Starting with the ingredients list, the American recipe is already a lot more specific, indicating the amount of olive oil to be used and that the onion should be yellow and chopped. The Spanish recipe just says 'aceite' and 'cebolla', with no reference to what kind or how it should be prepared for cooking. In the instructional paragraph for how to make the tortilla, the American recipe is still a lot more specific. It includes instructions to put the potatoes in 'carefully' and tells the cook what to do if the accidentally stick together. However, the Spanish recipe is a lot more vague in its directions, telling the reader to remove the pan from the heat 'de vez en cuando', or once in a while. The American recipe also gives more explicit instructions for how to get the tortilla from the pan onto the serving platter, while the Spanish recipe assumers the reader will know how to do that.
I think a lot of the differences between these two recipes make sense based on the cultures they come from. In Spain, the attitude towards most things, cooking included, is very laid-back, so there is no need for troubleshooting advice in the recipe. In American cooking culture, people making the dish are more likely busier and will have less patience to try and figure out when the eggs are cooked enough or start over if something goes wrong. Although these two recipes have similar ingredients and similar results, the way the methods are portrayed to the audience can tell us a lot about the culture they come from.
3 comments:
Nice, Amelia! When I read your blog I thought about how neurotic Americans can be about "doing it right"-- in that, if we found a recipe without a lot of guidelines, we may not attempt it because we fear failure and crave directions. I think Americans also love to be told they're doing "what they should be," so a specific list of instructions help them feel that way. I read a book called Tortilla Curtain...so much of the family's culture in the novel was tied into their cooking that they didn't need instruction because people had an instinct about it since they'd seen their parents and grandparents cook. I wonder if the American version of the recipe tasted as good!!
interesting! I like your noticing these differences between the two recipes! And your theory is a "big idea" which is very good!
My question: How would you decide if yr theory is correct or not? For example, another theory would be that the differences you noticed just have to do with the style of cookbook, and both spanish and american cookbooks have both "vague" and "specific" subtypes. Or it could be that Spanish recipes are extra-vague specifically for Spanish food, while perhaps American recipes are extra-vague specifically for American food.
Also, you might want to look at the source of both recipes (both online? both from a written cookbook?) and the intended audience (both for experts? both for novices?) etc.
anyhow, nice job! oh, i forgot to mention it would also be good to point at the exact recipes, that would have made it easier for me or your other commenters to notice other things going on in the recipes.
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