Food for Thought Presents Gustavo Arrellano, November 15

Gustavo Arrellano, best-selling author and popular syndicated columnist (“Ask a Mexican!”) will discuss his new book Taco, USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America as part of the Food for Thought Speaker series on Thursday, November 15 at 5:00 pm in Roy G. Cullen Building, Room 104.  A book signing will follow the event.

Arellano’s new book details why the U.S. loves all things folded in a tortilla, how salsa overtook ketchup as the country’s favorite condiment in the 1990s, how nachos became the third-largest concession food after popcorn and soda, and how the U.S. is the world’s largest consumer of tequila.  He addresses what constitutes “Mexican” food in the U.S. – what is “authentic” and what’s “Taco Bell,” and why does it matter?

Food for Thought is a speaker series promoting the scholarly study of food.  Presenters highlight the latest research on the multiple ways food shapes business and economy, nutrition and health, the environment, and social relations.  The goal of the series is to encourage cross-disciplinary dialogue and interdisciplinary collaboration through the examination of the food that sustains the cultural, economic, and physical lives of our diverse communities.

The lecture is sponsored by the El Paso Corporation Lecture Series, the Center for Public History, the Department of History, the Center for Mexican American Studies and Latin American Studies. The talk is free and open to the public.  Parking is available in the Welcome Center Parking Garage located on Calhoun Drive near Entrance 1.

A campus map and directions can be found at: http://www.uh.edu/maps/#map-directions

For more information, contact Todd Romero at tromero2@uh.edu or Monica Perales at mperales3@uh.edu.