Whatever this is - or becomes - started out as a spam page that I made with no goal besides keeping my own little catalog with memories of moments around food that I had enjoyed, for one reason or another.
I began to photograph food that I would eat out or make at home, following no set of rules or agenda, just remembering to photograph. Without any long descriptions I’d simply post the pictures I’d collect: for me to know the who, what, where and when’s and for others to possibly see. There came a point where this started to feel a bit selfish, because when I continued documenting these moments I began paying attention to what I was eating and how the food itself would make me feel, but also to the context and the people that were or weren’t present and how this had an equal weight as the food before me. There are few things as nurturing as sharing, receiving, giving and eating a meal.
So, this website is my attempt to share and give continuity to developing my thoughts around food, cooking it, sharing it, what it means and what it does - still not really following a set of rules.
Since this is my first “post”, I think it only makes sense to explain why this website is called what it is. One of the things that starting this project has made me think about is all the ways that the systems around food and how we live in them are super conspicuous yet sometimes unappreciated. Obviously, there are plenty of reasons why the common plate is round - the main reason being convenience - but the question originated from wondering how the way we relate to food could be different if we played with it, and that could be through a spectrum of changes. The spectrum is endless.
The culture around food can be ritualistic, political, traditional, symbolic, emotional, learned and shared, commodified, institutional, resistant, and expressive. I find it to be a part of our lives that is so telling of who we are as individuals and communities, which is also something I’ve been navigating since beginning this “project”.
As mentioned on the home page, I’m still not fully sure what I see coming out of this but maybe that’s the point. I hope it starts conversations, gets people to meet up over food, nurtures friendships and connections, unveils someone’s new favorite spot to get noodles and ultimately help me form my thoughts into some sort of direction.
I still haven’t developed a dynamic for this website, but to end my posts I aim to leave something for whoever reads. Today, it’ll be the recipe I’ve probably cooked for myself the most. I made it everyday for an entire week once when I was in my first year of university, and since then have probably made it (or a variation of it) at least once every two weeks...not joking. I could make it with my eyes closed, and I think it’s a perfect fit for this post.
Ingredients (all very roughly estimated in quantity):
spaghetti
1 tbsp of salted butter
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
½ a shallot
cup of plum/cherry tomatoes
splash of white wine
½ can of peeled tomatoes
general seasonings you may or may not like to use:
02. add your desired amount of dry spaghetti into the pot and let cook while you make the sauce.
03. in a pan, heat some olive oil and a small piece of butter over medium low heat.
04. mince the garlic cloves and the shallot finely and add into the pan with olive oil and butter.
05. chop the plum/cherry tomatoes in halves and add into the pan to simmer with the garlic and shallot - mix for 2 minutes on medium heat.
06. add a splash of white wine and let all juices mix together
07. add the peeled tomatoes and then season before mixing for two minutes over medium low heat or until the spaghetti has finished cooking.
08. strain your spaghetti and add into the sauce.
09. serve and top with any of your prefered garnish, and enjoy
My sister came to visit me in London in 2022, and every time we talk on the phone since then, the trip always - without fail - comes up in conversation. Amalia arrived on my 9th month living by myself for the first time, and lets be honest, I was nowhere close to having achieved financial responsibility. To sum it up, it was a trip of extremes: from scavenging Clio’s pantry for any food she could leave behind for us before leaving London for summer to 3 star michelin restaurants, it was a trip that I hope to tell my grandchildren about.
I was 20 at the time and my sister was 17. I was very much enjoying all the thrills that come with living alone for the first time (and learning how to cook for myself properly) and she was enjoying the thrills of getting a preview of that too. I learned a lot about my sister and I hope she learned from me as well, but together we learned a lot about London (one thing being all the basic spots to hit when in London).
Talking about food, the star of this trip was Gail’s Bakery: Amalia developed a deep obsession with their iced chai lattes, begging to stop everytime we passed by a franchise. Those who live in London will know, this is a trap because Gail’s will slowly take ALL your money! We found ourselves quickly having to budget, and while I do believe every other food checkpoint we marked along the trip earned its badge for its own forte, it was the fact that it felt like putting down a deposit everytime we got food that made those checkpoints even more special.
It’s worth mentioning another place we went to at Harrod’s food hall: Kama by Vineet, the Indian restaurant which sadly closed two years ago. I’m glad we got to go, because while I’m sure it might not be the most “genuine” Indian food (it was clearly targeted for tourists), it was still speechlessly good. Like good tourists, we got the butter chicken with garlic naan as a main to share, and the samosa chickpea daal as a starter. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
Fourth unforgettable checkpoint was L’entrecote in Marylebone. Amalia and I queued, but I can’t even remember how long! That must be a sign that it’s worth the wait. A classic probably anywhere it has a franchise, this restaurant only serves one thing: a salad entrée with a dijon mustard vinaigrette and a main of french fries with grilled steak bathed in their famous sauce. The best part is when they serve you seconds, and the amount of food you eat proves itself worth every pound you pay. Coming from Mexico, this is not how we’d usually think of eating a steak (I do think a steak taco is one of the best things on the planet), so for Amalia and I it became particularly memorable.
Next up is my personal favorite: La Fromagerie. Their store in Marylebone holds a special place in my heart, since it’s where I shared a moment over how good the cheese selection was with my dad when he helped me move to London in 2021. I celebrate my birthday by getting brunch here every year, and take only my closest friends. It’s a bit of a sacred spot for me, so it was a must on my list of places to go to with Amalia. We went for the french cheese board (my favorite) and a side of charcuterie.
The last highlight of our trip was on the penultimate night before our trip together came to an end. Sponsored by our dad as a treat to celebrate that we had this trip together, we booked a table for two at Core by Clare Smyth. Amalia and I first heard of her when we saw her on The Final Table, and having dinner here made me understand all the reasons why she’s so esteemed. We were served a despicable amount of food, all presented in unique little plates and presentations that made it feel like a TV show binge watch but for our tummies. We got two set menues, the dynamic being that the menu’s dishes were inspired by the seasons of the year. I often get messages from Amalia to talk about how good one potato with beurre blanc dish had been (too good to be true). Eating at these type of restaurants is such a treat, and I feel beyond lucky that I got to share this experience with my sister.
That’s all for this post, but to sign off I leave you with this interview I found while writing this post: Click here for the link
(...we may be basic after all)