110 Chronicle Books employees signed up to be a part of our fourth annual Volunteer Day last week. Unlike volunteer days of the past, this year we all participated together at one location, the San Francisco Zoo. We were warned to wear old clothes (apparently staying clean wasn’t an option) and that some of the tasks would even require us to wear waders, rubber boots, and coveralls.

Chronicle assembles at the entrance of the San Francisco Zoo before it opens to begin our work.

Once everyone was signed in and accounted for, we separated into three groups of about 30 employees each to work on various projects. One group would help remove weeds and old piping from the stream, one would be wading into Eagle Lake to clean and prune its plants, and one would clear away the remains of a heavily pruned group of trees to be turned into recycled mulch for the park.

If anyone could start a coverall trend, it’d be Chronicle employees.

Raking a lake never seemed so fun.

Plant pruning bonanza!

Streamside smiles.

Victoria volunteers hardcore.

Timberrr!

Chronicle community engagement.

After a hard morning’s work, it’s time to eat.

During lunch, our very own Moira Kerrigan won volunteer of the day for being muddiest of all!

An amazing day with Chronicle Books and the San Francisco Zoo!

Alexis Watts
Marketing Assistant

What happens when business meets motherhood? Authors Meg Mateo Ilasco and Cat Seto tackle this difficult question, and so much more, in their brand new book, Mom, Inc. As I’ve watched these two entrepreneurial moms gracefully juggle parenting and running a business, I wondered how they do it all, and do it so well? The answers are in the pages of Mom, Inc., but I asked them a couple questions that we are featuring here today.

What do you love most about being a mom?

MMI: Oh, everything. It’s pretty awesome having children in your life: they give the best hugs, they say and do hilarious things, they’re amazed by even the smallest things, and they know how to have fun.

CS: I love being able to witness my son’s daily discoveries. There is something humbling in being able to share his unfettered glee and delight in all things small or big.

How do you balance running a business and being a parent?

CS: The juggle is always challenging, but I echo the sentiments of the moms in the book… we wouldn’t have it any other way! I have great support/childcare, a community of moms (www.momincdaily.com) to lean on who design and are going through the same trials and tribulations, and as time-strapped as I might be, I carve out time to work out at least twice a week to revitalize my energy and self.

MMI: I don’t think there’s ever really a “balance” when it comes being both a parent and business owner—it’s about just making it all work as best you can. Every day brings a new set of opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities in both the mom and business spheres. I think the ability to “make it work” happens when you are organized (keep a calendar), understand how much you (and even your kid) can take on, trust your instincts, and can quickly prioritize what needs to be done at any moment.

Thanks Meg & Cat!

Want more Mom, Inc. right now? Check out this amazing new book trailer, and tell us what you think in the comments. We’ll randomly select a commenter to win a copy of Mom, Inc.

Lorraine Woodcheke
Marketing & Publicity Manager

Do you feel too intimidated to cook Chinese food at home? Have you ever attempted to go beyond stir-fries in your kitchen? Leave a comment on this week’s guest blog post from Nancie McDermott and you’ll be eligible to win copies of her outstanding and accessible cookbooks Quick & Easy Chinese and Quick & Easy Thai. One randomly selected winner will be chosen next week (offer valid in the US and Canada only). Good luck!

Attention farmers’ market shoppers, seasonal-food fans and anyone looking to put more vegetable dishes on the table: my Quick & Easy Chinese cookbook has the goods on what you want to be cooking as spring flows into summertime. Like most Asian cuisines, the traditional cooking of China approaches vegetables not as a duty that must be endured, but rather as a delightful, beautiful, and varied category of food. I remember clearly my first encounter with this concept. I came across it in a comprehensive cookbook, The Key to Chinese Cooking, by Irene Kuo, given to me in the 1980’s as a Christmas gift by a friend who’d heard that Julia Child admired the book greatly. I was dazzled with its treasury of recipes, detailed advice on precise chopping, and extensive glossary of Chinese traditional ingredients.

When I say “dazzled” you should translate that to “intimidated” to get a clearer picture of my state of mind on first pass through the magnificent book. In order to catch my breath and steel myself for the tasks ahead, I detoured into the vegetables chapter and found clear, direct recipes for single-ingredient stir-fried dishes. These dishes were devoid of cornstarch-and-water slurries, and of oil-poaching, velveting, and other techniques often employed by expert Chinese cooks. In the headnote for a simple, elegant recipe for broccoli stir-fried with ginger were these words: “Delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature.” I still can’t think of many Western dishes for which this description would apply, but Ms. Kuo’s vegetable chapter provides many variations on this theme, and they were, and still are, fantastic.

Here’s the game plan: Heat a wok or deep heavy skillet (my cast iron skillets still work wonderfully, as do my two woks) until very hot. Add a good splash of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan as it heats up. When it is very hot, scatter in garlic, ginger, maybe a few more items. Add the chopped vegetables and toss them well until they change color and begin to wilt. Add a bit of broth or water and some salt, toss well, and then cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then toss well, season as you wish (a bit more salt, Asian sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce or chili oil, perhaps?) The result is a generous plateful of still-crisp, vividly green, flavorful, and colorful green vegetables that look way too good to be good for you. I love them hot, and warm, and at room temperature, as Mrs. Kuo suggested I might.

I’ve been cooking leafy green vegetables like spinach and chard, and sturdier greens like broccoli, cabbage, and asparagus ever since, and I’ve never gotten tired of the crisp, lovely results. I focus on the tastiness, and not the “good-for-you!” aspect, because the latter tends to bring out our inner-toddlers with the voice of, “No!”

I include several recipes along these lines in Quick & Easy Chinese, and now that summertime is nearly here, the possibilities for enjoying this way of cooking and eating multiply. I love this with baby bok choy (pictured here), but it’s equally wonderful with bok choy (which is full-sized, shaped much like a bunch of celery, and has white stems and deep-green leaves) or napa cabbage. It’s lovely as is, but if you are a fan of Asian sesame oil, season this stir-fry with some and you’ll move your assessment of it from “like” to “adore.”

Baby Bok Choy Stir-Fried with Garlic

Serves 4

1 1/4 pounds baby bok choy
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 slices fresh ginger
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons water

Trim away and discard the bottom 1/2-inch or so at the base of each small cluster of baby bok choy. Halve each cluster/bunch lengthwise. You should have around 6 cups of chopped baby bok choy.

Heat a wok or a large deep skillet over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the pan.

Add the ginger, garlic, and salt, and toss well. Scatter in the bok choy and toss well, until it is shiny and beginning to wilt, about 1 minute.

Add the sugar and water and continue cooking, tossing now and then, until the leaves are vivid green and the stalks are tender but not limp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a little more water if needed to prevent burning while cooking.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot or warm.

Photographs copyright © 2008 Maren Caruso

Purchase: Quick & Easy Chinese: 70 Everyday Recipes.

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Watching TV is fun—and in the Entertainment publishing group, it also counts as “research.” You never know where the next book idea will come from. And there is *so much* good TV out there right now, it’s hard to resist.

I’m watching Game of Thrones, passionately. I love watching a good show based on a book that I’ve read. And each one of the GOT episodes is like stand-alone film—such high quality acting, dialog, filming, costumes. Plus, since I’m over 40 and I finished the second book so long ago, I forget all the plot twists. I’m shocked and horrified all over again.

I’m also watching The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency (a 2009 HBO series). Now I liked those books by Alexander McCall Smith, but I love the show even more. You get to see gorgeously filmed Botswana (Anthony Minghella is the executive producer). You get to hear a funeral song spontaneously sung in 5-part harmony. It just gives you shivers! A must see for anyone who loves Africa.

Here’s a quick recap of what else is on our screens:

Neil is watching… The Larry Sanders Show because I am a late night comedy talk show junkie and I never saw this when it was originally on. So good! I also just fully caught up on Downton Abbey, and am completely obsessed with Parks and Recreation. The most obscure TV show that I’ve been watching recently is Snuff Box, a British comedy that is a very acquired taste, and currently streaming on Netflix.

Albee is watching… 30 Rock. I died watching the recent reality TV episode! I also love Liz Lemon, and laughed out loud watching Sh*t Liz Lemon Says.

Lia is watching… Game of Thrones. I watched all of season 1 in a day, sick on my couch, and now I’m caught up on Season 2. It appeals to all my base enjoyments: fantasy, sex, and violence.

Emily is watching… The Killing. I just started it. As a recovering Law & Order junkie, I appreciate the similarities. Plus it’s gorgeously shot and I love the main character.

Courtney is watching… Bones. It’s so gross out and cheesy but there’s something about having the science be so over your head—you don’t understand it and it’s cool. And they always catch the killer.

Kate is watching… Sons of Anarchy and I am hooked! Peggy Bundy is amazing in it. And I thought I was finally past my bad boy phase, but Jax Teller is making me reconsider things.

Michael is watching… RuPaul’s Drag Race. There is no other reality/competition/creative challenge show that is more relevant or embodies everything great about pop culture right now. The contestants literally reinvent themselves each week. The alternatives are: boardroom argument (yawn), desert island scratching (bore), or watching a complete moron hand out flowers to a bunch of vacant idiots. (Seriously?). RPDR takes all of those reality show and sitcom tropes and turns them into brilliant parody.

Emily D is watching… Girls. Still a bit on the fence about it, but I keep coming back every week so clearly there’s something working for me! Funny awkwardness, smart dialogue, and a refreshing not-so- glamorous look at the work lives and sex lives of 20-somethings.

Erin is watching… The Big C. Serious life-issues + kooky characters = the perfect balance of light / heavy heartedness. Solid entertainment. And Laura Linney rocks.

Sarah Malarkey
Executive Editorial Director

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In 2009, when over 400 magazines folded and things were looking pretty dire for the industry, I was working at a lifestyle magazine. There was literally a collective gasp in the office when news spread of the demise of our inspiration go-to, Domino. In the years since, while print magazines have begun to rebound (a revived special issue-version of Domino recently released), a new faction of the industry quickly sprung up in the form of digital lifestyle magazines. A few years later they are ubiquitous and seem to occupy a niche related more to lifestyle blogs (many are staffed by bloggers) than traditional magazines.

Many employ Issuu, a software platform that mimics the physical qualities of a print mag, with a spread layout and turning pages, but they’ve also been increasingly creative at utilizing the interactive aspects of being online. Audio, video, clickable table of contents, products, ads, sharing, and bookmarking are some of the features that have come out of this new digital medium. I’m interested in seeing how these online publications develop as technology does. Are spreads, faux-turning pages, and folios necessary in a digital format, or will they be more widely replaced by a form designed for and dictated by the medium?

Here are a few that I have bookmarked (another web convention taken from print!).

Lonny: One of the first in the shelter magazine wave, Lonny was launched by a former Domino assistant less than a year after it folded. Gorgeous photography and lots of personalization features.

Wayfare: A design-minded travel magazine with lots of audio, video, and rollover content. The pilot issue is available free on Issuu, though subsequent ones will be on iPad.

Sweet Paul: Born from stylist Paul Lowe’s blog, the quarterly online magazine is now available in print as well. Amazing styling, recipes, and crafts from this multi-talented freelancer who collaborates with equally talented friends to make each issue.

Rue: Interiors, entertaining, and a bit of fashion for a hip, younger audience. Highlights are the fun and fresh design and the ad-free feature well.

Do you have any online magazine must-reads? Please share them with us!

Emily Dubin
Designer

Tell us what you think in the comments below and you’ll be eligible to win one of the Carpe Diem journals we’ll reward to three lucky seizers of the day (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Getting things done is so much easier when those things are well-designed. Enter letterer and illustrator Mary Kate McDevitt.

Mary Kate never ceases to amaze me. She makes original hand lettering look so darn easy! And now she’ll make all your messy ideas look pretty exceptional, too.

She illustrated a journal called Carpe Diem that will help you wrangle all your grand plans in one place—and in a place where they’ll look better than ever. It’s a sturdy hardcover journal printed with full-color interior pages (nice uncoated stock) with blingin’ gold foil (see Step No. 7—absolutely essential) on the cover and spine. So sharp!

I asked Mary Kate to send me some pics of how she’s been using Carpe Diem.

How to carpe diem:

Step 1. Start with a sketch.

Mary Kate McDevitt’s sketch for the cover of the Carpe Diem journal.

Step 2. Make lists of how to get from A to B. Try not to get distracted by all the X, Y, and Z you need to tackle in between.

Step 3. Treat yourself to ice cream. And/or beer.

Step 4. Give yourself a high-five. Distract your brain by writing a haiku.

Step 5. Okay, break’s over. Get down to business.

Step 6. Refine and perfect the sketch.

Step 7. Add foil.

Kate Woodrow
Editor

Photographs and illustrations by Mary Kate McDevitt.


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Last week, artist Jason Polan came to San Francisco from New York for the sixth issue of Pop-Up Magazine—the amazing magazine that features stories, documentary films, interviews, photography, facts, and radio LIVE ON STAGE. Back home, Jason keeps busy drawing every person in New York. While Jason was in town, he stopped outside our building to draw its portrait…

Christina Amini
Executive Editor, Art Publishing

From personal experience, I know moms love getting cookbooks as gifts for Mother’s Day, so I couldn’t resist featuring The Sugar Cube: 50 Deliciously Twisted Treats from the Sweetest Little Food Cart on the Planet today. If you’ve been lucky enough to visit Kir Jensen’s cart in Portland, Oregon you know that her unique and creative takes on dessert classics are THE BOMB. Regardless of whether you’re a fan already, this acclaimed pastry and dessert creator has made her recipes available to the home cook – including Mom, in case you need a last-minute gift idea!

Sample the recipe below for her coconut panna cotta, one of the most beloved creations from the cart (Kir LOVES panna cotta – there are three featured in the book!).

Do you have a favorite dessert-themed food cart or truck in your ‘hood? Have you made panna cotta? Leave a comment and you’ll be eligible to win a copy of the book that will be rewarded to a randomly selected person (offer valid in the US and Canada only).

Now go make your mom a delectable panna cotta!

Toasted-Coconut Panna Cotta with Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce
Makes 8 servings

It’s not enough to just use coconut milk to make coconut panna cotta. I need the flavor to be deeper and fuller, so I steep the milk with toasted, sweetened, shredded coconut to make it truly coconutty. I prefer my panna cottas to be barely set, so they have a light, silky-smooth, melt-in-your mouth texture, like a good crème brûlee. This means that I use a lot less gelatin than most and that unmolding isn’t ideal. But I think panna cotta is much prettier served in a glass cup anyway. At the cart I serve them in little squat-bottomed mason jars, or you can dust off your grandma’s fancy vintage glassware and put it to good use.

1 1/4 cups sweetened, shredded coconut (preferably Angel Flake)
1/2 cup almonds
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk (I use Chaokoh brand.)
1 cup heavy cream
Scant 1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 vanilla bean (bean/seeds scraped)
3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
1/2 to 1 cup Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce (see below)
Fresh Whoop (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the coconut in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, stirring occasionally, until most of the shreds are dark golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Spread the almonds in an even layer on the baking sheet and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn off the heat. Place eight 4-ounce ramekins or small serving glasses in the fridge. (Chilling the cups helps the panna cotta set faster.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, cream, sugar, salt, and 1 cup of the toasted coconut (reserve the rest for garnish). Split the piece of vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with the back of a knife directly into the pan. Add the pod and gently bring to a slight simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally (do not boil).

While the cream is heating, pour the cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top. Let stand (don’t stir) until the gelatin has absorbed the water, at least 5 minutes.

When the cream has begun to simmer, remove it from the heat and strain it through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl with a spout. Use a spatula to gently press the coconut against the sieve to force out all the liquid. Discard the solids and vanilla bean pod (or rinse, dry, and save the pod for another use). Add the softened gelatin and whisk until incorporated. (You shouldn’t see any bits of solid gelatin.)

Divide the mixture equally among the chilled cups (do not cover with plastic wrap) and refrigerate until set, least 3 hours. (It should have the texture of a soft pudding.) Serve with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce, a dollop of whoop and a sprinkling of toasted, chopped almonds.

Tips
If you want to use sheet gelatin, use 3 1/2 sheets. Refer to the book for tips on working with sheet gelatin.
Ungarnished panna cottas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Cover each with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out.

Aunti Shirley’s Chocolate Sauce
Makes about 1 cup

Aunti Shirley was a very close friend of my mom’s. I still remember her making me ice cream sundaes when I was a wee thing and topping them with her homemade chocolate sauce. I recently rediscovered just how wonderful it is. It has an intense, almost black hue, with a silky-smooth rather than gloppy texture. The chocolate flavor isn’t overpowering, so it goes with just about everything. I’ve combined Aunti Shirley’s tips with some of my own to make this very versatile topping. Try it on ice cream, of course, and use it to add welcome depth to root beer floats.

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

In a small saucepan, combine the dark brown sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Stir in enough heavy cream, a little at a time, to make a paste, and then stir in the remainder. Add the corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, making sure to whisk continuously. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook, whisking continuously, for another 3 to 4 minutes to help cook out the bitter flavor from the cocoa and thicken the sauce. The sauce will be very glossy and take on a very dark hue (almost black).

To test if the sauce is thick enough, place a small dab of sauce on a clean plate and let stand for 1 minute. If the sauce spreads, keep simmering. You should be able to tip the plate without spilling the sauce.

Once done, remove from heat and stir in the butter. Serve immediately over ice cream or let cool slightly before using. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To reheat: Microwave at 50 percent power for about 30 seconds, or warm in a saucepan on low heat.

Fresh Whoop
Makes about 2 cups

At the cart, just about everything gets a hit of Fresh Whoop (southern slang for “whipped cream”). I can’t help it. Everything tastes better with whipped cream. Besides, it’s what my mom always did. She was obsessed with the stuff and passed that trait right on to me. She never used the stuff in the canister or Cool Whip because they don’t count. Fresh whipped cream is just that–fresh cream whipped right on the spot. It tastes so much better than any of the commercial pretenders. Plus, it’s a blank canvas, so you can flavor it dozens of different ways. When I want to add depth, I use dark brown sugar instead of granulated. When I want to get boozy, I use spirits or liqueurs. You can also add a pinch or two of ground spices, or infuse the cream with herbs or whole spices: Heat the cream with them, allow to steep until it tastes they way you like it, then strain and chill before whipping.

1 cup cold heavy cream (preferably 40 percent fat)
1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or seeds scraped from 1/4 to 1/2 vanilla bean

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until medium-soft peaks form. (Alternatively you can whip the cream with a handheld mixer or by hand with a whisk, though it’ll take a longer.) If you want the peaks softer, whip less. If you want them sturdier, whip longer, but don’t overwhip or the cream will curdle and eventually turn into butter!

Purchase: The Sugar Cube.

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Earlier this year, author and film director Donnie Eichar travelled to Russia to conduct interviews and complete an expedition to the site where a group of nine hikers perished in 1959 under mysterious circumstances. His documentary and nonfiction book, tentatively titled Dead Mountain, will be released next year. The book will be published by Chronicle Books.

It’s sometime after midnight, and I’m lying in the back of an old military cargo van on my way to the Northern Ural Mountains in Russia. My journey started over eighteen hours ago (by car, tram, and train) in Yekaterinburg, the fourth largest city in Russia. I’m on my way to base camp, a remote Mansi village named Ushma that lacks any running water or power. The complete darkness in the van and its bouncing and tilting along the decrepit road tempt my generally benign positional vertigo. I spend the next seven hours lying in the van trying to focus on the task ahead: to find the truth.

The beginning of my journey at the Yekaterinburg train station with my expedition team Vladimir Borzenkov (left) and Dmitriy Voroshchuk (right). This is the same station where the hikers began their 1959 expedition to the Northern Ural Mountains.

After three years of extensive research, I’m here to retrace the fateful footsteps of nine Russian hikers (mostly students) who died over a half century ago on an expedition to Otorten Mountain. On February 1, 1959, the hikers encountered challenging weather en route and set up camp on the slope of Holatchahl Mountain. After two weeks without word from the group, authorities dispatched a search and rescue team, and opened an official criminal case to look into their disappearance. The team discovered the hikers’ tent, torn from the inside, but with the hikers belongings otherwise untouched. The hikers were found dead nearly a mile away from camp, partially clothed, and without shoes in sub-zero temperatures. The forensic studies showed the cause of death was violent—two victims had fractured skulls, two more had broken ribs and one was missing her tongue—but the bodies otherwise showed no signs of struggle. According to analysis four of the victims’ clothing were measured emitting higher than normal levels of radiation. The lack of eyewitnesses and inadequate investigation has led to much false speculation over the years, and until now, more than half a century later, the deaths of the hikers has defied any clear-cut explanation.

As we finally arrive at the Mansi village, a threatening snowstorm looms in the distance. Within my small group there is a discussion that my expedition to the Holatchahl Mountain where the hikers died might not take place. I only have a two-day window to complete the expedition, and I stress to my translator that we must make it to the mountaintop. I have only this opportunity to see the site that claimed nine lives. Ultimately, I became the first American to reach the Holatchahl Mountaintop in the winter. There is nothing at the top of Holatchal Mountain other than few small worn pine trees (over a hundred years old) that stand no taller than two feet tall due to the harsh conditions.

Vladimir Borzenkov and me in search of the Dyatlov tent site on Holatchahl Mountain where the hikers perished. It was very difficult to walk in these conditions.

During the trip I also uncovered a treasure trove of previously unreleased data, case files, thousands of photos—including those taken by the hikers—and the hikers’ journals. I logged many hours of interviews with friends and families of the deceased hikers as well as the key people involved in the case.

Most intriguing were my days spent with Yuri Yudin, the only member of the hiking group to survive (he had cut the trip short due to a lifelong ailment). Amazingly, he had never been extensively interviewed, and I felt honored to have his exclusive firsthand account of his friends’ lives and the tragic incident that unfolded.

Yuri Yudin and me. Through Yuri’s great insight I was able to piece together many previously unknown facts about the hikers’ final expedition.

The hikers grew up in a time of great social change in the post-war Soviet Union known as the “Khrushchev Thaw,” and loved poetry, music, literature, songwriting, adventure, and exploration. As students of radio engineering, they were obsessed with communication, and documented many of their discussions on love and life in their journals.

Igor Dyatlov, the leader of the hiking group, who was passionate about the arts, invention, hiking, and exploration.

With this book, in collaboration with my coauthor JC Gabel, I hope to bring to light the vital lives of these individuals, as well as answer questions surrounding the mystery of what happened to them that fateful night on the mountain.

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One of the best parts of my job is collaborating with talented photographers. I recently worked with San Francisco-based photographer Alex Farnum on a book called So Pretty! Crochet. Here’s a peek at the process, and of course the so pretty results.

We wanted the photos to look almost like fashion photography since the crochet pieces were gorgeous and unlike any in craft books I’d seen. I knew Alex only as a food photographer—he shot our beautiful cookbook Chicken and Egg. Luckily I stumbled upon his fashion photography in 7×7 magazine and realized it was just what I was looking for. He hired two models and rented out a house in San Francisco for the two-day shoot, and his team turned out some amazing photos. Now that the book is out, I touched base with Alex about his perspective on the process.

Q: When we first started talking about the photography, you suggested framing it as a narrative about two roommates. What made you want to take a story approach?

A: It’s a craft book, so obviously you want to show the projects front and center, but just photographing the projects with no context felt uninspired. It seemed more interesting to tell the story of these two young, fashionable roommates… who just happened to have amazing crochet projects in all the rooms of their apartment. It gave the photos a point of view and gave the models something to do beyond being props for displaying the projects.

Q: Many people inquired about the clothes the models wore (so much so that we had to ask stylist Jasmine Hamed for a list of her sources!). How did you work with Jasmine to get the right looks?

A: Great question and this is why I love working with Jasmine. She has an amazing eye (and impeccable style). I simply explained the story—two cute 20-somethings living in a city—and she ran with it.

Q: I can’t end without asking about the props. I was floored when I got to the set and saw prop stylist Christine Wolheim’s enormous stash of one-of-a-kind treasures. What was your collaboration with Christine like on this shoot?

A: Again, another amazing person and collaborator. When I gave the brief to Christine, she simply said, “I am going to empty my house—that should suffice for the project.” And she really did! Chachkies galore. Christine too has an amazing eye for detail and this project was one of many that we have worked on together.

Enjoy the eye candy!

Allison Weiner
Designer