Tattoo Project: Anthony

Few years ago, I came up with this idea of photographing people that work in the food world (butchers, bartenders, chefs, cooks, busboys, farmers, brewers, people in offices working for food companies... so basically everyone) and their tattoos. I have 2 and planning to get more, so I came up with this idea of exploring the food world using tattoos as the idea. Also I needed to practice my photographing people (and not food) skills. This is also a continuation of my interest in getting to know the people behind the food and the food world. The end product may be a delicious plate of pasta but it took so many people to produce that one plate of pasta. I like to meet those people. Hit me up if you work in the food world and has tattoos. Let's talk!

I still need to give this project a name. If you got some ideas, leave them in the comment. Thanks

Thank you Anthony for kicking this project off.

Name: Anthony Reuter

Current occupation: Volunteer Coordinator at Just Food, Board member at Hell's Kitchen Farm Project

What made you decide to work in the food world? Growing up in a family that valued farming, that had a long history of farming, that kept an impressive vegetable garden, and that put up those vegetables for the winter…this was just bound to happen. I was a kid who hated visiting the small Wisconsin dairy farm my dad grew up on and worked on. I thought it was smelly and just no fun. But during my last summer in college in Minnesota, I became a member of the Driftless Organic Farm CSA. I spent the summer learning how to cook seasonally from their newsletter, learning how to put up that harvest for the winter, and learning how my CSA farm made it all happen. In the fall, I traveled to the Growing Food and Justice For All Gathering organized, in part, by Growing Power, to connect this newfound love of sustainable food to a larger picture. At that point, I was hooked. After spending my high school and college years organizing in the queer and trans* youth movement, I realized food was my organizing tool. Food brings people together. And the industrial food system was severing our ties to something so vital to our survival. I felt compelled, but I also felt the most happy when I could talk about food and farming. I’m just a vegetable nerd.

How many tattoos do you have? Two! But I wish I had more. I have a black and white heart with roots and tree branches on my left arm, and a color tattoo of ramps on my right arm.

What made you decide to get your first tattoo? The heart with roots and tree branches was my first. I got it six months after moving to NYC, sort of as a way to commemorate such a momentous change in my life, moving to NYC and getting more involved in food justice and anti-hunger work. I had also just gotten out of a short but intense relationship and wanted to practice some self-love and remind myself of the importance of rooted, community-based love.

Any special tattoos or ones that are more memorable? Both of mine actually! The ramps tattoo was because I wanted a reminder of spring and the renewal and rebirth that occurs every spring. Ramps are generally the first spring item to show up at farmers markets in NYC, and as a farmer's market manager at the time, I had a strong love for ramps and their importance to spring. I know ramps are also extremely trendy and people go a bit crazy over them because they are foraged and have such a short growing season, but they really are a signal of renewal for me.

Favorite meal of 2014? I took all of Just Food's interns who worked so hard on our annual conference (a food movement conference) to a private dinner at Back Forty West to thank them for all their hard work and commitment to Just Food and the movement. I was so excited to sit around a table with such talented, committed individuals and share a meal created by the great chefs at Back Forty West.

Great Food Photos: Tom Smith

When I spotted Diner Porn a site by Tom Smith on Tumblr, I quickly became a fan. What is it about diners that make them so special? Some people say it's the nostalgia but I never grew up going to diners and yet I love them. Maybe it's the people that work there or the menu...oh the menu of everything that you want from a restaurant or maybe just the old-timey feel of it. Whatever the reason, I love diners. What I love most about what Tom is doing, is that he is spending time with the people in the diners. Getting to know them, know their stories, and the history of the diner. Each person is unique and so is each diner.

Q. Can you tell me what you’re trying to capture when you take your photos? A. I try not to try at all. I like to become part of the scene and let the camera do the observing. Sometimes I'll separate myself from the camera for a few minutes while I have a conversation. People really relax once they see that you (the photographer) are not a stranger. I studied documentary film at Emerson College, and what I loved most about the medium was the authenticity and the character that filmmakers could capture when barriers are broken down between the observer and the observed. If I'm photographing a table of food, I might add or subtract a plate or a side dish but I try to keep things as authentic as possible.

I love talking to people I don't know. It's really inspiring to find out the the strangers around you are going through the same problems. We're all in this together. Corporate chain restaurants don't have this sense of community that diners have, where you can be friendly and talk across the room. My friends and I call it IBC: Inter-Booth Communication. It's an amazing thing.

Q. How did Diner Porn come about? A. I have a sentimental attachment to diners. I grew up in New Jersey where going to a diner is like being in the comfort of your own home. I knew the waiters, the owners, and the menu like the back of my hand, and I would go just to sit and have coffee every afternoon. When I started taking pictures of the decor and the food, I called it "diner porn," and one day I decided to make it a blog.

Q.Have you always been interested in photography and has it evolved ever since you started Diner Porn? A. My father taught me how to use a camera when I was very young, and I've always tried to apply my creative technical skills to meaningful community projects. I was photographing and publishing my family's monthly newsletter when I was 10, filming interviews for a documentary about my hometown on a VHS camera when I was 12, and publishing the town library's newsletter at 14. Photographing people in public places, or in their everyday lives, has always felt natural to me.

Q. Any food photography heroes? If not any photography heroes? A. I don't lend my inspiration to other photographers, really. I try not to obsess over photography—I'm more interested in people and stories. My heroes are my parents, my grandparents and my incredible girlfriend, all of who inspire me to keep creating in this modern world.

Q. Best meal so far in 2014? A. The breakfast tacos my girlfriend made this morning were definitely the best thing I've ever eaten: Monterey Jack shredded over salsa, over easy eggs, and corn tortillas.

Q. What's your favorite thing to order at any diner? A. Coffee.

All photos courtesy from Tom Smith of Diner Porn.

Sundae Fun

Spring On A Plate

You know, half the time I have no idea what I'm doing. It's really more like experimenting with ingredients than actually cooking. Cooking for me means you know what you're doing and that the final product will be delicious. Most of the time I just dump everything into a pan and cross my fingers that it'll be edible. And this is the one reason why I don't bake.

How much salt did I use? A pinch? How much is a pinch? Not sure. How much pasta did I really boil? I know 1 serving isn't enough for me so I usually make a little bit more. Is it 3 ounces? How long do I saute the asparagus? Eh....*shrugs. Medium heat, high heat, low heat. I should pay more attention when I cook so that I can be consistent every time. Some days my dishes turn out pretty darn good and some days they're underseasoned. I guess like everything else, it's just practice practice practice.

This is difficult but I'm going to try to be better at this. This whole recipe writing thing.

Anyways, check it out, spring is finally here. I found asparagus (sorry kale) at the farmer's market and decided to cook it for lunch. Luckily I had stuff at home to cook a pasta dish with the asparagus. It was like spring on a plate.

Asparagus, Shrimp with Miso Pasta

Serves 1 ----------- 2 ounces pasta 4 stalks of asparagus cut into inch long pieces 8 shrimp 1.5 tablespoons miso paste A handful of tarragon leaves (save the smaller ones for garnish afterwards) Half and half (you can use cream or pasta water really) Oil 1 knob of butter Salt and pepper

Get a pot of water boiling for the pasta. When the water begins to boil, add salt and add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the box. I used fusilli and boiled it for 11mins. While the pasta is boiling, put a pan over medium heat. Add oil and the knob of butter to the pan. When the melted butter starts to bubble, add in the asparagus. Saute the asparagus for about 7 minutes or until cooked through but still has a nice crunch. 5 minutes into cooking the asparagus, add the tarragon leaves. Stir. Throw in the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes or until they just about to turn pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add miso paste and enough half and half to create the sauce. I used half and half because that's what I have at home. A dollop of creme fraiche works well too. Try and dissolve the miso paste into the half and half. You might want to lower the flame a bit here or else the half and half gets cooked off way too quick. Add the pasta and mix well. A little too dry? Add couple tablespoons of the pasta water. Finish the dish with some fresh tarragon leaves.

Do you like asparagus? What's your favorite way to eat them?