Food Talk

A repost. As originally published on EV Mail News for the week of November 14-20, 2011.
http://www.evmailnews.com/eastern-visayas-mail-issue-of-november-14-20-2011


Food experts, nutritionists and medical professionals all agree that "we are what we eat." And what we eat does reveal a lot about our personalities. Food really does talk, they say.

Chicago is kind of a "melting pot" of different cultures and peoples. It's one of the few major cities in America where a multicultural convergence of sorts happen everyday. It's the way of life here. Name a group of people and more likely than not you will find them here in the Windy City. Due to this multicultural presence here, our gastronomic experience is greatly elevated as well. If anyone has any sudden craving for some exotic cuisine, they don't have to worry because they will find it somewhere in Chi Town for sure.

From Asian cuisines- Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan or Malaysian; to some Middle Eastern food- shawarma, lamb kabob, gyros, olives, pita, tahini sauce, hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel, baklava and couscous; and to experience some of the African gourmet cooking- Ethiopian, Eritrean, Ghana, Moroccan, Libyan, Tunisian or Egyptian; and down to the everyday burgers, hotdogs, fried chicken, fries and shakes --all these are available in Chicago and more! Our culinary choices seem endless.

Before leaving Tacloban, I was only exposed to some Chinese food and the usual burgers, hotdogs and fries aside from the local Filipino food and the sumptuous Waray-waray specialties. But now I'm becoming more and more "culturally rounded" (literally and figuratively) due to my extensive culinary experience around the city. I don't have to leave Chicago in order for me to sample different cultures and exotic foods from different countries. They are mostly available here.

Besides, I love to eat. Maybe this is both a curse and a blessing at the same time. Maybe a curse because in my pursuit of a diverse food adventure, I may experience some dishes that are not to my utmost liking (which can happen very rarely though) and food poisoning is also very real in the culinary industry. Although Chicago is very strict and tight in their regulations and sanitary inspections, there are still some loopholes in the system.

On the other hand, being a "foodie" is also a huge blessing because aside from learning other people's cultures and their way of life through their food, I get to see and enjoy the various blessings God has given specifically to each nation. And with food also comes fellowship.

Filipinos are fond of gatherings which include family, friends, food, great conversations, music and fun. Maybe that's where I got my love for food and people. I can't help it, it's in my heritage. And thankfully, I'm not scared to try out new things as well. I would eat anything as long as it's not unsanitary, it's not crawling or moving in any way, and it's not hairy. In my knowledge, I haven't eaten any snakes, bugs, cats nor dogs, unless I've been served those without my consent and my knowledge, and maybe it tasted good so I ate. But my list of inedible food is very short indeed.

"Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." -Matthew 15:17-20

I'm glad that as Christians we don't have to answer to each other as to what or what not to eat. We are on our own in this matter. But looking back at the time of Jesus, the Pharisees (a group of priests and teachers of the law of Moses among the Jews) condemned Jesus, His disciples and His followers, for not following the traditions of their own people on how, what, and what not to eat. Jesus was criticized for mingling and dining with "sinners."

As I study that part of the Bible, it goes to show that people even in the past were so hung-up with what other people eat and do. That's when Jesus replied with the verses quoted above in Matthew 15. Although basically Jesus is saying that food per se will not and will never defile a man's heart, He continues to say that the motive and the act of eating may cause other people to "stumble," spiritually.

"But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend." -1 Corinthians 8:12-13

Food really does talk, huh! It says a lot about who we are and more importantly the way we eat says a lot of what's in our hearts. Eating is a social activity. As Jesus has shown with His life here on earth, food is always shared with family and friends. Verses in the Bible tell the story of how crowds of people follow Jesus to hear Him speak, and they always interact together with food and they always eat together among the crowds. Jesus knew that we need nourishment for our physical bodies in order for us to function well and to focus on what's important in life.

Yes, Jesus teaches that we "must not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4), but He also showed His disciples the miracles of multiplying and dividing food among the multitudes. God knows that food is important for us but He wants us to also understand that His Word is everything that we could ever need, want or hope for, and more.

So as I continue my culinary adventure, I would always thank God for His provision of food and good health as well as the blessings of family, friendship and fellowship. I pray that my eating habits will not offend anyone and that I will never judge anyone in return for what they eat. Man was never intended to live by bread alone or to be alone in this world.

As the saying goes, “No man is an island.” Even God is never alone. He is the Triune God --God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is our perfect example of the perfect unity and fellowship among us.

"Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. Let not then your good be evil spoken of: For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." –Romans 14:13-17