Pilaf, Pozole, and Pad Thai: American Women and Ethnic Food

For many Americans, eating ethnic food is so commonplace as to be taken for granted. Yet, whether we acknowledge it or not, such foods create a powerful social language that speaks of cultural traditions and tastes that have been handed down from one generation to the next and, in some cases, appropriated and commodified by American commercial culture. Ethnic cooking represents both a source of sustenance and a complex form of communication.

In this volume, eleven scholars explore the role of ethnic food in American culture, with a particular focus on women. The first six chapters offer personal accounts of the ways in which ethnic meals are embedded in women's memories and fortify their connections to one another. From a Sicilian-born mother who affirms her allegiance to her heritage through the loving preparation of traditional tomato sauce and pasta, to a Swedish American woman whose dozens of boxes of recipe cards document a process of cultural assimilation, to an Armenian American who uses a shared passion for cooking to forge a relationship with her lover's family-these essays speak in a personal voice about the power of food as a marker of women's identity.

The final five chapters take a more analytic approach, scrutinizing the social and political aspects of ethnic food and the phenomenon of "culinary tourism." One essay offers a brilliant meditation on the gendered discourse of cooking in the Mexican American community, showing how food preparation provides many Chicanas with a vital language of self-expression. Another essay probes the author's penchant for Thai food and other cuisines from economically dominated cultures, situating it in the context of a larger system of privilege and oppression and as a form of cultural colonialism. By going beyond the obvious, these essays challenge our assumptions and expand our understanding of the significance of ethnic food in women's lives.

Contributors include Meredith E. Abarca, Arlene Voski Avakian, Linda Murray Berzok, Benay Blend, Lynn Z. Bloom, Paul Christensen, Cathie English, Doris Friedensohn, Lisa Heldke, Heather Schell, and Leanne Trapedo Sims.

Good for uterus health after childbirth

Cardamom

Relives anxiety.

Stimulates and cleanses the liver

Reduces nervous anxiety

Regulates blood sugar and insulin

Ginger

Source of vitamin C

Improves digestion

Improves appetite

Soothes throat, and coughs

Soothes the stomach

Eases headaches

Eases menstrual cramps

Relieves griping or colicky pain in the abdomen.

Eases lung congestion and coughs

Buy some herbal teas today!

Antioxidant

Cleanses the blood

Nettle

Stimulates digestion

Lemon Balm

Relieves coughs and sore throats

Stimulates the liver

Relieves indigestion,

Reduces seasonal allergies and congestion

Chamomile

Reduces gas and flatulence

Promotes perspiration

Echinacea

Helps ease arthritis and rheumatism

Dandelion

Relieves cold symptoms

Improves liver and kidney functions

Effective diuretic

Eases sore throats and coughs

Lime flower

Licorice

Fennel

Relaxing

Eases stomach cramps and nausea

Cleanses the blood

Rosemary

Prevents bladder infections

Eases coughs and other respiratory problems

Marigold

Antioxidant properties

Improves overall heart health

Eases cold symptoms

Induces sleep

Burdock

Calms the nerves

Name & Health Benefits

Balanced blood pressure

Eases many stomach and digestive problems

Eases cold symptoms

Eases stomach cramps

Reduces menstrual cramps

Eliminates flatulence

Helps reduce sinus problems

Relieves stomach cramps

Antioxidant

Provides anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibiotic activity

Helps to regulate blood sugar

Induces rest

Raspberry

Strawberry

Promotes digestion

Cleansing and Detoxifying herb

Improves digestion

Relieves symptoms of PMS

Drink some herbal teas - they really will have positive effects on many parts of the body. Replace drinking so much coffee, sugar and milk everyday - all of which are bad for you when taken regularly every day.

Anti-oxidant

Stimulates digestion

Herbal teas are made from herbs, flowers, spices and fruits and are naturally decaffeinated. Herbal tea is not tea as it does not contain tea from the tea plant Camellia Senisis. We have compiled a list of most commonly known and used herbs and their medicinal uses.

Relieves diarrhea and constipation

Improves circulation

Elderflower

Improves circulation

Expectorant

Herbal Tea for a Healthy Body

Menstrual aid

Cinnamon

Takes the zing out of arthritis pain,

Stimulates the liver

Reduces menstrual cramps

Believes to increase libido

Reduces catarrh

Antiseptic

Sage

Soothes the stomach

Regulates blood sugar

Rosehip

Motherwort

Relieves stomach upsets

May reduce the incidence of gallstones

Calms the nerves

Eases joint pain and headache pain

Anti-inflammatory

Strengthens circulation

Lowers cholesterol

Chewing the seeds can freshen breath

Helps maintain a strong immune system

Relieves cold and flu symptoms

Another anti-stress herb for soothing the nervous system

High in vitamins A and C

Improves circulation

High in many vitamins and minerals

Relieves diarrhea

Eases common cold

Relieves cold and flu symptoms,

Improves immune system

Thyme

Mint

Eases diarrhea

Helps relieve headaches