If you know me you know I love food and wine. If you really know me you know that includes great beer and Margaritas as well. Food photography has always been a passion as well. If you know my secrets you know my first job was in a tiny place in my neighborhood where I washed dishes and made pizza, Pasta Pantry.

We will see if anyone in San Diego has the vaguest recollection of that place. I had a few other restaurant and “food service” jobs in those early years. I thought a lot about taking that farther and used to think that having a restaurant would be great. When I worked in Downtown Revitalization both in Page, AZ and Enumclaw, WA I got to hang out a little with restauranteurs. They basically live that job.

All this to say that I enjoyed Anthony Bourdain’s style, humanity and daring. I will try a lot of things but never to the extent that he challenged his pallet. It is tragic to lose anyone–famous or infamous–who had an impact, even a minor one, on my life. As I get older that is happening more frequently than I care for…

I think he summed up how I feel about food with this anecdote about his father.

“He taught me early that the value of a dish is the pleasure it brings you; where you are sitting when you eat it—and who you are eating it with—are what really matter.”

Share your food and wine with those you love. At the same time share your true self; your joys, hurts and pains, your successes and your emptiness.

Steve