Erica: Venturing into the World of Cooking…
I have been asked to write a blog post about food, but the joke’s on y’all because I don’t know anything about food (other than how to schedule a photo shoot for it). However, I recently got married and have been venturing into the world of cooking… ever so slowly… one tip-toe at a time.
During my single years, my diet consisted primarily of spaghetti (cooked or dry for that matter), fast food or frozen meals. Needless to say, that doesn’t quite work anymore—for me or my husband.
Keep in mind though, he does not expect me to cook and often encourages me not to worry about it (he’d happily eat out for every meal), but along with the adventures of marriage comes the adventures of budgeting and planning, etc.; so I have taken this grocery shopping/cooking adventure upon myself. And thankfully, I get to work with people who cook food and make it pretty for a living, so I have many sources of advice surrounding me. 🙂
After photo shoots, we often have a lot of food leftover that gets sent to the Nashville Rescue Mission; but some of it is opened or items we can’t take there, so we all “grocery shop” for ourselves. Most of the time I look at the things leftover and draw a blank. My mind is not inventive or creative when it comes to food, and I frankly just don’t know enough about cooking to know what I could make with an assortment of seemingly random things. Our wonderful food stylists are always quick to offer me ideas and suggestions though. Telling me what would go well with what, the best way to prepare it, or even offering a recipe I can follow. (My husband has them to thank for a number of our dinners.)
I’ve only recently begun to feel confident with my weekly grocery/meal plans and often ask friends for suggestions regarding any go-to recipes that they like. Admittedly, sometimes I have to google things on the ingredient list or a process that the writer has matter-of-factly stated in the instructions that a beginner like me has no clue what it means. (Oh, hey blanching, glad to know what you mean now.) Maybe one day, I’ll reach expert level.
Until that time comes though, here is one of mine and my husband’s favorite (and easy) dinners to make. This was recommended to me by an art producer at an agency we often work with. My husband has always claimed he didn’t like salmon, and she said her’s had done the same… until she tried this recipe. So, I tried it as well and it was a success! Feel free to try it for yourself sometime by following this link.
– Erica
Images from the Dreier & Company archive.
Client: American Diabetes Association
Food Photography: Kyle Dreier
Food Styling: Whitney Kemp
