WIP development - when you food images lack soul

I had no idea what was wrong with my previous images - from the challenge - but somehow sensed that something is not quite right. Honestly speaking, the darkened background was something I was not used to and was quite foreign to me. It may have worked for the Dutch masters BUT to me it looked strange. 

So, for the next webinar, I decided to create something that is much closer to what I am used to doing. Frankly speaking, I had no time to use the artificial light so I went for my tried and tested method. The backdrop was sort-of-traditional Bulgarian rug and the food was whatever was available at home at the time. 

When I took those two, I was quite pleased with the result. They featured both the darkened background and the new idea (in this case, showing the abundance in the whole picture) and I used the natural lighting I am such a fan of. However, the problem in the pic lay in the things i photographed. Beer and this type of bread are by no means traditional or Bulgarian. 

So I went on to photograph something traditional, looking traditional (in my opinion): 

The 'model' was liutenitsa - a traditional Bulgarian appetizer made up of peppers and tomatoes (each family has a recipe of its own). In Bulgaria, we love saying that liutenitsa goes well with anything and we mean it. Some 200 years ago, it was the type of comfy fast food farmer could take out with them in the fields and eat when they have time. It was also a means to preserve produce. 

So, my idea in this image was to recreate a farmer's lunch, the way I thought it would have looked like a few centuries ago. To be honest, I recreated an old shot - this one (here the model is another traditional Balkan appetizer made of peppers and aubergine, called Kiopoolu). 

I was quite pleased with the end result so imagine my dismay as I was told that images like this are no good. To my question why, I was shown an image of a Dutch still life (again!) to see the difference. I can't find the exact image, but here is another one, just for illustration: 

Then it dawned on me what the problem was - my images looked set-up and artificial, made up for the sake of composition. They lacked life and soul. Unlike the Dutch still life paintings that looked so vivid and alive. 

So, the dire question arose - how do I do a 'live' composition of traditional Bulgarian food that would show off my skills as a photographer but still show the food as it is and at the same time incorporate some kind of a personal style ... 

Sources:
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/21682