We Are What We Eat

I had the privilege of participating in We Are What We Eat, a collaboration between New ARTiculations Dance Theatre and the Community Food Bank. The performance was a series of pieces that combined dance with stories about breastfeeding, baking, gardening, food waste, gleaning, desert harvesting, and more. I created a temporary installation, Food Fantastico, for the final performance at Tucson Botanical Gardens.

Through the 10-week process, I learned how to create movement from words and phrases, met amazing people working to improve our county's food security, and reflected on our food systems. I was inspired by the Community Food Bank's Food Security Program, which "promotes, demonstrates, advocates for, and collaboratively builds an equitable and regional food system, which supports food production and strengthens communities." I bought two eggplant plants at the Santa Cruz River Farmer's Market (run by the Food Bank and where we performed an excerpt of our show) and planted them this morning!

Me and my installation


Children who participated in the performance try to eat the inflatable toast while Prasenjit watches.


Close up of Food Fantastico

All Things Burrito

I got an interesting comment on my last post, which got me thinking about the history of the burrito. In my response, I said that the burrito is a Mexican-American creation. I would like to re-phrase that to say that the burritos most of us are familiar with are - cheese, lettuce, rice beans, guacamole, etc. - are a hybrid of the two cultures.

In 1998, a journalist at Washington Post went in search of the origin of the burrito (which I discovered at this blog) "As we followed the historical trail, and got closer and closer to the source, the burritos became smaller and smaller, and our favorite ingredients disappeared one by one. When we finally found what we thought was the original burrito, it was very different from the burritos we knew and loved."
Burritos-A Search for Beginnings, Peter Fox, Washington Post, November 4, 1998

Another source, Food Timeline, notes, "Burrito lovers David Thomsen and Derek Wilson believe that the modern burrito originated 'in the dusty borderlands between Tucson and Los Angeles.'"

Finally, I've discovered there are at least two people that have dedicated entire blogs to burritos:

Burritophile
Burrito Blog

downtown re:VISION

Ok, it's time for some shameless self promotion. I've recently launched the downtown re:VISION project to spark new ideas and action around downtown Tucson. The first project is the BURRITO files, where I interview people on the streets of downtown and invite the public to do the same.

Here are a few examples. I invite you to participate - as an interviewee or interviewer!



April 3, 2008
1. What is your name? Justin
2. What are you doing downtown: Hosting an open house for One North Fifth
3. Do you live in Tucson? Yes. Originally from Buffalo, NY.
4. Describe downtown in 3 words or less: historic, funky, re-nascent
5. If downtown was a burrito, what would be in it? chipotle, nopales, guacamole, beans, lettuce and cheese.
6. Have any significant events in your life occurred in downtown Tucson? It's part of my re-birth.

P.S. Learn more about One North Fifth - the new apartments on Congress Street - at Thursday open houses at the new Tooley's on Congress (corner of Congress and 5th). Free coffee and snacks! (No, I wasn't paid to write this, but I did get some free coffee!)



April 3, 2008
1. What is your name? Maxx/Laura
2. What are you doing downtown: Just got off work/taking a break
3. Do you live in Tucson? Yes, native/Yes, from New Jersey
4. Describe downtown in 3 words or less: I love it/It needs more
5. If downtown was a burrito, what would be in it? no guacamole/lots of people going green and reading books, lots of friendly faces
6. Have any significant events in your life occurred in downtown Tucson? I got married once downtown/I got married once downtown (they didn't know this about each other).

CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE OF THE BURRITO FILES