In “The Ingredients” by Jason Reynolds,  I believe that he tries to capture the essence of summer friendship through laughter, food, and the ordinary practices that become extraordinary memories. His purpose is to show how joy doesn’t need to come from grand adventures, but from simple things like hanging out at the pool, roasting each other, and dreaming up the “perfect” sandwich. When Jamal describes a pastrami stacked on a challah roll with “Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and a splash of hot sauce for a little heat(Reynolds),” it feels bigger than just food; it’s about imagination, friendship, and the bond built through shared hunger and play. This reminds me of my own desire to try different foods, where tasting something new feels less about the flavor itself, but more about the story it creates. Like Reynolds’ characters, I see food as a way to explore, laugh, self-improvement, and connect with people I care about.

What makes Reynolds’ poem so nostalgic and joyful is how real it feels; the jokes, the teasing, the heat of summer, and the collective laughter or camaraderie that carry friendships. When Randy teases Big Boy, saying, “Yo, real talk—what if that Band-Aid had some nasty disease on it, and it seeped into your forehead and is now eating your brain(Reynolds),” it reflects how I make fun of my own friends in harmless ways, knowing that the laughter is part of what keeps us close(Brotherhood). Just like the boys, my summer days aren’t always about fancy trips, but about small traditions; hanging out, joking, eating, and feeling the hours stretch endlessly. Reynolds’ imagery of the “wet walk home” after the pool reminds me of my own summer rhythms, those carefree days where the simplest routines become memories worth holding onto that I will cherish forever.

Another thing, I also think this could show how they don't have much money and how they could be struggling to get through and that's why they didn't get those big sandwiches that they were imagining. “And then Flaco returns from the kitchen with four bowls, a box of cereal, and a half gallon of milk. ‘Don’t worry,’ he says. ‘I got sugar’” (Reynolds). This shows how, after all the talk about sandwiches and what they could have, and they wanted, they ended up with a series which could reference their financial situation. 

When it comes to me, I can relate to the fact of fantasizing about what food I would like but not going out and not getting it. This also relates to how me and my friends make fun of each other and how we would talk when we are doing so. This also shows how, at the end of the day, we end up eating simple food because it's easier to do so rather than get something good to eat.

This compares to the way me and my friends are indecisive. Well spend all day making a plan to do something, just to end up back at the house watching our favorite show. These kids dreamt up all kinds of sandwiches, and ended up at Flaco’s with a bowl of cereal, “The sound of the refrigerator door, unsticking, resticking. And then Flaco returns from the kitchen with four bowls, a box of cereal, and a half gallon of milk.” We make fun of each other in a playful light-hearted way that compares to how the kids do in this short story. 

In The Ingridents by Jason Reynolds, a story is told about a group of boys who are obviously best friends, and their typical summer day. The story establishes a sense of familiarity with readers as the group transitions from the swimming pool to discussing food on the walk home. I think the story is supposed to be light-hearted, an easy short story, about how the bonds between friends are important. I think it hits that point very well. For example, “Do we need Flaco to hold your hand, bro?” Big Boy asks” (Reylonds). I think this quote shows how the group is bickering and having fun with each other. 

This compares to how I used to spend my summer days with my friends as a kid. I’m not sure when, but one day I grew up. I think it might have been when I got my license. One day, we just stopped going to the pool. We started just driving around and doing other things. “Kids, who, in an effort to be cool and stay cool, can only hang out at one place--the swimming pool” (Reynolds). I feel like that's how my friends and I used to think, but we grew up and started thinking other things were ‘cool’. I think it shows how special bonds are between friends and that things are constantly changing, but no matter how much things change, we still have our bond. 

This piece by Reynolds has familiarity like walking to pools and hot summers with friends. I find similarities with my summers and theirs especially in the start of the story where the heat is being described as almost unbearable and the boys escaped it in the pool. “Plus, to them, it’s just the pool. And on any given sweltering summer day, when Bed-Stuy becomes a microwave, the pool might as well be called heaven.” The description of most of the story truly encaptures what most teenager’s summers look like, including mine.