At the end of a row of newspaper boxes lining a street in Corona Plaza is an orange number offering a free publication titled, "This Is What I Eat." The eight-page newspaper is also being given out at a nearby Associated Supermarket. The design screams supermarket circular, but "This Is What I Eat" is actually a public art project created by Stephanie Diamond.
Diamond asked the residents of New York City's most diverse nabe about their food preferences and solicited recipes. Her project, which is being presented by the Queens Museum of Art, runs through October 14. The goal of "This Is What Eat," is to "unite and empower its readers through food." Based on the diversity of recipes it seems to be a resounding success. The dishes run the cultural gamut from red beans and rice and macaroni cheese to shrimp ceviche and Belgium Chicken Soup.
There's also a tally of people's favorite foods. It's not clear how many folks were polled, but clearly fruit is very popular. Apples placed first with a score of 45, followed by bananas (39) and grapes (37). Pizza swept fast food with a score of 47. Given that the poll was taken in Queens it was surprising to see that dim sum scored a 1 and tacos garnered an 8.
In case you're wondering the Spanish name for Belgium Chicken Soup is Sopa de pollo Bejelales. It's a simple preparation that involves cooking the bird with potatoes, onions and cilantro for 20 minutes and serving it with rice. You can find the other recipes by picking up a copy of "This Is What I Like To Eat," at the Queens Museum of Art or in Corona Plaza.
Queens Museum of Art, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, 718-592-7200
