April 11 2009 Plating the Celebration

"Why are you taking pictures of my plate?" "Because it is a beautifully arranged pile of food. Get your fork out of the way, please." The goal today was to enjoy each other's company and share a dinner together. The food took all afternoon, wafting into struggles with origami instructions, stringing beads, peeling potatoes, hide and seek, hide-and-seeking easter eggs, managing rowdy dogs and rowdy children and rowdy uncles, and other sundry activities. Of all the 9 plates served, it was the one prepared by and for my 12 year old niece that caught my eye as the exact right combination of all the contributions to the meal.

The photograph was not as well executed as the presentation itself. Florescents and flash, and an impatient and hungry owner of said plate contributed to the intensity of the glare here. Lesson: prepare camera and settings before stopping the action.