The great Bernard Shaw (Irish literary Critic, Playwright and Essayist. 1925 Nobel Prize for Literature, 1856-1950) once said, “There is no sincerer love, than the love for food.”
I love food. Forget one night stands, seasonal flings, or even yearly marriages. This is a lifelong commitment, drag-me-to-Church-and-marry-me kind of love that only comes once during a lifetime and I have it. I cannot remember when this passionate love affair started. All I know is that the fire burns very, very intensely.
I am neither a chef nor a cook. I dabble with recipes every now and then, but nothing to the extent of actually boasting of my cooking prowess to other hoomans, much less let them eat it. (I know it works wonders with the ladies, but I have not proven this fact) I am not an artisan who has studied the culinary arts extensively. I am just a humble foodie who enjoys a good meal whether it is prepared by a master chef in a michellin restaurant or a by a seasoned cook who cooks in their families kitchen. Yes, I believe good food does not necessarily come from how expensive the cookware, or where the cook/chef trained. Good food comes from a collective knowledge — a knowledge that gets passed on from generation to generation. Add a bit of passion and a little bit of skill, and you’ve got a recipe for success that would impress any foodie. Ask just about anyone, and I’m willing to bet that “ang spaghetti ng nanay ko” beats the classic Italian masterpieces by a long shot any day.
Also, I am not a photographer. But I love taking photos. What does it take to be really called a photographer? I especially love taking photos of food, minutes, nay I say seconds, before the masterpiece is devoured? Food is the only remaining art which we can consume and quantifiably enjoy. I wanted to have some sort of memory of something that is so beautiful. So in 2008, I put my two great loves together and cleverly arrived at food photography.
I guess that at the end of the day, food is all about passion. It speaks to our wants and needs as well as our desires. We allow ourselves to indulge every now and then, and restrain ourselves from the more sinful things in life. Allow yourself to live. Open your heart to love. But more importantly EAT!
For more foodie insights, do come back weekly to my philstar blog and foodiemanila.com.