cooking, baking, photographing

With the post-Christmas syndrome crawling up my spine, in late 2014 and thanks to Canon AE-1 Program (mostly the way it captures light and shadow) - I think I became more into the kitchen/food photography. Or more like atmosphere of eating and preparing. So I think it's safe to say that during the following year this is one of a variety of topics that I would like to focus on. Film photography is not something modern photography books talk about. The rules are simple, and looks like no one wants to explore it further. There is bunch of stuff on food photography in digital, photoshop editing skills etc. Finally, there are magazines like Kinfolk, to produce high quality food related articles. Sadly, Kinfolk is something I possibly will always think my budget is not suitable for. Is any of you a subscriber of the magazine? I'm often on the edge of buying it, to be honest. So let's say I'm on a hunt right now, I will surely let you know when I find some useful books or cheaper Kinfolk alternatives. And since my Canon is back from the repair (yes, I already managed to kill something in it, but fortunately someone managed to fix it for me) I am ready to start a new chapter in my analogue journey.

I never owned a cookbook, but now my sis does. Nowadays, when you can easily use the internet, are cookbooks still needed? My sister got one from her amazing husband for Christmas this year and she is very very excited to own it. She immediately bought ingredients she had never heard of before, ready to master techniques she had had no clue about. Is it what cook books are about? Changing your life completely? Throwing your basic favourite dishes away and settling for exotic cuisine? Oh my. Her new cooking book, "written" by some Polish model, was one of the items she wanted to have photographed in her new apartment, so I did. I always want to photograph beautiful things. I won't probably be around to photograph what she makes out of it, but this one I can't help.

Pizza is by far the most complicated recipe I have ever done. It looks sort of greenish in the picture above, but I am telling you, it was delicious! Other times, I'm just the pasta girl. Silly at it sounds, that's just the way it is. Team work was the key to its success though. I tried making it alone, under some time pressure and I managed to give it flaws it did not have originally. But still I am proud to say I did it. I love our little cooking dates, you know? We found the recipe in Polish (which I might translate for you one day, if you want to know how to make a delicious 100% self made pizza) and we loved the results! Thanks to that little summer afternoon, I learnt that cooking with someone is an amazing bond-tightening experience that I would recommend for everyone.

For Christmas I got my love a book about baking bread. I love when people have their own little things, and I would love if baking became it in this case. The book is in Polish, a very nicely designed composition of everything you should know about bread baking. Have you ever tried doing it yourself? When I was brought a few delicious loaves, and could taste their delicate honey flavour on my tongue, I was in love. Both in my person and the book. I love how one can use talent and some guidelines to create something that delicious. And that unique.

Out of those hundreds of things I believe you can do in the kitchen, what is the one thing that all your friends and family love the most? (dish speaking) Looking forward to reading your answers!