CLASS CANCELED MONDAY 10/26

Very sorry for the late notice. See you (hopefully) Wednesday.

Week 10 Agenda

Chocolate Mocha Cake from Ellie Krieger's Healthy Appetite (Food Network, USA)

Week 10

M10.26
Read: CR—“Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” by Michael Pollan, “On Cooking—I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care” by “candylover”
In-Class: Essay discussion; Writer's Workshop
Due: Persuasive essay (Draft 1; bring three copies);

W10.28
Read: CR—“Growing Pains” by Tama Murphy, “Thursday, September 12, 2002” by Julie Powell, “Mistakes Were Made” by Lessley Anderson
In-Class: Essay discussion; Presentations
Due: Persuasive essay (Final draft)

UPCOMING:
Week 11

M 11.2
Read: CR—“The Mixing of the Greens” by Louis P. DeGouy, “Macaroni and Lots of Cheese” by Julia Moskin
In-Class: Presentations; Lecture—“How to Write a Process Essay”

W 11.4
Read: KC—pg. 3-35
In-Class: Process essay

Supplemental: Persuasive Essay

The Modes of Persuasion
In 350 BCE, Aristotle's On Rhetoric identified what he considered to be the three basic components of successful appeal.

Logos: Logos is an appeal based upon logic. The idea is that you are more likely to convince people of your position if it is framed in a reasonable manner. In other words, people are most attracted to those ideas that are clearly explained, logically constructed, and based in facts.

Pathos: Pathos is an appeal based upon emotion. People are more likely to be persuaded if base emotions are appealed to. Keep in mind, that the emotions tapped need not be positive. One can be persuaded by feelings of anger or anxiety, just as easily as feelings of warmth or optimism.

Ethos: Ethos is the appeal based upon the credibility of the speaker. This appeal touches on the element of trust. If one trusts the character, motives, and expertise of the person making the appeal, then he or she is more likely to be persuaded.

Fallacies of Logic
These are arguments containing errors in reason. They are extremely common and often very effective. However, the point here is not for you to use these in your argument, but to be able to point them out in opposing points of view.

AD HOMINEM: The Ad Hominem attack will focus on the person, not the argument.

Example: You can't take health advice from her, all she eats is junk food!

RED HERRING: A Red Herring is the introduction of an irrelevant subject, usually introduced in an attempt to drive the argument away (or distract) from its original subject.

Example: Why are we debating a soda tax when it's really Starbucks we need to reign in?

BURDEN OF PROOF: This is the tactic of shifting the Burden of Proof onto the wrong party. One party clearly has the responsibility to prove or dispove something, but instead shifts that responsibility to the opposing party.

Example: Of course, America has the best restaurants in the world. Prove to me they don't.

GOLDEN MEAN: The Golden Mean fallacy assumes that given two opposing viewpoints, the correct solution is invariably the middle or "golden mean." This fallacy is based upon the common belief that neither of two diametrically opposed viewpoints can possibly be correct.

Example: This recipe says to use four cups of flour, while another says to use six. I’ll play it safe and use five cups instead.

SLIPPERY SLOPE: The Slippery Slope fallacy is based on the idea that once you take the first step down a path, you will be inexorably drawn down that path until you reach an inevitable and very bad end. In other words, if “X” is allowed to happen, then “Y” is sure to be the end result.

Example: Calorie counts on restaurant menus will only lead to government mandates telling us what and what not to eat.

STRAW MAN: A Straw Man is a misrepresentation of the opposing view, setup in such a way that it is easy to demolish. At worst, it is a complete fabrication which bears no resemblance whatsoever to the original argument.

Example: Vegetarians and vegans make such a big fuss about eating meat because, at the end of the day, all they want is the destruction of capitalism.

LOADED QUESTION: A Loaded Question presupposes something that has not been proven or accepted by all involved. It is posed in such a way that a person, no matter what answer he/she responds with, will inevitably commit him/herself to some presupposed claim.

Example: Are you still a food snob?

BANDWAGON: The Bandwagon is a fallacy in which a threat of rejection by one's peers (or peer pressure) is substituted for evidence in an argument.

Examples: Americans need to join the rest of the industrialized world and eat smaller portions of food at meals. If they can do it, then why can't we?

GUILT BY ASSOCIATION: Guilt by Association draws its power from the fact that people do not like to be associated with people they dislike. If it is shown that a person shares a belief with people he or she dislikes, then one might be influenced into rejecting that belief.

Examples: It's interesting that you enjoy the food at McDonald's. I don't; my food tastes have evolved.

Advertisements
Watch the following ads and look for examples of the modes of persuasion. What are you trying to be persuaded into? Are fallacies of logic used? If so, how?

Assignment: Persuasive Essay

Prompt:
Over the course of the semester we’ve examined a number of popular trends in American eating, the most prominent of which is eating organically. As we have seen, people are adopting it for a variety of practical and philosophical reasons. But to fully embrace it often means adhering to a strict behavioral code. Altering purchasing habits, knowing food’s origins, and spending more money are just a few of the requirements of true organic eating. Even so, many organic eaters swear by its positive attributes, and point to benefits ranging from personal to global. Still, others are not convinced that eating organically makes a significant enough difference, personally or otherwise.

For this assignment, you must argue for OR against the merits of eating organically. In a clear and concise persuasive essay, argue why adopting organic eating is, or is not, worth the effort. Cite specific evidence from the essays we read to support your argument.

Also, you may use the term “organic” exclusively as term referring to foods produced under specific conditions, or as a catch-all phrase to include many popular food trends, including seasonal eating, veganism, slow food, flexitarianism, hydroponic eating, locavorism, metabolic eating, etc.

Requirements:

• MLA format, including parenthetical citation
• 2.5-page minimum

The best papers will:

• Have a concise thesis with a clear argument (for or against eating organically)
  
• Utilize rhetorical techniques in order to convince readers of their position
  
• Support their thesis with solid evidence organized in a logical structure
• Properly cite evidence using MLA's parenthetical citation method
• Conclude with a summation of your points
• Be in proper MLA Style
  

Due: Monday, Oct. 26 (Draft 1; bring three copies) and Wednesday, October 28 (Final draft)

Extra Credit: Serving a Six-Course Dinner Catering Groups, Sec. 60

Here are the catering group assignments for the final six weeks of class. Again, in order to earn up to 15 pts. extra credit, you and your partner(s) will create one course of a six-course meal.

Rules:

• Meals must be at least 75% homemade, 25% store-bought
• Courses must be enough to feed 20-25 people
• Not all partners must cook, but all partners must contribute equally
• You must submit a recipe for your meal (these will be compiled on our website at semester's end)
• Please do not feel the need to spend a lot of money. This will be more challenging for some groups than others, so instead, think of creative ways to keep costs to a minimum.

In a twist, I have decided that this six-course meal will be Spanish-themed. Therefore, each course should draw from the cuisines of Spain for inspiration.

Buen provecho!

M 11.2

Appetizer Course:
Cassie Pozos, Joey Anders

M 11.9

Salad Course:
Linda Cockrell, Jeffrey Nguyen

W 11.18

Soup Course:
Caitlin Andrade, Ritt Choum, Khoi Nguyen

M 11.23

Main Course:
Andreas Zimmermann, Sharon Singh, Krista Miller

M 11.30

Cheese Course:
Jeff Garcia, Eva Lai, Amanda Naskrent

M 12.7

Dessert Course:
Chris Nystrom, Mary Panchenko

Week 9 Agenda

Baked Potato Ice Cream from Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade Cooking (Food Network, USA)

Week 9

M 10.19

NO CLASS—Mandated Furlough Day: University-wide

W 10.21
In-Class: Presentations; Lecture—“Effective Persuasive Techniques”
Journal 4 Prompt: It is said that the Buddha once proclaimed, “There is no joy in eating alone.” Today, that seems to be a sentiment shared by many Americans. In “Is Eating Alone an Act of Bravery?,” (eR) Ariel Leve explores the real stigma that is attached to eating on one’s own. She says, “I’ve never understood why eating alone is so disturbing. I think it’s far more depressing to see a couple sharing a meal—in silence.” After reading Leve’s article, you must have one meal, in public, alone. As you do so, consider: Are you enjoying it? Are you uncomfortable? What, if anything, do you do in addition to eating? Finally, explore why are Americans are so averse to eating by themselves.
Due: Journal 4

UPCOMING:
Week 10

M10.26
Read: CR—“Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch” by Michael Pollan, “On Cooking—I Don’t Know and I Don’t Care” by “candylover”
In-Class: Essay discussion
Due: Persuasive essay (Draft 1; bring three copies);

W10.28
Read: CR—“Growing Pains” by Tama Murphy, “Thursday, September 12, 2002” by Julie Powell, “Mistakes Were Made” by Lessley Anderson
In-Class: Essay discussion; Presentations
Due: Persuasive essay (Final draft)

Eating Chocolate 'Can Help Relieve Pain', Study Claims

By Andrew Hough, The Daily Telegraph
7:00AM BST, 14 Oct 2009

The distraction of eating and drinking water for pleasure acts as a natural way of beating pain, the researchers discovered.

The natural painkiller, discovered during testing in rats, is the first to demonstrate such a powerful effect, said the study published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

While the study was carried out in animals, the team, from the University of Chicago, believe the same effects can be seen in humans.

"It's a strong, strong effect, but it's not about hunger or appetite," said lead author Peggy Mason, a professor of neurobiology.

"If you have all this food in front of you that's easily available to reach out and get, you're not going to stop eating, for basically almost any reason."

In the experiments, the researchers gave rats either a chocolate chip to eat or sugar water to drink as they lit a light bulb underneath their cages.

The heat from the bulb normally caused the rodents to lift their paws.

But when the rats ate chocolate or drank water, their pain response to the heat was dulled.

They did not lift their paws as quickly as when they were not eating. They also kept on eating.

Dr Mason said eating stimulated a system in the part of the brain that controls subconscious responses, which was known to blunt pain.

"This really shows it has nothing to do with calories," she said.

"Water has no calories, saccharine has no sugar, but both have the same effect as a chocolate chip.

"It's really shocking."

The natural form of pain relief may help animals in the wild avoid distraction while eating scarce food, but in modern-day humans, it could be contributing to over-eating and obesity, she said.

Previous studies have indicated that only sugary substances had a pain-dulling effect, but the latest study found the same regardless of whether they were nibbling chocolate or drinking water.

Dr Mason suggested doctors change the way they calm patients' nerves.

"Stop giving patients lollipops," she said.

"Ingestion is a painkiller but we don't need the sugar. Water blunts pain, too.”