Dan Goldberg New Series Celebrates Nicaraguan Recipes

Dan Goldberg is working on a personal project with his friend and Food Stylist Maria Del Mar, who was born and raised in Nicaragua. Together, they are reviving Maria's childhood recipes and capturing them through photography. Inspired by conversations about preserving cultural heritage through food, they hope this project may evolve into a cookbook and possibly even a trip to Nicaragua.

Maria selects dishes from her childhood and shares the memories, smells, colors, and textures associated with them. Dan and Maria collaborate to evoke these emotions through their photos, using carefully selected props and backgrounds. Every shot is a new experience for Dan, who aims to capture the essence of Maria's home and heritage.

Dan's extensive travels in Central and South America have instilled in him a deep respect for culinary and cultural traditions. He is passionate aboaut preserving these stories and believes that sharing meals is a universal way to connect. We asked Dan and Maria to answer some questions regarding the shoot:

What inspired / prompted this shoot? 

Maria: 

Dan and I always talk about culture and food, but I love that what ultimately pushed me to start this series was a last-minute message from Dan saying he had a couple of free days in his calendar, and “should we test?”

Nicaraguan food is for the most part not very camera-friendly, but we started with a still life of chicharrón con yuca, and turned a humble street food classic of boiled yuca, pork cracklings, and cabbage slaw into a statuesque still life. That’s the magic of collaborating with Dan.

What kind of preparation do you do before a shoot and what is your creative process like?

Dan:

Maria picks a dish that she loved as a child and then talks about the memories, smells, color palette, and textures. We try to bring that out through the photos to evoke that emotion that she once felt. Maria picks up all the food from local Latin markets. Then we start pulling props, and she starts painting tables and backgrounds. She even recruits her husband and son to help out in the creative process. I look through my surfaces and props and sometimes go dumpster diving to find that perfect side of the road, patina, table.

How do you think your background and personal experiences have influenced this project?

Dan:

I have traveled a lot in Central and South America. I have never been to Nicaragua, but I think all of those experiences have made me appreciate and respect people's culinary and cultural heritage. It’s important to me to preserve that, and there is nothing I love more than being a part of that process. Each meal is a constant reminder that cooking and sharing a table with the people you love, with your family, friends, or strangers, is one of the most potent and universal occasions in which to connect. These stories of sharing a meal, these are the kinds of stories I tell.

Maria:

The older I get and the more time I spend away from Nicaragua, the more my roots anchor me. This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s an exploration of my background and experiences, and Dan is capturing all of the details (thank you, Dan!).