Our Global Kitchen: Food, Culture, Nature

A couple weeks ago The American Museum of Natural History sent me a press preview invitation for their new exhibit, now open to the public, called Our Global Kitchen. With my fingers on the pulse of food in one way or another these days (i.e. all over the place, which I just l-o-v-e), I knew this should not be missed. It did not disappoint.

Our Global Kitchen is one of the most information-dense exhibits I have visited, filled with details on historical kitchens both simple and grand; ancient growing and eating practices; meals from around the world (and different époques); various solutions to the very real and worsening issue of food scarcity; alternating food demonstrations, and more. Generally, everything food.

Since we all eat and have a gazillion relationships to food, I thought it relevant to share and encourage you to find out more for yourselves. Go see Our Global Kitchen and bring your friends, your family, so you can chew over the layers, together.

Container gardens on display. Samples of watercress, mustard greens, thyme varieties, and more were available to taste.

This piece really struck me.  Seems criminal that the "hard and flavorless" is what is widely available.

The figures detailing meat production are dismaying, astounding. On right, future-forward ways of growing more to feed more.

Yup, worms. Maguey larvae were a delicacy in the Aztec court, and remain popular today.

The great Aztec marketplace circa 1500 - insects and lizards as popular meat sources, available for trade

These items are really the tip of the iceberg... the exhibit touched briefly on the truth behind these figures.

This towering display shows what an American family of four wastes in one year

I have shared what might seem like a considerable bit, but the exhibit delves into much more. It is a fairly comprehensive look at all our identities through food: where we have been, and where we are headed. Appropriate for all ages, allow at least a few hours to take it all in. When you've finished, go find some great food (and maybe a drink or two) to share as you ponder....

Interview at Great Food Photos

With all my social networking to keep track of (oy vey there's a lot to stay on top of ), I somehow managed to forget to share with you all this wonderful interview that Donny over at Great Food Photos did of me last week. We can't figure out how we learned of one another, but all the same I am grateful that we now have this flowering friendship to nurture...

I hope you enjoy the stories and images we put together! It was a lot of fun considering what my answers to his thoughtful questions would be, and, as per the title I of course selected some images to accompany the feature. Have a great week everyone :-)

Please Nominate My Blog!

Saveur is hosting their annual Best Food Blog Awards, and I need you lovely people to take a moment to vote here for my blog, for best food photography. You can view my blog's recipes (with oodles of yummy food photography) here, as well as peruse Licking the Plate in general for tasty visual treats. A big THANK YOU for your time and support!!!

 

Pairings at the Times

Hello dear readers. I had the good fortune to be asked to produce the photography for today's New York Times "Pairings" column, in the dining section....

It was a lot of fun to produce! If any of you decide to make the recipe, do let me know. Happy Wednesday!

What Katie Ate Christmas Magazine

Open publication - Free publishing - More what katie ate

After months of gathering information, finding just the right places to shoot and then photographing them and forwarding to Katie (with umpteen correspondences in the loop), here is the holiday masterwork! :) Good Job, Everyone! I am so pleased to share the pages with the other talented contributors. Curl up with your favorite snack, and I hope you all enjoy!!!

Setting the Table

I am so excited about this. As soon as I started to put the word out that I began the blog, the realness of it began to take shape and thoughts of different kinds of posts started to fly in the film reel of my mind... The possibilities of what this might become made me want to jump around like a little kid!!! While I'm wide eyed and grinning, let's figure out which direction to go next: I have some things up my sleeve (I think I'll surprise you), but I also want to welcome your suggestions. Let's have at it!