This year I’ve been thinking a lot about my past and my family. I wanted to do something traditional this year, so I decided to make a traditional New Year Chaldean dish, Hammeth Kibbe. I found it in a cookbook that my aunt gave me, Ma Baseema. All my life I’ve been told that this dish is incredibly difficult to make. As a child, I asked my Grandma Peach (pictured) to teach me how to make it. She would just laugh. As much as I love it, I’ve never been inspired to make it for I never thought I had the time or the skill.

A painting of my Grandmother, “Peaches” Oil on canvas 2016

When I told people that I was going to make it, I got the expected reactions: “Wow good luck!” “Really?” and even, “I never did like that.” I took it as a challenge. With the help of my 19 year old, who at the same time prepared a loaf of bread (pictured below), we did it. and not only did we do it, we did it magnificently.

Yummy homemade sourdough bread, made by Emile, 19.

And here’s the twist, perhaps for the first time in the History of Mankind, a plant-based Hammeth Kibbe was made instead of the traditional beef and lamb version. (Prove me wrong.)We used Impossible meat. Emile’s a vegetarian, and so is the 10 year old child. We haven’t eaten meat in ages. It just didn’t feel right for our family to use the traditional recipe. So we began by sautéing the Impossible meat with onions and spices. Mind you this is not a step-by-step recipe piece. You meed to get Ma Baseema for that or look on youtube.

Impossible meat

It seemed to take longer for the Impossible meat to cook. But that’s okay. When it was ready I tasted it. Yum! Then it was time to make the outer shell. We didn’t have enough cream of rice so we had to use some cream of wheat. So the consistency was different. We also have no food processor. We added an egg to make sure that the paste stayed together. This was a variation of the recipe but hey, it works for mazoh balls. Everything seemed to work out just fine.

Hammeth Kibbe with Impossible meat

We all sat down to eat and critique the dish. I was frankly wondering if it was possible to boil Impossible Meat (the kibbe is submerged in the boiling sauce for 20 minutes) Since it seemed to take longer for the Impossible Meat to sauté, I boiled the kibbes for a bit longer. Any flaws in the meal was not due to the meat. Out of fear of exploding kibbe, we made the outer shell too thick. My spouse affectionately likened them to corn dogs. My youngest child called them ‘gross’ but ended up eating plenty of them (If he really thought they were gross he would not have touched them.) My older son loved them but wanted more spice in the sauce. And what did I think?

1. I felt like I entered a higher frequency with the angel of Grandma Peach by my side. I remembered my grandma forming the kibbe in her kitchen in Lafayette Park Towers, Detroit. I remembered her hands, the stool she sat on, the scarf on her head, the details of how to add just the right amount of water. I even remembered the exact shape and size of the kibbe. She was right there with me. It was a powerful exercise, and really connected me to my childhood and family traditions. Even more powerful was that Emile was by my side. I fulfilled my duty to pass on the tradition.

2. I actually liked them last night. I made two different batches, one with the traditional sauce, and one with the Sweet sauce (for a sweet New Year). I added more spices to both after we ate. This morning, I mixed the two sauces and had two kibbe for breakfast. These types of dishes are always better the next day and better mixed together.

3. As for the meat? Yes, it was different. Yes, I have to admit I may have preferred the taste of real meat. But would I really have? I’ve tried eating meat after a long spell without it. And it’s disappointing. My stomach doesn’t feel great and I just feel like it’s not worth it. Also, after all of those trips to the petting zoo coddling Earth’s most adorable creature (lambs); after reading countless articles about helping save mankind by eating a plant-based diet; and after remembering to watch my health (I just turned 50, after all), I just couldn’t. Most of all, if I did make it the traditional way, my kids would (rightly) refuse to eat it and leave me with endless kibbe in the freezer. The upside is that we didn’t feel like we were part of the problem. We didn’t have that heavy full-feeling after eating and our digestive systems were thanking is.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone, from our family to yours.

xxo, E

This is a 5x5 print that I took in South Boston in the mid-90s. I hid behind an old tan leather chair, used an extension tube on my Hasselblad and a cable release. I printed it on fiber paper and the original is for sale for $600 matted on 4-ply museum board. Email me at esolaka@gmail.com if interested in the original.

If you are interested a reproduction of this print, please go to https://elizabethsolakaphotography.zenfolio.com/p94015192/ee87ddd9d There you can order an affordable framed image of this picture, and choose from a variety of sizes and frames.

I will be posting several images for sale per week. Mostly landscapes.

Thank you.

It all started at a rehearsal

in late February, and we all know what happened after that.

I had the honor of photographing three performances at UMASS in late February. A few of the performers seemed a little under the weather, coughing. But at that point, I didn’t really think much of it. I was more or less alone for most of it during the dress rehearsals anyway.

By the time I finished editing the music pictures, it was well into March. I realized how fortunate I was to be in the presence of such art. Live music coming from beautiful instruments. The talented trained voices of the Magic Flute. In fact, I then realized that the most important things are art, love and health.

A few days later, I had a job photographing a team of employees at a local non-profit, ICA Group. As you can see, everyone seemed very care-free. This was the beginning of March. In fact, I was helping with styling, touching people’s hair, etc.

I’d also photographed a headshot for an individual, a young Luciano Pavarotti:

Late February portrait.

At some point, we learned that we couldn't live as we normally do. A very kind man contacted me on the phone. He needed a picture. So I met him in the park. We stood several feet away from each other. It seemed okay.

And now here we are. Some of us are working from home trying our best not to lose productivity. Some of us are medics and store workers going into battle every day.  Some of us are working from home and trying to home school our kids. Some of us had to come home early from college and leave our friends. Some of us are laid-off. Some of us are trying to start a new business, but we don't know when that business will have an economy to stand on. Some are nearing retirement, looking at our dwindling savings. Some are still employed, but waiting for the pink slips. Some of us are ill to begin with, and have this added fear of contracting the virus. Some of us live alone and don't want to be alone. Some of us wished we lived alone. Some of us have lost loved ones and couldn't even say goodbye.

I'm not sure which of these scenarios best describes your situation. My situation is that I lost a loved one, my father, and couldn't say goodbye in person. And at the same time, the singer Bill Withers died. It's such a cliché but his song Lean on Me couldn't possibly be more relevant right now. At this time, people have reached out to me by messages, phone, and mail. This support has literally held me up from falling down. This period in time is crazy. People don't even know how hard it is because we're all just trying to cope. I hope that we can continue to lean on each other and call each other. Be well.

Since May I’ve probably done almost 100 portraits for clients. Portrait photography is my heart’s work.

Sometimes I wonder what it all means. Why am I doing this? I’m not saving the world, curing disease or fighting for justice. In mid-May, I met up with a friend I’ve known for years. She looks the same, but still wanted to hire me to take her portrait. After sending her the pictures, I saw her instagram post . It read:

“my friend Elizabeth walks with a camera and an eye for beauty. To me her photography finds that essence that is beautiful and unique in each of us. and it reminds me that noticing it in each other is a loving labor of presence and openness...reflected here in a snippet of her fabulous Portraiture ”

— Lillian Fuchs

My life’s work, that I could never describe, summarized so well. Yep, that’s why I do it. And it doesn’t just apply to portraits. It’s in every moment I capture. Okay, moment I capture is a cliche that I’ve alway avoided. It’s in every encounter I have with the camera. My loving labor of presence and openness is what I try to give back to people. So that they can see how amazing they are.

It applies equally to events, fine art and abstractions. Editorial would call if documentary, or lifestyle. In marketing, it’s branding or brand storytelling. If it were a hashtag, it would fall under #candid It’s why I love Diane Arbus so much. Her portraits are these things too. Such context, such human-ness, and such a loving labor of that stuff.

A Christening in Queens, NY

I’ve been spending so much wonderful time photographing portraits and headshots around Northampton. So much time that I’ve been neglecting to post them on social media, or here.

First and foremost, my son has graduated high school. And he’ll be studying at Architecture Art and Planning at Cornell. I’m wildly excited for him and have been counting on him since day one to ‘save’ the world. But first, our trip to LA, and some prom pictures.

There are no words.

I did corporate headshots for a whole office at The ICA Group, samples chosen randomly:

Even before this I photographed Ivan Oransky, VP Editorial of Medscape. This might be obvious due to the 3D quality and wonderful range, that this was taken with my vintage Hasselblad, developed by hand, and then digitized for your viewing pleasure:

There was the portrait of Lillian Fuchs, my dear college friend, on a red bridge at Smith College.

Jennifer Rosner, author

And here, Carla Savetsky

Did I mention my son went to prom?

I photographed a very important wedding in Boston:

Then there was my full time job: Little League.

Maple Sugar in Western Mass

If you look carefully, you can see the blue tubes that extract the sugar from the trees.

I miss the snow

It feels like ages ago that I was called to photograph Maple Sugar producers in Western Mass, and I almost forgot about it. That is, until I scrolled to CISA’s Instagram post: It states, “as the snow is disappearing and spring sweeps in, sending our appreciation to the maple producers who've been working their tails off this maple season. Pictured here, Paul Zononi, of Paul's Sugar House in Williamsburg, this past March. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I kind of miss the snow.

Paul and his helper. Can you smell the sugar?

I also visited the wonderful Dufresne Sugar House, and met Jacqueline.

She loves red.

Jacqueline told me the story of when historically people would only use cane sugar when company came over or for special occasions. And that for daily sugar, as it was called, they used maple syrup. Funny how things have become reversed over time.

I went back and visited the sugar house during boiling, at night.

So much has happened since I photographed this lovely season. The snow has completely melted. The daffodils are blooming and trees are blossoming. I’ve photographed so many people and things. I’ll be back with more little stories.

children’s pictures in spring

For years and years, I photographed the Hamilton Park Montessori school pictures in Jersey City. I lived right across the street from the school, in a charming brownstone in an historical neighborhood. I was in close contact with the school administrators as the exact date of the pictures was always a little iffy. Why? Because I took the pictures outside, and during the peak blossom season in the park.

School pictures

to order or not to order

School pictures, order now or forever hold your peace

It’s something that has sort of fallen out of fashion, those school photos with the generic backgrounds and kids with hairstyles combed so perfectly you barely recognize your own child. I for one treasure prints of my kids. In fact, I order prints of my past year’s phone and camera pictures at the end of each year as a holiday gift to myself.

My son goes to a private school, and I am told that beyond the sitting fee, hardly anyone orders prints. What? All the pictures I’ve ever taken for schools, I always require parents to order prints. I know, not fair, but they’ll thank me later.

When you miss the blossoms

For years as I’ve mentioned, I coordinated with the school to get the perfect pictures while the apple blossoms, cherry blossoms and dogwoods were blooming in all of their glory. I even called the sessions Blossoms. One year, though, we missed the boat. I don’t recall why. Maybe it was a bad year for blossoms. Maybe the school had scheduling issues. Maybe I did. But in lieu of blossoms, we purchased some potted flowers. Below you can see the results….. Enjoy!