food fotos

Somewhat inexplicably, I am suddenly interested in food photography. Of course, who doesn't love poring over a gorgeous cookbook, feeling hungrier by the minute? I will not use a cookbook without photos. What's the point? Seeing what a recipe looks like when it's all brought together has inspired me to try foods that I'd normally shy away from: a spinach and gruyere puff, sweet potato and leek casserole, chorizo fritatta, pork apple and potato saute, black bean brownies, to name a few.

The images alongside recipes in Everyday Food and the most recent cookbook I purchased, Better Homes and Gardens New Dieter's Cookbook, rekindled an interest in food photography. There are some great chef/photographer/bloggers out there, and a few months ago I met a local one. She stopped in the library and needed some help. As we were talking, she told me about the brand new blog she was setting up, the focus of which was to be on eating beautifully and eating well. I was totally impressed. Check out the Veg Lounge.

Another inspiration behind this sudden "hobby" is the newfound luxury of going out back to the garden, picking a few tomatoes, tossing them with some ingredients from the farmer's market or CSA and then eating a lovely savory healthy meal. Next year, we plan to really step up our garden from the two tomato plants and two pepper plants we have now. I want squash and/or zucchini, roma tomatoes, basil, cilantro and spinach as a bare minimum.

Well, this has been my roundabout introduction to my very first (and probably embarrassing) attempts at creating a photo-journal of meals we make. Hopefully this will serve as a benchmark from which I can improve, especially if I upgrade to a better camera!

three cheese tomato basil pizza; organic french baguette with basil-parmesan dipping oil



whole wheat waffles with cinnamon and blueberries