is no racism. I would like to someone to explain Hunter's Point to me, if there is no racism. I would like someone to explain the Mission, if there is no racism. Why are ethnic communities living in distinct physical locations? Like in "A Raisin in the Sun," you can argue that it is because blacks like living with blacks and latin americans like living among other latin americans, etc. This does not, however, explain, why they are in the poorest neighborhoods.
A recent conversation with a Bay-Arean lead me to some of these thoughts. Appalled to hear that there was racism in Arcata and that people experienced direct, individual experiences, she went on to talk about the Bay Area and how there was no racism there. People didn't drive by people's houses and yell derogatory terms. People in the Bay Area were much too progressive and "civilized" to do that.
There are a lot of points that make the situation in the Bay Area so much different than the situation in a relatively small, isolated town. I just don't understand how someone can claim that the Bay Area is so much better, when all you have to do is look at Palo Alto vs East Palo Alto, Berkeley vs Oakland. Communities are divided, and it is NOT simply due to income. For all the love that they Bay Areas have for their "ethnic communities," I would like to know why they aren't neighbors and why they don't mingle. I don't feel that "going to the Mission" counts as proof that you're not racist if you're going there to experience "culture."
If you're going to the Mission to experience "culture," that means it's still "other;" integration is an illusion. That means there's still a "we are different" mentality. And that's what racism really is to me. It isn't when people call your names, make assumptions about your qualifications and background, but when they fail to see you as a human being with distinct qualities but instead see you as "Mexican."
That's definitely something I've seen all over the Bay Area. Sure, I saw persons of all sorts of "races" interact and "accept" each other. What I failed to see was acceptance of people as persons, rather there was an acceptance of persons as representatives of a certain group. "We're all friends, let's hang out! Let's chill and because none of us are racists it's okay to say you can dance, it's okay to say you're a fast runner, it's okay to say you cook well. Because positive stereotypes about race are ok."
Am I being overly sensitive? The sentiment in the Bay Area that I've gotten is that in lieu of negative racism, they've established "positive racism." I have no idea what positive racism is but it suits what I'm trying to express. Instead of putting down certain races for certain qualities, they are now trying to exalt all the positive differences. How is that any better? Racism to me isn't about treating someone negatively, but making any assumption about their personality, traits or capabilities based on their race.
"Blacks are great because ___" isn't any different to me than "blacks are terrible because ___." There is a disrespect to an individual here, and that's what I think racism is. No one in the San Francisco Bay Area has a right to be smug because they're so progressive about race- it's impossible to integrate communities when you're still harping on the differences, positive or negative.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Cupcake Fiasco
Chemistry final and two essays due Friday. Of course, what better time to start a blog.
My first "shout out" goes to Margarita Guevara Flores. You're the reason I'm on here. Blogspot wouldn't let me look at your blog unless I signed up for a blog, so now we can have a blog party!
And now, onto my fiasco with the cupcakes:
Since I'm such a great baker, I decided I could alter the recipe as I saw fit. I was too cheap to buy red food coloring, too cheap to buy cake flour and too cheap to buy unprocessed cocoa powder. So I ended up with non-quite chocolate not-quite red velvet cupcakes. The omission of cake flour and use of 1.5 cups bleached flour and 1 cups of whole wheat led to a very wheat-y taste.
Conclusion. The cupcakes are delicious, but don't look as they are supposed to. The red in red velvet apparently apparently used to come from the reaction of unprocessed cocoa powder, vinegar and soda. I had processed powder, so no red reaction. And I didn't buy food coloring. So no additional red. Just... brown. Delicious brown. Like me!
Now, to write and study.
My first "shout out" goes to Margarita Guevara Flores. You're the reason I'm on here. Blogspot wouldn't let me look at your blog unless I signed up for a blog, so now we can have a blog party!
And now, onto my fiasco with the cupcakes:
Since I'm such a great baker, I decided I could alter the recipe as I saw fit. I was too cheap to buy red food coloring, too cheap to buy cake flour and too cheap to buy unprocessed cocoa powder. So I ended up with non-quite chocolate not-quite red velvet cupcakes. The omission of cake flour and use of 1.5 cups bleached flour and 1 cups of whole wheat led to a very wheat-y taste.
Conclusion. The cupcakes are delicious, but don't look as they are supposed to. The red in red velvet apparently apparently used to come from the reaction of unprocessed cocoa powder, vinegar and soda. I had processed powder, so no red reaction. And I didn't buy food coloring. So no additional red. Just... brown. Delicious brown. Like me!
Now, to write and study.
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