2021 Photo Contest

Yak Milk – At the Source
As the subject of this year’s photo contest is food or dining, I’ve stayed with the first of these… at its most basic level. While on a motorcycle trip around Mongolia in 2014 I came upon this young lovely in the process of her morning yak milking. Yaks are a major food source in Mongolia for everything from dairy products to meat. At this time we were staying in yurts with a nomadic family and this was the oldest daughter of the household. As a side note: After several weeks in Mongolia I grew quite tired of yak (in all its forms). On arriving in Paris on my way back to the US I told a friend that my wish was to visit any Michelin starred restaurant that didn’t have yak on the menu. Fortunately my wish was fulfilled.

Sunset & wine

Pit Stop, Uzbekistan
Car rest somewhere between Samarkand and Bukhara. Purchased roasted apricot pits to sooth my sour stomach.

Diwali Dinner
One of my all-time favorite photographs, shot in Bhaktapur, Nepal, on the eve of Diwali Festival. There’s was lots of energy in the city square as people were selling all sorts of food and supplies for the upcoming festival of Diwali. This woman had just purchased her prized bird. She had just received her tika on her forehead, and her beautiful black hair looked great against her purple sweater wrap.

An Arctic Dinner
In 2018 I had an absolutely delightful dinner in Svalbard, Longyearbyen at the restaurant in the Polfareren Hotel on my way to the North Pole! For an appetizer I had whale tartare and for the entree (pictured) I had their local Venizon with Figs.

Tour d’Argent – caviar, wine and the famous duck

Covid Picnic at the Farm– Middleburg VA

Dom, Costco snacks and Jim’s Happy Place

Picked from the Pear tree and poached in expensive red wine (well, humm, it was all I had) on Wiebe Van der Zee.

Champagne in Cody with snacks

Yak Milk – At the Source
As the subject of this year’s photo contest is food or dining, I’ve stayed with the first of these… at its most basic level. While on a motorcycle trip around Mongolia in 2014 I came upon this young lovely in the process of her morning yak milking. Yaks are a major food source in Mongolia for everything from dairy products to meat. At this time we were staying in yurts with a nomadic family and this was the oldest daughter of the household. As a side note: After several weeks in Mongolia I grew quite tired of yak (in all its forms). On arriving in Paris on my way back to the US I told a friend that my wish was to visit any Michelin starred restaurant that didn’t have yak on the menu. Fortunately my wish was fulfilled.

A chocolate cake perfect for a Circumnavigator

Warthog for Lunch
A tasty treat in South Africa

Pastry Shop in Melbourne, Australia.
Who could resist shopping here?

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels
Iconic lunch spot in Woolloomooloo, Sydney, Australia—founded in 1938

Happiness
Nothing like an ice cream cone on the boardwalk in Ocean City, NJ

Salt Farm Near Trapani, Sicily

Raddichio
Farmer’s Market, Venice Italy

Bread In A Window
Bakery In Basel Switzerland

Family Owner Preparing Homemade Pasta
Osteria Da Fortunata, Rome, Italy

We Should All Eat Like This, Adelaide, Australia

Bar and Car
On the top floor of the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen, Germany sits the Christophorus Restaurant. Sitting on the bar, next to a unique bar cart, is a model of the Porsche 904 produced between 1964 and 1965. The 904 has always been a personal favorite, I loved seeing this beautiful model – from the early 60s – sitting on the bar at this ultra-modern restaurant.

Momos
Upon arrival in Paro, Bhutan in 2013, one of the first thing I wanted to do was go eat some dumplings called momos. Easily found in Nepal, Tibet, and Northern India, finding momos in Bhutan was a little more challenging. It’s kind of like looking for an Bhutanese restaurant in Los Angeles. I loved the texture and the perfection of the momos when they were served. They looked more like art than food.

Yellowtail
When I lived in Singapore, there were many types of wet markets for fresh seafood. This market was fancier than most. The picture had all the elements of a foreign market including fish and ice, the fishmonger carving up more product, and the Chinese and English signage.

Hawking Vegetables
Wandering through Hanoi, Vietnam, I found this street where women were standing on the streets selling fruit, flowers and vegetables. This woman wasn’t affiliated with any of the shops, and created a small stand on the back of her bike. The purple color of her shirt, sharply contrasting with the colors of the vegetables and the cloth under her hat, and her dark complexion, make this picture pop. She was selling someone when I walked by, and I shot the photograph from a low vantage point to take in more of the surroundings.

Buon Appetito!, Rome, 2019
A mouth-watering display of food presented by a restaurant in the charming Campo de’ Fiori in the ancient Ponti section of The Eternal City.

Cannoli Siren, Rome, 2019
Outside a bakery in Rome, passersby pause to contemplate the battle between their taste buds versus their waistlines.

Tanghulu Delight!, Singapore, 2019
Traditional Chinese treat, these are sugar-coated hawthorn berries on a stick.

Charcoal-Roasted Kabab, Istanbul, 2014
Rotisserie halal lamb is thinly shaved as ordered, served in a pita bread pocket sandwich, usually with some lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and a tasty sauce.

Mangia, Mangia, Subito!, Napoli, 2019
Classic prosciutto e melone antipasto, served with crudo Parma ham and just-right, in-season, ripe melon. Sue Murphy, NY Metro
Dessert at Osteria Francescana
October, 2020

Parmesan cheese being aged Hombre Farm Italy
October, 2020

Truffle course Alba, Italy
October, 2020

Polenta Piazza Duomo Alba, Italy

Amuse bouche at Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy
October, 2020

Dessert at Osteria Francescana
October, 2020

Fresh Camel Milk

Saudi Street Food

Sunset at the Edge of the World
Dates and Tea

Making Bread, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey

Dates dipped in Goat Fat (Butter) and Tea
Great morning snack.

Mumm, mumm, mumm.
This is what Egyptian mothers say. It means “eat, eat eat”. My Egyptian sister-in-law, Iman, made us dinner. (Yes, all this food was made from scratch by one woman- you remember those days….) In Egypt, there are so many dishes of food on the table that you can barely keep your own plate on the edge. When a serving plate empties and you think that you can finally squeeze your plate on the table, they bring out ANOTHER serving plate of food from the auxiliary table! The food is delicious, but it is hard to eat enough to keep the hostess happy!

Night Fruit Stand, Istanbul
On our way to dinner, we came across this small fruit stand and amazed with the vibrant colors.

Snoozing on the Job
A stroll thru Mekong River Delta market outside of Saigon.

Yak Butter Tea and Noodles
Found this small tea house near Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Was tempted to straighten all the posters but I guess it’s part of the charm.

Starter at Piazza Duomo
A michelin 3 star restaurant in Alba, Italy.

Fish Market in Turin

Vegetable Market at Porta Palazzo, Turin

Starter at Osteria Francescana, Modena, Italy

Fish Market, Palermo, Sicily
Early morning at the fish market.

Lunch at a Restaurant in Djibouti
No plates, no silverware, just an entire fish, freshly caught and cooked in a large and very rudimentary brick oven, along with freshly baked bread. Delicious, and filling!