Peaches are, undeniably, my favorite summer fruit. You know the game we used to all play as kids—if you could only eat three things for the rest of your life, what would they be? Peaches have held a long-standing, coveted position on my list. They reek of summer, taste like heaven and are one of the types of pies we’re serving at the wedding.
Ah yes, the wedding.
This would explain my long absenteeism this month. We’ve been busily making, creating, detailing, planning, calling, emailing, checking, double checking, calling again, and last-minuting for the past few weeks and will continue to do so up until the big day: August 20th. We’re so excited! The pie, the celebration, the mountains, and being surrounded by family and friends will be amazing. But the best part? Being able to call Andrew my husband and planning our lives together.
LOVE!
This was magic at its best. Walking down the street, I noticed a giant paella pan under a tent with a few guys prepping the huge pan. After asking if I could take some photos, I ran home, picked up my camera and sprinted back just in time to hear the first ingredients sizzle as they hit the pan. I ended up staying and documenting the entire process which was amazing.
Another of José Andres brilliant ideas, this week is Jaelo’s Paella festival—their 9th annual. They did it in Crystal City yesterday (a Monday) because it’s the grand reopening of the Jaleo there on Mondays. It had been previously closed that day for several years. In celebration, they made free paella and passed it out to passersby until it disappeared. It was delicious!
The chef and cooks on hand were true champs, sweating it out in the DC heat over a piping hot iron paella pan filled with aromatic goodness. Saffron, chicken, and earthy tomato enveloped the streets, luring hungry commuters as if sleepwalking to stop and wake up with a plate in their hands. A wonderful way to wake up, if you ask me.
To see the rest of the photos, click here. Cheers!
Breakfast can be sexy. Who knew? I’m sure a lot of you do, but I’m late to the game on this one. Don’t get me wrong, I love breakfast. French toast, omelets, steel cut oats, buckwheat pancakes, bacon, muffins…really, the list could go on. But I don’t indulge very often because what I eat for breakfast sets the tone for the entire day. And honestly? I like to feel alive instead of in a sugar induced, slightly dead coma all day long.
I get into breakfast ruts. Since I am first and foremost concerned about my energy levels throughout the day, I have a fairly short list of hearty, healthy things I like to eat to start my day. But as you know, I also love flavor, texture, and a damn good taste. This Chocolate Banana Velvet Smoothie hits home for both reasons.
Sometimes a girl wants a little decadence, a little sexiness to start her day. True to it’s name, it certainly is smooth, creamy, and velvety, yet hearty and filling. I love the banana flavor with the sunflower seed butter (and have had great success with almond butter and cashew butter as well). The cacao pulls it all together with an earthy, chocolatey goodness and the chia seeds gives it some great texture without being over bearing (not to mention some great omega-3′s!). Try freezing your banana’s the night before for an even cooler, more ice cream like consistency. And enjoy!
An abundance of berries. Red, blue, black, pink, and purple, their deep jewel tones hint at their velvet luxury, their bursting flavor. Not to mention they are gorgeous. Just looking at berries makes me happy! But that could also have something to do with a few things, namely knowing deep in my bones that it is summer and that I’ll be eating them soon.
A few weeks ago, my friend Laura Beth who I took a piece of her chocolate cake from and I did a photoshoot for Metrocurean, a DC everything-food website. It was a fun spread, all about creating a fun summer table centered around a bounty of berries. Then, of course, we ate them.
Check out the article on Metrocurean here. Have a great rest of your week and weekend!
Picnics, friends, wine, and maybe a waterfront. A birthday could be sprinkled in, but it’s not necessary. A cake, however, is necessary. Not just any cake, but the quintessential chocolate cake, the one that dreams are made of—you know the one. You crave it every now and then, thinking about it’s perfect crumb and simply sophisticated icing. It’s a challenge to find these days as it seems like you can’t just buy a slice of cake like this anymore. This is why we have good recipes.
I was turned on to this recipe by my friend Laura Beth. During a photoshoot at her place a few weeks ago, this cake was regally sitting on her dining room table under a glass dome magnifying it’s gorgeousness. Time seemed to stop as I took one look at it, looked at her, looked back at the cake and then politely asked for a piece to go. At home, time stopped altogether, the sounds of city life outside my balcony ceasing as I took a bite. When I opened my eyes, I was transcended back to my kitchen, standing with fork in hand, hovering over the piece of cake unwrapped on foil on my counter. Wow, I’ve got to try that again, I thought. After a few more bites, I was satisfied, mentally noting that this cake was going on the forever list.
We were, in fact, celebrating three birthdays last weekend so the cake made it’s grand debut. While picnicking and waiting for the fireworks to begin, we sliced thick pieces onto paper plates and sipped Vino Verde. As evening grew darker and anticipation for the show grew stronger, the cake dwindled in size but our happiness was overflowing. It was a perfect summer evening.
For James Bond it was a martini, shaken and not stirred. For myself, it’s something sparkly. Kir Royale’s, Prosecco’s, Cava’s, and Vino Vherde’s are what I tend to gravitate towards when they are available. I’m not picky when it comes to drinking them only during a certain time of the year—why refuse a glass of something bubbly just because there is snow on the ground? However, there is a deep satisfaction that comes from a chilled, refreshing, and sparkling sip on a hot summer night.
Cava is a much celebrated wine in Spain. It is made the same way as champagne so it looks, tastes, and acts much the same as well. I’m pretty sure folks here in the States know about and drink Cava (I never want to assume!), but if you haven’t tried it, ask your local wine store clerk to help you pick one out. For the recipe below, don’t worry about getting anything very expensive, but if you are looking to try a glass on it’s own, it might be worth getting pointed in the right direction.
Sandee, my partner in Cross Continental Cooking, made a beautiful pate with Cava which you can find over at her lovely site La Receta de la Felicidad. Light, elegant, and completely different than anything I’d ever expect to make with the bubbly drink, I’m excited to try it. As usual, her presentation is beautiful with the carrot flowers she added to the mold. I’d be thrilled to go to a party with that level of attention and detail given to the food! While there is most absolutely a place for simple, no fuss recipes, I appreciate when I see a little more time has been taken, a few more steps were involved, and a loving attention to detail was directed towards the dish. The difference is how the food can make you feel—like you were worth the trouble and effort it took to make this gorgeous creation. And that just feels good!
The recipe I chose for Ginger Sangria is two-fold goodness. Not only will you get a beautiful cocktail, but you’ll have left over ginger syrup (which you can use in a multitude of ways) and candied ginger. I get a huge satisfaction out of recipes like this. Enjoy!
Ginger Sangria (Ginger Syrup and Candied Ginger, three in one!)
Ginger sangria is only one of the many recipes you can make with ginger syrup, not to mention that you get candied ginger out of the deal too! Try drizzling a little over fresh fruit, your morning oatmeal, and making your own ginger ale (a few tablespoons mixed with chilled sparkling water). When I make the syrup, I usually just boil down equal amounts of ginger, sugar, and water (if I have four cups chopped ginger, then I’ll add four cups water and sugar, etc…) for about 40 minutes. But for you and recipe writing purposes, I’ve broken it down step by step.
Place ginger, sugar, and water in a heavy bottomed pot. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer without a lid, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour. If you’ve sliced your ginger pieces very thin, you will need less time, if they are thicker and chunkier, you’ll need more time. When the ginger is soft, it is done. Turn off and remove the pot from the heat. Remove ginger slices with a slotted spoon onto a prepared surface with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle ginger pieces with 1/3 cup sugar and set aside to cool and pour excess sugar off after they have cooled. Sieve the syrup into a glass container and let cool before putting into the fridge.
Ginger Sangria:
Per 8 oz. of Cava, add 2-3 tablespoons ginger syrup, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 4-5 minced mint leaves. Feel free to garnish with a ginger candy or two, stir with ice and enjoy!
En Espanol
Sirope de Jengibre (y caramelos)
Ponemos el jengibre, el azúcar y el agua en un cazo hondo. Llevamos a ebullición, y lo dejamos cocer suavemente sin tapa, removiendo de vez en cuando. Dejamos cocer unos 45 minutos. Si hemos cortado en trozos pequeños el jengibre puede que esté listo antes. Cuando el jengibre esté blando, estará listo. Sacamos el jengibre del agua con una espumadera, y lo dejamos sobre papel de aluminio o papel del hornear. Espolvoreamos con azúcar, y dejamos que se enfríe. El sirope lo conservamos en un recipiente de cristal en el frigorífico.
Sangría de jengibre:
por cada 235 ml de cava, añadimos 2-3 cucharadas de sirope de jengibre, 2 cucharadas de zumo de limón, y 4-5 hojas de menta. Servimos con hielo y menta, y a disfrutar!
You’re in for a treat. We made this popcorn for our photo shoot yesterday, and I couldn’t get enough. The jalapeno creates a gorgeous, subtle and building heat, especially after it’s sat with the popcorn for a few hours and cooled. However, eating it hot and fresh is bliss, too. Last night, I polished off the rest of the bowl, relishing the flavors while I liked my fingers clean.
Devour it hot or at room temp. Either way if you are looking for a lively, salty, sweet, and unstoppably good movie snack, you’ve found your ticket. Cheers!
What is it about hands that are so captivating? They connect us with the world around us through work, touch, and holding on tight. They help us understand things better, they help us understand each other better—think: old adage about your handshake with the world. I’ve found them fascinating to watch, especially in a place as tactile as the farmer’s market.
Touch is such a huge part of the buying process there—is this ripe enough? does it feel bruised or broken? We use our hands to pick out the choicest morsels to bring home, to eat, to savor. And I’ve found myself more and more drawn to photographing them in action. Over and over I see people reenacting this ritual of feeling, touching, caressing, and picking, filling their bags until they reach that pivotal and personal point of “I’m done.”
Ed Brown, in his book The Tassajara Cookbook, talks about liberating our hands in a way that has stuck with me since I first read it several years ago:
“Our hands love to handle things, to do things: knead bread, caress cheeks, dig with a shovel, fiddle with wiring, pluck guitar strings. Hands that are idle grow restless and bored and, worse perhaps, begin to feel useless and unappreciated… Hands love to do what hands can do, but the mind often says, “No, you can’t. I don’t feel like it.” The hands are ready, the mind is what’s reluctant.”
It is a simple and fundamental pleasure I feel when I am busy, productive, and making with my hands. It’s that “I did this, I made this!” kind of satisfaction—even if it is just bringing home the best darn produce I could find from the market. Although, the satisfaction is even greater when it’s pottery or bread or looking at the garden I planted.
What have your hands done today that have helped you understand something better, or they’ve made that you are proud of?
Last week, Alicia Sokol of Weekly Greens, and I headed to the farmers market for a photo shoot. Alicia’s site has been literally blowing up with publicity and with good reason. She needed a few new portraits for it and I am so excited I had the opportunity to work with her!
After a bit of discussion and bringing into play Alicia’s background as a foodie, an author, and recipe-tester, I decided we needed to meet at one of DC’s daily farmer’s markets for some real-time picture making. While romping through the chard, kale, tomatoes, and squash blossoms, we were able to get some really wonderful shots—it also helps when your client is gorgeous!
We had a great time and picked up some dinner after the shoot to boot. Make sure to check out Weekly Greens. It’s a great resource with a weekly menu, shopping list for all the food, and helpful tips. And just like Alicia, it’s the bomb.
Hi, you. Shutter Sisters invited me to do a guest post which was published today—yipee! I created a little piece about how to use food as a muse and a new “palate” for expression. You can read all about it here…
Cheers, xo
