I LOVE this week’s feature. Ok, I love them all, but this one fascinates me for many reasons. Patricia started one of the most intriguing food contests I’ve ever heard of-Pietopia and I LOVE the concept of it.
“Pietopia™ seeks to know: what does it taste like to be unemployed, starting a new job, just married, divorced, a new homeowner or desperately searching for housing? What kind of pie would describe the way you are feeling right now? Could you imagine your thoughts, concerns or joys transformed into the All-American Pie? This is a yearly call to entry that has been put out for the past three years to find out what the flavor of peoples lives are through a pie.”
Groovy, no?
The kitchen over time has become my studio. It is where I practice alchemy—through tarts, soups, stir frys, cakes, and pies, I am constantly amazed by the transformative power of a few simple ingredients. As a designer, I find the tactility and sensory experience of this particular room something close to magic. For some, great ideas happen in the shower. For me, it’s in the kitchen.
It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I realized why the kitchen was important for me. I had moved clear across the country by myself for grad school to pursue a Master in Fine Arts and Design. After long days in the studio working on graphic, exhibit, and product design concepts, I would find myself in the kitchen releasing pent up passion that could only be expressed through something as simple as a cookie or grand as a sacher torte. I was making up for the disconnect I was feeling in my studies with another form of communication: food.
This was how my concept of Eating Design evolved. I found myself problem solving all sorts of issues and ideas while I measured and dipped, stirred and tasted. I was applying design-thinking in the kitchen as well as through the events and experiences I created. Interested in seeing if others related to food in this way, I started projects like Pietopia and the Favorite Meal series—connecting people with themselves and with others through the action of eating and food.
Eating design, which sprouted during grad school, continues to morph and change as I do. Food, as a sustainable medium and common denominator, keeps me absolutely inspired. It is beautiful and perfect—foods found in nature and in quite a few “pre-made” forms are magnificent, not to mention steeped in cultural meaning. I love this constant source of inspiration.
The reason I began my blog Eating Is Art in the first place has evolved over time. It started as a simple place to be able to document my work and eating design events. But soon it became apparent that others were interested in what I was doing with my initial eating design concepts. The blog itself became an expression of myself and yet another way to connect to others via food. I’ve made some wonderful friends and connections these past few years; I never anticipated the far-reaching effects of my blog within myself as well as thousands of miles around the world. It has been an incredible journey. I currently live in Washington DC with my Fiancée Andrew. I also teach yoga, ride my bike, drink a lot of tea, and of course cook.
Thank you for letting us know a bit more about yourself… you know I love your page, and the idea that inspires Pietopia… but what I’m willing to know now is what were you cooking on the second picture? a giant bread?
A GIANT bread five feet long to be exact! It was for a project called The Bread Friend Map.