Monthly Digest- Mar 18
What a whirlwind month March has been! I’ve spent most of it chasing my tail at work, trying to meet unfathomable deadlines I’d set myself so that I didn’t have to work from home and actually enjoy my time off!
One of the reasons is that I’ve been attempting to rid myself of my antisocial habits and try my hand at this “networking” thing. I’ll be honest with you all and say it’s all going over my head. However, Nijjor Manush recently had their inaugural spoken word event and interview panel. Aptly on the 40th death anniversary of Altab Ali (a name that is widely known but little researched these days!) It was thought-provoking and a great space to connect young and old generations who sought to improve the conditions of their own community. You can follow their movements on Twitter.
Last but not least: British Bangladeshi Power & Inspiration, an organisation that celebrates British Bangladeshis, revealed the 100 fresh faces of innovators, change makers and movers and shakers. I’m still perplexed as to how my name managed to appear amongst such pioneers, but it did! This year was a little different as it spearheaded a move to acknowledge a new generation. I’m honoured to have been chosen by my own community in the “Food” category and will proudly continue to pay homage to the British Bangladeshi generations that shaped me! You can find out who else made it onto the list here.
Behind The Scenes
Regarding for the cookbook proposal; things are a little more complicated than I thought. What I really mean is- I haven’t sat down long enough to be able to piece together the structure and finalise the mock-up. Now that I’ve said it publically, hopefully that will be the kick up the tush I need to finalise it and start contacting agencies.
Music
My husband has managed to turn my brain to mush and hook me onto Joe Budden podcasts. Thought provoking though they will never be, I have been enjoying one of the recent artists they played on their show. Anybody else heard of Ro James? Am I the only one who is abysmally late to stay on top of the culture? Either way, give “Outside The Box” a listen and let me know what you think!
Recipe On Repeat
Now that berries are starting to appear in the local markets and grocers, I’m trying to prompt summer along by making all things fruity! The next thing on my list will be to recreate this dead easy strawberry galette I posted last year. Less fuss than a tart but just as sharp and sweet, I’d say.
Photography
I was lucky enough to be invited to a food photography session with Lucy Richards a while back and a lot of what she said has changed the way I take photos, as well as reinforced things I knew I must be doing right (!) The main takeaway points that I found useful were:
Shoot with natural daylight. Big windows make a big difference! I usually shoot in front of the garden door or French doors in the dining room.
Use one lens all the time for a consistent look. This is one I need to return to as I usually shoot with a 50mm but sometimes get roped in back the excitement of using multiple lenses!
Framing is as important in flatlays as it is in portraits. It is best to add in all the details, step back and look through the screen to check if a particular area is too dense or sparse. When in doubt, just having a dishcloth pooling around the bowl with a white background can still be effective as Lucy’s work demonstrates.
High Street Style
For the past month or so, I’ve been eyeing up everything that & Other Stories have been stocking. They’re particularly good for summer outfits as the dresses have modest cuts and are usually longer in length. Perfect for evenings basking in the warm glow of the sun!
