what is food porn? wikepedia explains

Food porn

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Food porn is a provocative term variously applied to a spectacular visual presentation of cooking or eating in advertisements, infomercials, cooking shows or other visual media, foods boasting a high fat and calorie content^[1], exotic dishes that arouse a desire to eat^[2] or the glorification of food as a substitute for sex.^[3]

In the United Kingdom,^{[citation needed]} food porn is usually acknowledged as advertisements where food is presented in an ‘arousing’ manner, for example; with water dripping from it in order to imitate a person with sweat dripping from them.

In the United States, food porn is a term applied when “food manufacturers are capitalising on a backlash against low-calorie and diet foods by marketing treats that boast a high fat content and good artery-clogging potential”.^[1] The origin of the term was attributed to the Center for Science in the Public Interest^[1] which began publishing a regular column called “Right Stuff vs. Food Porn” for its Nutrition Action Healthletter in January 1998.^[4][5]

“it is a way for culinary hobbyists to poke good-natured fun at themselves.”

Ok that explains things in case we didnt know.

a love affair with ice cream

ice cream balls (photographer: Bruce Tuck - styled by myself, scooped by Lori)

I needed to ramble on a bit about ice cream, which is one of the big food loves of my life.

Growing up in South Africa where the best option all those years back was Dairy Maid, ice cream for me was nothing to get too excited about. I liked it like all kids like it, but it was only when I tasted my first super premium ice cream in the USA in January 1991, did I realise that there was a whole big ice cream heaven out there waiting to be discovered.  I can’t remember if it was Haagen Dazs or Ben & Jerry’s that I ate first, but one thing is for sure I started eating both quite regularly. 

eating Blue Bell Ice cream in Austen, Texas - 1991

On our big road trip across America in our Chev Caprice station wagon, my sister and I sought out every Ben & Jerry’s ice cream shop in every city we stayed in, and made sure when we drove through Texas, that we planned our route to stop over at Blue Bell Creameries, which at the time was regarded by the New York Times as the best ice cream producer in the country.We got there via a crazy night on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico, and with at least 120 mosquito bites, did the full factory tour and tasting session afterwards. Off the chart yumalicious!

our chev caprice station wagon that we drove across the US in

…so the love affair started and has continued ever since.  When in London, later in the year, in addition to Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs, I had access to Movenpick  (Caramelita). Life was too good!

My favourite flavour profile for ice cream is vanilla, with caramel type additions (fudge, dulce de leche etc). My absolute two favourite ice creams of all time are: Haagen dazs - Pralines and Cream and Ben & Jerrys – Heath Bar Crunch.

i love this ice cream

I returned to SA in 1994 and had to endure a bleak period of no decent ice cream.  At the time I worked for General Mills (they own Haagen daszs), and was involved with some of the preliminary research into the launch of the brand here.  It was so close but just so far.

The only time I got to eat the proper stuff was when I traveled overseas. On one trip, my boyfriend at the time took me to Boston and to my utter dismay I couldn’t find HD pralines and cream.  I phoned the company hotline to discover that for some very bizarre reason this particular flavour was not sold in Boston, except at the airport ice cream shop which was just a little bit out of the way.  I had to settle for Dulce de Leche and Macadamia Nut Brittle instead (which are actually almost as good).

Around 2005 I decided that since I couldn’t eat the ice cream I wanted, I would have to make it myself.  So I bought an Italian ice cream machine and a chest freezer. I ordered the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and dessert book from Amazon and got stuck right into my ice cream making mission (project chill) and day dreaming about opening an ice cream shop. 

a few ice cream books

I haven’t made ice cream for a while partly because we can now buy good quality offerings, and partly because of a recent preoccupation with baking and cupcakes, and weight loss (a bit of a contradiction I know), but its time to haul the machine down and get busy and experimental.

Watch this space. I’m getting excited.

strawberry ice cream balls (photographer: Bruce Tuck - styled by me, scooped by Lori)

SASSI -eat sustainable fish

If you are in South Africa – you need to put the following number into your cell phone:  0794998795

If you are unsure whether the fish you are about to eat is sustainable or not, simply sms the name of the fish to the above number and you will receive a reply immediately informing you of the status of the fish.

visit the SASSI website to learn more.

jamie oliver – top 9 recipes of the last decade

fab looking salad from the Jamie Oliver website

In the Nov 09 edition of BBC Good Food mag, JO includes an article of his all time top recipes of the last decade.

…his recipes are:

• fantastic fish pie (which I made for supper last night and is in the next post)
• midnight pan cooked breakfast
• my perfect roast chicken
• the easiest sexiest salad in the world (pictured above)
• jamie’s honey and lemon dressing
• roasted slashed fillet of sea bass, stuffed with herbs, baked on mushroom potatoes with salsa verde – a l a Tony Blair
• salsa verde
• baked chocolate tart
• jamies shortcrust sweet pastry

Based on the total winning fish pie recipe I made last night - I think I’m going to work my way through this list. If the man loves these recipes the most out of the last 10 years who am I to argue. I’m just going to do them.

visit: www.jamieoliver.com   its a great foodie website!

nectarcot

delicious fruit

It’s a cross between a nectarine and a cling peach and it is awesome!

I initially thought given the name that it was a nectarine / apricot cross, but that is a ‘nectacot’, this is a necarcot (with a r) – so perhaps that is the difference.  I intend to get to the bottom of this one.

I am a fruit bat, so got hugely excited when I saw these little golden numbers in woolies today and just had to buy.

I tend to think that we should leave things up to mother nature, but in the case of cross breeding fruit,  I’m all for it (how else would we have a peppedew..although this is a cultivar of capsicum thus a vegetable, but you know what I mean?)

I recently tried a ‘grapple’ – which looks and has the texture of an apple but tastes like artificial grape bubblegum.  weird.

The mind boggles thinking what they will create in the future.  I for one am looking forward.

“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus if you let fruit rot it turns into wine, something brussel sprouts never do” P.J O’Rourke

valentine warner – loving the new chef on the block

doing that very endearing crinkle of the nose thing

I’ve been watching and loving the new Tv series ‘what to eat now’ with Valentine Warner. It’s high time we got a new personality to watch, and he is showing all the signs of being ‘rock star chef material’.

Maybe it’s his raw passion and the way he gets so incredibly excited about food (he calls himself a culinary explorer), or his boyish manner that I love, maybe its the way he crinkles up his nose and has a very naughty glint in his eye or maybe its simply that he seems like a really fun guy who I would love to have over and cook with.

The show is beautifully filmed with some stunning time-lapse photography and is simply lovely to watch. Val (as he is referred to), goes in search of the best ingredients and puts these to the test. His excitement as he is about to take the first bite of something he has made is so authentic and contagious, you just want to reach into the Tv and have a good bite yourself.

I look forward to ‘what to eat now – more please’ and anything else this delightful character comes up with.

chilled out culinary explorer - I am a big fan

baking and blogging 101

It’s best not to do the blogging thing while on a 280 cupcake order.

The timer malfunctioned and the music was too loud and I was distracted.

…….best to keep focussed is all I am going to say.

cupcake art

my poster for design indaba

I was recently asked to do a piece of art which would form part of the launch of a design competition ‘its in you let it out’ (Jupiter Drawing Room CT) design indaba superstars

Each entry works with a side profile of the persons head and shoulders (A3).

This is the poster of my art piece which was chosen to be published in the December issue of House and Leisure