Spoonful

Something different: fashion and cocktails

2011-07-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

This summer has been fast-paced and exciting. In addition to my photography work (which I am still enjoying immensely) my husband and I have been involved with Everything But Water, the largest independent retailer of swim and resortwear in the US. My husband is the Chairman of the company. I am currently acting as Head of Marketing, in addition to my career in photography (yes- it's been quite a year, but all good!).

I have been particularly involved in re-launching the company's brand and developing new content areas. One of my favorite aspects of this is the style section of the website that features our lookbooks, fashion inspiration/trends and great videos from our fashion shoots.

This week's style story is about some our favorite summer looks, perfect for the pool party, getaway and beyond and custom cocktail pairings that Paul Lowe developed exclusively for us.

I'm teasing you with a little snippet - if you are intrigued, hop on over here to read the full story ...

... including the recipes.

While you are there, if you find anything tempting, we're offering a special discount for blog readers, but only for this week (until end of day Friday). Shipping is free. See what tempts you. If you are not in the market for swimwear, check out the gorgeous jewelry, great hats, and fab totes in the accessories section.

Yes - this isn't exactly one of my typical posts - but I did shoot the drinks in this story - and this has been a recent passion of mine, so I thought I'd share.

p.s. You can also follow along on Facebook.

For Sudy

2011-03-16T20:58:00.005-04:00

I certainly don't want to ignore the fact that our friends in Japan are suffering from a horrible environmental disaster and a looming nuclear emergency. It's something that's very much on my mind as I know it is on yours. I hope and pray for the earthquake / tsunami survivors and for those who have lost or are missing a loved one.

I want, however, to focus this post on a very personal tragedy in my own family. While I don't often share personal facts on this blog, it seems somehow impossible to move forward without sharing, the form of a tribute, what happened in our family a few weeks ago.

On February 19th, my mother-in-law, Sudy Reinauer Zane, passed away suddenly. She was a beautiful, loving, vivacious women full of spunk, spirit and adventure. She was game for anything. Death always comes as a shock, but this was beyond shocking. It was without notice. She was healthy and fit with no near-term health issues to worry about. She had more energy than most people I know. She looked and acted many years younger than her already young self. We were not able to say goodbye.

She had so many friends and family who loved her dearly. She was one of those people you could say anything to and you felt like you knew her right away. She could put a roomful of people at ease. She loved children and my son was her special first grand child by blood.

We feel her absence every hour. I know at some point our feelings will turn from shock and grief to fond memories. Right now, however, we are still going over the details in our heads and still in disbelief that we have lost her. She was going to be a great presence in our son's life for sure, and we are equally sad for him that he will not have her with him as he grows up.

It had been an unusually long period of time since we'd seen her (several months). She had scheduled a trip to visit us that would have occurred about a week after she passed away. The last time we saw her, it was for a long weekend in December. In hindsight, it seems so sadly too short.

The last evening she was here, we cooked a big meal in. Something we don't do that often but we somehow decided to. Sudy's husband, Alan, offered to make his famous potato latkes. I decided to make a rack of veal and vegetables to go with them. I remember deciding last minute to run out to Eataly to pick up their wonderful organic, milk-fed, Amish veal. It was a bit of an extravagance but it seemed like an apt occasion. Sudy loved the veal so much she decided to make it for a New Year's dinner she would later host for friends.

Food was something we shared an interest in and talked about often. She commented frequently on this blog and often used the recipes. She's call from some far-off supermarket to get clarification on ingredients or approach. I was always flattered that she liked my recipes and trusted my advice. In turn, she taught me a lot about Southern cooking. She was always interested when I expressed an interest in an authentic dish. I would often get inspired to make a dish I learned about when visiting her and would need her to mail me a critical ingredient that could not be sourced up North. She always obliged, sending me spices or Sorghum or whatever my whimsy required. She also was an amazing salad-maker and spoiled us with her finely-chopped, chock-full salad creations which usually involved lots of craisins and some finely shaved cheese. She always indulged our salad requests: she even once brought produce in her handbag on the plane.

Her New Year's dinner was a typical collaboration. We talked about veal preparation, cooking time, and temperature readings. I suggested she make a verjus-based sauce that I had photographed for the New York Times and she trusted my recommendation even though she had not had the sauce or even heard of verjus (nor had I prior to my shoot). In typical fashion she enthusiastically ran around until she found a bottle of verjus in Houston. She was so excited to make her meal, and I was proud that she took my recommendation.

On New Year's Eve I couldn't help but call to see how it went. They just finished dinner and apparently everyone raved and she was thrilled. Honestly, even if it had been a flop she probably would have reassured me that everything had gone as prescribed.

I cannot describe how much I am going to miss everything about her: from all of the little back and forths we had during a week, to the support and encouragement she gave me in my career and as a new mom, to all of the love I know she would have bestowed upon our son. I hope she knows how much we love her and how much we wish she were still here.

Rack of veal

1 rack of veal or number of ribs desired (un-separated)
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Very generously season veal with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for approximately 3 hours (start checking a bit before) until the internal temperature reaches 155 and eventually rises to 160 out of the oven.

Verjus sauce

1 cup chicken stock
5 Tbs verjus (I like Roland)
2 Tbs fresh thyme
2 Tbs dijon mustard

Follow this recipe from the New York Times, starting when with the pan drippings from the veal when cooking is complete, adding the verjus, chicken stock, thyme and mustard as directed. For more information on verjus, please see here.

Tomato couscous

2 cups tomato couscous
2 cups chicken stock plus a little extra
3/4 cup craisins
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Salt and pepper
Olive oil

Combine tomato couscous, chicken stock 1/4 tsp salt, craisins and almonds in the bowl of a rice cooker. Swirl to combine. Add a splash of olive oil. Cook on the regular cycle until done. Fluff with a fork and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes on the keep warm cycle. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Snow and gelato

2011-02-08T17:26:00.002-05:00

We have been literally burried in snow in New York. Well, truthfully, some snow and then a whole lot of slush. I've been wearing boots every day to wade through the water that collects at the street corners. Nothing like what my mom has been experiencing in Boston, however. They have many feet of snow and have had intermitent power and lots of wet, heavy snow to shovel. I am still inspired by winter whites. Despite the inconvenience, the snow is so pretty when it first hits. Waking up to white and quiet is lovely and it makes me want to be in the woods.

Chilly weather doesn't demand cold foods but I enjoy using my gelato maker and perfecting my mixes. I love how forgiving gelato is: you can play with the milk to cream ratio according to your preferences and seem to end up with something wonderful no matter what happens. Gelato sometimes has egg, but I have found it to be unnecessary.

Stracciatella has always been my favorite flavor. It's so pure and you can really appreciate the quality of the ingredients. As such, I stick to fresh farmer's milk, plump vanilla pods and organic raw cane sugar. My only regret is that the capacity of my gelato maker is not very high - but that keeps me making it fresh and also probably helps control the urge to devour a huge batch in one sitting.

Stracciatella gelato
(adjust quantity according to the capacity of your maker)

2 cups good heavy cream
1.5 cups good whole milk
1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped
scant 1 1/3 cup organic raw cane sugar
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

Combine milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla seeds and pod in a heavy sauce pan and heat gently until sugar dissolves completely. Allow mixture to cool to room texture. Remove vanilla pod and refrigerate mixture until well chilled. Pour into gelato maker and operate according to manufacturer's instructions. During the last five minutes of the cycle, add chopped chocolate and allow to distribute throughout. Put in a freezer-safe container and press a layer of freezer or parchment paper on top of mixture before you seal the container lid. Freeze several hours or overnight.

p.s. what does the chili have to do with all of this? nothing!

Pears, Peter, White

2011-01-24T15:43:00.003-05:00

Peter (AKA Mr. Souvlaki for the Soul) is my flickr/blogging/photographer friend. We met in a flickr photography group years ago and have been chatting over email ever since. He's in Australia, I'm in NY, and neither of us ever had occasion to be in the same part of the world until recently. Despite this, we've had a regular, lovely dialogue over email for years, chatting about blogging, photography, seeking advice on client challenges, photography equipment and of course, gossiping and talking about nothing at all. Even though we never met in person, I felt a real friendship with him. When my son was born, he sent a beautiful baby blanket from Donna Hay's store, knowing what a huge fan of her I am. It was very touching to say the least. A few months ago his "day job" took him to New York. I've never had the experience of having a virtual friend become an in-person one and it could have been incredibly strange to meet face-to-face. But it wasn't - in fact - it was comforting to see that he's exactly the same person live as on email - and exactly who I expected him to be.

Fortunately he's been in town twice since and we've been able to have short visits each time. It's been fun getting to know him better. He does different work than I do, with a different approach and it's been nice learning from each other. I don't know that many photographers, and it's always wonderful to spend time with someone who shares the same passion.

Just after Christmas, Peter was in town and brought gifts not only for me, but also for my husband and son - so sweet. Mine was a copy of Donna Hay's latest. I could not wait to get my hands on it! There are so many simple, great recipes in there that I didn't know where to start. The poached pears grabbed me because they are winter-inspired and also because they are not poached in the typical wine, but rather in a vanilla syrup which preserves their color and makes them a beautiful white-on-white which is always such a nice, graphical aesthetic, isn't it. In fact, maybe it's because the cityscape is a snowy one but I've been loving all things white on white lately. It's soft and comforting, isn't it?

Thanks, Peter, for the book - I am really going to enjoy it!

Poached Pears ("Vanilla Pears") from Donna Hay's Fast Fresh Simple
(serves 4)

2 cups water
1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
4 firm brown pears, peeled, halved and cored
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to serve

Place the water, sugar and vanilla bean and seeds in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Add pears and simmer for 3 minutes each side or until just tender. Serve with some of the poaching syrup and vanilla ice cream/whipped cream.

In love with sprouts

2011-01-14T16:48:00.002-05:00

I love Brussels sprouts. We've been eating Brussels sprouts in abundance this winter. I have a few recipes that I love: this one using just the leaves is wonderful. I also love shredding them in the Cuisinart, sautéing them quickly in olive oil and garlic, removing them from the heat, squeezing half a lime on them and shaving Parmesan on the top. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

The fastest, simplest way to prepare them is to trim the brown ends off, cut them in half and then saute them in a cat-iron skillet to really get them to develop wonderful color and flavor. I like to render some thick-cut slab bacon in the pan first to add flavor and kick it up with some crushed red pepper. Last weekend, I made them for my sister-in-law, who is not a huge fan of greens - I think they passed the test.

My camera is having some problems and is in the shop. I feel completely naked without it and rented a replacement until my baby is fixed. I decided to treat myself and rent a better camera than my usual one: this is so much fun! Can you notice a difference? I feel like I can, but maybe it's just my imagination! I'm looking forward to wandering around snowy New York this weekend and clicking away. It's all mine until Monday morning!

Brussels sprouts with slab bacon

1 lb Brussels sprouts, brown end trimmed, sliced in half

1 thick slice slab bacon, cubed

1 Tbs olive oil (chili-infused if you want extra flavor)

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Sea salt

Heat oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté bacon until fat renders. Add sprouts, toss them to ensure they are well coated in the bacon fat and oil, season very generously with salt and sauté (turning them only occasionally so they brown nicely), until fork-tender. If they brown more than you would like before tender, simply add a few Tbs of water or chicken stock, cover and allow to steam until tender. Enjoy!

By the way, I couldn't resist picking up persimmons in the store today. I am really not sure what to do with them, although my first thought was jam? What would you do?

Happy new year!

2010-12-31T23:07:00.002-05:00

May 2011 bring all the best to you and your family. Thanks for reading this year.

Best,
Sabra

Custom holiday cards!

2010-12-14T21:06:00.003-05:00

card front

Doing some major holiday card procrastinating? I have the answer for you: custom holiday cards from SABRA KROCK photography! Package of 25, professionally-printed 4x5x5 folded cards with text as shown or custom text, $52. Front image features a white branch with paper snowflakes cut from a vintage encyclopedia (no two flakes are alike!). 25 plain white envelopes included. Packet will arrive tied with a red ribbon. Nice holiday stocking stuffer too! Cards suitable for the year-end holidays, New Years or general greetings. Please allow 5 days to ship. (note: SK photography watermark will not be present on printed cards).

inside, right

Please email me if interested!

Apples, light and sweet

2010-12-06T13:18:00.001-05:00

I shot this as part of a puff pastry and phyllo dough story. This is such a delicious, easy apple dumpling that you can bake while you are having dinner and have it fresh and hot for dessert. Or, if you are feeling particularly decadent, have it for breakfast with some hot coffee or tea - it would be a wonderful weekend treat.

Apple dumpling

(makes 6-8 pieces)

Packaged phyllo dough, defrosted

1 red delicious apple, cut into small dice (remove skin if desired)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar, plus extra for dusting

½ - 1 teaspoon cinnamon as desired

¼ cup chopped walnuts

Sanding sugar

Butter for brushing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine apple, sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Lay phyllo sheet on counter, short side facing you. Brush with butter and dust lightly with granulated sugar. Place ½ apple mixture on phyllo about 2 inches from edge closest to you. Spread evenly across dough leaving 1 inch on both sides. Fold sides of dough in over mixture and roll dough away from you creating cigar-like roll filled with dough. Do not roll too tightly or dough will tear. Place seam-side down on a non-stick baking sheet, brush with butter and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining filling.

Bake for 10-15 minutes or until phyllo dough is golden. Allow to cool slightly and then cut rolls into slices of desired length.

Tips

Don’t freeze your dough for too long: pay attention to expiration dates
Plan ahead: phyllo dough needs to defrost in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight depending on manufacturer’s instructions
Work quickly once dough has defrosted: phyllo dough will begin to dry out instantly: have your ingredients ready to assemble and keep a damp cloth over phyllo dough while working
Brushing pastry with butter or egg wash before putting it in the oven will help to brown the top and lend a sheen to the pastry. Sprinkling with a course (sanding) sugar will add some shine and sweetness to a sweet dish

Pizza for lunch (with spicy chili oil!)

2010-11-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Is everyone in as big of a tryptophan coma as I am? Pfew - that was a lot of turkey - and leftovers. It was a great holiday (my favorite). Hope you enjoyed yours too. I thought I'd provide a little inspiration to move back into the kitchen with something simple, and not about turkey leftovers: homemade pizza. Have you ever made pizza at home? The trick is buying the dough - it makes cooking a snap. Whole foods sells a wonderful refrigerated dough that comes in several varieties including multi-grain. Unlike the others doughs you find in the market, this one doesn't need to be defrosted - it's fresh and ready to go. Your local pizza store will probably sell you dough - and if they're nice, they'll even sell you one of their rolled out doughs which will save you even more time. Top with some roasted garlic, fresh ricotta, a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella, some fresh grated Parmesan, some fresh shredded basil leaves and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bake at 450 degrees F on a hot pizza stone or the back of a cookie sheet for to minutes until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling. There are a couple of tricks: 1) once you roll out your dough, allow it to sit for 10 minutes sot that it settles and won't bounce back. 2) Pull it out or press it out with your fingers to stretch it back out if it shrinks back after your initial shaping. 3) Do this on parchment paper so that you just slide it into the oven when you are ready and 4) heat your stone for 30-60 minutes before you are going to use it - this will ensure the crust crisps nicely.

And what better to season your pizza than some spicy chili oil? Heat olive oil (needn't be your best) in a pan with dried chilis, allow to cool, and then pour into sterilized jars. It will get better the longer you let it sit. This would make a nice little homemade holiday gift for someone who loves to kick it up a notch.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T16:06:00.000-05:00

I've been cooking all day. Bet you have too! So far, I've made Gourmet's cranberry grappa mould, a pumpkin pie, verjuice dessert bars, made stracciatella gelato, four cranberry-pumpkin loaves (for breakfast the next day - to give to my guests in take-home bags), brined the turkey, prepared the brussels sprouts, sauteed apples for apple crisp and shopped for everything else that's getting prepared tomorrow! Pfew! I was lucky to have my sister-in-law chopping and stirring today, and then my mom arrived and immediately started cooking a stock to be used for the gravy tomorrow (gravy's her specialty). My aunt is uptown in another kitchen cooking sides.

Tomorrow I have potato and onion cakes to make, brussels sprouts, and the turkey, of course. I'll bake the topping on the crisp right before dessert. Looking forward to it all!

My pumpkin pie go-to recipe appeared on realsimple.com today. If you are a last-minute baker, hop on over and check it out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A date with some cows and a romp in the woods (oh - and apple crisp)

2010-11-20T19:45:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago after a somewhat difficult week, my husband and I decided to treat ourselves with a mid-week drive up to the Hudson river valley for a long walk with our dog and a visit to a local orchard to pick apples. Apple picking is one of my favorite Fall treats and we were just in time to catch the very end of the season and the last of the beautiful Fall foliage. I looked up an orchard I hadn't been to before and we decided to make it the last stop on our drive.

About an hour out of the city the drive becomes beautiful. Toward the end, we pass scenic horse farms and grazing dairy cows. The area is woodsy and the trees are old and majestic. Fall is a wonderful time to visit: the leaves paint the woods a fire-y orange and at high points, the fallen leaves allow for peppered views to the Catskills in the distance.

There's always somewhere fun to stop for lunch. We usually seek out a wholesome sandwich shop and a local coffee shop that takes its individuality (but not much else) seriously. This time, we stopped in Rhinebeck and remembered how much we like the town.

We followed directions to the orchard and were surprised when we found an empty parking lot and happy to smell apple pie wafting out of a barn-like structure in the distance. As we approached we were greeted and told that we had come to the "offices" and that pick your own was several towns away - too far away to enable is to make it back to the city in time for our commitments.

Needless to say I was very disappointed. It was my first and last chance at apples picked (myself) from a tree for the season. I sadly vowed to continue on with at least some of the lofty plans I had for my pick-your-own bounty. Buying apples at the farmer's market is not nearly as personally satisfying - but at least I know that someone else picked them for market from exactly the same area.

This crumble is so delish, it will take the sting out of whatever disappointment you might be facing ...

Apple crumble (serves 4) (adapted from delicious magazine)

5 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
4 Tbs unsalted butter, chopped
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Crumble

1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup sliced almonds
6 Tbs chilled unsalted butter, cubed
pinch salt
confectioner's sugar for dusting, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a pan over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in apple slices, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean pod and seeds. Partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally until apples are fork-tender. Discard vanilla pod and cinnamon stick. Divide apples among four oven-proof bowls.

With your fingers, combine crumble ingredients, rubbing butter into other ingredients until it is evenly distributed and creates pea-sized crumbs. Distribute crumble over bowls. Drizzle with some of the cooking liquid and bake for 8-10 minutes until crumble is golden and apples are bubbling. Dust with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Cranberries!

2010-11-14T12:00:00.003-05:00

The holiday edition of Sweet Paul Magazine is out now. There's so much fun stuff in there, I can't wait to spend some time with it to see what everyone else has contributed (btw: check out Paul's very clever pendant lamp - I am in love with it). My piece is on cranberries and begins on page 104. Paul wrote the cake recipes and I wrote the sugared cranberry recipe.

I adore cranberries and love this time of year when they are available fresh. This year, try dressing your turkey with a raw cranberry "sauce" versus the traditional kind - you will be surprised about how crunch, fresh and flavorful cranberries can be. Paul's version is in the article, and another great, savory one to try from an old post on this blog can be seen here.

Have you ever tried sugared cranberries? They are a delight to the eyes (the perfect decoration for a cranberry mould or a cheese plate) and a surprise to the tongue - they become completely crunchy like a hard candy. They are a cinch to make - just have them ready no more than a day ahead. Humidity is not their friend. Enjoy!

Sugared cranberries

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed, patted dry and picked over

1 cup+ medium-grained sugar for dusting

Create simple syrup by heating 2 cups sugar with 2 cups water until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow mixture to cool off-heat for a few minutes so that cranberries won’t pop when simple syrup is poured over them. Put cranberries in a large heat-proof bowl and pout simple syrup over them. Allow to cool completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Drain liquid from cranberries. Roll cranberries in sugar (note: one simple way to do this is to pour sugar onto a baking sheet and place a handful of cranberries on sheet and move back and forth to coat. If sugar clumps replace with fresh sugar. Repeat handful by handful until all cranberries are coated. Spread coated cranberries onto two baking sheets and allow to dry for a couple of hours. Sugar will dry and cranberries will turn into a crispy candy.

Best used same day

Babies!

2010-11-06T16:25:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons that I changed the name of my blog was to have a forum for sharing not only my food/still life work and ideas but also my portrait photography work. I've been photographing more and more children/families and have had such a great experience sharing a moment with some wonderful clients.

When you do portrait work, you really develop a relationship of sorts with your subjects (albeit a very short one). There's the hours involved in the sitting where you have an opportunity to talk to and get to know them, and then so many hours involved in processing the images and turning them into family memories and display pieces. I love that the moments captured become a documented part of a family's history. It's rewarding to be able to provide something so important to them. From my experience, the people who spend the time and money to capture and memoralize these moments are truly lovely people.

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite newborn images from this year. There are so many - it's hard to whittle them down to just a few. I have been favoring black and whites lately. They are so quiet and peaceful - there is nothing to distract. If you are interested, more can be seen here.

One very different aspect of my portrait business from my food/still life business is that I turn the images into final products, producing prints, albums, canvasses and other display pieces. I've really developed a point of view about how to display images in a way that you can really appreciate them. I'll share some learnings here soon. I recently went to the PDN photography expo at the Javitz center in NY - it was a huge expo of the different vendors of printing services available to professional photographers. I left with a lot of materials to comb through and a lot of new ideas. It is all very fun and exciting.

Let me know what types of things you might be interested in - it will help me shape posts on this subject.

Mad about pumpkins - happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T19:54:00.000-04:00

I photographed some floral arrangements for Design*Sponge's upcoming book this week. They were absolutely beautiful. Amy Merrick arranged them and she did a wonderful job. I really don't have much of a green thumb, but looking at her arrangements sent me up to the flower district to have a look around. She brought a Cinderella pumpkin (I had never heard of that variety before). It's the most beautiful pumpkin I have ever seen. As far as I'm concerned, there is no reason to buy a conventional pumpkin again!

I've also been loving ghost pumpkins. They seem to be popping up everywhere. I have some out on the table now and they are definitely going to play a role in Thanksgiving decor. They are so subdued and elegant - i just love them.

I found a large one in the floral district today and immediately thought of turning it into a lantern. Not a traditional jack-o'-lantern but something a little more sophisticated. I haven't gotten into Halloween festivities yet - but this seemed like just the right toe in. A knife, a drill, and a few minutes later and I had a little nod to Halloween.

The best part? I now have seeds to roast. I already know just what I want to do with them - more on that later.

Happy Halloween!

A treat: garlic confit

2010-10-26T21:38:00.002-04:00

I am definitely trying to be better about attacking the bread basket when I am out but the one time I simply cannot resist is when there is a garlic confit accompanying it. There is nothing like garlic cooked until it is sweet and mellow and the combination of garlic and olive oil cannot be beat.

I purchased Michael Psilakis' How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking a while ago and enjoyed flipping through it. There are a number of interesting recipes to try but it's the garlic confit that jumped out as the first to try. It's incredibly simple and keeps in the refrigerator for at least three weeks. It's a fun project and a nice gift idea with a crusty bread or a jar of interesting olives to add with it. I cheated and bought pre-peeled garlic (why not?). The cooking item is about an hour, all of it unattended, so you can just let it do its thing and then enjoy the fruits of (barely any) labor pretty soon thereafter. Enjoy (and just don't worry about the bread basket).

Garlic confit (adapted from How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking)

(makes 3 cups)

3 cups garlic cloves, peeled

1 fresh bay leaf or 3 dried leaves

8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme

Kosher salt and whole black peppercorns

Optional: add 1 tsp dried crushed red pepper (or to taste)

About 2 cups blended oil (half/half canola and extra virgin)

Combine cloves and seasonings in a heavy braising pan or Dutch oven. Barely cover with the oil. Cover pan and braise at 300 degrees F for 1 - 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Store in sterilized jars with oil to cover. Stored properly, the confit will last for at least 3 weeks.

What's for dinner?

2010-10-21T16:16:00.000-04:00

I have fresh curry leaves, fresh kaffir lime leaves, kaffir limes, lemongrass, and coconut milk. What should I make? Tom yum (minus the curry leaves?). Any ideas?

Apple season!

2010-10-18T12:33:00.000-04:00

We had had a tough weekend. My son, for some inexplicable reason, woke up every night (Fri, Sat, Sun) at 3:45, leaving us all tired and cranky during daylight hours. He's awfully cute, so it's not so bad, but we are really hoping for a full night's sleep tonight. When we have tough weekends it always makes me want to treat myself. Top on the wish list is a drive up north to apple country, to pick some apples and have fun with my camera. I love apples and it's this time of year that apples are in their full splendor. It make a world of difference to have an apple straight (or not long from) the tree versus cold storage.

There are always interesting local varieties in the farmer's market and picking an apple is often like selecting a bottle of wine: crisp, honey undertones, firm flesh, tart ... Did you see my last piece in Sweet Paul Magazine? I wrote a story on apples. This was before apples were actually in season and now it's truly the right time to take advantage. My favorite recipe in the piece is for apple butter. Have a look and give it a try.

Apple butter

(makes 3 cups)

4 pounds all-purpose or saucing apples peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 cups apple cider

1.5 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 Tbs cinnamon

¼ tsp allspice

Combine apples and cider in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until apples are tender.

Stir in sugar, lemon juice vanilla, cinnamon and allspice. Return to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently for about 35 minutes. or until mixture is very thick.

Seasonal specialty: fried zucchini blossoms

2010-10-10T17:54:00.003-04:00

The farmer's marketing has had beautiful zucchini blossoms for several weeks now and every time I see them, I make a note to buy them but I am always hesitant to purchase them unless I know I'll have time to make them right away. They are so beautiful (but fragile) and they deserve to be eaten right away while "just picked." If they weren't quite so ephemeral, I'd put them in bud vases and decorate the dinner table with them. My favorite way to eat them is stuffed with some fresh mozzarella and basil and fried in a light batter. It seems to bring out their flavor and still preserve their interesting form. It's also quite a crowd-pleaser.

The recipe is quite simple. Be sure to make them only moments before you plan to eat them: they are quite fragile and won't hold their shape long.

Fried zucchini blossoms

(for ~12 blossoms)

12 zucchini blossoms, pistils removed, stems trimmed, washed well and gently patted dry
2 cups whole milk
4 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
Generous pinch salt
Mozzarella (small amount)
4 basil leaves, torn into three pieces each
Canola or olive oil for frying

Combine milk, flour and egg. Heat oil in a medium saucepan until a droplet of water crackles vigorously when dropped in. While oil is heating, place a small chunk of mozzarella and a piece of basil in each blossom. Gently twist tops to seal as best you can.

Dredge blossoms in batter a few at a time. Allow excess to drip off. Fry a few at a time for several minutes until blossoms turn golden brown. Cheese will melt on the inside.

Remove gently with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately.

Artichoke salad and a shortcut

2010-09-15T12:50:00.001-04:00

Eataly just opened in New York to a ton of PR and local excitement. It is a massive indoor space filled with restaurants and a large, mostly Italian dry goods and gourmet items plus local produce, seafood and a local meat counter. A foodie's dream come true. One very interesting feature is a station dedicated to chopping and preparing vegetables to your specifications. Initially I thought "who would ever be so lazy that they couldn't chop their own vegetables?" But then, I realized that there are some vegetables that are so onerous to prepare that I actually avoid buying them: artichokes! Would they pare raw artichokes down the the hearts and shave them on a mandoline so I could make a fresh artichoke salad? I optimistically picked out and weighed a dozen baby artichokes and presented them to the counter. Sure enough, a short while later I had shaved raw artichokes floating in acidulated water, ready for assembly at home.

At home, I sliced fennel thinly on a mandoline, tossed the fennel and the artichokes with some baby arugula and fennel fronds and drizzled it with some nice olive oil and red wine vinegar. An "instant" salad that would have taken me quite some time without the leg up. I was so excited I forgot to shave the 12-year aged Parmesan I had bought to go on top. I can only imagine the other things I can concoct with freshly prepared artichokes! I'm quite sure they didn't see this coming but they were game and I'll be going back.

Where am I? (and apple and crab salad)

2010-08-14T13:28:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! I hope that you have been enjoying your summer! I've had a great summer with lots of fun work on both the child and food photography fronts. I will share some of what I've been working on soon. Recently I've shot a couple more cookbooks and am in the midst of working on the photography for a single-subject cookbook on lobster. I'm shooting environmental shots of lobstermen and the like now, and will do the plated dishes next spring when the author finishes the manuscript. I've had some a amazing child/parent clients and some really lovely and touching images that have come out of those sessions. I have a great slate of new work coming up that I'm very excited about. If you are interested, I seem to be doing little updates more frequently on my Facebook site than my blog - please feel free to hop on over there.

My family and I just spent 2 weeks in Maine. Both relaxing and enjoying the ocean and the wonderful, quaint towns but conveniently also making some progress on the lobster cookbook. I had the opportunity to meet many lobstermen as a result (and eat many lobsters!). My husband and I were both remarking that it's nice when I have an assignment when we are away because it forces is to interact more with the locals and discover more of the local culture. This time, we certainly were able to do that, and it was wonderful.

So what's been up with this blog? Well, I have been wanting to re-brand for some time. I've felt for a while that Cookbook Catchall is a name that no longer really reflects what I'm writing about. I want to include more of my child photography on this site and wanted a broader name. I also wanted a new look and feel and a custom URL. So all of that was accomplished easily enough but when I went to publish my blog, Blogger managed to throw out all of the comments prior to the change. Years of comments from you that I truly value. If I switch back to the Blogspot URL, I get them back. Go back to the custom domain name, and they are gone. I've looked up this issue and it seems it's a known bug with no fix. I'm so frustrated and disillusioned that it's kept me from doing new updates! Does anyone know anything about this? Any ideas? Should I just switch to Wordpress and start all over again?

I thought I'd share an outtake from the next issue of Sweet Paul which will be out during the first half of September. I contributed an apple story, and the final recipes ended up being sweet. This one, which is delish, is out so I'm sharing it here - enjoy.

Apple and crab salad
(serves 4 as a light side salad or appetizer)

1-2 granny smith apples, sliced 1/8 inch thick on a mandoline
1 lb lump crab meat
1 Tbs mayonaise
1 Tbs+ freshly squeezed lemon
1 Tbs chopped tarragon
1 Tbs chopped chive
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Sea salt to taste

Drizzle some lemon juice on apple slices to prevent browning
Combine crab meat and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Arrange crab meat in layers between apple slices. Serve immediately.

p.s.
I shot a bunch of long exposures of the clear Maine sky while we were there. This was my favorite. No photoshop here - this is straight out of the camera!

Newsworthy: Sweet Paul Magazine Launches

2010-05-06T16:43:00.003-04:00

Sweet Paul magazine launched today. Paul did a wonderful job and I am a proud contributor. Stop on by!

Going East: Indian-spiced fish wrapped in phyllo

2010-05-04T19:02:00.003-04:00

Indian-spiced Halibut in Phyllo
(serves 4)

4 6-8 oz fillets of halibut, skin and bones removed
1 package phyllo dough, defrosted according to package directions
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
Olive oil spray

I adore fish. When I prepare fish at home, I most often pan fry it in a pan coated with 1/8 inch of oil, allowing one side to crisp. I must share my favorite recipe for salmon prepared this way. One way I occasionally shake things up by wrapping it in phyllo dough and baking it in the oven. It takes no more time and is a nice variation to a more typical preparation. I love Indian spices and think they go particularly well with fish. Halibut is my favorite for its firm but flaky texture and non-fishy taste. Phyllo can be a little temperamental: the trick is to work quickly and keep the phyllo covered with a damp cloth while you are working. This simple recipe is a nice introduction to phyllo if you've never used it before.

Pat fish dry. Working quickly, lay one phyllo sheet on counter with short side facing forward. Spray with olive oil. Top with a second sheet of phyllo dough. Spray with oil. Place one piece of fish horizontally on sheet near start of pastry closest to you, about two inches from the end. Season generously with spice mixture and sprinkle with salt. Fold sides on top of fish and then slowly roll fish away from you to encase completely in dough. Arrange packet seam-side down on a non-stick baking sheet. Spray with olive oil. Repeat with remaining filets. Bake for 15 minutes until phyllo is golden and fish is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Cool and crunchy: vinegary cucumber salad

2010-04-23T16:26:00.004-04:00

Ever notice that sometimes just cutting something differently seems to make it taste better? I'm having a little love affair with my new extra-wide peeler. It's just making my salads much more interesting. Today, a long seedless cucumber, sliced into thin strips, paired with some scallion microgreens from the farmer's market, turned into a fresh, crunch salad with a lot of interest. I have even grander plans for my peeler! Stay tuned. : )

Crunchy vinegary cucumber salad

1 large seedless cucumber, sliced thin lengthwise and rolled decoratively
1 medium shallot, chopped small
3 Tbs champagne vinegar
generous pinch sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Microgreens to garnish, if desired

Combine salt, vinegar and shallot. Set aside and allow to marinate for ten minutes. Slice cucumber. Season with pepper. Drizzle with dressing when ready. Sprinkle with microgreens if desired. Serve cold.

Getting ready for warmer weather: fruit smoothies

2010-04-16T20:45:00.004-04:00

We have had some short bouts of warm weather. Enough to remind me that we are getting toward that time of year where lighter clothes come out of storage and where I have a desire to start eating lighter and more healthfully. I have already vowed to cut out unhealthy snacks and try to eat breakfast more regularly. I'm not giving up my weekend waffles though! Those must stay!

When I do want an effort-free snack or quick meal replacement I love homemade smoothies. In addition, I recently gave in and purchased a Vitamix blender (a major splurge) and now I will jump on any excuse to use it. I have two favorite smoothies: a frozen berry smoothie (raspberry is my favorite) and banana. The banana smoothie requires fresh bananas which I don't always have on hand, but you can buy frozen berries and keep them in the freezer all year long for a smoothie on demand!

Frozen berry smoothie

1 cup frozen berries (raspberries are my favorite)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional)
1 cup ice
1 scoop vanilla flavored protein powder (you don't need this but adding a sugar-free whey protein powder will turn the smoothie into the perfect snack and keep you full for hours)
Agave to sweeten, if desired

Blend all ingredients in blender until ice is completely crushed and drink is thick and well-blended. I like my smoothies fairly thick, but you can add additional milk or water to loosen if desired.

Banana smoothie

1 ripe fresh banana
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt (optional)
1 cup ice
1 scoop vanilla-flavored protein powder (see note above)
Agave to sweeten, if desired

Blend all ingredients in blender until ice is completely crushed and drink is thick and well-blended.

note: I like my smoothies fairly thick, but you can add additional milk or water to loosen if desired.

Quick and creamy: cauliflower and roasted garlic soup

2010-03-14T17:30:00.004-04:00

Want to have a creamy, seasonal (at least for here) soup with a sunny demeanor that almost cooks itself? We are preparing for a much-needed week-long vacation and I was cleaning out the refrigerator when I spied a head of cauliflower (not purchased long ago, but forgotten). I checked my root vegetable drawer and I had shallots, onions, and garlic - everything needed to turn cauliflower into delicious soup. I roasted the garlic to give it the benefit of rich garlic flavor without the bitterness or bit. One head of cauliflower made enough for two generous bowls.

Cauliflower and roasted garlic soup
(serves two, or double for more)

1 head cauliflower, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 large shallot or 1/2 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 head garlic
3 cups good vegetable stock
4 Tablespoons olive oil
Olive oil and sea salt

Cut garlic in half through the cloves width-wise. Drizzle each half with 1 Tbs olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree oven until cloves are tender, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, saute shallots or onion in a saute pan over medium heat until translucent. Add cauliflower and saute until just tender, allowing it to begin to brown. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is fork-tender.

Pour cauliflower mixture into a blender or food processor. Squeeze 3-4 cloves roasted garlic into mixture and blend until creamy. Add additional vegetable stock to thin consistency if desired. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Pour into bowls. Garnish with something nice and green. Serve with toasted French bread crostini smeared with remaining garlic and drizzled lightly with olive oil.

Enjoy!

p.s. thanks so much everyone for your nice notes on the cookbook - I really appreciate it!
p.p.s. why won't blogger let me put an accent on saute??