Author Archives: Debie Mendoza

Smorgasburg Reaction Blog – Debie Mendoza

1 Reply

        Smorgasburg “Brooklyn Flea market” is a group of purveyors that introduces culinary tourism in Brooklyn. They are open at Williamsburg by the seaport on Saturday and at Prospect Park on Sunday. They offer variety of different cuisines from different countries, which is why they attract many people including tourist and locals. The class assignment was to visit the place, eat a food, and criticize it in detail.

        On Sunday, October 9, I went to Smorgasburg at Prospect Park. The weather was horrible it was breezy, very cold and drizzling. The only two branches open are the Ramen burger and the Maria’s authentic taco. The rest of the purveyors was packing and leaving the place because of the stormy weather. Thus, with shortage of option I tried the regular portion of ramen burger, pretty small for 10 bucks. I thought that the ramen would be a little crispier since it is put on the hamburger fryer, but it was not. However, there was a purpose as to why it is served like that. It is for the customers to eat the burger without making a mess since the ramen is sticking together. The smell of the Japanese sauce left a strong fishy smell in my hands, making me wonder whether they put oil or powder of fish in the sauce.

        On Saturday, October 15, I went to Williamsburg to recover my experience. I tried the Korean Bulgogi from “C Bao”, Mango lassi from “Dosa Royale”, and Bisska Corn from “Bisska NYC.” I was very disappointed with the korean bulgogi and I will never try it again. The korean beef was not cut properly, it was put in a bun as a cluster of uncut beef. The white onions with the beef were cut in big chunks which would cause a person to choke. I then lose my appetite and throw half of the food. I drank the mango lassi to make me feel better however, it made my throat dry that I started coughing and needed a water. After a while, I tried the Bisska corn and it would have been good if the corn was served a little bit hard. I also saw many people from the “Wow Fulls”, which makes me want to try the egg waffles, but the line is very long, about 20-30 people. One of the food from a purveyors was very surprising. It is fried anchovies in a small cup that is served as a snack which is not common in a market such as that.

        Overall, the food at Smorgasburg food market did not leave a great impression on me however, I fell in love with the neighborhood. With it’s graffiti, vintage, antique, jewelry and the street market.  

Field Trip Blog! – Debie Mendoza

1 Reply

        Sustainability is the process in which a systems keeps on going for years and years. In today’s society it is very difficult for all the people, especially the farmers to sustain the environment with the chemical resources they use.

 The movie “America Revealed : Food Machine” introduces numbers of hectares plantation found in different states. These companies produce all the ingredients that are used in food chains such as Mcdonalds, Burger King, etc. The California dam was also stated helping all the plantations within the area. However, it is disturbing because there is drought presented from Global Warming which might exacerbates in the future. According to EPA, agencies such as CAFO operates thousands of cattle to sell in markets and feed millions of Americans, the supply and demand. People’s craveability and population growth motivates many of these corporations to produce more. Consequently forcing these company to supply more products and use resources that is not sustainable in the environment to satisfy the needs of their clients.

Big food is a huge corporation with $1.5 trillion industry that produces food for the Americans. Michael Pollan’s states in the article “Big food strikes back” how in 2008, most of the president candidate did not address the broken food system thus, after publishing this article the Obama’s put an eye on it. They address the food processing in food system and how it goes back on the health issues for the citizen. How moneys spent for health cares are linked with foods diet even regarding agriculture that produces more greenhouse gases than transportation. Resulting in health problems such as stroke, heart disease and obesity which are possible caused mostly from the food people eat. From unsustainable chemical fertilizers that corporations uses to grow their products which are eventually transferred to people’s body.

Brooklyn Grange have planted many herbs, perennials sage, chards and vegetables. They use water irrigation from the water runs off tanks, Aerobic decomposition from all the damaged plants, flowers such as Amuru Fall edible flower that attracts bees and insects on all the edges of plantations, unsustainable fertilizer that most of the plants are planted: Cocoa that produces nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium on the plants. Other fertilizer that produces nitrogen like phosphorus, oxygen and hydrogen which are the major compound of chlorophyll that helps the sun gets it sunlight and survive. Although the garden uses waste for their plants, they still do not cooperate to sustain because of the chemicals they use that are eco non friendly. 

Generally, it is relevant to know informations that are associated with food. Food is one of the most important issue people are not addressing today. We do not put attention on what goes inside our body. The chemicals that are injected on these foods, the process that it have been through and whether the products is produce or not from sustaining the environment.