Response

I presented my writing in class and is felt well received. People seemed to relate to my experience cooking a traditional dish with my grandmother. I think that's because the story is about family as well as being autobiographical, and it hit a cord. Everyone has a family right? We discussed how I would present this and where I was going with my writing. I think I'm going to try to write enough recipes to bind them into a small book and pass it out to the class. Here's a rough list of the recipes that I'm planning to include:

Childhood:
Sour Cream Pancakes
Stuffed Cabbage

Teenager:
Dad's Doctored Ramen
Microwave Peanut Brittle

Independence:
Spatzle
Balsamic salad

I think this is how I'll organize them. It's still a rough idea though, if you have any suggestions. I was so glad for the help that the class gave me. It was good advice all around. I know I need to show more and not tell in my writing. I need to think about myself an the narrator but also, in some cases, the instigator. There is a transformation involved in the process of cooking but also in the collection of the stories. The process of transformation is key to theses stories, psychological transformation, the changes in a family relationship, and the change within. The recipe is a process, it is a form in which I can express my past and present roles. I liked what Holly said about the way I, as a narrator, was stepping up to teach my reader and then back to learn from my grandmother. I think cooking is really about communication and feeling, which is why it works so well for my self-expression.