FOOD PORN In Hawaii

So what is "Food Porn"? There are several people taking credit for this popular term, but the one I like best is about a 1990s British TV cooking show that I loved called "Two Fat Ladies". The shows producer described the "pornographic joy" the pair of Fat Ladies took in using vast quantities of butter and cream. You can watch a little of an episode on You Tube called "Two Fat Ladies Cook Lard". Wonderful!

According to Wikipedia, "Food Porn" is a glamorized spectacular visual presentation of cooking or eating in advertisements, infomercials, cooking shows or other visual media, foods boasting a high fat and calorie content, exotic dishes that arouse a desire to eat or the glorification of food as a substitute for sex. Food Porn often takes the form of food photography and styling that presents food provocatively, in a similar way to glamour photography or pornographic photography.

In a way, that sort of describes me. I was in the advertising business for 35 years before becoming a professional chef. During those years the majority of my clients had food products, and they wanted them to look as provocatively glamorous as possible. Now that I am taking my own photos for this website, I guess I'm trying to achieve the same "Food Porn" photography as I did then, although I didn't actually consider myself a porn director at the time, just a lowly art director trying to make my clients look good. It's now my job to introduce and "seduce" you into trying the many tropical recipes here in Hawaii. My wife just read this and said laughingly... "Never thought I'd be married to a porn artist!"

My "Golden Papaya Daiquiri"

My Golden Papaya
Click on photo to view larger

Ingredients:

2 whole golden papayas
1/2 pint white rum
2 ounces fresh lime juice
4 ounces simple syrup*
8 ice cubes or more

papaya, and/or lime slices for garnish

Procedure:

Slice the papayas in half and scoop out the seeds. Discard. Continue to scoop out the pulp and place it in a bowl. Cover and freeze papaya for an hour. Blend everything except the garnishes in a blender until smooth. Pour into 4 chilled martini glasses. Garnish each glass, serve immediately. Makes 4 golden papaya daiquiris.

*For the simple syrup, bring 1/2 cup of water and 1/4 cup sugar to a light boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and let come to room temperature, about 15 minutes.