47 Comments
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Feasts and Fables's avatar

Perfect Sunday morning read. Beautiful images … those taken and those painted with words. And the laugh out loud measurements for stem ginger and turmeric … (chef’s kiss)

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Most kind!

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Feasts and Fables's avatar

💛✍️💛

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Deborah Vass's avatar

I love the "heft of a family-sized lardy cake" , such a delectable phrase. Beautiful images too from your camera companion.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Deborah, sadly it’s given me lardy cake cravings that have yet to be satisfied

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Deborah Vass's avatar

I have never had lardy cake, and it is something that must now be rectified.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

I haven’t since my mid teens but I have plans to find the finest one, amd it just might find its way into the next book

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Deborah Vass's avatar

I looked it up and think it definitely deserves a revival.

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JP Clark's avatar

I found seeing your world through your camera lens fascinating Mark. I also now want a Pakistan mulberry!

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you JP - you might need to expand that garden of yours!

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Elisabeth Luard's avatar

Gorgeous piece, Mark! Particularly the insect-life.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Elisabeth

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Francesca Bossert's avatar

What beautiful photographs, plants and words! Thank you for this abundance :)

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Francesca

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Mark Thomas's avatar

Stunning images, as always, Mark! See this is what I love about you - you live and breathe creativity.

Food, photography, writing - without stroking your ego too much, you inspire me on so many levels!

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Mark Diacono's avatar

You are very kind Mark, thank you

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Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent's avatar

Beautiful images x

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Antonia x

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Frances's avatar

Beautiful descriptions Mark. Gorgeous images too from your old friend, whose lens allowed us to see what you didn't see. Chef, Writer, Photographer... is there nothing you can't put your creative mind to? Happy Sunday.

Frances

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you very much Frances, happy Sunday to you too

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Ang Mitten's avatar

Thanks for this lovely piece, Mark. I’ve been thinking of getting a better camera than my iPhone for a while. I think you’ve sealed the deal for me. Oh, and I love that you shot Pam the Jam’s book too, in amongst all the others!

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Ang. That book with Pam was hugely fun - she’s not only uniquely gifted (and the loveliest) she’s also brilliant at sharing her expertise so that you can follow in her footsteps

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Ang Mitten's avatar

Mark, when these apricots are ripe (which won’t be long now) I’m going to make apricot and lemon verbena jam on Pam’s recommendation. Somehow I think you’d approve of the combination.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Absolutely approve!

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Caroline Ferguson's avatar

Oh, a lilac spider!

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Isn’t it great!

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Caroline Ferguson's avatar

Perfect. Happy to get lost in those details. Thank you.

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CAROL MORRIS's avatar

Beautiful beautiful photos.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Thank you Carol

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Urvashi Roe's avatar

I am rediscovering my Nikon D3100 with 35mm lens. I had forgotten how much I loved it. My favourite relic is however the Nikon FM2 with 50mm which I bought when I lived in Japan. It rarely makes it out because film is a pain to get developed nowadays isn’t it but just brings back the basic joy of F stops and the sound of that shutter is perhaps one of my most beloved of all time.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Oh the clutch of a shutter! One of the most satisfying sounds. I love that cameras have personalities, or at least that we interact with them individually

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Rosemary Taylor's avatar

Youkre the first person Ikve heard write about CrowdFarming. I get oranges and clementines from them in the winter and have had olive oil too. Fab company and the fruit is excellent.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

I’ve been mean to get produce from them for a while and - as often happens - when I stop thinking and respond to the momentary urge it happens

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Brilliant Mark. I had a friend who used to buy second hand cameras because he enjoyed the varying degrees of distorted images they produced. Wrong became right.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

That’s a gorgeous way of putting it VB

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Vanilla Black's avatar

Cheers Mark.

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Dave Broom's avatar

Marvellous… buckler leafed sorrel & Scots lovage on the list 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

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Mark Diacono's avatar

Two beauties Dave

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Karen Barnes's avatar

Wonderfully evocative, Mark. And you have strengthened my resolve to start experimenting with Nick’s old camera.

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Mark Diacono's avatar

With your eye for things Kāren, I think you’d find much of interest coming out

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