I found the reading by Victor Valle interesting because of the political nature surrounding Encarnacion Pinedo’ cookbook. She was an educated woman who wrote well and created an extensive work, but it still was not as successful as it should have been. This happened for many reasons, including political climate and the fact that she is a woman. I think I don’t usually realize the cultural relevance of food, especially food related literature like cookbooks. Literature is art and art is always influence by the environment that it was created in. The second reading provides a look into the content of the cookbook by Encarnacion Pinedo. There are several things that I think are important to note about this, the first being the personal touches. This reflects how personal cooking is and how worthy it is of being shared, as well as the methods that are used to share it, like a cookbook. The title page of this reading notes that Pinedo had brand preferences, which she included. This is helpful to readers in so many ways, including creating cuisine that tastes like it was made thoughtfully and purposefully. Another thing that I think is important about the context surrounding this cookbook is the emphasis on inclusivity. It includes “advice and explanations that put the art of cooking within reach of everyone,” which is an extremely important aspect of cookbooks. Cooking does not have to be complex and seemingly impossible to the general public who are not trained chefs. Beautiful food should be accessible, fun, and easily created, which seems to be an opinion I share with Pinedo.
Week 5 Blog
