Gumballapalooza

It's been a long time since a new post here at Food with Eyes. I've got a lot of great posts saved up, including some contributed by readers. In the interest of getting things posted, I'm going to dispense with a lot of commentary. This should be no great loss, since the quality has been going downhill steadily. So without further ado, here is a series of gumball machines featuring anthropomorphic food:

Food with Eyes: The Exhibit

Today marked the realization of a dream I've had for years: to have a collection of mine on display for the public. I've always loved museums and thought it must be wonderful to donate your collection to a museum for permanent display. I hoped to one day see a placard next to some wonderful exhibit reading "From the Collection of Lushie Peach." That day has arrived, although it's not at the Smithsonian or the Met, but at the Children's Room of the Schenectady County Public Library.

The glass display case there features a monthly exhibit, usually someone's collection or maybe crafts or miniatures. I make a point of looking at it every month. A few months ago it hit me that my collection might be a candidate for the case. I spoke to the librarian who seemed somewhat confused about what I was proposing to put in the case. Nevertheless, she took my contact information. I heard nothing and figured they had a full schedule of the usual collections of frogs or pigs or whatnot. But then I got a call asking if I could bring my collection in for September! Of course I immediately said yes, and gathered my items together.

This morning I installed the exhibit (ok, I put the stuff in the case). I also found a few books to tie in with the theme. So without further ado, Food with Eyes: The Exhibit:

Look for the exhibition catalog soon. I actually changed the setup a little after I took the pictures, using some stands and easels to prop up some things. I'm tempted to go there everyday now and watch to see if anyone looks at the case. I expect the Smithsonian, or maybe MoMA, will be contacting me soon to see about a traveling exhibit.

Make Your Food Come Alive

In her recent book, I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence, Amy Sedaris urges readers to make their food come alive, especially when entertaining young guests. Earlier this year, The Leonard Lopate Show on New York public radio station WNYC sponsored the Amy Sedaris Craft Challenge, a call to enliven food with googly eyes. The response was phenomenal, with over 300 photos submitted. Amy herself chose the winners. Check out all the entries as a slide show or as a Flickr album.

While these two entries were not among the finalists, I found them to be especially compelling. But then, what food doesn't look better with googly eyes?

Winsome Pizza courtesy of Uglyagnes and Hearty Breakfast courtesy of Angie Naron