Inspiration from a tomato on toast

A few years ago at my grandpa's house I saw this photo sitting on a table. He had grown these massive tomatoes and gifted them to his neighbour, who, amazed by their size, sliced and plopped one on a piece of toast, photographed it, then plaque'd it. Drawn to such an odd photo, I asked my grandpa if I could have it, he laughed and undoubtedly said, "sure", but I don't think he understood what he was giving up!

At first glance the photo comes across as odd and funny, which is partly why I love it so much. But it holds so much more meaning than that. It captures the appreciation for the small, odd things in life, and that old-fashioned hospitality between two neighbours, where what's shared is reciprocated. It's the fruit of my grandpas labour, and it's the unconscious decision to take this photo that represents looking inside and outside of the box at the same time.

To do something with my thoughts, I took a series of photos of some twisted, all- American classic dishes served on a slice of WonderBread, accompanied by the simple recipes I used to make them.

 An ode to the original.

Cashew butter and fried plantains with maple syrup. 

Cashew butter:

2 cups raw cashews 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp vanilla powder 2 tsp maple syrup 1/2 tsp salt 4 tsp veg oil 2 tsp salted butter

 "Bread and butter pickles" Breaded and fried pickles with anchovy butter.

Anchovy butter:

2 tbsp butter 3 capers 1 anchovy fillet 1 squeeze of lemon

Breadcrumbs:

1/2 cup fine bread crumbs 1/8 cup minced dill 1/3 tsp yellow mustard powder 1/8 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp salt

 Smoked pork chop and braised pear.

Braised pear:
water, butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt

 Double smoked bacon and an egg sunny-side.

 "Ice cream sandwich" Cream cheese and browned butter.

 Rare sirloin with an egg over-medium.

Can of tuna with "American" cheese.

American cheese:
1 tbsp water1.5 tsp powdered gelatin1 lbs. old orange cheddar
1/2 tsp salt1 tsp cream of tartar3/4 cup milk