Tastes Good with Wendy Ploger

Ten food questions with a fine art photographer.

Mar 14, 2025

Wendy has this zest for life, this joie de vive, that feels contagious. Maybe it’s her great laugh, or her refusal to let the aging process stop her from expressing her sexuality and creativity. She strives to capture the beauty of the world she witnesses, while also bringing to light her inner workings, often turning the camera on herself.

I first met Wendy in a class I was teaching about writing and photography. After the class was over, we ended up working together on her book about love and dating, and it was one of the funnest and most touching projects I’ve had the privilege to help edit. This book became the stunning, Thank You for Ruining My Birthday. It weaves together writing and photography into a raw and messy story of self-discovery and redefinition. Anyone who has ever been on dating apps will deeply relate to this story.

Wendy is a fine art and portrait photographer based in Tucson, AZ. After 18 years in New York City, she longed for a different environment, and traded the buzz of the big city for the subtle hum of the desert, the rhythms of the wildlife and peaceful vistas. She continues to pursue projects that satisfy her desire to connect with the human and natural world, and shape her distinct messages of internal and external revelation.

You can find our Q+A below.

What does nourishing food mean to you?

The idea of nourishing food to me means comfort, familiarity, and dependability. It mean respect for my body, respect for the food itself, whether it is a simple ingredient lovingly grown, or eating something that both tastes good and makes me feel good. Always pancakes!

What is the most delicious vegetable you have ever eaten?

I will never forget a dinner I had at Thomas Keller’s Per Se in New York City. Everything was delicious but one course really stood out. It wasn’t their signature dish of Oysters and Pearls, but a simple carrot. I asked the staff about it, and it was grown in a particular region in Michigan, where the soil is optimal for this humble vegetable. It was the best carrot I have ever eaten—even to this day, 20 years later.

What makes a food or drink sexy?

Sexy food is experiencing new flavors, especially when they’re unexpected. It’s a thrill, and can be so transporting. So many things light up - my tongue, brain, breathing. Or it could be simple: a very fresh, live oyster. Sometimes it’s a well-made cocktail, with the perfect amount of alcohol, in the presence of friends, or a potential lover. This feels like pure fun and excitement, inhibitions left behind. Even how one holds the cocktail glass, or the type of glass, can say so much about one’s intentions.

4. What do you eat to encourage creativity?

To optimize and encourage creativity, I eat like I’m training for an important race or a dance performance. I want to maximize my energy and be totally present. Sometimes I am more mentally alert on an empty stomach, and too much sugar or fatty foods can slow me down. I keep all these things in mind leading up to a photo shoot.

5. Is there a meal that brought you back to life?

On a trip to Thailand, I had a day to myself to wander. I found myself at a live snake exhibition in the middle of Bangkok. One of the “wranglers” was bitten, and things became very bloody. Quickly exiting the venue, I felt hot, parched, and suddenly lost. A little scared, dehydrated, with no sense of direction, I stumbled onto a tiny market and purchased a small, white liquid. I was unable to translate the writing on the label, but regardless, I popped the top, and downed it in one gulp. It was a sweet, citrusy, yogurt-type drink. I felt better almost instantly, and made it back to my hotel, not a drop of water needed.

What was an eating experience that felt transformative?

In my twenties, I drank a lot of bargain wine. One evening, I was on at a date at a fine dining restaurant in Washington, DC. A friend of mine had recommended that I splurge on a “good” wine. It was a Puligny-Montrachet, and I could not believe my taste buds. Each sip was a delicious, dynamic journey, from the front of my mouth to the back. And I began to notice how the wine changed the taste of my food, and vice versa. I started to pay more attention to the nuances of every sip and every bite that I took. And I still do that!

How has food inspired your photography?

I’m not sure food has inspired my photography directly, but my photography can sometimes lead me to food. On rare occasions, during a photo shoot, when I’m in the zone and capturing something far exceeding my expectations, I feel this intense elation. In that moment, I often think about biting into a raw onion - not because it would taste good, but because it would further accentuate that feeling of being alive. I try and seek out that feeling almost every time I pick up the camera. I call it an “eating onion” moment. Admittedly, I got the idea from a little-known movie called, “The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters,” written by Jean Shephard and starring a young Matt Dillon. In it, the dad character orchestrates a fireworks display that is so intense and amazing, he goes home and eats a raw onion, completely satisfied with his sensational performance.

What has food taught you about love?

Cooking for someone else, or being on the receiving end of an intimate dinner for two is a form of love. Maybe it sounds a little cliché, but I think there is some truth to the phrase cooking with love. If you truly love cooking, you’re passing along the positive vibrations in the vegetables that you slice, the stirring of the pot, placement of the garnish. It feels so wrong to eat something that was made in anger. I believe that if the food has been disrespected, then it won’t taste as good.

How does eating alone make you feel?

When I was in my 20s, an older, wiser woman said to me, that a good test of being comfortable with yourself, is to go to a bar alone and order a drink. This was before cell phones, so more emphasis was on just being able to sit alone in a public place by yourself, or if you so chose, to make friends with those around you and the person serving you drinks. I’ll never forgot that. It was uncomfortable at first, but it got easier. Sure, the maître d' might judge you when you ask for a seat for one, but that’s ok. It’s empowering. Eating alone in a public place is different than eating alone at home, too. I eat much faster at home alone for some reason. Perhaps, I’m still a little self-conscious about eating alone in public.

Any food questions you get asked a lot that you'd like to answer?

I know I have a bit of a reputation for eating unusual things. One of my favorites is menudo- basically a Mexican stew made with tripe. Done right, it is so comforting and delicious. I actually don’t share that with many people, as I understand it might sound really gross to some.
I’m sometimes asked about the latest cocktail I’m drinking. I’m not consuming alcohol as much as I used to (thank you old age), but if the demand arises, come on over, and I’ll happily stir you up a Perfect Manhattan (half sweet, half dry vermouth is the magic). A variation on the New York theme and another favorite is a New York Sour. It’s a classic mix of ingredients, topped with a wine floater. Might sound strange, but I find it works together beautifully.