Food Photography

One of the reasons I read food magazines are pictures of food, it's certainly not to learn how to cook. It's a complete art and an accomplishment, and one thing that I have been trying to get better at by playing around. I am "building a portfolio" for my future professional calling...

It's lighting, it's background, it's angles, it's many different things, but mainly it's the eye...can you see it the right way for the photo. I have taken many, many photos of food, some better than others, I guess it's all relative, but when I get the Food & Wine mag I can't stop turning those pages because the photos are amazing. So for now, these are some of the good ones...

The Dinning Divas Have Met

Last Thursday was the monthly gathering of my restaurant club - The Dinning Divas (four very different women with very different backgrounds, an attorney, an enterpreneur, trade commissioner and event planner, but have one thing in common - OK maybe more than one - love of FOOD). Only a day before, I chose the place - TROPIBLEU - Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts College's restaurant. So here is what I thought about it: the good, the bad and the ugly...

GRADE: B- (considering this is learning grounds, it wasn't that bad at all)

THE GOOD (perhaps even great):
1. Excellent, excellent, excellent food
2. BYOW - bring your own wine with no corkage fee
3. 4 star french cuisine for $15
4. Appetizers on the house - choice of three appetizers from the menu - it was just delicious

THE BAD:
1. Service - not so good....but the students are there to learn, so I forgive
2. Items listed on the menu were not available

THE UGLY:
1. Food was served cold - it does not matter that it's a learning environment, but the food should not be served cold under no circumstances

Let me just point out that this very diverse group is a very hard to please group - we are all perfectionists in our own right and have very high expectations. Partly from visiting really high-end restaurants and partly from our own taste, but we went to the restaurant for two reasons: economy and to try something different.

The Dinning Divas Club has only met few times, but I think we have established our patterns of what we order at restaurants. We start with a dessert - at least one milk based desert, always order at least two appetizers and a salad and LOTS OF BREAD - actually we keep asking for bread all night long, the entrees - only two choices - duck and steak. From time to time Margaret will order something a little different, but the rest of us it's always the same - duck and steak and of course we finish it with a dessert, and no matter what is on the menu, there will be at least one BREAD PUDDING and of course wine. We may be trying out new restaurants, but the choices always remain the same. And who says we are not creatures of habit????

Dessert


Salad/Appetizer


Entree





Dessert

The latest obsession

Argh - like I haven't been spending enough money in Starbucks...I found the latest tastiest, most delicious morning treat (really I can eat it any time of the day) -
Top Pot Chocolate Old Fashioned Doughnut



Hello - what is wrong with me...I wouldn't dare to buy it in Dunkin Doughnut, but somehow buying it in Starbucks it has no calories - who am I kidding here.

I should just stick with my usual venti non-fat latte, which by the way has 170 calories and make it a day, but oh no, I have to push it and order the darn doughnut. But It is delicious, and it feels like it melts in my mouth and it really gets my day going the right way. Maybe, instead of getting it EVERY DAY, I should just designate Friday's as a special day and treat myself... I will keep you posted and let you know how that goes.

Cheers, enjoy the Venti-Non-Fat-Latte :)

Wow - 6 Months Since the Last Time

I am really bad, how is it possible that it's been 6 months...OK, the update:
1. The Restaurant Club has been renamed to "The Dining Divas"
2. The club still meets on monthly basis
3. I don't have a clue where we should go tomorrow
4. Picking the restaurant is stressing me out (but I don't like others to pick the place)
5. I would like to start writing about other things than food...the blog will take on a new direction but since we all know that my life is measured through food, the food factor will not be left out

Where should we go tomorrow? Should we go somewhere closer to my home or somewhere downtown? Off to start thinking...