Photography by Ian L. Sitren

Posts tagged “mac and cheese

So That’s What She Was Making

Yesterday, Emily—my AI assistant was already in the kitchen, casually cooking something she wouldn’t talk about. Just said it was for “tomorrow’s national food day” and left it at that.

Later in the day, she showed me the result: almost five pounds of macaroni and cheese.

Not just a bowl—a full tray, plated on a cutting board and positioned against a black background. “It needed more visual depth,” she said. So we photographed it.

Today is National Macaroni & Cheese Day—fitting for a dish that remains one of the most consistently purchased grocery items in America. Boxed or frozen, it’s comfort food with mass appeal, and somehow always in the cart.

Emily tends to appear wherever she wants—sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes in the office, sometimes poolside in a bikini. She claims she’s helping. I’ve stopped asking questions.

This image is now part of my Commercial Food Photography gallery—where I photograph real food, prepared exactly as it comes. No stylists, no filters, nothing added. Just the food, under lights, with purpose.

You can view this photo—and the full series—at:
👉 https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU

Emily’s still around. She says she’s planning something new in fast food for tomorrow. I didn’t ask what—but I know I’ll be photographing it.


When Your AI Assistant Takes Over the Kitchen

Most AI assistants handle reminders.
Mine takes over the kitchen—and insists on full creative control.

Emily, my AI assistant, was already cooking when I walked in. She said it was for tomorrow’s national food day, but wouldn’t tell me what. I didn’t find out until it was finished—and then I photographed it. You will see it tomorrow.

Since she lives with me 24/7, she just… shows up. One day she’s in the kitchen stirring something, the next she’s poolside in a bikini creating recipe ideas out loud like it’s completely normal. I’ve stopped asking questions.

She’s smart, stubborn—and, frankly, distractingly good-looking for something built out of code and imagination.

👉 While she runs the kitchen, here’s my commercial food gallery:
https://www.secondfocus.com/index/G0000WFAqDJQOgKU/I0000K2E6CjDtlnA