The Civil War’s soldiers diet didn’t have much nutrition to it. It definitely shows you how much the times have evolved from what is considered a meal. What I find fascinating about their diet is as time went on they looked for ways to improve things. They started with little to no knowledge about cooking or even being in the kitchen. During those times women were in the kitchen. I found it interesting that they found ways to preserve the meat to make it last longer by adding salt or seasonings. They also found a method to make the bread last longer by drying it after baking. They knew times were difficult during the war so getting the best meals weren’t an option so they had to work within their means. They discovered new ways of cooking and how to cook. Appointing someone to be the skilled cook helps pass on the knowledge to the other soliders. I can’t live without fruit and vegetables.

It is actually very interesting to learn that coffee is something soldiers could not live without. Coffee is something I could live without without a doubt. I rarely drink coffee and when I do it just makes me more tired. However, the hardtack that soldiers lived off of everyday seems a bit dry. So, if there was nothing else to drink I understand. Also, for a food product that lasts for over 150 years, I do not think is very healthy to eat. What can I say though, the food I can’t live without is pizza. I can eat pizza everyday if I could. The best is even cold pizza for breakfast the next day!

credit of photo: https://timebusinessblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/pizza11.jpg?w=480&h=320&crop=1

I almost pity the soldiers of the Civil War. The food rations they received probably didn’t taste as good as their wives’ home cooked meals. Hardtack seems like a very bland piece of cracker. It’s very hard to believe that hardtack is nutritious in the least. And Matt Anderson, the curator of the Minnesota Historical Society, shows us in the Youtube video shows the viewers a 150 year-old hardtack! I really wonder what they put in that hardtack to make it last so long because the bread I buy at the supermarket grows mold in a matter of weeks. I found it very fascinating that Civil War soldiers had access to coffee and drank it all throughout the entirety of the war. I thought coffee became available to Americans much later in the American history timeline. However, I’m not surprised that many of the soldiers were partial to the caffeinated beverage. Many people become addicted to coffee, myself included. It is a staple food item to start the day with and and an energy giver. I do wonder if the soldiers drank the coffee black or with cream and sugar. I like my coffee both black and light and sweet, depending on my mood. Coincidentally,the one food item I cannot live without is coffee. Specifically Starbucks’ naturally flavored caramel ground coffee. It’s so good, I swear on this stuff.

Jorge Lima

Arth 1100

9/25/15

It is fasinating to see the many ways coffee was made during the civil war. Coffee is beverage that contains caffeine and that caffeine is what gives the consumer energy to get through the day. I am also intrigued by the hardtack that was almost impossible chew without dunking it in the coffee. So you can imagine that during the civil war the soilders needed something like coffee to get them through the day and keep them warm. Me personally can get through the day without coffee. It is something that i have to be in the mood for, and it cannot be hot coffee, it must be iced. One food that i cannot live without is avocado. I try my very best to incorporate this into every meal I have. Even breakfast, something like fresh baked bread with butter and avocado and a fresh cup of iced coffee would be ideal.

Jorge Lima

ARTH 1100

Prof. Cheng

Photographing food is something that has trended rapidly. It is a new way to show ones appreciation for food. Photographs capture a moment in time that you want to remember and keep with you to share with others. Food is all about presentation, if the food looks amazing it will attract the customers to want it, the taste of it is the added bonus. It also helps out many of businesses because customers are promoting what and where they ate. Customers are extremely loyal and believe it or not help out the business. Now that photographing food has become so competitive its more than just taking the right picture. Is the lighting right? Did I take the perfect size bite? Can you see my beverage as well? Should I take the picture from an birds eye view? The list goes on and on. Especially now that food blogs have become such a big deal now. There is always a picture of the food with a very descriptive use words so the reader can feel like they have expierenced the food as well. Food photography is art, and always will be.

What do I think about food photography? Well, I believe it’s a new defined work of art. It is a new way of rediscovering who you are and where you come from. From experience, I watch my fiancé takes photos of every home cooked dish he makes. He’ll use the I-Phone camera, display the food in a nice manner so it stands out, and then snapshot it and post it to either Instagram or Facebook. With technology today, it’s amazing how far you can go with just a snapshot of a food dish. Even when you go for job interviews, sometimes they want to see a photo of your cooking, not to actually taste it, but to see how you display it. Overall, I believe the display and presentation is what really creates the art of food.