I find it funny that not one thing requested is healthy. It’s interesting to think of what they ask for to in some way either ease their nerves or just mess with people. It’s a good thing to have something that reminds you of home or to have something to just make you laugh. If I were in the position to make demands it would be varieties of cheeses and cured meats and maybe some crackers.
Instagram has become one of the easiest ways to get thoughts out. Using it to publicize a restaurant, person or a particular place is just as simple. We eat with our eyes and that’s something we all know. Knowing that a “regular” person liked this meal so much they had to post it and share their thoughts means a lot to some people. When you look at an ad from McDonalds on their Big Mac sandwich, it looks good, but you know when you go there it’s all smushed and looks nothing like how it’s advertised. It’s a lot more comforting to go off a person that is taking pictures of an experience, opposed to someone that it is their job to make it look good or artistic.
The work of Walker Evans is so similar to many of the things we see now. From looking at the faces of many of the people in his photographs you know they know something is going on, but isn’t there. The variations of confusion to blank expressions makes you wonder how did he get their attention. From social media now you see so many pictures being taken with somewhat the same expressions on their faces. So many people on the train, that don’t have their faces on their phones, will always have a confused look on their face. No matter what, there is always something odd going on and from the look of things it’s been going on for a while.
So many people to serve one man dinner. Every detail was planned out and each one of those details were delegated to a different person. Having that many servants is an obvious sign of the level of power the king has.
In our time servants and food are still a communication status, as well as a feeling. In a social environment things like lobster, caviar and steak are representations of the rich, whereas burgers and fried chicken are more for people in the ghetto. This is something that is based on not only by price and quality but society.
When a person wants to have a party and show off what they have or give off an impression of status, food is simple way representing that. Having a special event with the right setting at a hall or some sort of venue, the food offered is a representation of yourself. You are hand picking what you want to offer others and to show them the quality of life you enjoy. Would you like for people to see you as the filet mignon person or the burger and fries person?
I can say that the one thing that pops in my head when I think of texture is baked mac and cheese. I know I have said how I love cheese but a four cheese baked mac and cheese is amazing. The crunchy breadcrumbs on top baked to a nice golden brown and a nice gooey center. Although I haven’t had it in a while, my grandfather makes this to perfection.
The photo I have is from Sweet Bird in Harlem. The couple of times I have gone here I have gotten their mac and cheese and loved it. Melted cheese with more melted cheese makes me a happy customer. I think if I were to have a restaurant it would be “cheesy.” 
I honestly think caffeine is more mental then anything else. In the time of the Civil War, coffee was more something to look forward to, as it is still today. Since I’ve worked for Starbucks for over 6 years now, I’ve encountered some odd people. One thing that I’ve learned about the coffee we brew is the lighter a coffee is roasted the more caffeine the beans hold. Almost every day I have the same conversation about our blonde, medium, and dark roasts. A lot of people will say how the blonde never wakes them up how they need that dark roast to keep them going. I always politely explain to them that even though it isn’t a great difference but the blonde roast contains more caffeine then the darker roasts and why. Sometimes people will take the info and go with it, but others think I don’t know what I’m talking about. This is why I believe that coffee is just placebo to remind you that you have to be up and get through this day.
I can get through this day now that I got my coffee.
I know I’ll be alert once I’m out there on the battlefield now that I’ve had some coffee.
-Peter Tapia
P.S. I Love Cheese and I can’t imagine a world without it. Give me a good Cheese and Meat plate and I’m happy… add some wine and you’ve made my day.
What’s a better way to engage in conversation but to share what you’re about to eat. It’s that one thing that everyone knows, food. In the digital age that we live in, sometimes, pictures and videos can say so much more, opposed to just talking. Sharing a picture of the brunch you had with a group of friends puts a timestamp on that moment, leaving you to remember that day and all of its glory or even faults. I love seeing what my friends post especially when it’s of a meal from a random place I’ve never been to. Most of my adventures revolve around a new restaurant that someone posted a picture of on some sort of social media and I know I’m not the only person that runs their lives around good people and food. Photography of food pushes chefs and those involved in any meal to make sure that it will look as good as it will taste. And that’s an innovation that I keep enjoying.
I would like to share my brunch from earlier today. Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon on an english muffin along side home fries and a sliced tomato at The Astor Room in Kauffman Studios Astoria.
-Peter Tapia.
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