Tag: food

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 27, 202310:08 pm

Better Than Fish Tacos

I originally had discarded the Featured Image, but pulled it from obscurity unexpectedly. My router lost Internet connection, causing me to be behind posting. Of all reasons: Loose cable connected to the ISP’s gateway. How did that happen?

The night shot, composed as captured, comes from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. I amped dehaze to embolden the darkening sky but otherwise the photo is as shot by the smartphone. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 800, 1/25 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 8:05 p.m. PDT, Aug. 17, 2023.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 18, 20239:40 pm

Essential Eating

As Hurricane Hilary approaches Baja California, Mexico, on its way through San Diego County, we make some preparations. Today, my wife and I topped off our non-perishable foodstuffs in the event of electrical failure or even flooding.

Too bad that I bought frozen goods last week that will be ruined should there be prolonged power outage. Well, better to eat up now than let burgers and burritos spoil. I bought both cases at Costco Business Center, where I took the Featured Image, using Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, on Aug. 10, 2023. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 100, 1/120 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 9:02 a.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 12, 20238:35 pm

‘I Like That One More’

Last night, when I walked by Gnarly Girl Pizza, a collection of beer glasses and discarded box on an outdoor table caused me to stop and shoot the Featured Image. But, yesterday, I chose to share the other, where cheese appears to drip from the mural behind into each mug. Oh, and that sloppy eater is the slimer from film “Ghostbusters”.

This morning, when I showed both pics to my wife, she surprisingly said: “I like that one more than the photo you posted”—referring, of course, to what you see today. When I suggested straightening the slanted shot, Annie objected. She praised painting-like appearance and cinematic feel that the angle imbues. But I couldn’t resist, nevertheless, which explains the companion capture that is the original composition.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 15, 20233:29 pm

Not a Good Sign

I picked poor time to go to Trader Joe’s for organic whole milk—as you can see from the Featured Image, which comes from Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Vitals: f/1.7, ISO 16, 1/160 sec, 23mm (film equivalent); 4:54 p.m. PDT, yesterday.

Meanwhile, I prepare for a different outage calamity. Today, my webhost sent the dreaded, but expected, email that this site will, ah, migrate with 24 hours. I have no choice about the matter, and no amount of assurances about safe, seamless, and sure migration instills me with confidence that catastrophe isn’t imminent.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 21, 20236:41 pm

Do I have Egg On My Face?

Two days ago, I smugly boasted about finding plenty of egg-dozens—and same price as the previous week—at my local Trader Joe’s. Happening by the store this afternoon, I passed the cooler where eggs are supposed to be and—as you can see from the Featured Image—there were none. Goodness me.

“Decrease in chicken population” is a great excuse that fits with all the bird flu hysteria. I don’t doubt that supplies are somewhat constrained right now. But I also recognize that fear of shortages drives people to panic purchase, leading to the predicted predicament. That TJ’s receives “deliveries every morning” means the supply chain flows fluidly enough that not only are eggs available but prices stay stable.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 19, 20236:50 pm

Don’t Be Slave to Hysteria

My wife and I set out for Costco Business Center to stock up foodstuffs, today. Our car is going into the shop for a short stint, and we wanted to grab grub from stores that are too far away to walk. But the entrance ramp onto HR-163 was inexplicitly closed, compelling us to abort. Trader Joe’s was nearby, eggs were on our list, and the grocery sells a dozen for the same price as the warehouse.

But would there be any in stock? For weeks, we’ve watched countless commentators warn about a shortage of eggs and skyrocketing prices (like seven bucks a dozen). Bird flu is blamed. If I learned nothing else from all the SARS-CoV-2(severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 insanity, fear is the virus—and, whoa, is it contagious. My advice to you: Don’t be afraid. Judge by what you see, not by what you hear someone say.

Photo by Joe WilcoxDec 9, 20228:06 pm

The Fox is Red

Surely someone wanted to display a red Christmas fox outside the restaurant. Orange is considered similar enough on the color palette, yes? I wouldn’t know, which is why I must ask. But, hey, in the current state of our society, does the answer really matter? When people go by what you tell them, not by what they see with their eyes, just say the words to make it true: the fox is red.

I used Leica Q2 to capture the Featured Image on Dec. 7, 2022. Vitals, aperture manually set: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/800 sec, 28mm; 2:53 p.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 17, 20229:16 pm

Sonic Boom of Behavioral Change

Around lunchtime today, when walking home from Von’s supermarket with cheap canned cat food, I got a hankering for a Sonic burger. We rarely eat out and the fast-food place was one of my father-in-law’s favorites. I thought to simultaneously see how the take-out experience has changed and to venture down memory lane. Surprise doesn’t enough express what I found or—stated differently—didn’t.

I stepped inside the restaurant to see chairs stacked on tables in fashion to cordon off most of the dining room. The menu screens were dark, as was the overall ambience. I could enter because roller-skating servers (e.g. carhops) exit through the same doors to deliver meals to parked vehicles. I vamoosed.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 30, 20229:48 pm

The Innovative Urban Garden

Around front of the property where I observed “Carport Lettuce” in July 2020, the hydroponic operation has grown to include chickens. In August 2021, a trailer took the setup on the road. Somebody is an ambitious and clever urban farmer.

The Featured Image is for the birds, while the companion shows off some of the growing apparatus. Vitals, aperture manually set for both: f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/250 sec, 28mm; 3:20 p.m. PDT. The other is same but two minutes later.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 21, 202210:25 pm

A New Vision

We begin a series of posts looking at what was along Park Blvd between El Cajon and Meade in San Diego neighborhood University Heights and what replaces it. On most Friday afternoons, New Vision Christian Fellowship opened its doors to give away food. Long lines formed, with recipients largely making up two disparate demographic groups: The elderly and Hispanic families.

I used Leica M10 and Summarit-M 1:2.4/50 lens to capture the Featured Image and companion on April 27, 2018. Vitals for both: f/5.6 (guess), ISO 100, 1/500 sec, 50mm; 5:06 p.m. PDT.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 9, 20227:42 pm

Not One Crisis, But Two

Two days ago, I looked upon something surprising inside the Grocery Outlet, located in San Diego neighborhood Talmadge: An empty display case for Mexican Coca-Cola. Shall we blame supply chain disruptions that every fear-mongering pundit has blabbered about for months? The beverage, sweetened with cane sugar instead of corn syrup, is popularly stocked by many grocery stores in this area of SoCal.

But far more unsettling is the price. Mexican Coke, sold in glass bottles, is perennially priced 99 cents. A buck sixty-nine puts inflation and rising food/beverage prices into piercing perspective. That’s a 70.7 percent increase, by the way. Yikes!

Photo by Joe WilcoxAug 19, 20228:26 pm

Beyond Lemons

We turn back the clock to the early days of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2)/COVID-19 lockdowns—to when flatten-the-curve meant about two weeks of home confinement and business closures. Instead, some states served up seemingly never-ending mandates; yes, California among them.

The Featured Image is a reminder and portender of future events, should food shortages become commonplace. What interests me here, though, when reviewing my archive tonight, is the juxtaposition of free lemons set inside a Beyond Burger box.