Meeting #3

As I was shopping at Tom Thumb, I ran into my conversation partner, Essa. I knew we lived close to each other, so it was not entirely surprising that I saw him. We saw each other as we went towards the check-out line. I usually buy the same items, going through my usual college routine of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, eggs, and chicken. Essa had a wider variety of foods: noodles, spices, various meets, and more. He told that he and his wife like to cook. I asked about what he was going to cook with all the different things in his shopping cart, and he describe the dish in every detail, going step by step. After eating the food he cooked for the conversation partner social, I think that Essa could be a chef. I am particularly excited because Essa has promised to cook me more food. He assured me that his pasta dishes and lintel cuisines are especially delicious. Essa is extremely passionate about cooking, which is good because I really enjoy eating.

Similar to most cultures, food seems to be an important aspect of Essa’s background. The spices, noodles, rice, tea, coffee, and meat that he cooks with combine to create a distinct set of flavors that are unique to his family’s recipes. Essa does not eat pork due to his religious affiliation – Islam. Looking into his shopping cart, I noticed that we had a lot of the same food. After previously eating Essa’s cooking, I know that he only uses a few ingredients that combine for a delightful taste. I think it is interesting how many different combinations someone can cook the same ingredients, simply by preparing them in different ways. I am not much of a cook. Grilling is a pastime of mine, but there is not much skill to it. Essa’s approach to cooking is authentic, passionate, and much more complex than throwing a slab of meat on the grill. Essa told me that he learned his cooking style from his family – mostly his grandmother. He learned a variety of recipes over several years and with much practice. This is something that I hope to do. Every time I go home for a holiday, I attempt to learn a new recipe – most of which are relatively simple and difficult to mess up. For example, I learn how to cook my grandmother’s famous – within the family – breaded chicken with sauce when I went home for Fall Break. It's not a particularly difficult meal to cook, but I am nonetheless proud of my accomplishment. If I learn to cook a few new cuisines every couple months, I’ll have quite the repertoire when I graduate from college. Maybe Essa can teach me one of his recipes... I would probably mess up the first few attempts, but I think it would be a great way to expand my understanding of his culture. Additionally, I could teach him how to cook an American recipe. I'm from Tennessee, and my family prides itself on Southern comfort food. I think Essa would like to learn a new recipe; I'll ask him.