I am married to someone for whom food -- the buying and preparation and eating of it -- is an act of mindfulness, a rite, a celebration. While I can write you a short list of the dishes I can cook and I’ll need maybe ten words to do it -- eggs, scrambled and fried; garden burgers and soup, microwaved...(that’s nine words, if you are counting)... my dear mate puts the kind of energy and intention into making meals that I put into making photographs -- and that is saying something indeed.
Last night we had quinoa with fresh asparagus. The night before we had amazing taco salads (vegetarian) made with fresh, local greens and veggies that Leah bought from our community’s Farmers’ Market...where she also bought locally-grown-and-ground flour, which she used three evenings ago to fashion homemade pizza. All these meals were put together with what appeared to be effortless ease, but the reality was that there was a great deal of tender loving care involved.
Most of the time Leah puts incredible foods in front of me and, though I like to think I’m aware of her artistry, I also grew up being taught that one should not talk with one’s mouth full. And so I eat the meals Leah makes and I nod appreciatively -- I nod a lot -- but too often I’m probably too busy enjoying the meal to enthuse about it in the way it deserves.
It happens that this week my son is working on a web site for a Seattle client of his who sells tasty and beautiful chocolates, including the truffles you see above. My son asked me to do some truffles pictures (after the shoot we invited neighbors over to help eat the goods.) Another evening Leah and I were out for beers at a local pub and I did an artsy-fartsy picture with the camera pointed toward the bottom of a pint of stout.
Some might say that what you’re seeing here are the two most-important Food Groups: Chocolate and Beer.
