Some cuteness to start off this post for extra karma points!
After watching Exit Through the Gift Shop, I couldn't help but notice analogies between mediums that are reflected in my very own blog. The film can generally be described as a documentary of street art. If you haven't seen it, do so now. (It's on Netflix instant play). Like food, street art is ephemeral, leftover from the art happenings of the 60s era. It's something well-known and seen by the masses... that is, until a business gets upset that their pretty and unique white wall has been ruined or until an orange jumpsuit finishes up their community service hours somewhere. My mission as a "blogger" (considering my inconsistent posting, I take the term lightly) and Thiery Guetta (Mr. Brainwash)'s ends up being completely paradoxical. We attempt to record the temporary. How does one document the ephemeral? Poorly, that's how.
At least I try my best not to. There is no perfect way to catch the taste of a roast chicken fresh out of the oven. There is no perfect way to catch the smell of spray-paint mixed with adrenaline as the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up, alert and on the lookout for incoming police. Nonetheless, we ignore this paradox of the ephemeral and try anyway.
We attempt the impossible. We attempt--as sort of amateur historians--to record the quotidian details of our culture. Whatever that is and whatever we can make of it. Because at the end of the day, these are the marks we leave. These are our artworks--from mosaic space invaders and vandalized telephone booths to basil and sun-dried tomatoes prosciutto-wrapped tilapia--our masterpieces. My recipe is my stencil. My photographs and blog posts are my documentary. These are our collective additions to culture. Sometimes, we forget that culture can't be learned or read in a textbook. We forget that we are the sources of culture. So, take advantage.
The other mental tangent derived from this film is about something too often taken for granted--friendships. How is it that the crazy Mr. Brainwash came to befriend the infamous Banksy? How did you meet your best friend? Friends come in many different shapes and sizes. There are those you may have and love but who measure your relationship in number of drinks at the local bar. Seeing the same drunken shallowness every week may make you stop and think twice about whether or not that's how you want to be valued. Some friendships unexpectedly (yet not always surprisingly) go wrong. People go astray and some can't be bothered to maintain it outside of the bar. Unhealthy relationships exist is many shapes and sizes. Some may base a relationship not on how much they help you but on what you have to offer them--be it a cool factor, help on homework (AKA 'nerd factor'), or something else entirely. They may take more than they receive, assuming they are blameless. The worst part is, usually, it's completely unintentional. But, friendships at their core are not a give-and-take system. Not to quote How I Met Your Mother, but "you can't keep score." That being said, you also can't allow yourself to take advantage nor be taken advantage of. It's a fine line that even Philippe Petit and Rick Wallenda have trouble walking.
But please, don't let me make a cynic out of you for I am no cynic! As often and unexpectedly trains may run off their tracks, the best friendships are the unexpected ones. The RA may not be out to get you and may actually have 'promoting community' as a priority! That girl you thought hated you may be your new best friend! That girl in your high school you never thought about much may become your secret role model! Take it from me as these are all come from my first-hand experiences! I never fully trust my first impression and I always give second chances. The best friends are the ones you can do anything and everything with; the ones whom you accept and who accept you--flaws and all.
All the pictures posted are of food made with friends and family to be shared with friends and family. They're shrines to the physical act of eating and sharing the memories with those you love and to the often too-short-lived lives of the delicacies made. But then again, if the lives of these foods lasted longer, they wouldn't quite be the same... The first set pictures come from an annual tradition where my mother and I cook for my friends at school in dorm facilities.
The Spread!
Cherry Tomato and Parsley Salad with Toasted Almonds and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Mashed Potatoes and Green Peas with Mint à la Jamie Oliver
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Sweet & Sour Squash à la Mario Batali
Prosciutto-wrapped Tilapia with Basil and Sun-dried Tomatoes
The second set comes from a weekend spent in San Francisco with Cameron and Brent. We each made a component to this delicious perfectly-balanced meal.
Cucumber, Parmesan & Candied Walnut Salad (Brent)
Mushroom Risotto à la perfection (Cameron)
Roasted Salmon with a crunchy Rosemary-Lemon Panko Crust (Me)
Lastly, the third set of photos come from our annual Martin Luther King Jr. dinner with my family (my parents, Ashami, and some other neighborhood family members). If you ever desire to make anything that I've posted, please message me! I will send you back a recipe as soon as I can.
I've always enjoyed table setting... (it's better to enjoy something than to think you are being forced to do it)
No dinner is complete without a good cheese plate
Mixed Greens with Cherry Tomatoes and Goat Cheese
Roasted Daikon, Star Anise and Green Onion Roasted Chicken (My mom)
Ashami's ridiculously amazing Manchego & Cheddar Cheese Mac n' Cheese
Fish n' Chips (Ashami: served traditionally on newspaper)
Ashami makes the BEST Red Velvet Cake I've ever had... hands down
Sprinkles, Magnolias, etc. ain't got nothing on her! She's my teacher
So this post is a toast! (excuse the inexcusably cliché rhyming) A toast to all the good people out there, both friend and foe. A toast to the true friend who shows their love and affection not with words but actions. A toast to the homies, the homies of the homies, and the dudes, too. A toast to you, who took time out of your life to not only look at the food pornography but actually read this. I salute you, the genuine. The ones who can make the simplest of chores a fun activity. You are the reason the world goes round. Indulge yourself: Live well. Eat well.
To all those who've hung in there (whether with me or someone else!)
[taken at the San Francisco Academy of Sciences, Feb 2012]
