International Lan uage
BRUCE D. FRIEDMAN SPECIAL TO THE APPLETREE
Families
share the recipes
behind some of their
favorite
TH
A
s a social work educator, I
constantly struggle with
how to take complex con-
cepts that relate to techni-
cal aspects of the field and translate
them into common language. Usual-
ly, the simplest way to explain these
is by using food analogies.
-
Food is a universal. Everyone has to eat
to survive. Therefore, food becomes a uni-
versal language that everyone understands.
Even people who- do not know how to
cook can understand basic components of
a recipe and how they are interrelated.
Food analogies have become important
tools for me not only in explaining complex
issues of social work, but human interac-
tions.
Cultural diversity has become a buzzword in social work. It basically
means that we live in a society comprising a multitude of cultures. It is im-
portant for us to accept the differences of other cultures, but to be able to
do so we must first accept our own.
Keep in mind that diversity is far-reaching. There is no majority culture
in the United States, but a society that consists of a magnitude of minority
groups and cultures. We may try to generalize some of these into large
groups, but then we are not doing justice to the uniqueness of each minori-
tY.
It's noteworthy that a tremendous number of similarities exist between
the cultures. Rather than focusing on the differences, it is more important
to focus on the similarities. In this manner, we can move more quickly to
intergroup acceptance.
Cooking and baking work the same. When you cook, you borrow skills,
techniques or a combination of ingredients from various cultures, then
adapt it for your own. It is a disservice to generalize everything as the same.
For example, not all bread is the same. It may be the same recipe, but it
will come out different depending on how it is shaped or baked. 111
BRUCE D. FRIEDMAN, Ph.D., is an associate professor with the Wayne State University School of So-
30
cial Work
Frittata, or
talian Omelet
Bruce Friedman
Ingredients:
2-3 small red potatoes
I medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
I /2 red bell pepper; chopped
1 / 2 green bell pepper; chopped
8 eggs
4 oz. Feta cheese
3 Tbsp. margarine or olive oil
2 Tbsp. cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Thinly slice the red potatoes and cook in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set
aside.
While potatoes are boiling, saute chopped onions and garlic in margarine or olive oil at
medium fire in a 10-inch skillet. Chop peppers and add to the onion-garlic mixture. Add
drained potato slices to the onion-garlic-pepper mixture and saute until vegetables are soft.
Beat eggs and add crumbled Feta cheese, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour egg-
cheese-cilantro mixture over vegetables. Turn fire to low and cover skillet. Cook until eggs
are firm, about 10 minutes. Invert frittata onto serving plate and cut into wedges. Serve hot
or at room temperature. Serves 6-8.
DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH READERS OF THE
APPLETREE? If so, please send us a copy. If we like it, we might use it in the section!