s p a g h e t t i

A Creative Cookbook / Memorybook by Remy D’Agnillo

Introduction “” explores an assorted mix of “Spaghetti” is a collection of recipes, recipes for this dish shaped by different memories, and photos exploring my personal facets of my own identity. experience as a mixed-race subject. I navigate and make sense of the mixed-race identity “Traditional” offers a starting point to the through food, particularly spaghetti. book. It is a recipe for Italian style spaghetti. I use the term “traditional” to highlight As a Filipino-Italian-American, I have the way Whiteness is seen as the default. experienced vastly different types of It connotes authenticity and establishes spaghetti stemming not only from my authority. parent’s separate cultures, but from my time being raised in America as well. Although I don’t connect to my White family, my Italian heritage affords me some Terms that arose from the hybridity of sort of authority on spaghetti. So here I am “Apartment Two Sixteen” is a “Spaghetti” explores class concepts such as language like “Blackapina” or “Mexipino” try writing an entire cookbook on it. representation of my currently living identity formation, double consciousness, to capture the fluidty of one’s full identity. situation. This apartment isn’t just college hypodescent, and movement without naming Terms like Hafu, Hapa, or simply just Mixed “Pinoy Style” shifts away from typical roommates, but they are my chosen family. them but focusing on the experience of also label an identity. Through identity (read: White) styled spaghetti. It is sweet. As a Queer individual, my biological family them through my own relationship and notes formation, a term like Spaghetti can also Lots of people don’t know what to expect doesn’t accept me for all of my identities so on the recipes. feel like the right way to identify or at least when they taste this style of spaghetti but family for people like me is usually chosen. compare my multiethnic experience to. an overwhelming wave of warmth and joy The experience of creating this made me consume me when I have this style. My family here ranges across different realize how much I really don’t connect Spaghetti is versatile. On the basic level cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. My to my father’s family and reminded me of spaghetti dishes consist of the noodle along “Americanized” is a reflection of the direct roommate and core support system how much I love my chosen family. It also with some sort of sauce. There are so many culture in the U.S. The ingredients list here at Cal is a Vietnamese girl and also from reminded me that being mixed isn’t just my varieties of spaghetti where some types is short and uses processed foods. The San Diego. We bond over spices and like multiethnic identity, but the multicultural don’t even use the noodle but opt for a directions are fast and priotize ease. There’s finding new foods to cook together. This lifestyle I live. stringy squash equivalent. The spaghetti dish barely any effort put into this recipe. It really recipe is special to me because it was one of is entirely up to the preferences of its maker. reflects the American lifestyle. the first meals we cooked together. Thank you, please enjoy. Traditional

1/4 cup extra virgin 1. In a large pot, hit the oil and crumble the ground olive oil beef in, stirring occasionally. 1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2. Drain, leaving some fat in the pot, and set aside Directions 1 medium carrot , finely 3. Saute carrot and onion in the fat, add garlic a little grated later 1/2 medium yellow onion , finely diced 4. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cans crushed 4 cloves garlic , finely Roma tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, basil, parsley, minced rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, bay 2 (28 oz) cans crushed leaves, salt, pepper and browned beef Roma tomatoes 5. Return pot to low heat and simmer uncovered, 5 1/4 cup chopped fresh - 8 hours basil 6. Add broth to sauce to thin sauce to desired 2 Tbsp chopped fresh consistency parsley 7. Remove bay leaves and serve sauce warm over 1 tsp dried rosemary , pasta garnished with grated and additional crushed chopped fresh parsley or basil if desired 3/4 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Ingredients 1/2 tsp dried marjoram 1/2 tsp dried sage I wish my dad was more Italian instead of just White. He’d 2 bay leaves mention how his aunts would make their own pasta in their 1/2 tsp salt , or to taste basement and how food was really big for all of them. I feel 1/4 tsp freshly ground like culture was lost through his generation. I don’t really feel black pepper Filipino-Italian-American but just Filipino-American. Even 1/2 - 1 cup chicken or though that feels a little wrong because of how White I look. beef broth Notes I hate looking a way I don’t even identify with. Pinoy Style

2 lbs spaghetti 1. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot

2 tbsp salt 2. Add salt to the water Directions 36 oz. water 3. Add spaghetti noodles to the water and cook un- 1 big bottle banana der tender then set aside ketchup 4. Saute the garlic and onion in a separate pan 4 cups 5. Add the and cook for ~5 minutes ½ cup tomato paste 6. Add the hot dogs and cook for an additional 2 1 tsp garlic, minced minutes 1 ½ lbs ground meat 7. Add the , tomato sauce, tomato 4 pcs hotdogs, sliced 2-4 tbsp brown sugar paste, and brown sugar then let simmer for 15-20 1 medium sized onion, minutes diced 8. Add sauce to noodles 9. Add desired amount of on top Ingredients cheddar cheese 4 tbsp cooking oil 10. Serve hot.

People judge Filipino spaghetti before it’s seen, just as I’m seen before I’m seen.

There was this White kid, Austin. I started talking about and how I missed it because the closest one was half an hour away. He talked about how if you would lose dares at his high school you’d have to go to the Jollibee’s and eat their spaghetti. “It was so disgusting, I threw up after,” he told you while mimicing a retching movement. He’s weak.

Sweet spaghetti has never done me wrong. People may think it’s weird, but I love it and I’m not going Notes to stop eating it. I’ll never stop defending it. Americanized Directions 1 lbs spaghetti 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup milk 2. Add noodles until and then drain 1 lb diced processed 3. Return to pot over low heat and stir in butter until american cheese 1 tsp garlic powder melted 1 tsp ground black pepper 4. Stir in milk and cheese until melted and smoothed 5. Season with garlic powder and pepper, then serve Ingredients

I can’t believe this recipe is real but at the same time I’m not surprised. This is the most American recipe I’ve come across. It reminds me of when I lived with only my dad for a year and the only thing he would make was tv dinner salisbury steak, cheese scrambled eggs, and spaghetti. It’s not about nutritional value, cultural retention, or even taste. It’s easy.

I’m an Amreican daughter to my dad. I get to live a much easier life and have more access to Whiteness since my dad’s White. I remember this one time, when my mom was talking about what type of man I should marry, she told me to marry a White man because she looks like a bulldog and she doesn’t want me to have ugly children. It made me really sad that my mom thinks of herself like

Notes that, but I understand the institutions in place that would make her think that. Sometimes I think if I’m a product of fetishization on my dad’s side or if I’m a product of survival on my mom’s. Apartment two sixteen

spaghetti 1. Boil noodles in water and some salt. Directions sauce of choice 2. Chop onions and mince garlic and prepare any cooking oil other items you’re going to put into the sauce. garlic 3. Put oil in the sauce pan and saute garlic, onion, onion salt and whatever seasoning you like. pepper 4. Put in sauce, meat, and whatever seasoning you 21 seasoning salute want into the saucepan. Stir occasionally at medium basil to low heat. hot sauce 5. When the noodles are done drain them. cheese ground beef 6. When everything looks good add together in the big pot and serve. You can add whatever you want.

Ingredients cayene pepper

I live in a household full of Queers. A friend once tweeted that “eating spaghetti three nights in a row is Queer culture”. Although my roommate and I don’t like cooking spaghetti more than twice a week, I still have an attachment to spaghetti. It’s a really accessible meal. The ingredients are easy to get a hold of. It doesn’t take too long to cook. We can really put whatever food we already have into it and it’ll still be okay.

Cooking spaghetti with my roommmate (pictured right there on the other page with me!) reminds me of how family isn’t just biological. I’m not just what my parents are but I’m made up of all my friends and the family I choose for myself. I’m not about to claim I’m Vietnamese, but my identity Notes moves past what I am biologically.

University of California, Berkeley Ethnic Studies 150 People of Mixed Racial Descent Professor Gregory Choy Fall 2017