Starting off with photos that seem appropriate to my subject this time around- hang on- there's loads to discuss :)


My fav "jump-out-of-the-car-for-the-photo" photo ;)


A little bit of Mexico : )

In the middle of the night as I was tossing and turning in bed, I was attempting to string together my thoughts- and what it was that I could say to get my point across? I thought for far too long what I wanted to say about these 2 opportunities that I have before me, and I felt that more could be less in a situation like this. It all starts with a dream, an idea, a thought- right? I am not sure if many of you know that my innermost desire has been photojournalism. I am also uncertain that there ever came a point where I decided this was what I wanted- it was just always natural- to be an observer, to document what I see and to understand people in a way that others perhaps haven’t been able to see on their own. Now, coupled with the strong desire to travel, see the world, be changed by just the mere absence of my daily routine and thought processes, I wanted to not only be a photojournalist and tell stories through my photos- there has also been an incredible need for self-preservation/protection. I have been under the impression that in order to be a photojournalist, you have to be willing to die. Now, I think that it is a noble thing to be willing to die while working- doing what you love and are most passionate about, but I was not willing to take that risk per se- so I buried my photojournalism dreams and continued on with my photography anyway finding my niche and interests. I have always felt somewhere deep inside me...as sure as the famous photo of the Afghan girl on the cover of National Geographic with the stellar, piercing green eyes- that I wanted to be a part of something that mattered. I suppose that's why I had trouble with a lot of my jobs- I couldn't see the relevance long term- and since I am not a person that is motivated by working my way to the top or by monetary gain, I had to keep searching for something- anything that was good and worthy and made a difference.

A little background on me that might not be as apparent or for those of you who don't know me-I have been shooting since I was about 11 years old- and this is when I took my first international trip to Egypt. My parents are Egyptian, and since I said I wanted to take pictures of the Pyramids, my mom delivered. I spent 3 months in Egypt and I think that the experience there will always stick with me- this trip was fueled by the desire to photograph the Pyramids, and after winning a junior high school competition with that photo, I felt like this was not only something that I loved to do- but that was natural for me, and that I really could do something with my photos. I also had an exceptional amount of hope that I could contribute to humanity, to society with the use of my camera and photos. The next reasonable step would have been to study journalism, but, that wasn't exactly what happened with me. After I graduated from college for the 4th time with a BA in Commercial/Advertising Still Photography- I knew that deep down the insatiable wanderlust could not be quenched by traveling just for the sake of traveling. There had to be more- and now I have 2 brilliant opportunities before me that I am hopeful I can take and learn and make a difference in these small South American communities. To contribute- please visit my "Chip-In" page "http://mirazaki.chipin.com/ecuador-and-guatemala"

I have never been to South America before, so these opportunities are doubly as exciting! They are best described by the trip leaders/ organisations- so here is a description of Ecuador followed by a description of Guatemala put on by a selfless, and impressive non-profit called Salaam Garage (www.salaamgarage.com) I hope you will help me be an author, a storyteller, and a participant in 2 exceptional opportunities to inspire, document life, and 10% of the trip cost of Guatemala goes directly to the community/participating NGO committed to breaking the cycle of poverty for rural families in Central America and Mexico by enabling landless communities to achieve land ownership and economic stability.

Ecuador- a colleague of mine, Ashok Sinha, has put this trip together- he has beautiful work and has traveled all over the world photographing the human condition-
www.ashoksinha.com

I'm organizing a trip to Ecuador (Otovalo/Imbabura region) this summer. I have partnered with a local anthropologist (who I met on my last assignment there for Budget Travel Magazine) which will enable us to get extraordinary access and opportunities to observe, photograph and immerse in the culture of the Ecuadorian Andes.

There will be a mixture of exclusive private portrait sessions as well as public settings such as the San Juan festival in Zuleta. In addition my anthropologist partner (Trinidad Ordonez) will be accompanying us throughout the entire length of the trip.
I think it will be a great way to pursue our own projects (be it photography and/or travel writing) and learn from each other's work as we get to explore the elusive communities in Ecuador over a 8-day period. (June 20-27, 2010). We are also considering a group show of participating photographers at the conclusion of the trip.
Let me know if you're interested in learning more about this. The total number in the group is a max of 8 and we currently have 2 spots left.
The price includes top-class accommodation, all meals, local transportation. It does not include airfare to/from Ecuador.

Guatemala with Salaam Garage:
"SalaamGarage is a storytelling, citizen journalism organization that partners with International NGOs and local non-profits. Participants (amateur and professional photographers, writers, videographers, etc.) connect with international NGOs, create and share independent media projects that raise awareness and cause positive change in their online and offline social communities.
We are the media now. Join us."

“SalaamGarage coordinates trips for citizen journalists (that means you) to places like India and Vietnam in conjunction with non-government organizations like Seattle-based Peace Trees. The destination is the story, as these humanitarian journalists report on the people they meet and discoveries they make. Their words, images, and video are posted to the social web to gain exposure and because these stories just need to be told.” Max Gladwell, The Huffington Post

Guatemala: July 23-Aug 3, 2010

Here is a link to the itinerary on Salaam Garage's website if you are interested in seeing what the trip is about: http://salaamgarage.com/trips/guatemala1/

Not only are both trips a brilliant opportunity and introduction to South America- they are both meaningful and food related! I couldn't think of a more perfect way to
start a photojournalism portfolio while still remaining true to my passion for food.


Here is the link to my Chip-In page and will also provide my home mailing address if anyone requires it to mail payment instead of donating online.

Thank you for reading my blog and following me along my ever-changing path ;)

Lots of love and inspiration :)

I was starting to think that the groundhog lied to us about an early Spring… although, the past few NYC days are indicative of a truly gorgeous FULL Spring season. I am grateful to live in a city where I can yet again experience the full 4 seasons ☺

Brought to you by the lovely Andrea Beaman and myself- a lighter more Spring-y menu here to match the changing of the seasons which seems to be bringing a wonder of abundance, change, and growth. I welcome it- and hope you enjoy this menu. It was again, absolutely organic, and delicious to eat. (and this would be a fantastic menu for a picnic in the park! Or if you live in California, you know.. just a picnic for the everyday weather)



Coleslaw can never be done too many ways- :)



Chicken Curry Salad Sandwich on a whole grain roll- YUM!



Kale and white beans- minus the fart foam !




I believe this is Sea Bass soup- am I right?




Nishime Vegetables with Kombu- I called this one "crazy sushi picture" cuz.. that's what it looks like.




Nishime Vegetables with Kombu



Geeky macro shot of pesto pasta on an orange bell pepper and some arugula



Pesto Pasta with whole milk cheese!



The Great Wall... oh no, just Pear Crumble! I love seeing another fruit besides apples in a crumble :)






Pear Crumble

Slight shift here as well as a bit of a flashback to a few blogs ago! My dear friend Chef Rena Unger (website coming soon) is one of the most creative and loving people I’ve ever met. Her mind never rests- and so we became quick friends chatting and bonding about everything under the sun with the majority of our conversations revolving around, or ending up inevitably back at our fav topic- food.

Rena teaches classes about holistic health in her home, and I was fortunate to be able to attend and once again be spoiled by the deliciousness that is her healthy, organic cooking. In her Gluten Free Class, I had some of the most delectable dishes I could have ever imagined- I didn’t get to photograph all of her dishes- but there are a few below.

After the Gluten Free Class, Rena taught a Winter Blues class, and it was a true festival for the tastebuds ☺ Only Rena could make the most clever ice cream combinations and make me eat it in the Winter time. I met Rena through Andrea Beaman, and it is sort of magical to come together with kindred spirits- people who inspire, and change your life with the most subtle acts of kindness- as well as by pronounced acts of sharing and giving. I am a better person because I have met these two lovely ladies- and they spoil and insist on continuing to feed me as long as I take photos of their creations.






Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup with Brown Rice Sesame Crackers. Ok. Everything Rena touches turns to gold and well, something delicious- but the crackers I swear I can't get over, she friggin MADE crackers! I would never do that. But, now I will, because it was easy and unbelievably tasty :)



Spicy Fig& Chocolate Cake with Adzuki Bean Ganache (holy _____ , you have to try this to believe it!)


Fake Out Sweet Treat Corn- inspired by yours truly- during an organic old school-popped-on-the-stove-popcorn phase I had recently :)


Spinach artichoke dip (dairy-free!) with crostini :)



Dairy-free spinach artichoke dip with daikon, you won't believe it doesn't have dairy!


French Onion Quiche with a side of Kale

French Onion Quiche extreme close up :)


Sesame Pear Granola


Fig & Ginger Brown Rice Pudding

This makes me feel like ice skating in a Winter Wonderland theme somewhere :) That might be difficult because I don't ice skate, but you get the idea!


Ginger Ice Cream!

Forgive my unintentional absence, February decided to be one of the most difficult months for me. Hellish sickness took over for a few weeks, but I refused to let it win! Feeling much better, and determined to keep going…. I will try to update weekly- almost caught up to the present, ALMOST! ☺ *** waxing philosophic for one moment- I am fascinated by illness/sickness in the sense of my own experience. I have had my fair share of being sick in my lifetime and when it is a really intense sickness, there is something very primal about it- nothing else seems to matter besides feeling better… has anyone else noticed this? The dorky anthropological, sociological, side of me loves to analyse things- and it is sort of funny how everything fades away in the face of sickness. ***

Despite the snowstorms, which I find glorious- the groundhog told us it will be an early Spring- but I am still catching up on the end of the Winter/Comfort foods photoshoots. Once again, this was a shoot with the lovely Andrea Beaman. All of her delectable dishes have recipes on her website. So. Click and drool ;) ☺




Now let me tell you- growing up with a Middle Eastern family has made me a snob about Middle Eastern cuisine- and Andrea Beaman absolutely blew me away with this homemade hummus complete with crostini, it was sensational !

Black Eyed Peas with Chorizo

No, I cannot shoot without feeding my macro addiction :) Black Eyed Peas with Chorizo

Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry and Balsamic Reduction


Oysters, dear! Anyone else excited for Alice in Wonderland in 3D? Oyster Soup macro for my inner nerd :)

The non-macro shot of Oyster Soup :)

Oyster Soup with bacon

Spicy Stewed Chicken with Winter Veggies



Savory Winter Root Vegetables (oh yum!)



Beautifully baked pear complete with cinnamon stick :)