Journal #2 Simon Crespo

Simón Crespo Pérez

July 15^th, 2019

Journal #2: La Cocina de Mi Mamá

• Establish who you are and why you are conducting this study.

I am Simón Antonio Crespo Pérez, soon to be an alumni of Emory University majoring in political science. The reason I am conducting this study, specifically an interview and observation of my mother, her dining room and her kitchen is to describe and understand on a deeper level the anthropological side of food creation and consumption in my own household, which is affected by our Ecuadorian and Spanish origins. Consequently, the title of the journal, which translates to My Mom’s Kitchen.

• What interests you about the table that you have chosen to write about?

I have a close friend who is a chef, particularly specialized in desserts for big events, like business cocktails and weddings, but the idea of researching in my own household was more interesting to me since it made me realize that I eat here almost every day and have never taken the time to analyze the creation and consumption of food in it. This journal is the perfect opportunity to do so.

• What anthropological methods have you employed to study this kitchen table and why did you choose them?

For this journal, I have used what anthropologists would call ethnographic fieldwork since it is based on “empirical and descriptive results, and participant observation” (Crowther in Eating Culture). I used the method of ethnographic fieldwork because it was the most accurate method I have learned to answer the prompt of the journal.

• What have you observed or learned?

All the following information was gathered via interviewing and observation.

The kitchen of my mother, María Teresa Pérez de Crespo, is an industrial one, which means it is made of stainless steel, and it was equipped by a German company that sets kitchens for restaurants in my area. She decided to do an industrial one in her house instead of a regular one because she only spends her money in what she truly likes. Cooking and serving food to family and friends are one of her favorite hobbies, so having a kitchen that not only looks like the one’s in movies about chefs, but also works professionally was a great investment. The kitchen is composed of different elements made with stainless steel: sink, dishwasher, stove, refrigerator, and pantry. All these elements surround a counter in the middle, which is also made of stainless steel. In that counter is where all the cooking magic happens. There are no cabinets and drawers therefore all the cooking tools and food are exposed since she likes to see everything and make sure they are clean. The dining room of my mother, which is right next to the kitchen and connected by a swinging door, so people can open it without using their hands since they are probably transporting food and other elements, like dishes and glasses. The dining room is composed of a big glass table that seats twelve people in leather chairs. The table and chairs were bought in Ecuador. The walls are decorated with four big paintings of a renowned painter from Bolivia, Mr. Pepe Luque, that portrays a party in a Latin American wealthy household in the 1920’s. For her, the kitchen is the technical part of the matter, so it is made of stainless steel and very organized. On the other hand, the dining room is the social part of the matter, so it is decorated with art. She finds joy in the two rooms. In simple words, in my household, we have two tables for food: the kitchen table or counter were food is created, and the dining room table were food is consumed.

• What are your conclusions about the function, and practices associated with the kitchen table you studied?

From my interview and observation, I conclude that the situation regarding kitchen and dining room in my household is totally affected by the globalized world we live in: the kitchen and utensils were made by Germans, the dining table and chairs were made in Ecuador, the art was made in Bolivia, and the food comes from everywhere, from  imported American meat, imported Spanish cheese, and imported Chinese soy sauce. This last example is “foodscape”, the flow of ingredients and cuisines across the globe. Using “comparison”, the arrangement of that part of my house is not that different that an American household with a similar socioeconomic status. Not only has food gone global, but also where it is made and consumed: the kitchen and dining room.