I love visiting other countries and seeing what they have in their markets. I’m not sure if I would classify this as a farmers market, but there was a good combination of meats and fresh vegetables. Singapore has so many cultures coming together to form some of the most amazing food I’ve ever had, a strong Chinese influence mixed with Indian and Thai. Whenever we would go to a restaurant I would tell our guide, who was helping teach the food styling class, just order whatever and I’ll eat it. That didn’t always work to my advantage but I will say that I ate a lot of what I may never have been brave enough to try otherwise. I don’t think I had a bad meal while I was there. The wet markets had so much to offer if you were adventurous, very adventurous! The offerings had quite a range from chicken, mostly like you would find in the States, to skinned sheep heads. I recognized most of the fruits and vegetables but some, as you will see in the pictures, didn’t seem familiar to me at all. There is very little refrigeration at the market. Some things that I refrigerate in the States never get it in Singapore, such as eggs. Also very few city and state regulations like we see in the States. Going to markets in other countries is my number one way of getting to know the people.  There is an endless supply of things to watch as you stroll through the markets.  Most of the vendors will give you samples of their fruits and vegetables.  If you speak the language its a great way to learn some more of the culture.  I highly recommend this if you are visiting a new place this summer, even if its in the States. Heather

Food styling and photography in another country is quite an adventure, and  I got to do just that this past May in Singapore.  What a beautiful country!  I love going to markets in a foreign country because there are so many different ways of packaging things.  So many things seem familiar, but are just not the same.  This trip was a very quick 2 day class for people from all over Asia.  Denise Vivaldo of Food Fanatics in Los Angeles, and writer of the Food Stylist Handbook, was the teacher of the class.  I was there to teach a small portion on food photography so that students understood how the 2 work together.  It was a wonderful experience for me and  I learned so much from the students. We started out grocery shopping for items to show them how food styling works for a shoot here in the states.  The first day was a series of demo's with Denise showing the students various ways, and under different scenario's  food styling is used. The second day we allowed the students to work on photos for their portfolio which brought with it challenges.  In the States, our chickens usually come with the heads and feet off, but not in Singapore.  So it was a bit of a surprise when it was opened up for the demo.  We used real food in various states of being cooked since most food styling now a days is real food that is not fully cooked.  This chicken was barely cooked, but I think it turned out to be quite a beautiful presentation.  Would love to know your thoughts on food styling and if you would be interested in a class taught locally this fall in the Phoenix area. Please enjoy the pictures from the class.  The first couple pictures are Denise's styling work and my photography with student styling work towards the end of the series.   Heather  

Recently I had the pleasure of going to one of my favorite cities in the US, San Francisco.  Maybe this is where my love of food started as I graduated from high school north of the city in wine country and most of my life has been spent in the food and wine belt of California.  There was always fresh vegetables and fruit visiting Grandpa and Grandma.  We would drive into the city for ball games and shopping, of course.  I know I'm not the only one that this applies to, but I did not appreciate all the wonder this city had to offer until I started visiting it for business about 5 years ago.   One of my favorite places in the city is the Ferry Building.  If you love food and want to have everything in small doses at your finger tips, go here first.  From seafood to fresh vegetables to local meats and cheeses this place has it all. If you go on Saturday you can also catch the farmers market.  Farmers from all over this wonderful bay area have brought their wares to offer you.  Go a little hungry since a lot of the vendors have samples to offer. For me the spring time in San Francisco is the best time in my opinion to visit.  A tour of Chinatown is a must.  There are many food walking tours available for you to take.  I like to just walk the city and 'discover' great little places on my own.  I found a place that makes fortune cookies the old fashioned way.  Samples are given out and they are the best I've ever had!    If you go do a search about what farmer's markets are open.  There are many throughout the city.  A great resource for local food is Edible San Francisco.  (Edible Phoenix is a great local resource here in the valley.)  I would love to hear about your favorite places in the city if  you have visited.  I had the pleasure of having dinner at the Zuni Cafe with friends.   There are so many great restaurants and so little time.  Don't even get me started on side trips to wine country! Heather