I think everyone can agree that appearance plays a huge part in a food being appetizing to someone. When you take a photo of food you want that picture to encompass all the fine details that would make that food appealing to people. Texture plays a huge part in this. A good quality photo will should you the difference between two grains of rice, it will show you every single fault in a food, no matter the size. You can almost know exactly what eating something will be like by focusing on the texture in a picture.

Nothing hits the spot like a steamy, hot plate of pasta, especially Penne ala Vodka. I crave it at least once a week and almost always, my cravings stem from a good picture. You can see the creaminess of the sauce and the ridges on the penne. You can sense the thickness of the vodka sauce by focusing on how it sits in and on the pasta  rather than sliding off the way a watery sauce would. Just studying this picture, my appetite increases… I think its time for some Penne ala Vodka!

I can say that the one thing that pops in my head when I think of texture is baked mac and cheese. I know I have said how I love cheese but a four cheese baked mac and cheese is amazing. The crunchy breadcrumbs on top baked to a nice golden brown and a nice gooey center. Although I haven’t had it in a while, my grandfather makes this to perfection.

The photo I have is from Sweet Bird in Harlem. The couple of times I have gone here I have gotten their mac and cheese and loved it. Melted cheese with more melted cheese makes me a happy customer. I think if I were to have a restaurant it would be “cheesy.” 

In the article, “How Coffee Fueled the Civil War” Coffee may have fueled the civil war soldiers but honestly, I really do not think that it would have sustained me. From the article, it seems that having coffee was the highlight of their day and give them a sense of safety after their battles. Some people cannot begin their day right if they had not have that initial cup of coffee. In America there are many people who are addicted to coffee and do not even realize it. Coffee contains Caffeine, Caffeine is a drug and some people can become addicted to caffeine. It is very difficult to quit drinking coffee and when you do try, there are many negative effects on your body as it is with any other drug. I personally cannot possibly do without some type of meat. Growing up in a Roman Catholic family was somewhat hard, especially during Lent when we were supposed to give up something for that period. It was always meat of course, but we were able to eat fish, which is not as good as chicken, or beef. Today I still cannot eat a plate of food without meat…I always felt like the dish was not complete. However, that’s just me.

Curried Goat…Yummy!!!

I don’t know why but when I think of Civil War era, I think tea. It shouldn’t really surprise me that soldiers depended on coffee since coffee plantations were popular during that time. It’s quick and easy to make, gives you warmth when you need it, and of course it gives you that power boost when you’re tired. No doubt it was a necessity in the army during this war. The quote, “Nobody can ‘soldier’ without coffee.” was used back then and I think it still applies now to everyday America. I definitely can’t get through my day without a cup of coffee or three and it’s definitely a huge part of the American culture. It never occurred to me that America’s dependency on coffee could have very well been rooted in our Civil War soldier’s reliance on it. I can say one thing for sure though, no one in this day and age is making their coffee with mud water, or “water even the horses wouldn’t drink”. If it ever came to that (which it wouldn’t, theres a Starbucks or Dunkin’ on every street corner) yeah, I’d give it up and walk around like the sleep-deprived zombie I really am.

A food I can’t live without… can’t live without any food.

I was never a big fan of coffee until I became a college student. During my very first finals week, I caught myself consuming coffee – not so much because of the bitter taste, but because of the energy that the caffeine would give me. When my body felt like shutting down, I would give it caffeine to push forward. During the time of the Civil War, soldiers were fighting for their lives – there was no time to be picky about food. It only makes sense that in order to continue, the Civil War soldiers must’ve consumed something to give them the energy to continue fighting. Soldiers felt dependent on coffee. It makes sense as to why there’s many coffee shops nowadays & as to why “America runs on Dunkin’”.

I’m a bit surprised to read that soldiers depended on coffee. I knew that many of them have to consume their food quickly and sometimes the food doesn’t look appetizing. I never heard anything about them depending on coffee. Coffee seemed really important to them, to the point where they made them anywhere with anything. It was the last thing they would enjoy before going into war. It’s understandable considering how most americans start their day with a cup of coffee. I drink coffee here and there. I don’t depend on coffee but maybe the circumstances would be different if I was in many of these soldiers position.