How to Bone a Duck: A Digital Short

This is a video I made summarizing How to Bone a Duck, my home cooking ethnography. Bon Appetit!

Storyboard

This is a rough storyboard for my digital short.

Home Cooking Update - Where I am

To complete my home cooking ethnography I need to:

- Perform a few more interviews

- Write findings section and conclusion

- Complete Glossary

- Assemble all important documents in binder

- Write Digital Short Script

- Shoot Digital Short and assemble

How to Bone a Duck: Methodology

It’s not like we’re born with the ability to know exactly when a cake is done in the middle, or how to make noodles from scratch. But, we get there. We learn over time. So, I talked to people about their lives. The interviews were intensive, going in to family life, pocket books and spiritual views. I talked to people who have a reputation for their cooking passion. To truly find out why cooking at home is what it is I had to have voices of people who knew what they’re doing. I judged whether or not they knew what they were doing by how they talked about food before the interview, what they were making at home, or prior advice on meals. I tried to focus on men and women. I believe it’s a stereotype to see women in the kitchen and men not caring about what they eat at all. This isn’t true. Men can and do like to cook at home, so they’re a part of the research as well.

I don’t consider myself an expert, but I’m at least enthusiastic enough to know the difference between someone who can measure a tablespoon and someone who knows what whipping egg whites means. Because of this knowledge base I also used personal experience. I’ve cooked many things and know for a fact I feel differently about cooking than lots of other people I’ve talked to. Some people would rather have their food handed to them and prepared. I wouldn’t mind if I were stuck in my kitchen day in and day out making meals for my future children and anyone else who walked through my door. My blog was used heavily for voice in the research. You learn a lot about how a person views food by how they talk about it. I, as you’ve seen, get a little bit of an ego and think all my jokes are funny all while oohing and aahing over the flavors in my filet mignon.

Since I wanted to hear everyone else’s’ voice as well I read other people’s blogs. This not only gave me a feel for why people cook but how. It’s an important aspect. Anyone can microwave something, but can you cook it? It was all fun and no work when it came to this. I got so many recipe ideas! There are so many ways to describe putting your meal together. There are different ingredients, and substitutes for those as well. I know my knowledge is no where near as extensive as necessary to write on this topic alone, so as often as possible I read articles about different foods or tried out different recipes. It’s important to read other people’s work because it allows for new perspectives to be shown. Without personally knowing these people I still had the chance to see why they cook at home.

With all of my new recipe ideas I definitely had some meals to try out. This was integral to my research. What if I used someone’s idea for an example but the food was totally crappy? I needed to have quality standards and a deeper understanding of what ingredients go in to certain dishes. I believe this research only gives me a tighter grasp on home cooking and makes it easier to write about in the end. I want to be completely immersed in this culture, so all of these research methods were needed.

Because I was so surrounded all the time by food and people who love it I also wrote a glossary. It is by no means extensive to what cooking at home looks like. That could be a book in itself. But, it is a guideline of archival materials that play a repeating role in most people’s home cooking experience, or at least with the people I talked to. This will be helpful to the non-informed reader as a reference. I don’t expect all of you to know what boning a duck even refers to. That’s ok. That’s why I’m writing about this.

How to Bone a Duck - Revised Intro

This is my revised introduction. I addressed the topics discussed in peer reviews and worked towards having more concise writing.

Sometimes when I eat alone, sitting at my bar height kitchen table, in my just cheap enough to be comfortable IKEA chair, browsing the Internet while chewing my food, I feel like I’m a really good writer. I feel like I have something extremely important to say and the whole digital audience is sitting on the edge of their slightly uncomfortable chairs with me waiting for my next tidbit of cooking wisdom, coffee enlightenment or the funniest status update they’ll read all day.

For example, a post from March 6, 2011, “I have a guilty pleasure of loving Diane Keaton movies. I think she plays some really classy ladies. There's just something about her in Something's Gotta Give, with her house in The Hamptons and how her clothes match her interior decorating. I love it!

In Because I Said So she's a mom and she loves to cook. There's one scene where she's had a particularly stressful day so she makes herself this delicious looking pasta dinner and eats it all by herself in the kitchen. This isn't to say I've had a particularly stressful day, quite the opposite, but I am saying there are moments when I make myself pasta and I'm home alone that I feel like I too could be the next great playwright (Maybe I should write plays first?). But now I'm mixing up my movies. The point is there's an extremely satisfying feeling in making elegant pasta all for myself.

On this chilly afternoon the elegant dish was Romano Pasta - a fettuccini noodle sautéed in a marsala, garlic, shallot reduction and topped with grated Romano cheese.”

It’s the confidence that stirs in me when I write about my kitchen adventures that leads me to study home cooking. Everyone eats, but how and why? While living in a generation of eating out every night there remain families with children, single dudes and ladies rooming together that take the time to cook at home. What is the draw? Why do they do it? Do they really get anything out of it? All because of my cheeky Internet ego the pleasant world of home cooking will be discovered through these questions for you, the reader, to savor.

The reasons range. Home cooking has health benefits. It can be budget sensitive and experimental. It brings community. Trying it out, or at least reading about it can really only be beneficial. Unless, of course, you fall in love with it and end up spending every night after work sweating over the stovetop, dreaming up ways to bone a duck and then blogging about it. Was that a “Julie and Julia” reference? Continue reading at your own risk.

I cook at home for all of these reasons. I’m not the healthiest person alive. I love sweets, but at least I know what’s going in to my meals. And when it comes to money I’m all over the sales at the grocery store. I can spend $31 and save $38 at the same time. You can’t do that when you eat out. But, why I’m most passionate about cooking at home is because I love having people over. I see food as a huge part of quality time and when it’s in a relaxed environment it’s even better. Another reason to study this topic – to find out if other people feel the same way about home cooking.

And this is where the story goes beyond cheeky.

My friend Kristin says it so well, “ It’s fun because you’re enjoying things God has given us. You’re enjoying that together.”

Dwell on that, as this feast is prepared. The reason for home cooking goes far beyond nourishment, price point or hobby. It is a thanksgiving to God. Food is already one of my favorite things, and when I realized that God also loves food, because he created it, my curiosity exploded. If He created the Platypus then what kinds of fruits and vegetables did he place on this Earth for us to be perplexed by? Taste and see!

How to Bone a Duck - Working Title & Introduction

Sometimes when I eat alone, sitting at my bar height kitchen table, in my just cheap enough to be comfortable IKEA chair, browsing the Internet while chewing, I feel like I’m a really good writer. I feel like I have something extremely important to say and the whole digital audience is sitting on the edge of their slightly uncomfortable chairs waiting for my next tidbit of cooking wisdom, coffee enlightenment or the funniest status update they’ll read all day.

For example, a post from March 6, 2011, “I have a guilty pleasure of loving Diane Keaton movies. I think she plays some really classy ladies. There's just something about her in Something's Gotta Give, with her house in The Hamptons and how her clothes match her interior decorating. I love it!

In Because I Said So she's a mom and she loves to cook. There's one scene where she's had a particularly stressful day so she makes herself this delicious looking pasta dinner and eats it all alone in her kitchen. This isn't to say I've had a particularly stressful day, quite the opposite, but I am saying there are moments when I make myself pasta and I'm home alone that I feel like I too could be the next great playwright (Maybe I should write plays first?). But now I'm mixing up my movies. The point is there's an extremely satisfying feeling in making elegant pasta all for myself.

On this chilly afternoon the elegant dish was Romano Pasta - a fettuccini noodle sautéed in a marsala, garlic, shallot reduction and topped with grated Romano cheese.”

It’s the confidence that stirs in me when I write about my kitchen adventures that leads me to study the timely topic of home cooking. Everyone eats, but how and why? In a time of eating out every night there are families with children, single dudes and ladies rooming together that take the time to cook at home. What is the draw? Why do they do it? Do they really get anything out of it? All because of my cheeky Internet ego the pleasant world of home cooking will be discovered more fully for you, the reader, to savor.

The reasons range. Home cooking has health benefits. It can be budget sensitive and experimental. It brings community. Trying it out, or at least reading about it can really only be beneficial. Unless, of course, you fall in love with it and end up spending every night after work sweating over the stovetop, dreaming up ways to bone a duck and then blogging about it. Was that a “Julie and Julia” reference? Continue reading at your own risk.

I cook at home for all of these reasons. I’m not the healthiest person alive. I love my sweets, but at least I know what’s going in to my meals. And when it comes to money I’m all over the sales at the grocery store. I can spend $31 and save $38 at the same time. You can’t do that when you eat out. But, why I’m most passionate about cooking at home is because I love having people over. I see food as a huge part of quality time and when it’s in a relaxed environment it’s even better. Another reason to study this topic – to find out if other people feel the same way about home cooking.

And this is where the story goes beyond cheeky.

My friend Kristin said it so well, “ It’s fun because you’re enjoying things God has given us. You’re enjoying that together.”

Dwell on that, as this feast is prepared. The reason for home cooking goes far beyond nourishment, price point or hobby. It is a thanksgiving to God. Food is already one of my favorite things, and when I realized that God also loves food, because he created it, my curiosity exploded. If He created the Platypus, such a funny creature, then what kinds of fruits and vegetables did he place on this Earth for us to be perplexed by? Taste and see!

Cookbooks and Gladware as Archival Material

Cookbooks are extremely helpful, especially when you're like me and can never remember if it was a tablespoon or teaspoon of salt. Big difference. They're an archival material for cooking at home. If you can't remember what a recipe calls for or if you loved the casserole from Thanksgiving they help to recreate that moment, or in this case, the taste.

But another kitchen artifact that really digs deeper in to an archival is Gladware. These are the small, see-through plastic containers that left overs are kept in. Some are taken well care of, emptied quickly and cleaned often, showing the dish was a success. Some can be found in the back corner of your refrigerator, green and stinky. That meal won't be made again.

Each of these items plays an important role in home cooking, the actual task, and in the meaning put behind it. One keeps memories over years, even decades. Others last for the moment, maybe a week. Home cooking spans over many periods of time, and each era has a different way of preserving.

Three Cups of Tea Review

Three Cups of Tea not only sheds light on the need for education in Pakistan, but also on how it’s done. That’s why it’s worth the read. It’s not a book that tells you all the reasons why something needs to be changed. It doesn’t leave you with the excitement to do something but no idea how. It instead shows you the work being done to make the situation better.

What pulls you in is the way the book isn’t a how-to though. It’s sharing inspiration. Greg Mortenson is a humble man with no idea on how to raise money to build a school. He lives in his car and works night shifts at hospitals. He doesn’t know how to use a computer and he believes uninspired celebrities will give him all the funds he needs.

This ethnography isn’t a stagnant, this is how easy it was, success story. The plot thickens so often because real life happens. There’s no gloss over his dirt stained, dusty shalwar. The book shows the real work that goes in to not only building schools in Pakistan but also the roadblocks that get in the way and the relationships created to overcome them.

An Update

This is a letter to my husband updating him on my Third Year Writing Project:

Dear Hubs,

I can't wait to see you at home this afternoon! What should I make for dinner? You probably don't know what you want. That's ok.

Speaking of food though, can I just tell you how I'm feeling about this third year writing project? I'm having a lot of fun. I feel like I have a lot of ideas and I'm ready to put them in to action. I talked to Krater the other day and she inspired me to press forward in finding out why people involve food in hospitality. I also want to talk to Julie. She's such a lovely lady. What chef should I talk to? What about someone from The Copper Kettle? They have home style food.

At the end of the project I also have to do something digitally related. How fun! Since we'll have the ipad I'll be able to use that to video some cooking. Maybe I can do a 2 or 3 minute video of all the people I talked to cooking and them saying why they love to, sort of a promotional kind of thing for the paper.

I also want to incorporate my Simple Feast blog posts, like the one about Mahi Mahi. Because it's my personal experience with food and what happens when I cook at home.

What do you think? Your input means so much to me. I respect your opinions. I think you're so intelligent.

I love you,
Your Wife

Why Kristin Cooks

Kristin Childress has always cooked, but her love for the craft really bloomed once she lived on her own. She focuses on incorporating healthy ingredients into traditionally sugary treats, like brownies. Think sweet potatoes with cinnamon and less flour, sugar, eggs and oil.

But, there’s a further reason behind her love for cooking: hospitality.

“It’s just kind of a part of cultural history. You can go back way in the day and it’s a huge sign of you’re welcome here.”

She notes how relaxed people can get when you tell them to sit down and you offer them some food. The conversation changes instantly.

“It’s fun because you’re enjoying things God has given us. You’re enjoying that together.”

Kristin quickly shows how complex home cooking is. There are health reasons to eat and cook certain types of food. But, the same thing that sustains us is also a mode of conversation and comfort.

An Interview with Kristin

I interviewed my friend Kristin. She loves to incorporate healthier options into her cooking and baking. Home cooking to her is not only an easy way to watch what she eats but also a form of hospitality. Here are some quotes from our interview:

I really like making baked goods because everyone loves them and you can really be creative with them and try different types of recipes.

I also love being hospitable. I love having people over and I think a big part of that is cooking for them.

Just in general, fresh ingredients are always healthier, especially when you’re working with vegetables and fruits. You can choose or substitute healthier things.

It’s just kind of a part of cultural history. You can go back way in the day and it’s a huge sign of you’re welcome here.

Food is how we sustain our bodies. It’s a sign of you’re welcome.

It’s fun because you’re enjoying things God has given us. You’re enjoying that together.

A Map to Food

This is a map of my kitchen. Everyone who cooks needs a place to do so. My kitchen has all of the utensils, appliances, ingredients and space (however limited) I need to prepare delicious meals. I have tried to label as many important areas in my kitchen as possible.

Recipes & Ingredients - Lists

While cooking at home you first have to have a type of food you’d like to make – a list of food genres. Are you in the mood for Asian, Southern or Italian food? You have recipes, within that, a list of ingredients and then a list of measurements. [Only talk about ingredients at this point. Save measurements for later] Some of these ingredients are always there. Muffins will always have flour. Icing will always have sugar. Then there are the variations of ingredients, personal touches. There may be orange zest added to a cake or capers to a dish of pasta with lemon butter sauce. [Measurements] When the relaxing task of home cooking now has numbers and detailed lists added to it you realize the artist also has to be a mathematician. An interesting idea and almost hard to agree with, that the abstract can be combined with the concrete.

A Practice in Revision

This is some free writing I did on an oven - a necessary item for home cooking.

An oven - it's the meeting point for chefs and bakers. It's a necessity. Most often you can't make much without one. Sure, you could cook without one, but it's much easier to accomplish more with one. If you don't have one you could have a cold sandwich. But, where did the bread come from? Where was it baked? An oven. You could survive on raw vegetables, and they would be good and nutritious. But, just think how you could enhance them with the stovetop? Sauteed. Boiled. Set around a roast. To go above and beyond with food and its flavors an oven is a necessary item. It is a gateway. A bridge to aroma, to taste. When crossed it is delightful.

Here is my revision...

An oven - the meeting point for chefs and bakers. It's a necessity. Most often you can't make much without one. Sure you could still eat, but you can accomplish so much more if there's one in the room. You could make a cold sandwich, but where did the bread come from? Where was it baked? An oven. You could survive on raw vegetables and they would be good and nutritious. But, just think how you could enhance them with a stovetop? Sauteed, boiled, set around a roast, to go above and beyond with food and its flavors an oven is a necessary item. It is a gateway, a bridge to aroma and taste. And, when crossed it is delightful.

Home Cooking Artifacts: Buns in the Oven

Now, I won't say you need an oven for every part of cooking or baking, but it's safe to say most of the time it's a great assistant. That's why it's one of the main artifacts for my home cooking ethnography. If you want to get technical the stove top (cast iron skillet, spoon rest, kettle and hand towel included) are all helpful, if not sometimes necessary, additions to home cooking.

Fieldnotes: A Trip to Bongo Java

For my class time field notes I felt it was appropriate to visit Bongo Java. The people always seem to be talking about something interesting, not that eavesdropping is something I make a habit of. On this day I was allowed though.

I was surprised to find a quieter environment than I’m used to at Bongo. It seems like there’s usually a roar of movement going on, but on this particular afternoon it was more of a low hum.

I was intrigued by food, of course. There was only one raspberry bar left, so I bought it. Because of that I am now determined to make my own raspberry bar. After I got over the delight of the juicy, fruit filling I noticed I was also intrigued by the barista. She seemed angry, but I didn’t necessarily believe it to be the truth.

I was disturbed, only slightly, by a photo hanging on the wall. A man had painted an elephant’s nose on to his face. He posed with only this and suspenders on over his bare chest. It was somewhat odd. It made me wonder what the theme of the project was.

A Passion for Food

As soon as I typed the last blog post I had already made the decision to write about home cooking. This could mean several things in your mind, so let’s define it.

Home cooking, in the terms I will explore it, will include: Baking, whether it be cakes, cookies, whoopie pies, normal pies, as well as cooking, breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, Southern fried, Texas fried, perogi as a side. As long as the creation happens in someone’s kitchen, in the comfort of his or her home, it counts.

But, that’s a lot of food, so the research will revolve around what a person cooks that brings joy to their heart. As I’ve mentioned before, it’s because of the passion. That is what I want to capture.

I have a lot of friends and family with a passion for home cooking as it is, but I can’t just stop there. I want to push my boundaries and step outside of my comfort zone. I want to meet new people. Sure, I’ll talk to some people I already know but also taking time to talk to a local baker who is maybe running the operation out of her kitchen would be worth it. Maybe I’ll make myself strike up conversations with strangers sitting next to me at a coffee shop and I'll ask to be a part of their baking experience. Or yet another way, I choose a restaurant, talk to the chef and find out what they like to make for themselves at home. Aside from interviews I’ll look at magazines, books and websites.

Home cooking might be broad but I see someone’s specific passion as very narrow. You can like a lot of things but it takes time and attention to love them.

Home Cookin', Ya'll!

I don’t really say ya’ll, not yet anyways. But, I see it as fitting because home cooking really interests me. While brainstorming, the joy of cooking popped in my head, a famous cookbook, yes, but also how I feel when I make carrot cake muffins in my kitchen.

The main discourse could be focused on housewives and/or Southern ladies. I’ve grown up around these types of people, but also strive to be one, even if it’s considered controversial. But, this isn’t a main discourse, possibly not even a second discourse quite yet. I do have access though. So even if I can’t talk the talk I at least know which way to walk.

My Key Question: What do you bake or cook that brings joy to your heart? Instead of saying why do you cook or even how do you cook I want to look at their passion behind it all.

OR

I could focus on The Joy of Cooking aspect heavily. There was a whole movie made about Julia Child’s devout fan and the joy (and fear) she got out of boning a duck. Why not an ethnography? This study would still be focused on home cooking, but possibly with more rules. Julia Child did graduate from Le Courdon Bleu, afterall.

Bam! Why I Consider Food One of My Primary Discourses

When I was about 10 years old I started watching The Food Network. I loved this TV station. My favorite chef was Emeril Lagasse, no questions asked. My second might have been Rachel Ray, but only because she was pretty and had the ingenious idea of using an empty bowl as a trash can so you didn’t have to move away from your cooking space. I grew up with this. When I wasn’t watching The Food Network I experimented in the kitchen. My Dad encouraged my passions. One time I experimented with a toffee sauce and it all burnt to the bottom of the pan. I didn’t get in trouble. Another time I caught my Dad’s birthday carrot cake on fire in the oven and he still let me off the hook. Another primary discourse: grace.

But the discourse I want to focus on at the moment is food and my passion for it. I have always enjoyed it and as I get older I discover more and my curiosity continues to peak. This clip showcases the man whom added to my discourse’s language and puts a sound level to my internal excitement over food. Bon Appétit!

A Work in Progress

We’re all continuously learning. Sometimes it’s just more purposeful than others.

With this blog, over the course of a semester, I will hone my writing. I will consciously write concisely, creatively and, when needed, lengthy.

It will work in conjunction with my Simple Feast Project, bringing food and conversation to the same table.

Check back soon for updates! May the feast of knowledge begin.