food photography

I have been a vegetarian for almost 8 years on and off. At age 11 I was put off by meat after seeing my dad grilling chicken wings and the bloody mess they made on the paper towels. But even as far back as I can remember I hated most meats any other normal kid would crave. Steaks grossed me out, they were always chewy. Ribs tasted good, but I felt like a murderer sucking meat off a carcass when the meat would stick between my teeth. I never much enjoyed bacon, and pigs were my favourite animal so I kept it at that.

It's not that I think it's cruel to eat meat, on the contrary, I think it's better to use a whole animal than to throw away parts as waste. The main reason I can't dig on meat is simply because of the texture. I can't stand the chewy, gritty, meaty texture of beef and the stringy, dryness of poultry. I still eat seafood, but the texture of fish doesn't bother me at all for some reason.

When it comes down to it all, I'm a foodie. Self-professed, sure, but I love food. Even before being a vegetarian, food comes first. When I travel across Europe (one day soon, I hope) I will eat my way through. Give me foie gras, braised lamb, cured meats, salted cod, eels, Italian veal, Portuguese beef cheeks, fuck, anything. Food to me, is an experience. Therefore, when it comes to the good stuff in the right place, of course I'll eat it (live sea bream in Japan? why not!). I love to learn about it, how to cook it, where it comes from. The most expensive, the most rare and absurd. I own a few food encyclopedias, as well as around 40 cook books. I love food knowledge and if I weren't heading to school for photography, I would go to culinary school.

This year, while assisting a professional photographer, I decided to combine both interests. The following pictures are a part of a 6-course menu, all prepped, cooked, and photographed by yours truely. I think this is something I could really get into.

Wine course: Cabernet Savignon, accented with blackberries.
Appetizer: Herbed goat cheese crostini with roasted red peppers and chives.
Soup Course: Roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika soup. Garnished with creme fraiche and chives.
Salad course: Heirloom tomatoe salad on mesclun greens with pine nuts and a balsamic vinegarette.
Main course: Lemon and tarragon roasted whole chicken, with yukon frites.
Dessert course: Molton dark chocolate cake with raspberries.