Items

• 
  2020-08-17

  Comfort Food in an Uncomfortable time.

  In the midst of the chaos of: at home learning, quarantine, and the endless stream of commercials asking to support major corporations such Mcdonalds and Taco Bell, the epiphany that fast food could be made...slower, safer, but just as nostalgic, came to mind. No longer will you have to put your life, or an essential workers life, on the line for mediocre fast food! In order to emulate the staple dish of a CrunchWrap Supreme, the following ingredients are necessary. Recipe Ingredients: - 16 oz of Ground Beef - 4 Large Tortillas - 8 medium size tortillas - 1 head of lettuce - 4 oz of tomatoes - 2 oz of peppers - 4 tablespoons of sour cream - 6 oz of cheese - 1 tablespoon chili powder - ¼ teaspoon garlic powder - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - ¼ teaspoon dried oregano - ½ teaspoon paprika - 1 teaspoon salt - 1 teaspoon black pepper Steps to Make It 01 Layer skillet with oil and heat to medium or medium-high heat. Allow the oil to heat before adding the medium tortillas. Once the oil has begun to "pop" place one tortilla into the pan. It should sizzle immediately, cooking for about 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat until 4 medium tortillas have been cooked. 02 On Medium Heat place the ground beef on the skillet. Add powders, spices, as meat cooks. 03 As the beef is cooking, dice the tomatoes, peppers, and place in a small mixing bowl. *note a food processor may be used as a substitute 04 As the beef has finished cooking, set aside for 5 minutes 05 Assembly: Place 2-4oz of the cooked beef in the center of an uncooked large tortilla, 06 Apply a spoonful of cheese, and diced peppers and tomatoes, and lettuce 07 Place a medium fried tortilla atop the meat,cheese, and lettuce mixture 08 Spread ½ tablespoon of sour cream, place another spoonful of cheese, diced tomatoes and lettuce 09 Place a medium uncooked tortilla atop the fried medium tortilla 10 Begin to fold the large tortilla’s outer edges over the filling, creating a five sided shape 11 Reheat the skillet to medium heat and place the CrunchWrapSupreme, seam side down, on the hot pan. Cook until lightly golden. Flip and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. 12 Repeat steps 5-11 13 Enjoy!
• 
  2020-12-04

  Henshin! The nostalgia wanes and reality sets in.

  Overcrowded movie theaters, expensive popcorn, and escapism entertainment made for the best days as a child of the 20th century. Surrounded by an ever growing crisis of climate change, the rising political tensions domestic and foreign; nearly every issue fades away as the lights dim in a theater, directing all attention to the action set pieces of the latest blockbuster hit. Unfortunately now, there are no lights to dim, no popcorn to smell, the once intense reverberating sound and art of audio mixing, is now forced to protrude from broken TV sound bars. The magnificent subtle nuances of orchestral scores, become muffled by the yelling of neighbors. As basic and selfish as it may seem, Covid-19 served as a reminder of the unobtainable nostalgia and senses that surround my past, the art of escapism through film. In 2020 I witnessed the passing of loved ones, relationships dwindle, and ironically the comfort of escapism...has now escaped me. Movie theaters were closed, the discomfort of the slightly course and rough woven stitched seats, became a desperate dream, a return to normalcy. The artificial smell of buttered popcorn, along with the overpriced snacks, became memories of an easier past. I wrote Henshin, as a manifestation of the changes of Covid-19. It isn't necessarily that films can never be enjoyed again, but the ability to truly escape, is gone. We view, smell, feel and see things differently now. The bombastic sensation within a theater, sharing the laughs, cries and emotions with other children, is now replaced with a constant checking of watches to return again to the world. The smell of artificial flavoring may be gone forever. Loved ones will never carry us out of a theater again. The inconvenient sounds of crowds, machines, and other viewers, are now replaced with conventional house noises. Undoubtedly film will return, theaters will open up again, but the once wholesome experience from the past has changed. The families laughs have now turned to cries, quoting movies with one another has turned to editing eulogies, smells are now memories instead of new experiences.