Module 3: Devils Advocate
Professor
Kalm
ICM
506
30
July 2018
The significance of being open minded in the
kitchen
The phrase “nothing changes, if nothing changes” is
parallel to a sedentary mindset not allowing for growth. According to Merriam- Webster, growth can be defined as “progressive
development”. The kitchen is one of the most ideal locations to dance with
change and proceed by adapting to it. Contrary to many beliefs, recipes are not
meant to be set in stone. Being set in one’s ways can arguably be just as
harmful as not trying at all. Some of the most beneficial discoveries stem from
the initial commitment to attempt a new task. The endless possibility of
success is the enticing factor we must look to for hope.
Recipes
can be viewed as roadmaps to one’s journey in the kitchen. Although maps do not
lie, often times, travelers do not question the possibility of alternative
routes. This same mindset can be applicable to baking. Being open-minded in and
out of the kitchen allows for one’s creativity to flow full force. Areas such
as food alternatives, flavor, and unnecessary ingredients may all come to
recognition!
We live in a day and age where it feels as though
allergies are at an all-time high. Perhaps a recipe calls for an ingredient
that is not doable for your audience. How does one handle such a dilemma? One
may argue to simply choose another recipe since it will save time and hassle. However,
what might be a more flexible option in this scenario? By opening one’s
horizons and allowing oneself to experiment with alternative ingredients, one
may establish an even better recipe! For example, if a recipe requires milk and
individuals are lactose intolerant, soymilk is a great substitute!
Another
area of baking that one must be conscious of is food sensitivity. In some
instances, removing and/or lessening an ingredient can make a beneficial
impact. For example, hypothetically speaking, say one is cooking for someone
who is sensitive to salt. If a recipe calls for 2 tbsp. of salt, by lessening
the amount, perhaps one might realize the recipe did not actually need all that
salt in the first place! On the contrary, one may worry that the recipe could
come out entirely different. Although there is a possibility of failure, how could
one possibly compare that closed mindset to the countless possibilities of
discovery?
Have you ever viewed a recipe and thought, “hm, this
could use___!” If so, congratulations! You are officially a pioneer for change.
I commend everyone who allows for one to put doubt aside, and unapologetically
try something. For those who rarely ever add to recipes, I can understand where
one may be coming from. Perhaps one is so content with the original recipe that
he/she does not look to alter a good thing. However, I truly encourage all to
be daring and dive deep into one’s taste buds. Change can arise for the good,
or for the bad. Above all else, it is necessary to accept
and move forward with whatever change occurs.
Works Cited
This is a good first effort. I know the assignment can be confusing. Yours is a discussion of what the assignment is about, more than it fulfills the assignment.
ReplyDelete“Contrary to many beliefs, recipes are not meant to be set in stone.” Yes, that’s the idea. You go on to discuss how allergies and food sensitivity encourage experimentation.
I think an even stronger version of this assignment for you might have been to write out a series of very traditional recipes that you radically altered.
I know it’s hard to experiment with baking as opposed to cooking. If you play around with the wrong measurements, your dough might not rise. Maybe you are a traditionalist and this is your counter-argument?
You got the essence of the piece and that's good enough.
The devils advocate assignment reinforces my emphasis on “drafting” throughout the semester. Too often we think of another draft as something proofed for spelling errors. I use first drafts to get my initial thoughts on the page and expect a second draft to change and evolve and even inspire a third.
Most courses teach us to get a writing assignment correct to communicate we understood a lesson. That’s an essential part of learning, but it ignores another essential benefit of writing, and that’s its ability to discover. If my assignments fill you with questions, that’s my intention. You must write further to answer them.
Even when you step away from writing, your mind continues to work on the problems you set down with your words. It’s a process a lot of people don’t take time to practice or benefit from.
It’s like cooking, actually. How often do you cook to only taste and try? How often do you bake expecting to create a few ruined mistakes on the way to something different?
Did your devil’s advocate make you reconsider anything? Look at the variety of other answers in the class. Some made an argument that changed their mind. Others were swept away by their passions. These are steps in the argument process advancing within all of our beats.
Our best sentences and theses (ideas) emerge from the writing process if we write this way. Sometimes our own sentences surprise us. There’s an old writing lesson that says no tears (or laughter or surprise, etc.) in the writer; no tears (etc.) in the reader.
So draft, and then go back, and pull your best sentences from your rough process and start over with them. Don’t rush past what makes the writing process a process.
Thank you so much for your feedback!! I will definitely apply your critique :)
DeleteEven though this strayed from what the assignment was meant to be I think you have a lot of great points in here that could actually make for a devils advocate beat!
ReplyDeleteYou write, “Although maps do not lie, often times, travelers do not question the possibility of alternative routes,” and I think this is really what you are trying to say.
I think Professor Kalm makes a great point when he suggests that you could add your ways of changing traditional recipies. This would really add a new realm to your piece.
Keep voicing your opinions and giving suggestions to people!