Kaori Zinke Becker - Cook, Teacher, Woman!

 

Kaori is an English teacher and cooking instructor currently residing in Columbus, OH. She and I have been one of closest of friends for 22 years and I'm thrilled to have been able to photograph her! She's grown to become a beautiful woman inside and out, excited about life - especially of one involving food. She has lead classes at Franklin Park Conservatory, Wild Goose Creative and Seasoned Farmhouse.

For this shoot, we decided to do three looks - First is a personal branding for her blog Kaori Cooks. We made cake and buckeyes that day and incorporated them into the shoot. Second is her as the English teacher and bookworm (Silly photo coming in the future!), and final series you see here is the celebration of herself as a woman. You don't need any more reason than that to have portraits made. Every stage of your life is worth celebrating and recording for the future.

More from the shoot in the gallery. You can visit her at Kaori Cooks for recipes like this comforting Chicken Soup and soon this gorgeous artisan bread!

Photo by Kaori on her Instagram. The prettiest loaf I ever did see...

Momo

It's right about the 7 month mark since Dad passed away, and well over a year since Ciku. I've been searching for another dog for a while, visiting numerous New England shelters and browsing PetFinder. Waiting for the "right time", the "right dog". Finally during a short vacation I figured now is a good time as any other, and after losing 2 family members and another half-way there this year (hang in there Coco!), I thought it be good to shift from the gloom and get a pup.

Ciku came from the shelter pretty much a perfectly mild-mannered 2 year old - housebroken, heeded basic commands, and very gentle. She was funny, cute, and truly empathetic. I tried convincing myself every dog I will ever get in the future will be a disappointment. But dang it I had to change that if I ever wanted another pet. Why I chose to go with a puppy I don't really know. I understand they are a heck of a lot of work whereas a grown dog would at least be house-trained. Maybe it's due to wanting my Mom to have something to take care of, taking her mind off the stresses of the business and not having Dad.

Enter Momo Takahashi. Formerly known as Ginger, this Miniature Australian Shepherd renamed the Japanese version of "Peaches", hails from Dakota Toy Aussies and the breeder Jodi, a wonderful woman passionate about raising quality Aussies in her South Dakota home. I inquired about a couple of available dogs and she told me about Ginger, who I felt "this is it". Some may argue that I should've gotten a rescue. But I support responsible breeding too, and at this time chose to go with a that route, which is still so much better than pet shop animals and puppy mill dogs.

Momo's been with my family two full days now. First, she was so shy and scared, trembling non-stop. Saturday she was more curious, socializing with artists and their fans at MICE Expo 2015 in Porter Square (More on that in another post!), and today she was so playful, running around us like crazy and seemingly inexhaustible prancing in the leave piles of New Hampshire...and then when you pick her up she falls asleep almost instantly. Oh..my goodness. And so funny the way she seems to jump around like a little fawn. I was already not crazy about wanting human babies. Sorry Mom, this is really making me want to dedicate my life into being surrounded by just animals.

Went crazy preparing for her arrival - shopping for bully sticks and grain-free dog food, watching Cesar Millan videos, google imaging "mini aussie puppies" and aww-ing at its results multiple times a day...generally thinking "puppies, puppies, puppies" 24 hours a day. But when she arrived in that little crate at the United cargo facility, I forgot everything and just wanted to cuddle her forever.

Ok, this post isn't making any point or much sense, especially because my brain power is functioning at half power from lack of quality sleep. Originally was going to make a series of posts on preparing for a puppy and chronicling her growing up and training since I couldn't find much resources on people's experiences, but it was driven by my obsessive and excited pre-puppy delivery energy which I've lost since getting my heart melted into mush Friday night. Would still like to write next about my experience on searching for and getting a breeder puppy, as a reference to those thinking about getting one in the future, but for now, look at these photos of Momo from our trip to NH and say AWWWW!

Photos by Mike Lee

Tomomi

I recently had the pleasure of photographing this bright and happy senior. Tomomi loves caring for children and hopes to study in Boston to become a professional midwife. She was an absolute natural in front of the camera and I had such a great time working with her!

Pop-Up

Sunday September 13 at our restaurant Hana Japan in Newburyport. We're renting out the place to do a pop-up, with the tentative menu below. The Miso Pork is sooo sooooooo good and will be on the final menu for sure.

Pop-Up is Coming

We have a pop-up happening at the end of this month. Possibly. It was supposed to be this weekend but we were are so unprepared it's pushed to the next available Sunday. Decided to stick to my original idea and do simple dishes, executed well. I decided to toss out the 18-course tasting menu and do a prix fixe with 10 dishes. The past month of planning and re-planning the menu was taking me nowhere. Without noticing it at first, I was being guided by fear again. Fear that it would bore the foodie folk. It's impossible to please everyone and I need to do what feels right to me. You do you, I do me.

It's going to be prix fixe. No artisan craft this or other micro gastronomical what-nots, at least not for now. Eventually, it would be awesome to work with local foragers and get some fresh matsutake or jellify things that aren't naturally jello-ed. But for now I want the dishes to speak fresh, subtle, lingering.

My decision was reaffirmed when Julius (a family friend, mentor, and amazing sous chef of Myopia Hunt Club who will probably be mentioned here a lot) came over to cook lunch for our restaurant family. A week before, he brought in huge brick of ribeye from Fowles. The thing was legit 4 inches thick!

 Seasoned with just salt and pepper! Should've done a size comparison to my fist (which would be dwarfed by this monster). This thing could fill 2/3 of that saucepan on the right in terms of height

 The ribeye, I thought it couldn't be med-rare. Half of it is going to be too well-done and tough. But he did it! Grilled first, being careful to not touch it at all aside from turning and shifting when necessary, and finishing it in the pan w/ oil (we didn't have butter). With the fond, he made gravy and brightened it up w/ a dash of fresh lemon juice. Finishing it with a layer of pepper jelly, it was hands down the best steak I had ever had in my life.

This week he made watermelon-octopus salad with feta and lemon vinaigrette, sausage and brussel sprout pasta, and roasted then fried chicken wings

No, I don't know the exact recipes for these guys and can't post them, but I'll say that I remember thinking, "What...that's it? Where are all the other seasonings‽". But because he understands food and techniques, he really brought out the personality of each ingredient so damn well. And he told me, "It's not about shocking the tasters with strong flavor that disappears right away. You want it to be subtle, and linger, so they want to take another bite, and another to explore the tastes and textures." It becomes an experience.

I'm more sure now that I'm on the right track, and can't wait to get back in the kitchen tomorrow!

Kaoru in Boston

Places Visited:
Mike's Pastry, North End
Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall
Boston Common, Public Garden
Boston Public Library

Maybe love was in this kitchen all along

 Wirt (Over the Garden Wall) - The indecisive, pessimistic realist I totally relate to

Decided today to commit time in the restaurant kitchen, surrounded by food and family. Building upon my father's legacy.

Those who have experience in restaurants know what this entails. Keeping mental note of the incoming orders during lunch and dinner rush while you're alone in the kitchen. Lifting 50lbs of chicken from to prep for the week. Appetizers need to be out 10 minutes from order in, entrees no later than 20. Take-out for Debra is due in 4 minutes. Staying late to wash dishes on nights without a kitchen aid. How little sleep can I function on so I can squeeze in some writing for that manual tonight and go shopping for produce in the morning?

Restaurant work is the only occupation I can think of that is both mentally AND physically demanding. You commit to a lifestyle where it seems you are married to your work. It never seems to end. But I grew up with it and am used to seeing it for what is it. It was never a glamorous thing for me as it is presented now in shows and films. The rewards are real though. The strong bond you develop with the "family" that is the restaurant team. The deep appreciation for good food made with good ingredients. The satisfaction one feels when a server comes back to send table 2's compliments to the cook.

You learn about business, you learn about passion. You learn to be humble and understand work is work. Ego doesn't belongs in the kitchen. You learn that love is the key to surviving and thriving. Our place isn't hip nor is it upscale, but that doesn't mean we're not serious about our food and taking care of our patrons. Our food is honest. Our service is sincere. My father started cooking so he could connect to people, with dishes he grew up with. He always wanted the best he could do, offering nothing less than his whole heart.

Am I devastated in knowing I may never win a bike race, work for Cartoon Network, or travel as a photographer? Yes. Am I afraid that I will go into my prime having not accomplished any of my life goals? Yes.


Hell. Fucking. Yes.


It's terrifying. Growing up and facing adulthood is terrifying. Well, I'm probably considered old for going through this "coming-of-age"phase at age 26 (Maybe it's a quarter-life crisis! The new mid-life crisis).  I'm done being wishy-washy and need to start taking responsibility.

I know that I love food, a lot. And I love my family even more. I loved my father so much and will make him proud of what I could do, without holding back in fear of both possible failure and success. It may lead to becoming a chef. It may lead to other unrelated things. But I'll let the universe guide. I've been searching for a starting point everywhere else. Maybe love was in this kitchen all along. No more being afraid of living.

So, current status: 1:54am. Knees numb, back aching, fingers sliced bandaged, arms burnt. Manual progress: 4 pages. Good day. Not great, but good. My photography career is on indefinite hold, but I'll keep my site up as a portfolio of what I do anyways. Because sometimes I need a reminder that I done good. It might change direction from "Women's Contemporary Portraiture" to "Food I Make Beautiful". It might not. We'll see. As the song goes,

"Que sera sera,

Whatever will be, will be.

The future's not ours to see,

Que sera sera"