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Salad Dressing: It’s OK to buy the bottle

How does one introduce themselves to a blog? Who is MinnesotaMrs and what qualifies me to be contributing to The Hack’s Bloated Belly? The answer is just that—I have on more than on occasion cooked up a meal that contributed to The Hack’s bloated belly, and he approved. I guess he decided that my amateur cooking talents and opinionated personality qualify me to offer up my thoughts on food to the virtual world…or he’s amused that a skinny pageant queen would bake pie crusts the old fashioned way, with lard (don’t judge, some things just have to be done right) and savor a lamb burger with a couple rounds of Summit Pale Ale. Whatever the reason, here I am, qualified or not- with plenty of opinions to share.

As the perfect house wife (c’mon this is the Internet, I get to be who ever I want) I shop for and prepare approximately 21 meals every week. As a fitness professional I do my best to ensure that the majority of those 21 meals are healthful and well balanced. As a foodie I refuse to compromise taste, texture and flavor for nutrition. I want to have my cake and eat it all, or at least one appropriately portioned slice. So what’s my secret? How do I do it? All those meals, all so healthy, all so delicious? The answer my friends, is salad dressing.

Salad Dressing: It’s OK to buy the bottle

Money shots and marinade

BB-Dishes-6-5-13-CR2

After a decade of writing about food and restaurants for actual publications, and, in particular, being the photographer for all my work, there is a food shot I’ve come to appreciate the most. And that’s shown above. The “After” shot. There is much food porn to be had out there on pages and the web, and, yes, some of it is wonderful stuff. But, a lot of that stuff doesn’t taste so good, or, in the case of the many ham-fisted attempts at Ferran Adria’s molecular gastronomy brilliance, what looked beautiful was revolting in the mouth (thankfully, the overt use of those techniques is going away). And what is that singular food photograph anyway? It’s food that has not been eaten, that has not been enjoyed, and, depending on the shoot, might have wound up in a garbage can. It’s a pretty moment, forever unconsumed, except with the eyes. But that one, up there, that’s the real money shot. It’s food (and drink) that’s been thoroughly enjoyed. It’s record of a successful evening: friends meet, cook, eat, drink, talk, laugh. Dishes empty while stomachs, heads and souls are filled. That’s a good shot to throw in once in a while. It leaves something to the imagination.

Money shots and marinade