Beautiful Food

Ah, food. You gotta love it... especially since you can't live without it. But aside from the fact that our bodies physically require food to function properly, eating is actually a pleasurable experience. As my dad has often said, one of the greatest blessings from heaven is that the perfunctory task of eating--a task that is truly necessary for our daily survival--is so dang enjoyable.

After all, good food is both delicious and beautiful. With so many possible combinations of color, texture, and taste, consuming food can (and should) be so much more than the satisfaction of a physical need. I mean, come on. Using the bathroom is a physical requirement. But eating? Eating is an opportunity. It's an opportunity for adventure, for comfort, for experimentation, for expression. And personally, I try to open the door nice and wide whenever opportunity knocks. :) Granted, doing so hasn't necessarily prepared me for a career as a supermodel, but I know one thing is certain: my life is much richer and fuller when I allow myself to get full on rich foods.

And now that I've vacated my soap box, here are some beautiful food pictures.


The wonderful molten chocolate cake at Finale in Boston.


The best pizza EVER. No, I'm serious. I devoured the whole thing in a little restaurant in Naples, Italy.


The only way to do lasagna: with bechamel sauce! Taken in Florence, Italy.


Delicious fish I ate for my birthday in Venice!


This is the dish (from Munich, Germany) that singlehandedly made me fall in love with goulash.


Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries. I looked all over Stockholm for these bad boys! And let me tell you, they were SO worth the wait (and all the walking from restaurant to restaurant to check their menus).


Yummy Swedish cookies with a vanilla custard filling. We bought a recipe book just so we could make these ourselves!


And now I'm done. And really hungry...