SCIENCE MOM
FOOD
Dad prepares all of baby’s organic, hormone-free, locally grown food » PAGE 5
A traditional flaming drink to light up your holidays » PAGE 7
Feeding Baby
German Punchbowl
IN THIS ISSUE
Events » PAGE 2 News Briefs » PAGE 3 Puzzles » PAGE 10
Synapse The UCSF Student Newspaper
Thursday, December 12, 2013
The Food Issue
I
had never heard the term “foodie” before moving to San Francisco. As a former fat kid, I couldn’t understand this pride with which San Franciscans declared themselves gourmets, or “foodies.” What was this strange world in which people were so invested in what we eat? As the days grow shorter and plastic bins are filling with canned goods, many have begun to overindulge in holiday treats and diet options plaster the news. I am reminded again that food is much more than sustenance. Food is a cultural experience, an ethical dilemma, a health hazard. Food is delight and nostalgia and shame. The breadth and complexity of this week’s special “Food Issue” is proof. Our writers have scoured The City for culinary treats and now share their reviews and personal holiday recipes. (Try saying “feuerzangenbowle” ten times, fast.) We’ve got tips for your holiday cookiedecorating party, and our resident “Science Mom” writes a funny and heart-warming piece about her husband’s forays into making organic baby food. And we take a scientific look at glutenfree alternative diets. In these pages, we also present the darker side of food culture. The ethical debate about genetically modified (GM) foods rages, and the obesity epidemic leads UCSF’s anti-sugar warriors to call for a ban on sugary beverages. While some struggle with consuming too much, others may go hungry in light of recent cuts to the federal food stamps program. Others still face psychological battles over food, as one student explores in a courageous personal essay about bulimia. This holiday season, in this city of foodies, I hope we can take a moment to reflect on that which sustains us, whatever that might mean. Jenny Qi Executive Editor
Small plate at InnerFog Bar & Kitchen. See Page 7. Photo by Michelle S. Nettesheim
FOOD synapse.ucsf.edu
Volume 58, Number 13