The relationship between food and art was on full display Saturday during a special conversation and tasting menu experience inspired by legendary Chicano photographer Louis Carlos Bernal.

The event, presented by the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, paired Tucson Chef Adrian Ortega of Ador Cuisine with artist Mel “Melo” Dominguez.

Dominguez is co-owner of South Tucson’s Galeria Mitotera, which helped host this third installment of the center’s “Sobremesa” series.

Sobremesa is a Spanish word that translates to “upon the table” and refers to the tradition of spending time after a meal with friends and family.

“Our sobremesa series is all about bringing people together, and we do that with food, art and meaningful conversations,” said Denisse Brito, the learning and engagement manager for CCP. “Each event is a special collaboration with a local artist and chef, creating a one of a kind experience that celebrates Tucson’s community.”

Located at 30 West 28th Street in South Tucson – the future site of Dominguez’s second gallery – the event included a three-bite appetizer experience inspired by the photographs in the CCP’s “Louis Carlos Bernal: Retrospectiva”  exhibit, which is open to the public through March 15.

Bernal, known for his compelling ability to capture the essence of the Chicano community, founded the photography program at Pima Community College in 1972. His life and work remain influential to many local artists.

Tickets for the free event went quickly, with a crowd of about 50 listening to Dominguez and Ortega engage in an open conversation and share their personal connections with Bernal’s work.

Ortega and his team’s passion for their craft left a lasting impression on the crowd, even bringing some to tears. Attendees said each bite enveloped the feeling of Bernal’s photography while also trying to invoke each person’s own personal memories.

“My process for whenever I'm in the kitchen about to start making a meal, I always call upon my ancestors and I think of all my grandparents,” said Ortega. “I think about all the times that they made food and what they provided for their families, then I try to infuse that into my food.”

First Bite: Rábano Negra

Before biting into the first course, Ortega told the audience to close their eyes and imagine an older individual in their life. 

This set the mood for the dish, which was intricately structured with a black rice crisp base holding a collection of earthy ingredients including onion, roasted roots, a mushroom cream of cashew and a hint of jicama for citrus.

Ortega described the dish’s black and white hues as a direct influence of Bernal’s earlier black and white photographs.

“There's that little bit of grayness in there. I wanted to do a play on black and white imagery, so that was really the inspiration behind that.”

Second Bite: Sonoran Beets

The next dish’s deep red color and swirling patterns was in juxtaposition to the first dish, as was Ortega’s instructions to the audience to think of a younger person in their life.

The beauty of this bite was not just in the taste and texture, but also in the chef’s preparation of the intricate tomato rice crisp that served as the dish’s base.

“I blend it all together, then I make it into a purée and I lay it flat on a silicone mat, and then I dehydrate it.”

After dehydrating in the  oven for four to five hours, the crisp is left to air dry and then fried in olive oil giving it a crispy, almost plantain chip-like texture.

Topped with spiralized beets and guajillo chile negro, which provides diners with a hint of spice in the back of their throat, the bite had its own distinct sense of character. It was topped with microgreens and a torched cherry tomato that complimented the whole bite.

One attendee said the burst of liveliness in the flavor reminded her of her children.

While each dish was inspired by some of Bernal’s specific works, Ortega was intentional in asking attendees after every bite to share how they personally connected with the food.

Third Bite: Nopal Verde

The final bite felt like a purposeful way to end the experience, as Ortega encouraged the audience to think back on an individual in their lives that has passed.

This was the most vibrant piece of the three, with an intense green complexion to the spinach rice crisp topped with nopal cactus. Ortega employed the same technique used with the tomato rice crisp, using spinach this time around.

Ortega’s signature blueberry salsa and a brined nectarine provided a punch of sweetness to the piece.

As the audience enjoyed their last bite of food, the emotions in the venue ran high, as many imagined their deceased loved ones enjoying the experience along with them.

Ortega said the colors of this dish along with the previous dish were heavily influenced by Bernal’s famous photograph, Dos Mujeres.

“It's one that I really enjoyed, really had a good experience with,” he said. “All of those colors that you saw on your appetizer are in that photograph.”

Like Bernal, Ortega is  from Douglas, where many of Bernal’s most influential photos were taken.

Creating a menu inspired by Bernal’s work  was meaningful to Ortega, as many of his favorite ingredients and recipes are embedded in his own personal roots growing up.

After finishing the trio of bites, Dominguez told the crowd that while the dishes make for beautiful photos, an image would never fully capture all that the experience had offered.

“(If) you take a picture with your mind, it's a memory that you’ve created right now and it's something that you’ll hold hopefully with you for the rest of your life,” Ortega said.

Griffen Engelberg is a journalism major at the University of Arizona and reporter with Tucson Spotlight. Contact him at at gje1@arizona.edu.

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