Function Over Form

This picture of fried green tomatoes on a base of a mango and habanero sauce was taken by the eminently skilled food photographer Noam Preisman. It was part of a half-day shoot I did with Noam and chef/writer Dor Vanger for the weekend Galeria Magazine of Ha’Aretz.

What I most admire about Noam and Dor is their emphasis on content over cosmetics. Their golden rule is that the quality of the cooking takes precedence over the visuals. So refreshing and distinct in their professions, given the dominance of presentation in the food industry. And think about it for a moment. We were doing a photo shoot for a magazine. No one except for the three of us (and maybe significant others later that day) were ever going to eat the stuff I was cooking up. Did it really matter for a magazine shoot if the food tasted good? It did to them. And that speaks volumes. It reminds of that moment in the kitchen when you toss out a dish that you feel is sub-standard, even if you know that no one except yourself would really be able to tell. Or purchasing high-quality, locally-sourced, chemical-free ingredients, knowing that you are supporting an important part of the locavore food movement, even while most of your clients aren’t asking for it.

Noam Presiman and Dor Vanger are to me role models to aspire to. What would they do is a mantra I want to hold onto in the kitchen.