Here is a breakfast dish known ass eggs benedict. It is an English muffin topped with Canadian bacon, a poached egg, chive, and hollandaise sauce. With the way the picture was taken, viewers can almost get a feel of how it actually tastes. The bright green color of the chives evoke feelings of freshness. The browned tips of the bacon lets us know that it was sautéed somewhat and has a slight crisp to its taste. Along with the bacon being sautéed, the picture also lets us know the muffin was toasted due its crisp brown surface. Finally the hollandaise sauce and runny glow of the poached egg, evokes the sensation of a soggy (for lack of a better word) yet firm egg with a creamy hollandaise sauce.

I don’t see a problem with taking pictures of food. Although it is an ongoing phenomenon there is a lot of merit in doing so. Taking pictures of your food can document a great meal that you have eaten accompanied by great memories. Also it can portray a bad meal that you had that you want to forget. The article has showed me different ways people can utilize this activity. A food diary is a very creative idea. But I also think that spending ample amounts of time trying to find the right angle for a photo of food is ridiculous. But sometimes a meal is so well made that you have to appreciate the effort put into the dish.

In an antique shop a couple of months ago, I came across some variously shaped vintage pastry molds. So last week I decided to take them out and put them to use. I made lemon buttermilk bundt cakes. While all of them are made from the same batter, I chose to finish them differently for some added appeal. I think there are several factors that make these cakes look delicious, the combination of the three shapes together, the contrast between the color of the powdered sugar and the golden brown baked color of the stars, as well as the contrast offered by the design of the glaze against the sprinkling of powdered sugar. When serving these, knowing that the taste of each would be exactly the same, everyone reached for a different cake, only proving to me that “delicious” doesn’t necessarily look the same to all.

I have always been taught that breakfast is the most important meal in a day. This is because it’s the meal that gets you through the morning hours until lunch, which, in turn, gets you through a few more hours until a quick snack time, before finally arriving home for a nice dinner with the family. Being raised in the Philippines, I have been accustomed to heavy breakfast sets that usually included fried garlic rice (called sinangag), a sunny-side egg and a choice of meat, typically a serving of cured sausage (longanisa), beef (tapa) or salted fish (tuyo), or for a more urbanized version, a choice between hotdogs or corned beef. It’s already a lot, but often times, these meals are concluded with a serving of fruit. And then a mandatory glass of milk or juice. No wonder my Mom lets us walk to school.

So imagine my wonder when I found out about American breakfasts. Cereal, for one. Or perhaps two slices of toasted bread with jam. Or the very convenient protein shake. It’s very minimal, but frequently covers a good chunk of a day’s required nutrient intake. Fruits have become a good staple, and the variety seemed endless due to New York having four seasons instead of Manila’s two. I wouldn’t say that American breakfasts are unhealthy or lacking, but perhaps it can amount to that if one doesn’t choose carefully from the large spread of choices accessible out there.

In my opinion, a breakfast should be nutritious and filling. It should cover the basic food groups without being too heavy that it turns one to be lethargic. A serving of fruit or vegetable is a must, as I find these to be very helpful in keeping me up and filled without that sluggish feeling. As for liquids, milk and 100% juices for kids, and teas for adults. I find that coffee is habit forming, so as much as possible, I stay away from it.

One of the most used food clichés is that “we, first, eat with our eyes” which is mostly true since all of our senses must be satisfied in order to fully enjoy any type of food. A culinary or confectionery dish is easily found intriguing based on how it appeals to viewers. The presentation as well as the ingredients involved evokes the flavor qualities of the dish which can create an illusion of a predicted taste of a delicious meal. The photograph that I have posted is an Oreo cheesecake that my sister and I made for my mother’s birthday. The cheesecake is an original, creamy base that is mixed with Oreo crumbs. Then, it is poured into lined ramekins with an Oreo cookie crust. But, the best part is the garnishes added to the chilled cheesecake. It is topped with a crème Chantilly and a lightly sweetened, chocolate whipped cream. This is decorated with an Oreo cookie that is frosted with gold luster dust which is an edible, colored dust in order to give it an artistic shine. I managed to change the simplicity of a dessert like cheesecake into a gourmet dessert by my presentation which emphasized the textures, flavors, and ingredients; causing it to look incredibly delicious.

What are the qualities that communicate deliciousness? In my opinion, this question is best answered through one’s stomach AND one’s mind. While looking at this photo of Baby Back Ribs in Sweet Vinegar Sauce, the first thing that catches my attention is how the light seemingly accentuates the sweet glaze bathing over and around the ribs. From the top, one can see how each rib is deliciously highlighted to give a sense of the meat’s tenderness and juiciness, and (quite possibly too) how satisfying it would feel inside one’s mouth and then, later on, one’s belly. The star anise and garlic, spread all across the plate, adds to it’s olfactory profile, hinting at it’s oriental and savory fragrance, encouraging images of satiation and enjoyment, or, simply, a sudden craving for a bowl of steaming jasmine rice. On the other hand, the pops of green brought about by fresh parsley, gives a nice contrast to the earthy tones of the dish, making it whole, hearty and definitely appetizing.

Do people really think about breakfast when they have to wake up at 5am and catch the train by 6am? Hmm well the thing they consider as breakfast would be coffee a yogurt to eat it at their way to work or class. As many would know breakfast is the most important meal of the day because thats whats going to keep you in full strength till your next meal that would be lunch or dinner. I usually get a cup of coffee and add some cream to it and that will be till I get something better to eat later on. But lets say if I have the time to make some breakfast I will definitely make some pancakes eggs and bacon and that meal will keep you starting your day the best way possible. I think breakfast can be used in many ways as fun to eat, but some people don’t like to have such a heavy breakfast because maybe they won’t digest it properly because its too early.

Breakfast is very important. Especially for the children who grow up extremely fast and need various nutrition. There have been numerous research analyses that emphasize the importance of breakfast. Probably the biggest obstacle that keep people away from having breakfast is that there isn’t enough time for breakfast in the morning. Parents have to get ready to go to work, wake their kids up , pack their lunch, chase them to get ready on time for the school bus. On the other hand, children have to get ready to school with their eyes still half closed, being chased by their parents. Furthermore, it’s rare to have a healthy breakfast that tastes good. You just put something in your mouth while dressing up and mumble, simply because you have to. A car needs fuel to start the engine. Just like cars, it is essential for human to provide fuel(food) to start a day. There are still lots of obstacles to overcome, but it shouldn’t be neglected.

As we all know, breakfast is perhaps the most important meal of the day. Its from this very first meal in the day, that our body receives the energy and nutrients to perform the tasks that our day requires. This New York Times article, sheds light on the importance of breakfast for children and the typical breakfast for children of different nations. Ranging from hard boiled eggs, sausages, sauces and in some cases pastries, breakfast from other nations completely differ to that of Americans. The most standard breakfast for American children in my opinion, is cereal and milk. The cereal of today’s market, is loaded with sugar. As we all know too much sugar and kids, are not a good combination. Ultimately the “sugar high” will crash and leave you with either a tired or cranky kid. Along with that, increases in sugar will lead to a decrease in nutritional value of the cereal. No one cares what benefits Cinnamon Toast Crunch provides, we all just know that it tastes great. This reasoning is also why I believe America has an obesity issue, because of the “it tastes good” mentality. this is what I believe a nutritional American breakfast looks like: