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Jan
Long ago, when I was doing the Sotheby’s works of arts course, I wanted to be a photographer, really more than an art expert. So, I got myself a beautiful Nikon, a couple of lenses, a tripod, a remote control shutter clicker or whatever that thing is called, a beautiful canvas bag to carry my gear and I started taking photographs. Lots of them.
My role model was Edward Weston. I loved his strange close-ups of vegetables that didn’t look like vegetables, although I was not interested in photographing food in those days. I loved eating but not cooking. I didn’t want to be domesticated and I wouldn’t cook for my poor lover of the time who had to eat cheese and toast most evenings — he didn’t seem to mind.
In any case, we had this lovely property in the south of France, near a river where there were beautiful rock formations; and every day, I would go out with my camera to take close-ups of rocks, earth, tree trunks, whatever looked beautiful and likely to end up looking not like it was in close-up. But I quickly realised that I was no Edward Weston and even when I took photographs that were good, I would find a photographer had done them before. So, I put away my camera, using it only for my course work and concentrated on learning about art.
Recently, I got a new camera. A friend set it for me with a special close-up setting and I started taking close-ups again, this time of food. One day, as I walked down the souk in Aleppo, I saw this lone testicle sitting on a butcher’s block. The butcher was very amused with my photographing it again and again. He didn’t know that I was once quoted as saying: “I love brains and testicles” (in the context of talking about offal of course) with some journalist picking up the quote, saying I was a girl after his heart. Anyway, I was skyping with a friend tonight, and as we were discussing sex and middle aged lesbians, she reminded me of the quote, and I remembered my picture of the lone testicle.
So, I thought I would do a blog and post my photograph and one of Weston’s of a pepper. I like my picture, especially that little fleck of parsley and the slit on the skin but sadly, I am still not likely to produce any shots like Weston’s! Nor will I ever. Still, I am having fun with my new camera and its new close-up setting.
©Edward Weston — Pepper, 1930
How to cook testicles:
The testicle in my picture belongs to a lamb and it hasn’t been peeled yet. Normally the butcher would do that and the nick you see at the top is where he must have started making the incision before he got distracted. It would have run along the length of the testicle for him to peel off the skin easily to reveal creamy flesh with no trace of blood. He will then cut it into slices along the length or into wedges. I prefer slices because the thickness is more or less the same all over and I can control the cooking. You don’t need to do much to testicles. Some people recommend blanching them like sweetbreads or brains before frying them, but no one does that in Lebanon. I just dredge the pieces in seasoned flour, shake the excess off and then fry them in butter for one minute on each side. Be careful not to overcook them or they will go rubbery. I always squeeze a little lemon at the very end. Et voilà, just as good as brains or sweetbreads. Perhaps even better.
Tagged : Aleppo, butchers, cooking testicles, fifth quarter, offal, peppers, photography, sotheby's, testicles, weston 
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There is 11 comments on this post
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January 2, 2010 at 6:23 pm
What a super blog…..just goes to show that subject matter can be almost anything, it’s the angle you take and the atmosphere and perspectives you throw up. Seeing things in a new perspective is exactly what photography is trying to make you do….and even though I will still not be looking for testicles in our local butcher tomorrow, I will now think of them – or rather, it – in a new light. great stuff
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January 2, 2010 at 6:30 pm
thanks edward. glad i have managed to make you think of testicles in a new light.
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January 2, 2010 at 8:25 pm
Yum…
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January 3, 2010 at 12:07 am
oh thats so awful…sorry…
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January 3, 2010 at 3:58 am
schuyler, glad you find it appetising
&
msmarmitelover, sorry you think it’s horrid. don’t you like the weston picture?
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January 9, 2010 at 5:15 am
In Greece, we marinate testicles in wine or onion juice before frying them, or we cook them in olive oil and lemon juice. They are delicious anyway.
And I like your photo and Weston’s food pictures, of course…. It’s always such a pleasure reading your blog!
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January 9, 2010 at 5:26 am
thank you mariana. and thank you for the marinade suggestion. as you say, they are totally delicious. i must check if they have them now at the turkish butchers. they don’t stock them in summer.
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January 10, 2010 at 6:11 am
in pakistan we eat gurday kapuray, which is a chopped up dish of sweetbreads and kidneys- it is mashed on a griddle, and garlic ginger, tomatoes, spices are added. so naturally, i love your photo of the sweetbread! hope you had a wonderful holiday. i look forward to reading more of your posts again. x
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January 10, 2010 at 9:36 pm
I admire you so much Anissa for your fearless love of testicles and such things. What a formidable woman you are!
I ate them once (an Iranian boyfriend fixed them) and did not care to repeat the experience.
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January 11, 2010 at 5:49 am
thank you joumana. you are too kind. you should try again, when you are next in beirut. you may change your mind.