Food Glorious Food Anthology - Text 1 - 17

The Butcher's Shop encourages reflection on the different values we place upon human and animal life whilst considering the ethical issues of killing animals for meat. Topping is a vegetarian herself and this shows through the choice of negative terminology and lexical choices.

POINTS TO MAKE?

Sonnet form - iambic pentameter

'The butcher smiles a meaty smile' - simile, the idea of 'meaty' has multiple messages behind it. It's almost ironic - the idea of a butcher smiling a 'meaty smile' could suggest that he has a creepy, grimace of a smile or that he has a large, gummy smile ? Depends on the way the reader receives it. The poet most likely has used this as a negative connotation. Again, this has been done with the metaphor 'fingers fat as sausages'

Eating Out is an autobiographical poem, reflecting upon past experiences of 'eating out'. The speaker clearly comes from an upper class family and does not seem to enjoy her experiences.

POINTS TO MAKE?

Rigid, regimented structure - may have been used to portray experiences of eating out as rigid, dull and very formal

Use of field specific lexis with the French terms 'moules mariniere' and 'petit fours' alienates the reader and encourages them to relate to the speaker herself. You could also link this to the idea of 'unknown living'. The speaker feels alienated whilst eating out.

The idea of her father being an 'autocrat' connotes seriousness and negativity.

The Sweet Menu shows an account of the speaker's experience in a restaurant. It is very matter-of-fact and illustrates the speaker's thoughts aloud. The speaker seems to be having a conversation with himself, perhaps because he is lonely and over thinking.

It is interesting that the poem is named 'The Sweet Menu' because the speaker actually rejects the 'sweet menu'.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'a small boy digs in ice cream.' - The use of 'digs' suggests that the boy indulging and enjoying the food or perhaps making a mess of his food? The speaker does not seem at all phased by this. It has been said is a very matter-of-fact manner.

The poem ends with 'it hasn't come to much' - this could have a dual meaning, being his meal was inexpensive or the experience of eating out was lonely and not a lot has come from it.

This poem reminisces the warmth and enjoyment of 'Grandpa's soup' yet shows sadness at the idea of the speaker's Grandpa dying.

There was debate in my class to whether the Grandpa is dead or alive so I'll leave the decision to you - you could mention in the exam that it is not immediately obvious if it links to the point you're making.

POINTS TO MAKE?

The poem mimics the Scottish voice with the use of 'wee soft bits' and 'Och', 'hough, and 'loch'. This helps the reader to imagine the way the speaker is talking.

The idea of 'floating/ like a rich island in the middle of the soup sea.' suggests the soup's depth and the idea of it being 'rich' is very positive. This description could also be seen as childish, so perhaps the speaker is a child.

This poem shows the speaker (Berry) to be nostalgically reflecting upon Caribbean life and the exotic vibrance that he has left for London. There is a great amount of juxtaposition between the Caribbean and London and, although Berry is celebrating his Caribbean roots, he seems to be sad to have left it for the dull city of London.

POINTS TO MAKE? (There's loads so I'll narrow it to my favourite points!)

'Open up papaw like pumpkin you get/ the brightness of macaw' The fruit has been personified to be as colourful as a bird. Also the 'p' plosive sounds represent vibrance and loudness and liveliness

'Mints and onions quarrel' It's almost as though the strongest fragrance's are battling it out! Again, personifcation has been used as mints and onions cannot literally 'quarrel'.

'Posters of pop stars hang by.' - juxtaposes with previous flowing description. The use of 'hang by' connotes lack of life and dullness. Again, plosives have been used.

Naughty but Nice is a poem which emphasises the sickly sweetness of 'naughty but nice' foods. The poet uses religious reference and terminology when writing - perhaps to emphasise the godliness and heavenly connotations linked with foods such as chocolate.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'ring the tastebud bells' - religious, church connotations - suggest that the flavours are heavenly and 'mouth watering'.

'Cinnamon flavoured little imps/ that twinkle at the tongue' - This suggests a magical element to 'naughty' foods. The idea of 'imps' and the use 'twinkle' connotes a fantasy, fairytale world linked with sweet foods.

Receipt to Make Soup is a very old poem, written by the famous poet Alexander Pope. It lists the ingredients to make soup in a very clever, rhythmical way. It's catchy and reminds me of the way that witches would speak when making a potion.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'maketh' - the word 'maketh' is now archaic but is still understandable as we now use 'make'

'Both Spinage and Endive, And Lettuce and Beet' - syndetic listing adds emphasis upon the quantity of ingredients being used in the soup. It is interesting that these vegetable's have each been capitalised - to perhaps heighten their importance?

This advertisement for Bisto is very 'tongue and cheek' and promotes positive, homely and humorous attitudes towards the product, therefore achieving the intended purpose of selling the product to people - perhaps aimed more at women than men.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'Pop in the mushrooms' - the imperative 'Pop' is very interesting. It contrasts with dull, serious imperatives such as 'Place' and 'Put'. 'Pop' is onomatopoeic enhancing a specific, jolly tone which readers may find amusing and light hearted.

The use of 'Magnifique!' at the end of the text mocks the French word 'magnificence' and suggests that the job is easy and effective and suggests that the product is excellent.

The idea of the letter from Yvonne (off the telly) is informal and colloquial yet makes the reader feel important - it is as though the letter is aimed specifically at them.

Torode's article displays strong attitudes towards eating red meat. He clearly believes that everyone should maintain a healthy lifestyle and to do so, red meat is an important factor. He is very passionate about the matter.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'Beef was the bad boy of British culture, but was it?' - question, which he then goes on to answer gets the reader thinking. It's engaging. This phrase is an attempt at humour. The fact that the beef has been personified shows that Torode thinks a lot of it. To add, the alliteration makes this catchy, rememberable and engages the reader even further.

'Add a dash of your personality' presents Torode's chef personality and may be seen as humorous to some readers.

Tripe is an informative, almost encylopedic text displaying knowledgeable information on Tripe. The text speaks of the history of tripe, it's origins, it's popularity and displays a precise description on what tripe actually is. It is a sophisticated text which shows a tone of authority.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'In appearance, on the slab, it is sheets of pale, cream-coloured tissue' - The lexical choices used to describe tripe are negative and unattractive, for example 'slab' and 'pale', however, this is juxtaposed by positive lexis such as 'honeycomb' and 'cream' - it is not immediately obvious to whether tripe is nice or not.

'appears in Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew' - Tripe is linked to famous literature, perhaps to celebrate its history.

There are points to make which make tripe sound negative, yet plenty to also suggest that it is positive.

The Vegetarian Society online article gives simple instructions on becoming a vegetarian. With links to Paul McCartney, the article is appealing. Also, the simple layout and use of imperatives is persuasive to the reader. It makes the reader feel important as it seems to have a direct address - aimed specifically at the reader.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'Don't go it alone' suggests that the Vegetarian Society are going to be supporting the reader every step of the way, almost as though they're going to be a huge involvement. Also, this idea suggests that vegetarian's are like a big family - promoting positive ideas on going veggie. The imperative 'don't' is commanding and authoritative but at the same time it shows the society's passion for the reader's journey to becoming vegetarian.

'Learn a little about nutrition' makes the Vegetarian Society seem trustworthy and knowledgeable. The idea of learning just 'a little' seems do-able and is rather colloquial.

Text 12 displays the authoritative, trustworthy opinions of two critics, exploring the food in different pizza restaurants. Their opinions have cleverly been constructed to seem almost factual. The reader is almost forced to agree with the opinion of the critics. The interesting layout and images used within this text makes it appealing and easy to skim read (as many readers do when reading a magazine!)

POINTS TO MAKE?

'the best tasting cheese' - the use of the superlative with 'best' indeed makes Prezzo sound appealing - this can be supported by the fact that the layout has saved the best until last, with Prezzo scoring '5/5' on the ratings.

'slivers of smoked salmon have been given a salty cute but the squid is tasteless, prawns laughably small...' - the use of sibiliance has been cleverly constructed to present the salmon as being slimy and unappealing. The idea of 'tasteless' is extremely negative and the idea of 'laughably small' shows the critics to be mocking the pathetic 'small' prawns - it's all very negative!

This review is perhaps aimed at readers of a certain intellect as it has been taken from The Guardian newspaper and is quite heavily constructed using complex lexical choices. Despite being a review, the main focus seems to be Matthew Norman's journey and break down of his car on the M6. The review is very negative, as shown immediately by the large green circle displaying a large '3/10' rating.

POINTS TO MAKE?

Norman creates a persona for himself - he is very well known for his persona to many guardian readers - he seems to have a cynical approach.

'potato salad were chunks of rollop artfully plopped on to new potatoes' - The idea of 'chunks' is very unappealing and almost suggests that the meal was heavy. The use of 'artfully plopped' could be seen as an oxymoron, if you do something 'artfully' you wouldn't 'plop' it onto the plate. This idea mocks the restaurant.

This food menu displays a large aray of food available at the Modern. The layout is arranged in a neat order - and most of it sounds delicious - this is easily comparable with Text 13 which portrays a negative review of the restaurant. The lexis used is mainly simplistic, yet detail has been used on specific meals to add detail on what it actually is.

POINTS TO MAKE?

'locally sourced where possible' - the idea of it being local is more organic and authentic, yet 'where possible' suggests an element of doubt.

The use of 'warm' is widely apparent when describing many foods: 'warm sour cream dressing', 'warm parkin, 'a warm salad'  - this repetition could have been used to portray a homely, inviting appeal within the restaurant. However, I'd argue that the repetition of 'warm' shows lack of charisma and lack of variety - maybe the lack of vocabulary parallels with the menu itself (link to Text 13 if you compare these)

This text is an extract from the Food Hygiene Regulations which have come directly from the government illustrating the regulations for all food business operators. This text is serious, laid out in list form, with the use of numbering and lettering order to make it easier to take in. This text is not intended for an audience - only those who own a food business operator. Therefore, the lexis chosen is specifically instructional, and not intended to entertain in any way.

POINTS TO MAKE?

Layout - instructional - numbers and letters e.g. 7- (a) (b) - makes it easy to refer to if this is ever needed

Taken from Nigella Lawson's recipe book, Nigella Express, this text is extremely hyperbolic, but typically what you'd expect from Nigella's persona. The recipe shows how to make Mexican Scrambled Eggs.

POINTS TO MAKE?

The text before the recipe itself is appealing and may be an attempt to liven up recipes. It is unusual to see text before a recipe so Nigella may have done this to be authentic.

Use of  the superatives 'best'  and 'greatest' suggests that this recipe is excellent and should definitely be tried.

'I'm tempted to overdo it partywise just to have an excuse to whip up a batch of these' - Nigella is very flirtatious, using the verb 'whip' adds to the excitement and far-fetched attitude she portrays. The fact she mentions overdoing it partywise cleverly suggests that she herself is a party animal - an attractive trait to have perhaps.

It's important to remember that this text is a television transcript and therefore the majority of the language used would have been cleverly constructed to appeal. Nigella Lawson has a flirtatious TV persona which is evident throughout this text, in which she makes the mexican scrambled eggs shown in Text 16.

POINTS TO MAKE?

A large amount of alliteration has been used to add spring and rhythm to Nigella's persona. For example 'breakfast bruschetta (.) speedy shortcut chocolate croissants or spicy scrambled eggs' - this may have been done to add appeal, or wake everyone up with the catchy, alliterative phrases.

'I've got breakfast and brunch nailed the express way' - This cheesy phrase sums up Nigella's personality well but subtly includes 'express' as innuendo to promote her TV programme and book. The 'express' is a subliminal message.

'oh the softness' - seductive and sensual, typically Nigella. Promotes the recipe.