Tartelette

Food Styling & Photography Workshop March 28th - April 1st 2017 in Charleston, SC.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 23:28:00 +0000

Everytime I do workshops, I get inspired by the people who come to attend the creative space we put together for them. The one I taught last week was no exception and as soon as we wrapped on a week of shooting and good eating, I texted my bestie, professional food stylist Tami Hardeman, to see if the was available to do another with me. See, we always try to carve out some time in the year to get together and shoot. She food styles, we compose, I shoot. It’s a time for us to challenge ourselves but also create together. We nourish both our souls and our bodies.

And when she said “yes”, she just about made my day. We both have busy schedules that don’t often match so finding a week to be together and share with others what we know and love is important to us. “Choose a job you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” Confucius said. And we believe that.

She is an amazing food stylist, with great art directorial skills in my opinion, and she always makes me a better photographer. My goal when we are on set is to push my own creativity and skills to show off hers.

So, that’s why I am excited to announce that we are holding a creative food styling and photography workshop March 28th-April 1st in Charleston, SC. (registration open HERE)

During the three days of workshop (first and last day being your travel days), we will do lots of hands on demos showing you our process and guiding you through your own mini photoshoots. While we like to shoot “pretty foods”, we also know the challenges faced by many of you trying to shoot “brown foods” or “flat foods” and will guide you through those challenges. She will share her best tips and techniques about food styling and I will share mine about choosing the right lens for the food, how to work the light to your advantage, working camera angles and settings. Together we will talk you through picking the best props and composition to showcase your food.

We aim to create a collaborative environment where you are free to expand upon your usual repertoire or dig deeper into the vibe you like. While we love to push ourselves beyond our own comfort zone, we also want to foster the style and mood you like or help you get happy venturing out to new territory. We will provide you with the tools and knowledge to do over three fun and energizing days.

Because we believe in the beauty of imperfections, we will show you how to create real life images not perfect ones, images that let the food shine and help you tell a story. If you have taken workshops with me before, this one is the perfect extension to those. A workshop v2 if you like. If this is the first time you are considering a workshop with us, fear not, we will take every hands on demo from a to z as far as process goes and make “rounds” when you are shooting to offer help and guidance. Oh and we are planning a photoshoot on the beach where we hope to have everyone contributing their own creativity. (the house we will be staying in as a group is just a few steps from the ocean).
Follow this link for the registration page.

Here are the details:
3 days of photography, composition, food styling hands on demo and photoshoots with our guidance and help March 28th - April 1st (March 28th being your arrival day and April 1st being your departure day)
4 nights accommodations on the beach of Isle Of Palms
Breakfasts, lunches and dinners
Refreshments and snacks
Fee is $1875, early bird registration through February 28th, then $2100 (does not include travel fares to and from workshop)
Most rooms are shared - there is opportunity for single rooms on a first sign up basis
Workshop is limited to 8 people.
There will be no refunds for this workshop – please know you can attend before registering.

A weekend in Columbia, South Carolina...or 72 hours of great food and culture!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:10:00 +0000

Back in late November (Halloween weekend actually), I traveled to Columbia, South Carolina, on assignment for Garden&Gun magazine and the Columbia Midlands Authority for 72 hours to explore and venture around the city for their upcoming feature in this month's issue. It was a packed trip of food and cultural outings but I had the best partner in crime. My husband. Sending a French to the state capital is one thing, but armed with her best weapon, a Charleston born and bred husband who attended college there and whose great grand father was governor of South Carolina and thus resided in the Capital, was probably the most fun way to explore a city. Lots of walking around, driving around, eating everything and asking all the questions...

We got to Columbia on time for a late lunch at The Spotted Salamander in the historic district. Sweet little spot with an extra outdoor space and friendly staff. Missed their renowned deviled eggs as they were not making them that weekend but everything else we ordered (crisp pork belly salad and the hot turkey sandwich) was spot on.

I am more of a nibbler/grazer than a sit down lunch or dinner gal so after what felt to me like a bigger meal than I do most days, we decided to walk the historic district and hopefully catch up on a house visit before they'd close for the day. We got right on time to catch up the last guided tour of the Hampton Preston House and stole a few extra moments walking the grounds before heading back to our hotel (perfectly located to boot...)

Dinner was at The Warmouth. A cool little place located in a revamped car garage. It was warm enough to sit on the back patio which was nice and quiet. While I've had many a cheese and charcuterie boards in my life, I remain attracted to those boasting house made cured meats and terrines. The Warmouth charcuterie board was served with various pickles and mustard. The pickled pineapple was a revelation. Must duplicate soon!

The bustle outside and inside of Bourbon on Main street lured us in for a nightcap and satisfied our thirst for a couple of cocktails and bourbons and some chit chat at the bar with other patrons.

Their bourbon list is extensive and the cocktails creative. It also serves a late food/nibbles menu.

Our Saturday started at The Wired Goat Cafe. Really cool breakfast place offering a wide variety of coffees and coffee drinks, breakfast sandwiches and waffles. Come early because the line can get quite long as it is a favorite with the locals. Don't miss the oak smoked sea salt and honey latte. I still have dreams about it. All their breads and baked goods are made on the premises daily which is definitely a plus in my book.

If you've have been following me for a while you know how much I love farmers market. Nothing better to get the beat of a city. The Soda City Market that occupies much of Main street on Saturdays is a great mix of artists, food vendors and farmers. Lots of food trucks and plenty of street music at every corner.

To break away from the bustle of the market, we crossed the street and headed inside the Columbia Museum of Art. The permanent exhibit is really well aid out and offers way more than just a glimpse into the history of the arts. I didn't expect to see so much and we ended staying a good couple of hours. By the time we were done, a faint rumbling could be heard in our stomachs. Time to eat again...!

I don't know what it is with French peeps and barbecue but we love it. And can't get enough of it. So I was really looking forward to our lunch stop at Southern Belly. While the inside is cozy and funky at the same time, we couldn't resist grabbing a table outside on such a gorgeous day. We got two of their famous sandwiches, the Django and the Castro and devoured them with reckless abandon. A part of my brain wanted to order a couple more "for the road" but it wasn't time to head back to Charleston quite yet..

We drove around town a bit and even caught the USC marching band rehearsing before their game that evening. Back in the 70s my husband was in the same marching band so it was a really cool trip down memory lane. Just from the look in his eyes, I knew that one little moment had made the entire trip for him. I mean, tagging along with a photographer on an eating and cultural discovery mission is nice but sometimes disjointed for him!

From our hotel, we walked down to the State Museum which we had both visited before a few times but there were a couple of things we wanted to see. I really wanted to give a long at their new telescopes exhibit and hopefully catch a glimpse of the skies through their major one and my husband wanted to see the Anderson car that was built to rival (never did but what a beauty!) the Ford back in the days and designed and built in South Carolina by a family member. The museum gives a thorough history of the South throughout the years, and f you have kids, there are tons of various exhibits and activities for them.

A quick nap at the hotel and we were magically hungry again! Our next stop was walking distance from the hotel on Gervais street, The Motor Supply Company. What an evening! Josh, the bartender is a master at his craft, truly. We started with one of the cocktails on the menu and soon we were talking about old fashioned drinks, the resurgence of vermouth based cocktails and before we knew it, we had a couple more before our meal. And a couple afterwards. Good thing we only had to cross the street back to our room!! The menu is inventive, changing daily and offering many choices for all palates. We settled for a couple of apps and dove straight to the mains. The fish that evening was quite spectacular. The staff was attentive and knowledgeable navigating perfectly between locals and tourists.

You know me, I can't help but going to the back of the house, the heart of it all, the kitchen to catch a few pic of the chefs in action. They indulged me in their (always) small space and were really nice to let me snap a few shots while int he middle of a busy dinner service.

Rising and shining on Sunday was a tad slow but we had been told of the perfect antidote to a late night by visiting Rise Gourmet Bakeshop. I have long been an admirer of chef Sara Simmons who happened to be on the premises that morning at the same time we were. After a few "oh I follow you on Instagram!" "Me too!", we dove right in on our sausage and grits and breakfast sandwich. Feeling I needed something a bit healthy to balance out all the foods consumed so far, I also got their yogurt and granola. I still dream about it. Smooth, silky with a layer of perfectly tart lemon curd. Doesn't take much to make my day and this hit the stop. We also sampled (and took home) some of their other goodies. Couldn't possibly eat it all in one sitting. Needed some for the road back home, right?!!

At last, it was time to head back to Charleston but first, we made a pit stop at the Congaree national park on the way home. While some trails were closed because of the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, many remained accessible wand we ended up doing a 5 mile loop around the park. How we wished we had had the dogs with us. They would have been in heaven!

The last time I had been in Columbia for more than a few hours was back in the 90s and while we drove through the town to visit family upstate or on our many back and forth to Birmingham a couple of years ago, neither of us had taken the time to be tourist in the town. For my husband it was nice to get back to his college grounds and show me around where his great grandfather would have resided, worked or walked. Being the food person that I am, I was really impressed by the care and dedication of the establishments we visited. Not to mention the quality of the food. If you ever travel through the state of South Carolina, I hope you will carve out a few hours to visit Columbia. You won't be disappointed.

An All Things Food Related Workshop that you can think about!! January 23rd-28th 2017!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 19:25:00 +0000

Feels almost like giving you guys an early Christmas present! I'm quite excited to announce this upcoming comprehensive foodie workshop in Charleston SC, January 23rd-28th 2017. Nothing like what we've done before!

We'll share with you all the food related topics we can think about and that you may ask! Lots of casual Q&As by the fire and lots of demos. Food photo & styling, social media content, recipe developing & cookbook writing, hands on cooking demos with local chef John Ondo and our special guest Gina Homolka from Skinnytaste! So so excited!

The workshop is for all level, whether you are a blogger, photographer, recipe developer, foodie, working from home, or someone who just wants to broaden their horizon with like minded people in a relaxed atmosphere over hands on cooking classes, practical hands on food photography & styling demos, and casual Q&As by the fireplace where no topic is off limit.

Registration page HERE.

We are thrilled to bring you such a wide variety of topics photo and cooking related:

Understanding your equipments and how to choose the right tools and settings for the job. ISO, focal length, aperture.

How to understand and utilize light no matter what you are shooting.

Shooting darker, moodier images and bright lighter ones and the do’s and dont’s of each to achieve great results.

Hands on demos of food and prop styling for recipe shoots or for gatherings.

Photo for Instagram, Facebook or other social media content, shooting with a smart phone, use of filters

Developing your brand/voice, social media and working with brands. Networking, sponsors, hashtags, groups, etc..

Developing original recipe and writing a cookbook

pantry and equipment essentials

Sourcing ingredients

Cooking demos where John Ondo will share a few of his favorite Mediterranean influenced recipes

Cooking demos where Gina will share some of her favorite Skinnystate recipes

All this right by the ocean. Which is a gorgeous place to be this time of year…

Note that the workshop is limited to 8 attendees so we can devote all our time and knowledge in a casual setting to the group.

Arrival day is January 23 by 4-5pm when we will start by a casual meet & greet at the beach home, followed by dinner prepared by Chef Ondo. Attendees will have an afternoon free to wander about Charleston get some personal work done or just chill. A trip to the docks to get fresh fish and a visit to a favorite antique store are also on the itinerary. Departure day is January 28th by 11am.

Registration is open HERE.

The workshop includes:

All workshop sessions

full accommodation

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Refreshments and snacks

Most rooms are shared - there is opportunity for single rooms on a first sign up basis

Workshop is limited to 8 people.

Fee is $1875 (does not include travel fares to and from workshop)

There will be no refunds for this workshop – please know you can attend before registering. Full payment due at time of registration, no deposit required.

DBO Home Tastemakers' Table

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:27:00 +0000

Like most photographers, I "met" Dana Brandwein and Daniel Oates through the prop stylists I've worked with along the years. As a lover of beautiful props myself, I instantly found myself drawn to their line of ceramics, DBO Home.

The funny thing is that on a photoshoot, we use plates and dishes for the photos, carefully clean them and put them away. We rarely eat from them. For some rare, one of a kind pieces, that makes sense. But not so for DBO Home's ceramics. I realized over the last few years working with them on sets that these were not only unique, handmade pieces but also functional and gorgeous on any tablescape. In any occasion.

So when Dana emailed and asked if I were interested in doing a photoshoot with some of their pieces for their Tastemakers' Table feature on their site, it was basically a no brainer!

I already had in mind the pieces and color palette I would love to work with. I picked dinner plates, platter and cheese board from their Burl series and mixed them with the delicate look of their Kashmir collection. A perfect balance of strong masculine dark grey with creamy accents of light blush and soft grey flowers. The color palette alone makes me happy. Seeing the pieces work together is completely thrilling.

I asked my friend and prop stylist Angela Hall to create a table around those pieces and left it completely to her to pick what she thought would make an inviting Friendsgiving table of sort. What she came up with made me giddy the first time she showed me. When we put it all together in my backyard, it simply looked amazing. Decked out, yet inviting. Much like DBO Home ceramics. You may feel like they are too pretty to eat from but trust me, they are strong and feel so good and practical in your hands.

We gathered our favorite peeps around a holiday orientated menu and had a fantastic time enjoying the work that Dana and Daniel put into each of their pieces. Because they are handmade, each is a bit unique, slightly different from the rest. Shapes are irregular, details are strong. Much like everyday life. And I won't be waiting for another big dinner to use them again!

You can see the pieces as sets and more photos from the table on the DBO Home site. They would make great additions to any table, any time of the year!

If you are interested in what we cooked and enjoyed that evening here is the menu with links to the recipes.

Appetizer: Cranberry Pomegranate Baked Brie from my friend Liren at Kitchen Confidante

First Course: Creamy Parsnip Soup With Pear and Walnuts from Marcus Samuelsson (minus the sun chokes)

Main Course: Porchetta Spiced Turkey, Gaby's insane wild mushroom stuffing and a salad with roasted acorn squash, blue cheese and pecans with a coriander seed vinaigrette that I made up in my head.

Dessert: Cardamom Poached Pears with Mascarpone cream (similar to this)

Food Styling & Photo Workshop in Tuscany, Italy!! September 27th - October 1st.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 18:34:00 +0000

I am so excited to share with you this upcoming workshop I have been working on! Tuscany baby....!!!!!!!! !
I am teaming up with Giulia Scarpaleggia, the force behind the Italian blog Jul’s Kitchen for a workshop in Tuscany, Italy at the gorgeous Tenuta Bichi Borghesi in Scorgiano, September 27th - October 1st.

The registration page is HERE :)

The 3 day workshop will be geared toward food, prop styling, photography, cooking demos and lots of hands on practice. I will focus on my photo, composition & styling processes, from basics natural light manipulations to more advanced ones. Each day will be filled with lots of practice, demos and guidance.

We will also have the chance to explore the best of the area with dinner in Sienna, visit of a cheese farm, wine tasting and a trip to the local market. Giulia will also host the group at her studio kitchen for a fun cooking class using fresh local ingredients.

Together, they will guide you to create an edible narrative with your photos, and share current food styling and propping trends, etc...

Nothing is off limits with questions, from how to pick ingredients, how to cook them, how to manage your cooking/photo time efficiently, knowing about photography for blogging or professional work, cooking for photography, photo as a hobby or how to get started in the business.
All this in gorgeous Tuscany….

The group will stay at the beautiful Tenuta Bichi Borghesi estate, located 1 hour outside of Florence in three charming cottages around the property, September 27th - October 1st 2016. The cottages have a mix of single or double occupancy rooms which are available upon request on a first come, first serve basis. Perfect options whether you are a light sleeper or you want to come with a friend and share a room to catch up!

Schedule:

September 27th: Arrival day
Welcome Meet & Greet and dinner at Tenuta Bichi Borghese

September 28th:
Morning: Hands on food styling, composition and photography demo. I will discuss my approach to a photo shoot and how to create a specific mood and feel to tell a story. I will cover selecting ingredients, props, composition, as well as choosing the best lens and angle for a specific recipe/item. Understanding and manipulating light and shadows.
Individual practice to follow, with my guidance.

Afternoon: Hands on food styling and photography demo.
Another demo led with me and getting more specific with defining and creating a style and a mood for either editorial, brand or blogging work. Basic art guidelines will be covered and put into practice. Individual practice to follow, with my guidance.

Late afternoon tasting of local produce (olive oil, wine, charcuterie)
Dinner in Sienna

September 29th:
Morning: Shooting on location - food photojournalism
Visit of a cheese farm nearby - we’ll get the chance to learn about the cheeses made in the are as well as see cheese made that day. I will cover the basis of shooting on location such as what camera gear to pack, how to handle light in unknown situations, etc…

Afternoon: Hands on styling and photo session. I will cover food and prop styling 101 for editorial and blog work. I will also talk about the business side of food photography for those who are eager to make that leap from hobby to full time food photography.
Students will work on creating a vignette of their choice (picnic, mini location set up, tabletop, studio work,…) with my guidance.

Pizza dinner at Jul’s kitchen studio nearby.

September 30th:
Morning: Market visit in Colle val d’Elsa, shopping for fresh and local ingredients followed by a cooking class at Juls' Kitchen.

Afternoon: Critique and review: students will present a few of their favorite shots and will have one on one guidance/comments within the camaraderie of the group so that everyone can benefit from tips and techniques shared.

Farewell dinner at the Villa

October 1st: Travel day.

To register, head over ---> HERE

Workshop includes:
3 days of hands on practice photo workshop
4 nights in a cottage at Tenuta Bichi Borghese
All meals, snacks and refreshments
Transportation to workshop activities (cheese farm, Juls’ Kitchen, Market, etc…)
Airport shuttle pick up (specific time tbd) from Florence and/or Pisa airport.
Workshop is limited to 8 people.

Fee is $1875 (does not include airfare to Italy)

There will be no refunds for this workshop – please know you can attend before registering. Full payment due at time of registration, no deposit required. Schedule subject to change (mainly due to possible weather changes!)

All photos courtesy of Giulia Scarpaleggia.

Rhubarb Tart With Cashew Frangipane

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 20:56:00 +0000

Workshop update: there are 3 spots available in the workshop I am teaching May 16-20th in Charleston. Right on the beach, with lots of hands on demos, practice times, all around great food and meals! All details HERE.

I know better than to stock the fridge before a photoshoot but I could not resist the Spring produce in front of me at the market. I loaded up. Greens, radishes, okra, lettuces, herbs, rhubarb, eggs, milk, etc... I got worried on my way home that my food stylist would have a fit with that much valuable real estate taken up for her own groceries. On the other hand I know that if one eats as many vegetables as we do, the volume/space occupied in the fridge seems to be gone in a matter of a couple of days anyway.

I almost panicked when I thought the rhubarb was lost in the deep dark spaces of the refrigerator, somehow fighting its way between the baby radishes and cherry tomatoes. As soon as rhubarb appears at the store I stock up, load up and cook up. It's probably one of my favorite things. It reminds me so much of home. My mom used to cook big pots of rhubarb compote or make rhubarb jam galore. I like to poach just until slightly soft but not mushy and add it to yogurt for a snack, make candied rhubarb or lots of rhubarb simple syrup for cocktails all through Spring and Summer.

And then there is always a rhubarb tart or galette. This time I used some leftover puff pastry I had from a previous tart, made a cashew frangipane and layered some quick poached rhubarb batons (pieces) on top. Not too sweet and super buttery. The perfect little piece for an afternoon snack.

Rhubarb Tart With Cashew Frangipane:

For the crust:
You can either make fresh puff pastry (this recipe is my go-to) or use some leftover one or use this recipe.

For the rhubarb:
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
6 stalks of fresh rhubarb cut into 3 inch long pieces

For the frangipane:
1 cup (100 gr) unsalted roasted cashews
1 stick (115 gr) butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream

Line the bottom of a tart pan (rectangular or 8-inch round) with the tart crust. Prick the bottom with a fork. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Prepare the rhubarb.

In a large skillet, combine the water and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the rhubarb stalks, reduce the eat to a low boil and poach the rhubarb for about 3-4 minutes, until barely soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool on pieces of paper towels.

While the rhubarb cools, prepare the frangipane.
In a food processor, process the cashews until finely ground. Add the butter and honey and process until well blended. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and with a whisk, mix in the eggs and heavy cream. You don't want to beat in the eggs and cream in the food processor or it will incorporate too much air to the mixture and will rise and crack while baking.

Assemble the tart by pouring the frangipane mixture into the pastry line tart shell, arrange the rhubarb pieces over the frangipane. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until it starts to get golden brown. Serve warm or cold with some whipped cream.

Brown Butter Lemon Yogurt Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Apr 2016 00:20:00 +0000

You have no idea how excited I am to have our farmers' market start again next weekend! It's my weekly stop for all things locally harvested as well as eggs, raw milk, fish and meats. Unfortunately, I'll be missing the first weekend which makes me a little sad but I'll be with a fantastic group of ladies shooting the last increment of Skinnytaste's second cookbook. It's been a joyful, wild and busy ride (another cookbook fell right in the middle and one other starts 5 days after we wrap up) but you can bet I will be showing up as much as possible until December that the market ends.

I haven't had much time to cook and photograph for this blog lately but one thing I did take time to bake and shoot was this Brown Butter Lemon Yogurt Cake because I knew with the two sweet toothed people in the house that I would not have much time to do so before it was all gone...! Except I think I ate most of it! Call it editing deadlines, planning nerves. I'm just putting it on a case of "Spring is here! Give me lemons! Give me cake!".

This cake is a slight departure from my usual olive oil cake. I cook butter on the stove until its wonderful nutty aroma filled the kitchen and used Bulgarian yogurt instead of regular yogurt. It adds an even tangier flavor and enhances the lemon kick in the cake. This recipe makes one large loaf or two smaller loaves if you want to make the goodness last. We obviously can't resist that long...

Happy Spring!

Brown Butter Lemon Yogurt Cake:

Note: if you cannot find Bulgarian yogurt, use regular yogurt. Greek yogurt will make it too thick.
I use either a cup for cup gluten free flour mix or a regular all purpose flour called White Lilly which is softer than other all purpose flours. If you use another brand, take out 2 tablespoons flour so the cake remains soft and not brick-ish.

Makes one large loaf or two small ones.

Ingredients:
4 oz unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup Bulgarian yogurt (see note)
zest of one lemon
juice of two lemons
2 cups all purpose flour or cup for cup gluten free mix (see note)
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt

Icing (optional)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 -3 tablespoons milk
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
zest of a lemon

Directions:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt and cook the butter until a nutty smells develops and it starts turning caramel brown, Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 350F and place a rack in the middle.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs, using a whisk. with the sugar until well mixed. Add the yogurt and cooled butter and mix well for a minute.
Add the lemon zest and juice and mix for 30 seconds. Add the flour, baking powder and pinch of salt and mix until the batter is smooth.
Divide the batter among two buttered small loaf pans or one large one and bake for about 40-45 minutes.
Let cool for an hour if you decide to ice the cake(s).
To prepare the icing, place the powdered sugar in a large bowl. add the milk one tablespoon at a time until of spreadable consistency. Pour over the cake(s) and top with the toasted almond and the lemon zest.

Fennel & Celery Salad and Roasted Vegetable Salad With Blood Orange Vinaigrette

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 02:09:00 +0000

Thank you to all who have inquired about the latest workshop I posted. It is the last before Fall for Chef Ondo and myself as Charleston gets unbearebly hot after May. We are excited to have you join us and spent one on one quality time with you and sharing everything we can! And yes, there are still spots available! May is so gorgeous this time of year and hopefully the water will be warm enough for a couple of dips in the ocean (although there is a pool at the beach house!) It feels like every where I turn these days, where it to be Instagram, Pinterest or blogs, everyone has Spring fever. And rightly so. Except for us here in SC,

It feels like we had two weeks of winter in between Spring and Spring. Fall? I have no idea what that is around here! We've had a mere couple of weeks of winter it seems and now it already feels like summer. My socks have been relegating to the bottom of the drawer and the box of summer clothes is about to cramp up our bedroom space soon.

I feel torn about it - I like the milder temperatures that our winter brings. I like the ability to layer, put on a hat, wrap myself in a warm blanket or a comfy scarf. I like the long simmered stews that screams winter comfort to me. On the other hand, I can't wait for Spring and Summer produce, long dinners al fresco with our friends, juicy peaches and nectarines, and colorful fresh salads.

I am about to embark on a short trip to Kentucky to wrap up a cookbook shoot and while I try to stick to good eating habits while on the road, between the crazy schedule and the fatigue elements, I am never sure of what the days will be like food wise. It seems like wine always find a way to make it to dinner though... Joke aside, I have been filling up on lots of veggies and greens over the last couple of weeks in between editorial and cookbook shoots. I am happy to share with you two of my go-to salads. Easy to prep, shock full of flavors and they can easily accommodate the addition of a protein if you feel like it.

I often make the Fennel and Celery Salad as a quick lunch with a soft or hard boiled egg to go along but it would be great with a side of chicken or fish. The more robust Roasted Root Veggie Salad is loaded with beets, turnips, carrots, farro and chopped carrot green (tops). It's a favorite alone but the cumin blood orange vinaigrette makes it a flavorful side for grilled fish or pork chops. Pomegranate seeds are now available pretty much all year long thanks to nifty little packaged cups while the blood oranges in the vinaigrette can easily be subbed for part lemon, part oranges (half and half) making it easy to have year long.

Fennel And Celery Salad

Serves 2 to 4

1 fennel bulb

4 celery ribs with leaves

2 big handfuls watercress

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

2 to 4 soft or had boiled eggs

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

juice of a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the fennel bulb in half (save the fronds for the salad or vegetable stock). Thinly slice the fennel and put in a large mixing bowl. Thinly slice the celery and leave and add the the fennel. Toss in the watercress and pomegranate seeds, In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and pepper. When ready to serve, drizzle the vinaigrette over the fennel salad and adjust seasoning if necessary. Top with a hard boiled egg if desired.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Serves 4

1 cup farro

2 cups vegetable stock or water

4 beets

1 bunch baby carrots

1 bunch baby turnip

1/3 cup pomegranate seeds

juice and zest of blood orange (or any good juicy orange)

3 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Cook the farro by bringing the stock or water to a boil. Add the farro, turn the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender (about 20 minutes).

Drain and set aside.

Place the beets in a 8x8 pan, add a little water (about 1/4 cup water), cover with foil and roast until tender (about 30 to 45 minutes). Let cool. Peel by rubbing the skin with a kitchen towel (yes, you'll have to sacrifice it but at least your fingers won't turn red). Cut into quarters and set aside.

Cut the tops of the carrots off but set aside for the topping. Trim the turnips the same way. Cut them in half lengthwise. Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 20-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside. Roughly chop the carrot tops and set aside.

Whisk the orange juice and zest with the vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, toss the farro, roasted beets, carrots, turnips, pomegranate seeds and vinaigrette. Top with the chopped carrot greens and serve.

Food Styling, Photography & Cooking Workshop In Charleston SC, May 16th-20th 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:50:00 +0000

Super happy to announce that I will be teaming up with Chef John Ondo for a food styling, photography & cooking workshop in Charleston SC, in a beautiful beach home located on the Isle of Palms, May 16th-20th 2016. The 3 day workshop will be geared toward food, prop styling, photography, cooking demos and lots of hands on practice.

I will focus on my photo, composition and styling processes, from basics natural light manipulations to more advanced ones. Cooking sessions with Chef Ondo will punctuate the mornings and afternoons where he will share his love of Mediterranean cuisine and creativity cooking with locally sourced ingredients.

Together, we will guide you to create an edible narrative with your photos, and share current food styling and propping trends, etc... Nothing is off limits with questions, from how to pick ingredients, how to cook them, how to manage your cooking/photo time efficiently, knowing about photography for blogging or professional work, cooking for photography, photo as a hobby or how to get started in the business.

All this right by the ocean.

The workshop will start by a casual meet & greet at the beach home, followed by dinner prepared by Chef Ondo. Three days of photography and cooking follow.

Attendees will have a morning free to wander about Charleston get some personal work done or just chill. A trip to the docks to get fresh fish and a visit to a favorite antique store are also on the itinerary.

The workshop includes:

3 days of photography, composition, food styling and cooking sessions

4 nights accommodations

One on one photo sessions with Helene

Cooking demos with Chef Ondo

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners

Refreshments and snacks

Most rooms are shared - there is opportunity for single rooms on a first sign up basis

To register, please go HERE.

Workshop is limited to 8 people.

Fee is $1850 (does not include travel fares to and from workshop)

There will be no refunds for this workshop – please know you can attend before registering. Full payment due at time of registration, no deposit required.

Salmon Tacos With Avocado Cilantro Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 20:01:00 +0000

Lunches are most often not that elaborate at the house during the week and they most often turn into brunch during the weekends. I am more of a nosher from morning til dinner if left to my own devices but Mama Ruth isn't. Though not complicated or demanding, she can't graze all day long. It's mostly soups and big salad with a little protein. A big plate of crudites and some hummus while editing pictures or responding to emails. Always good but nothing that requires multi pans preparation.

However, once in a while, I get a wild hair and make us something special. Especially if she saw something in a magazine and found it "inte-resting". She pauses on the word like so when she clearly thinks "unusual" or "weird". It makes me smile everytime. It's like the challenge is on for me to make her discover new things.

I got to say most of said interesting dishes were received with lots of "hmmm this is good". Thai green curry, Char Sui, ramen noodle soups, bouillabaisse, ratatouille, etc... Tacos are still on the undecided camp, mostly because they are not as easy to eat. Food falls, liquids end up all over your hands. They're messy. So while we roll them up, she eats them open faced. Still with a smile of satisfaction.

These Salmon Tacos with Avocado Cream were very warmly received albeit for the "it's messy, isn't it?" comment. At least not a crumb was left and they are now on rotation at the house so I must be doing something good!

Salmon Tacos With Cilantro Avocado Cream

Makes 4 tacos:

Ingredients:

For the salmon tacos:

4 corn tortillas
2 teaspoon olive oil

1 pound fresh salmon, skin on (fillets or one 1-lb piece)

4 large or 8 small Bibb lettuce leaves

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 3/4 cup cotija cheese
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado cut up in small cubes

fresh cilantro to garnish

For the avocado cilantro cream:

1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, cut in half, stems and seeds removed

juice and zest of 1/2 a lime

1/2 cup creme fraiche

2 Tb to 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

On a grill or in a skillet place on the stove on medium high heat, grill the tortillas until warm and just blistered on both sides. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and keep warm.

In a the olive oil in a skillet set over medium heat, add salmon fillet, skin down and let it get crispy for about 5 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook until the fish is cooked through about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness.

Drain on paper towels. Remove the skin and discard. Flake the fish with your fingertips in medium large pieces. Set aside while you prepare the sauce.

In a food processor, place the avocado, garlic. cilantro jalapeno, lime zest and juice and process until smooth. Remove from food processor and place in a large bowl. Add the creme fraiche or sour cream and stir with a spoon. Add enough light cream or half&half to make it a drizzle consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble the tacos by layering one tortilla with one large or a couple of smaller Bibb lettuce leaves, a few pieces of salmon, cotija cheese, red onion slices, avocado, jalapeno slices, fresh cilantro and the avocado-cilantro cream.

Pear & Nutella Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Jan 2016 23:58:00 +0000

I sympathized with everyone going through the blizzard and snowstorm that hit the East coast by making a few baked goods and giants pots of soup. Sure our temperatures dropped a little but nothing like people up North felt it. No snow here. I lived vicariously through friends posting on social media and the news reports. Winter here is touch and go. It was 70F yesterday. I think I wore a coat 4 times so far. I am not complaining. I know that being freezing cold and shoveling mountains of snow feels old really fast.

Nostalgia kicked in though. During the winter months back home, we would drive up to the mountains near Italy where my family has a chalet and spend two good solid weeks skiing to our hearts' content. I miss those days. I love and miss the silence right after a fresh snow fall. The pure air of the mountains and the cozy feel of a warm cup of soup by the fire.

It also made me crave Nutella. Our favorite snack after a long day on the slopes. And tart. A good tart with Nutella would be perfect to indulge in my nostalgic moment. If you know me or have read this blog for a while, you know that I have a hard time with chocolate and fruit pairing. I simply do not like chocolate and fruit in anything. Especially berries and fruit. Give me nuts, caramel and chocolate any day and I am a happy girl. But a chocolate cake with raspberry coulis and I will pass. Except when it comes to pears and chocolate. Somewhat I am better than good with that association!

I had leftover puff pastry dough that I had used for Galette des Rois during Epiphany so I decided to use it for this Pear & Nutella tarte. I knew it wouldn't puff as much being re-used but that was just fine this way. The filling is a basic custard with a good amount of Nutella in it. Choose pears that are on the ripe side rather than firm and just harvested.

Pear Nutella Tart:

Serves 8

For the crust:
You can either make fresh puff pastry (this recipe is my go-to) or use some leftover one or use this recipe.

For the filling:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3-4 pears depending on size, peeled, cored and sliced

Line the bottom of a tart pan (rectangular or 8-inch round) with the tart crust. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the Nutella until smooth. Add the milk and cream and whisk again until smooth. No need to add sugar as the Nutella is already pretty sweet.
Pour the cream into the pastry crust. Do not fill to the top! Leave about 2 inches because once you add the pears, the level of the custard will rise from their addition.
If you have leftover, no worries. Pour them into ramekins and bake them separately in a large pan filled with water (like making custards!).
Add the pear slices to the custard and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the custard is just set.
Let cool and enjoy!

Watercress, Pancetta & Goat Cheese Spaghetti

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 21:14:00 +0000

If you are reading the blog on your computer, you might notice that it has a brand new look. Nothing drastic but I wanted this page to reflect more of how I currently saw things in my head. Once again, I got in touch with Ana at Blog Milk to install a new theme for me and she did a wonderful job tweaking it to my specs. I love Blog Milk! Not going to lie. Affordable templates, small installation fee if you don't want to bother with it and great communication. Ana...thank you for keeping on creating!

Creating. It's always something I keep in mind even for the most mundane everyday tasks. Like cooking dinner. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who enjoys everything I cook, whatever cuisine, whatever season. My mother in law is a traditional southern cook but she has surprised me more than once in the last month by having seconds of lunch salads and soups I wasn't sure she'd go for.

But heck...sometimes I am not that inspired comes dinner time. You would think that with the number of recipes I shoot for a living that would never have a problem picking one to make for dinner, wouldn't you? Well, it's like having "chefs disease"...you graze but rarely cook a meal for yourself. I see so many meals throughout the week that my brain kind of shuts down from time to time, a bit overwhelmed by the choices.

That's when the tried and true dishes and their multitude of variations come into play and make me look like I have awesome creating superpowers. I am all about superpowers. Mine is to usually make food disappear off my plate :) What's yours?

One of those dishes is a simple pasta from Cooking Light with plenty of pancetta, lots of garlic, goat cheese and a big handful of watercress. It is actually a blank canvas to let your inspiration run wild. Pancetta is sometimes replaced with proscuitto, garlic gives way to shallots, burrata or feta sometimes eclipse the goat cheese and watercress disappears in favor of sorrel or arugula. I might thrown in some leftover smoked salmon, some fresh shrimp with a bit of chilies. Leftover roasted chicken has also been known to make an appearance from time to time. Spaghetti might give way to orecchiette or fettuccine.

Watercress, Pancetta & Goat Cheese Spaghetti (adapted from Cooking Light):

Serves 4

10 ounce dried or fresh spaghetti (gluten free or regular)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz pancetta, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup (4oz) ounces soft goat cheese, divided

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

4-5 cups trimmed watercress

salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander over a large bowl so you can reserve about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Add red pepper to the pan, cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add reserved cooking liquid to pan and bring to a boil. Add 3 ounces goat cheese and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in grated lemon zest, season with salt and pepper. Add pasta and toss gently to coat. Add watercress and pancetta and toss to mix it with the pasta. Serve immediately and sprinkle the remaining goat cheese over pasta.

Happy New Year! 2016 Starts With An Olive Oil and Walnut Cake!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 22:25:00 +0000

Happy New Year! I hope that 2016 is truly filled with all your wildest dreams coming true! While we learn from our experiences, I am not one do dwell on the past much. What is done is done and tomorrow is not guaranteed, so the present is where it's at. Pretty much. Last year tested me and also enabled me to stretch my wings. There were moments of 2015 I wanted to throat punch with a vengeance and others I wanted to relive in all their deliciousness. It's what makes a year I guess!

Every year I follow Susannah Conway's "Find Your Word" online course. I admit, I severely crush on the girl... beauty, intelligence and soul. She's the whole package. Her Instagram #decemberreflections photo challenge was a complete stretch for me but I am glad I did! I am not one to stay still long enough to retrospect or reflect so this month long challenge was definitely an exploration in sharing thoughts through the lens. Five day into it, I knew my word for 2016. Explore.

Explore the obvious like new places, new projects, new recipes, but also explore my own hesitations, new techniques like calligraphy and video. Explore the senses and the unexpected. I am true Taurus after all and I am looking forward to where it takes me. It's ok for your word to change. Last year I started with Nourish and mid-way through it, that word evolved into "Let Go". Both fit at the time. But there are so 2015 now...! Time to Explore!

And I need some sustenance for all that exploring that is about to happen. Olive Oil & Walnut Cake seems like a good place to start...

One last thing... There is ONE spot left in the workshop I posted the other day!

Olive Oil & Walnut Cake

Note: I used dark brown sugar for the cake instead of granulated sugar and it made for a pudding like consistency almost. I expected it but don't be surprised. If you'd rather have a firmer crumb, use granulated sugar instead.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil
1 cup dark brown or granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup Greek yogurt
zest of an orange and juice of 1/2
2 cups all purpose flour (or cup for cup gf flour mix)
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a 6 to 8 inch cake pan.
In a large bowl whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and yogurt for a couple of minutes or until they look a little creamy. Add orange zest and juice. Add the flour, salt and baking powder, whisk for another minute.
Pour in the prepared pan and bake 60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. You may need to cover it with a piece of foil, halfway through baking time to prevent it from browning too much. Cool to room temperature and unmold.

Food Styling & Photo Workshop February 2nd - 6th 2016!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 15:00:00 +0000

Registration is now OPEN for the workshop I am teaching in Charleston, SC next month! All info can be found HERE.

Announcing A 3 Day Food Styling & Photography Workshop February 2nd - 6th 2016

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 16:22:00 +0000

I am thrilled to announce a brand new 3 day workshop for February 2016 with two of my favorite people, food stylist Tami Hardeman and chef John Ondo!

During the 3 day workshop, we will guide you on several photo assignments where we'll share all our tips and techniques. Whether you have a blog, write for a local or national magazine, work with brands and need to supply food photography, want to establish a career in the world of food styling and/or food photography, etc... this workshop is for you.

We'll share the tools and philosophy we use in our daily workflow: defining a mood and feel, working with mood boards and sketches, sourcing ingredients and styling, choosing the best props to showcase the food, composition through lighting, best camera angles and tools for the task at hand, editing and post processing.,etc...

Cooking sessions with Chef Ondo will punctuate the mornings and afternoons where he will share his love of Mediterranean cuisine cooking with locally sourced ingredients.

All this right by the ocean.

The workshop will start by a casual meet & greet at the beach home, followed by dinner prepared by Chef Ondo. Three days of photography and cooking follow. Attendees will have a morning free to wander about and visit Charleston, get some personal work done or just chill.

The workshop includes:

3 days of photography, composition, food styling and cooking sessions

4 nights accommodations on the beach at Aerie House (more info here)

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners

Refreshments and snacks

Fee is $1875 (does not include travel fares to and from workshop)

Registration open January 2nd. More details HERE.

Pear and Frangipane Tart

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 21:16:00 +0000

I have to admit that I haven't done any Christmas baking this yet. And it probably won't happen until Christmas. Wait, that's not true. There will be my mom's Swedish cinnamon buns on Christmas Day and snickerdoodles over the weekend. Usually I am the poster child for Santa's bakery, if there ever was one. I'll be cooking Christmas dinner (well late lunch for us) and will be making a sticky toffee pudding cake (F&W Dec 15 issue). Probably because I like saying sticky toffee pudding with the voice of Kermit The Frog or Gollum.

I did bake a few things despite my lack of holiday baking. Mostly cakes and pies that were devoured as fast as they were coming out of the oven. Almost. During our last workshop a couple of weeks ago, it seemed that I could not turn galettes fast enough for dessert for the attendees! I've had a hard time resisting fall and winter fruits at the market. Apples, seckel and forelle pears, kumquats, cranberries. They all ended in my basket at some point.

It's no secret that I do love making (and eating) tarts. I grew up watching my grandmother making loads of them on a regular basis and even more around Christmas time. Her tart fillings were simple and straightforward, always letting the fruit take center stage. Sometimes, there was a supporting actor such as a custard base, lemon curd or frangipane. If I had to choose which one I favor the most, I honestly could not. I love the pillowy softness of a vanilla custard, the acidulous tickle of a lemon curd and the tantalizing taste of an almond filling.

Pears and frangipane go hand in hand like good company and a good meal. They never outplay each other. A classic combination that everyone in my family enjoys. A bit of vanilla bean added to the frangipane never hurts either.

I hope the holidays treat you well and are a source of comforting meals with friends and family.

It's never easy to find balance this time of year but a slice of pear frangipane tart and a glass of wine might just do that!

Pear & Frangipane Tart

Serves 8

For the tart dough:
1 1/2 cup Jeanne's all purpose gluten free flour mix (or same amount of all purpose flour if not gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
110 gr cold butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup cold milk beaten with 1 egg yolk

For the frangipane:
1 stick (115 gr) butter, softened
1/4 cup honey
1 cup (100 gr) ground almonds (blanched, slivered, whole, your call)
2 eggs
1/3 cup (60gr) heavy cream

6 to 8 seckel pears, peeled and sliced kept in a large bowl filled with cold water and juice of two lemons
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

For the crust:

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, and salt on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add sugar and flour and mix well. Add the egg yolk /milk mixture and mix until incorporated. Shape dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Place the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick round.
Place in an 8 or 9-inch tart pan, trim the edges. Prick the dough with a fork and refrigerate 30 minutes up to 2 hours. (you can even freeze the dough in the tart pan at this point and let thaw in the fridge overnight when you are ready).

Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle.

Prepare the frangipane:
Place the butter, honey, ground almonds, and the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth (can also be done in a food processor). Add the cream and stir in it instead of whisking not to emulsify it or it will rise while baking.

Drain the pear slices on a couple of sheets of paper towels. Pour the frangipane over the tart shell, arrange the pear slices on top, sprinkle with the tablespoon of sugar and bake 40 to 45 minutes.

Curry Carrot Soup With Toasted Quinoa Topping

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 22:50:00 +0000

Being away from Charleston the last three years, I had almost forgotten how much longer the temperatures stay above normal this time of year. I should know better though given that we are in a sub tropical climate... Nevertheless, I was getting antsy to get a bit of a hint that December was upon us. And just like that, a good rain and the temperatures dropped. The air became crisper, the sun shining with a different luminosity, the sky finally wearing that winter blue I love and missed. All prompted me to head to the kitchen to make a few batches of soups.

My latest love is for a velvety curry carrot soup I made the other day. Vadouvan, turmeric, sumac were my spices of choices, giving depth to the soup. The humble carrot took another dimension and we all went back for seconds. I wanted a crunchy bit in there somewhere so I topped it off with a blend of toasted quinoa, parsley, toasted almond and lemon zest.

With my studio adjacent to the house, it's really easy to put a pot of soup on, get to work, and come back in around noon to have lunch with my mother-in-law when the husband is teaching. I've come rather fond of our lunch breaks together. Sometimes, we sit quietly at the table and listen to the news. Sometimes, I prompt her to tell for the gazillion time how she met my father-in-law, the story of how they were wed in New Orleans during the war. I love listening to her. We talk about my family, when my parents will come visit next or what we are going to cook for Christmas. Sometimes, we are both deep in our thoughts and appreciate the silence.

Lunch is often time a cup of soup and a tartine or a big salad and a croque monsieur. Mama Ruth had never had those before but now I feel like I have creating a monster! When I head to the kitchen and says "lunch in 20 minutes!", she often replies from wherever she is "are we having those nice cheese and ham sandwiches you made the other day? You know, those French sandwiches with all that good melty cheese?" Well yes, I guess we are...!

Bailey the older of the two pups usually stays in the house by her side and keeps her company (read sleeps soundly while Turner Classic Movies is on). Tiggy, the younger pup comes with me to the studio and finds a warm spot in the sunlight streaming in. She loves to be there with me, keeping watch over the food on set, getting petted by clients or just watching the squirrels passing by. We have all started to find our comfort zone, our rhythm. It's nice. It's really nice.

Sure we have our moments. We don't always all agree on politics or family stuff but heck, which family doesn't?! Nothing that a good pipping hot cup of soup and a croque monsieur can't fix!

Curry Carrot Soup

Makes enough for 8

For the soup:

2 teaspoons olive oil

8 cups chopped carrots

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons vadouvan

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon sumac

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable broth or water

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and sautee until they start to brown (about 15 minutes). Add the spices, salt and pepper and sautee another couple of minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. When the soup starts boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, place a lid askew over the pot and continue cooking for another 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

Remove from the heat, let cook for about 10 minutes before putting the soup in a blender and pureeing until smooth. (I have a Blendtec that I love and makes ultra smooth soups). Check for salt and pepper and adjust according to your taste.

Serve with crusty bread, croque monsieur or by itself.

For the topping:

1/2 cup toasted tricolor quinoa (instructions follow) (regular quinoa works too)

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup toasted almond

zest of one lemon

To toast the quinoa, first place it in a large bowl filled with water. Let it stand for a few minutes. Using a fork, swirl the quinoa a couple of times. Strain the quinoa through a fine mesh sieve and rinse with cold water. Set aside to drain well. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and place the quinoa in it. Start moving the quinoa around with a wooden spoon until it starts to dry out and eventually toast to a nutty smell and color. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool before blending it in with the rest of the topping ingredients.

Twisted Cinnamon Brioche Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Nov 2015 19:13:00 +0000

Trust your instinct. That is definitely the moral of this recipe/story. I had a hunkering for soft and buttery brioche rolls and with an afternoon completely to myself I figured why not dive i and put my pastry chef apron back on? Except, instead of digging my true and tried brioche recipe from my days at the restaurant, I went on pinterest, instagram, google, and just about every where else and finally chose a recipe. Method seemed right, measurements seemed off, but I have been surprised more than once shaking my head at a recipe only to be happily surprised by the end result. So why not, maybe they knew something I did not.

While I manage to make the rolls turn out ok, there were a few chosen words and ninja moves to get there. But while the finished product was not uniform, they looked fine and tasted awesome. I inhaled one a few minutes after they came out of the oven, so really...what's the more important? My belly is happy. The family is happy. And of course now I want to do them over again using my restaurant days recipe. The one in that flour dusted binder I keep close by. That same binder filled with killer savory recipes from my mom and comforting sweet ones from my grandmother. I like to revisit it from time to time. Except I keep the family free of a sugar spun kitchen and chocolate towers. Oh well, the holidays are near. Maybe I'll spun or pull some sugar for the heck of muscle memory. Probably not...

While I could lead you to the recipe that worked so-so, I am giving you the brioche recipe I have tried before and rely on when I need to make small batches (instead of brioche for 100 as I have it in my binder!) It is from Bouchon Bakery and never fails. You can make loaves, rolls or get twisted like I did this time.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I am smoking a turkey and making French-American sides for a little Friensdgiving Wednesday and Thursday will be at my sister in law with the more traditional turkey and accoutrements. While not my holidays, I have happily adopted the tradition...

Twisted Cinnamon Brioche Rolls, dough adapted from Bouchon Bakery:

Makes 8

For the dough:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 package rapid rise yeast
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 stick (115gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces.
3 eggs, whisked, at room temperature

For the filling:
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Egg wash:
1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons milk

Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and whisk on low for a few seconds to mix all the ingredients together. Add the milk and eggs and mix on low until the dough starts to come together. Start adding the butter, a few pieces at a time and let them be fully incorporated into the dough before adding more butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. This can take up to 20 minutes.
Spray and large bowl with cooking spray and keep it close by.
On a lightly flour dusted surface, place the dough and pat it into a rectangle. Take the short side and fold it 2/3 of the way over the right. Do the same thing with the right side over to the left. Repeat the same thing with the top over to the bottom and bottom over to the top. Stretch the dough a little to get there if needed.
Place the dough, seam side down into the prepared bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, cut the dough into 4 pieces. Keep on portion out and refrigerate the rest, covered with plastic wrap as you work on piece at a time.
On a lightly dusted flour, roll the dough into a 12x15 rectangle. Brush a little melted butter all over the dough, sprinkle with two tablespoons of the sugar-cinnamon mix.
Start rolling the dough from the long edge.
Cut the cylinder in half.
Place one half in front of you and start cutting right through the middle, starting one inch away from the tip.
Twist the two pieces of dough together and and bring the two ends together to form a roll, pressing the two ends together with your fingers. Tuck the ends under if you wish.
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Do the same with the other half of the rolled cylinder.
Repeat the process with all the pieces of dough. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise for about 40 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350F and place a rack in the middle. Brush the rolls with the egg wash and bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 20:27:00 +0000

Been a frantic few weeks here since we moved and while it's been a half excuse not to sit down and blog, it has not been an excuse to stop me from eating well while getting the new studio space ready to roll.

First shoot in the new space started with the lovely and awesome Gina Homolka from Skinnytaste for her second cookbook. Had to pinch myself when I was first approached by her agent to do the photography for this NY Times best seller author but had to pinch myself even harder when I was able to create my own dream team to work on it with me. Prop stylist Kim Phillips and food stylist Tami Hardeman, along with Tami's assistant Abby, joined me on this dream of a week. We have a bit more to shoot in March and April and I can't wait!

What's that got to do with eating well amidst busy days? Gina's recipes were all delicious for one, so we did eat very well on our shoot. I have a ton of leftovers from that week in my freezer for two. And third, I've been on a high soup making kick with all the leftover produce in the fridge. And when I was pretty through with those, I turned to a recipe I've been wanting to make for a long time. Taiwanese Beef Soup. The thoughts of soy sauce, chilies, star anise, ginger and beef simmering on the stove for hours was perfect the cold I was starting to develop.

After perusing several recipes online, I turned to a friend on Facebook who directed me to one my favorite authors, Andrea Nguyen and her recipe, itself adapted from another one. I followed his advice and used beef shanks with bone marrow and oxtails. I had to adjust the spiciness for my mother in law a little and added in some sliced red chilies separately into our bowls. Everybody was happy and everybody had seconds!

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, adapted from Andrea Nguyen and Lorna Yee.

Note: using marrow bones will make the soup a extra rich so I prepare it a day ahead and let the stock refrigerate overnight then the next day I can easily skim off the fat and reheat it for lunch.

Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 pounds bone-in beef shanks with marrow bones still on
1 pound beef oxtails
3 tablespoons canola oil
10 garlic cloves, bruised
one 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into 6 slices,
5 scallions, halved crosswise
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
3 star anise
1 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
1 Thai chili, split lengthwise
1/4 cup chile bean sauce
1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine
8 tablespoons light soy sauce (I used gf tamari soy sauce)
10 cups water
1 pound broccolini, stems halved
1 pound fresh or dried thick Chinese noodles (I used rice noodles because I had them on hand)
cilantro
extra freshly sliced Thai red chili (optional)

In a large stock pot, heat half the oil over high heat. Sear half of the beef shanks and oxtails on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and repeat with the remaining oil and beef pieces.
Add all the remaining soup ingredients, except the broccolini, noodles and cilantro.
Bring to a boil then lower the heat to low, cover with the lid askew and cook for about 3 hours or until the beef is tender and falls off the bone.
Turn off the heat, and remove the beef pieces with a slotted spoon or a pair of tongues. Let the beef cool then shred it off the bones. Discard the bones. Strain the soup into another pot and put the meat into that pot. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, skim the fat that has risen to the top then reheat the soup on low heat.
In the meantime, blanch the broccolini in boiling water for about a minute. Set aside. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. Divide the noodles and broccolini among 6 bowls, laddle soup over noodles and garnish with cilantro and extra chili if desired.

Announcing A Winter Styling & Photography Retreat in Charleston, SC December 8th - 12th

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Oct 2015 13:40:00 +0000

Super excited about the focus of this workshop I am putting together with Chef John Ondo. We are teaming up for a winter styling and photography retreat in Charleston SC, in a beautiful beach home located on the Isle of Palms December 8th -12th. The 3 day workshop will be geared toward food, prop styling and photography in low light situations such as winter, rainy and cloudy days.

Helene will focus on her photo and styling processes, from basics natural light manipulations to more advanced ones. Cooking sessions with Chef Ondo will punctuate the mornings and afternoons where he will share his love of Mediterranean cuisine and creativity cooking with locally sourced ingredients.

Together, Helene and John will guide you to create an edible narrative with your photos, and share current food styling and propping trends, etc... Nothing is off limits with questions, from how to pick ingredients and how to cook them, how to manage your cooking/photo time efficiently, knowing about photography for blogging or professional work, cooking for photography, photo as a hobby or how to get started in the business.

All this right by the ocean.

The workshop will start by a casual meet & greet at the beach home, followed by dinner prepared by Chef Ondo. Three days of photography and cooking follow. Attendees will have a morning free to wander about Charleston with a private tour guide, get some personal work done or just chill.

The workshop includes:

3 days of photography, composition, food styling and cooking sessions

4 nights accommodations on the beach at Aerie House

One on one photo sessions with Helene

Cooking demos with Chef Ondo

Breakfasts, lunches and dinners Refreshments and snacks

Most rooms are shared - there is opportunity for single rooms on a first sign up basis

To register, please go HERE.

Workshop is limited to 8 people.

Fee is $1850 (does not include travel fares to and from workshop)

There will be no refunds for this workshop – please know you can attend before registering. Full payment due at time of registration, no deposit required.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Hot Smoked Salmon & Cherries.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 20:56:00 +0000

Thank you everyone on your kind words on my last post. You are the best virtual peeps a girl can have. I always know I can come to this space and share without holding back. What you see is what you get... We are not settled in yet, living out of boxes still. Mainly because we are trying to cram three lives into a house and while my mother in law has been nothing but gracious about making this space our own, we are taking small steps towards big transitions.

We came with what we needed, putting the rest in storage, two dogs and a bunch of photography equipment for the new studio. I am so grateful that the office/studio is adjacent to the house so we can help her out and work at the same time.

I am just giddy at the new space I will have to get back to freelancing. My original studio as a freelancer had amazing light but was a bit small. This new space is currently getting new floors, a fresh coat of paint and the dark room is being turned into a prop room. First big book shoot since getting back to being my own boss is happening in less than a month and I can't wait to have the space done and ready!

I have been teaching workshops ever since we left Birmingham and I am finally enjoying a few days of reprieve. That means admin emails and phone calls, trying to figure out where things are and getting reacquainted with my town and its creative pulse. Things I have learned in the three days I have officially moved back in: while my mother in law doesn't cook anymore, her knives are crazy sharp. When she says "I'll do it" that means "I have a system and only I can do it right." Oh and "more wine please!" Now that's me speaking. And you know what? It all works out in the end...

I am in charge of cooking and I love that she is open to everything. Spices, ingredients, cuisines. It's all different for her and she loves good food so we are a good pair. I love being able to share with someone all the bounties surrounding us and having open minded palates, even in her 90s is wonderful. I made this Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Smoked Salmon And Cherries last month before I left but I am excited to try it out again with her. While cherries may not be in season anymore, you can easily substitute red grapes or pomegranate seeds for them this Fall.

I am sure we will have more adventures in cooking in the weeks to come but so far so good...Even evenings of cheese plates and nibbles are fine by me! The photo below is one of my new favorite shots that I did with my bestie Tami at the Mixed Conference we taught at this past weekend.

We are all embracing this move and what it means to us. Living, sharing, giving back, holding on, creating new and exciting work.

Brussels Sprouts Salad with Hot Smoked Salmon And Cherries:

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 celery ribs (keep the leaves if possible)
6 oz hot or cold smoked salmon (shredded or sliced)
1/2 cup cherries, pitted and halved
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Chop the stems of each sprout and discard them. Using a sharp paring knife, core the sprouts like you would tomatoes or strawberries. Discard the cores and with your fingers, gently pull away the leaves.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with a good pinch of Kosher salt. Add the Brussels sprouts leave to the water and cook for 1 minutes. Drain them, and place in large bowl filled with iced water (or run very cold water over them). Dry in kitchen towels and place in a large serving bowl.
Finely chop the celery ribs (with the leaves) and add to the Brussels sprouts. Toss in the smoked salmon and cherries.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, chopped parsley, salt and pepper to taste.
Toss as much or as little in with the Brussels sprout salad.

Pork Belly Tacos With Cilantro Avocado Cream & An Announcement!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 01:07:00 +0000

Three years ago, exactly to the date, I was letting you in on a pretty big move in my life. Both in my immediate geography and career. When I was asked by the creative director of Time Inc Books in Birmingham, Al to come work for them as Senior Photographer three years ago, the timing was perfect. I was ready for a little more time in one place with the possibility to work with dedicated and talented food and prop stylists everyday.

I put my whole heart into it, I learned so much more than I could ever think of. Meant some wonderful people in the world of publishing. Editors, graphic designers, recipe developers and test kitchen professionals who have fed my soul and belly with beautiful pages and great food.

I am so happy that I answered yes to the offer three years ago but now, it is time. We are moving back to Charleston, SC. I resigned from my position and I am going back to being a freelance photographer!

Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After my father in law passed away, we made a promise to my mother in law to be present to take care of her. Be present. Be in the present. That has always been the pushing force for us. Charleston, back home, is where we need to be. After two years not being able to find work, my husband got his position back at the College and is a happy fish again. I am excited about the world unfolding before me and already have my head going wild with ideas about collaborations, work, projects. Life is always on the other side of fear.

I am looking forward to more time for workshops, travels, work, work and more work. Because I love what I do and hope to be doing this for a long long time. Thank you all for wishing us well on our new adventures three years ago. Hope you will be excited as I am to follow my new adventures along.

Once again, bear with me as I pack boxes and more boxes and settle into our new life (and new studio space!). In the meantime, it's Friday. That means tacos and drinks in this house! Pork Belly Tacos With Cilantro Avocado Cream to be precise.

Pork Belly Tacos With Cilantro Avocado Cream

Makes 4 tacos:

Ingredients:

4 corn tortillas

8 1/4-inch thick pork belly slices

4 large or 8 small Bibb lettuce leaves

1/2 medium red onion, sliced

1 ripe avocado, pitted and skinned

1 garlic clove

1/4 cilantro, roughly chopped

1 jalapeno, cut in half, stems and seeds removed

juice and zest of 1/2 a lime

1/2 creme fraiche or sour cream

2 Tb to 1/4 cup light cream or half&half

salt and pepper to taste
1/2 to 3/4 cup cotija cheese

fresh cilantro to garnish

Directions:

On a grill or in a skillet place on the stove on medium high heat, grill the tortillas until warm and just blistered on both sides. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and keep warm.

In a skillet set over medium heat, cook the pork belly slices until crispy like bacon, about 15 minutes, flipping them every so often (just like you would bacon, but will take longer due to their thickness).

Drain on paper towels.

Assemble the tacos by layering one tortilla with one large or a couple of smaller Bibb lettuce leaves, one slice pork belly cut up, cojita cheese, red onion slices, fresh cilantro and the avocado-cilantro cream.

Coconut Yogurt & Passion Fruit Tartlets

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 23:39:00 +0000

I got to say, with my husband in Charleston and me here in Alabama, dinners have been reduced to a strict minimum. Not that I was keen on keen on big productions after a whole day staring at food but still. I almost always have dinner in a bowl. A big salad and some protein, lots of fresh herbs and seasonal vegetables. Roasted, grilled, fresh. It depends on how my feet feel that evening.

You can imagine baking has gone way down too! Heat and solitude combined, it sure feels unnecessary to bake tarts, cakes and cookies. Only if shared with friends though. But there is always that tugging at my heart to bake something, if only to share it later. The scent of lemon and sugar being rubbed together to make pastry dough. Freshly baked cookies coming out of the oven. Vanilla and milk steeping together on the stove for creme brulee. These moments ground me and comfort me.

The urge to make something light and refreshing got the best of me the other day. Small tartlets filled with creamy coconut yogurt and passion fruit, lightly topped with sugar and quickly browned with a blow torch. Mine ran out of gas before I could achieve a deeper color but that allowed for the yogurt not to curdle too much and the yogurt to stay smooth.

I don't recommend browning the tops under the broiler as it will cook the yogurt thus loosing that creamy oozing quality you want when cutting into them. I tried, that's how I know...Still as good, just a different thing. You could try different combination such as lemon yogurt and raspberry mashed up on the bottom, lemon and rhubarb compote, pumpkin filling and vanilla yogurt for the Fall. The possibilities are as endless as your imagination!

Coconut Yogurt & Passion Fruit Tartlets (adpated from Donna Hay)

Makes 6

For the crust:

1 1/2 cup Jeanne's all purpose gluten free flour mix (or same amount of all purpose flour if not gluten free)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar

zest of one lemon
110 gr cold butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup cold milk

For the filling:

1/2 cup passion fruit jam (or passion fruit pulp)

2 to 3 cups coconut yogurt (I used Noosa)

2 Tbs sugar

Directions:

For the crust:

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add flour mix and salt on medium speed until well-combined. Slowly add sugar and lemon zest and mix well. Add the butter cut into small dice and mix until the mixture feels sandy. Add the milk and mix until just incorporated. Shape dough into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.
Place the dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll it out to about 1/4-inch thick round.

Cut 6 four-inch rounds to fit into 3-inch tart rings or molds.

Fir the dough disks into the molds and prick with a fork. Refrigerate 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F and position a rack in the middle.

Par bake the crusts for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before filling.

Once cooled, divide the passion fruit filling evenly among the tart shells. Top with even amounts of coconut yogurt (about 1/3 cup per tarts)

Divide sugar on top of the tarts and quickly brown with a blow torch

Comfort In A Bowl Of Wild Mushroom Pasta With Garlic and Parsley.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 00:16:00 +0000

Comfort food is not only for cold winter nights or rainy autumn days. There is comfort in summer bright tomatoes, juicy ripe peaches and cooking to warm up your heart or ground you in that okay place. I've meaning to update this blog in the last few weeks but didn't have the heart to. We, my husband, his family and mine were battling a fight we could not win. My father in law, my father number 2 and my husband's best friend and band mate of 30+ years passed away from complications of cancer. He fought with dignity up until the very last moments. When I tell people he was 93 years old, the response is "wow, he had a great life!". Yes, he did. He was lucky to meet his life partner 73 years ago and be married for 71 years. Yes, he did so many wonderful things with and for his family. Yes. No, it doesn't diminish the void we all feel. While we rejoiced we were lucky to have him this long, we wished for more. As we, humans, usually do.

I went back to Charleston to be there for my family. I cooked meals, listened to stories. I have been in this dreadful place before and I could anticipate reactions and emotions and offer a listening heart and a warm hand. I got back to Birmingham while my husband stayed in Charleston for a little while longer. It's me and one of the dogs. My days are busy at work with long days of really fun shoots (working on the new Ball canning book right now is pure joy) but evenings can feel a little long at times. Especially toward the end of the week when all the week's pressure and work start to take a toll on my mind and body. Thursdays have started to become my comfort food days.

Slow baked salmon on top of pasta with lots of pesto and tomatoes, roasted veggies to go on top of a farro salad, bright vibrant greens with grilled shrimp, lots of lemon and pepper. And garlic. Always a ton of garlic. That's true comfort to me.

Before I left for Charleston, I had purchased at the farmers market a load of wild mushrooms that I sauteed with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shitakes, chanterelles, lion's mane, golden and grey oyster mushrooms. Unsure of timing with the family, I froze my concoction for a later meal. I already had it it my head to preserve the integrity of the mushrooms by adding them, as they were now, to a simple dish of pasta with more garlic and lots of parsley. Something that always reminds me of home, simple days, shared meals and comforting food.

Here it is, one of my favorite meals, to eat alone or share (always better) when things don't seem all that great. It will make you sit down and reminisce, bringing a flow of memories you did not expect but will most certainly welcome and indulge. I know I will tonight.

Wild Mushrooms Pasta:

Serves 4

1 pound assorted wild mushrooms (cleaned and trimmed)

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 pound dried linguine (I used gf pasta but any kind works)

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup white wine (or vegetable stock)

1 large handful freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan (optional)

At the same time, prepare the mushrooms. In a large skillet set over medium high heat, add the olive oil and when it is hot, add the mushrooms. Sautee for a couple of minutes and then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, for five minutes. Add the garlic ad wine (or broth) and cook, uncovered for a couple of minutes longer. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Add the pasta to the skillet, toss with the mushrooms, remaining one tablespoon of olive oil and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with some grated parmesan if desired.

Chilled Riz Au Lait With Citrus Honey Poached Peaches

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 23:38:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who has inquired about the workshop in Charleston. Yes, it is sold out but we do have a waitlist if you are interested. You can send me an email at helenedujardinphoto[at]gmail[dot com]. It's been a busy May with family here and a busy June but I am ready for summer cooking and summer playing!

The heat is on for sure! We've been grilling a lot and making big salads chock full of all the vegetables we can get at the market. The oven is currently not an option I want to have. Gets the house too hot, takes forever to cool off and with longer days and more light, we just want to sit on the patio and enjoy the refreshing evenings as much as possible.

I have not done much baking, and usually it's been on early weekend mornings before it got too warm. Desserts have been lots and lots of fresh fruits and the occasional cookies and ice cream. Not tremendously exciting (well, except for the couple of new ice cream flavors I have been trying to nail), but when summer rolls around, there are always three desserts I tend to put on rotations at the house. Panna Cotta, clafoutis and riz au lait (rice pudding).

Riz au lait is my comfort food. My grandmother used to make it all the time whenever we needed a little TLC. For me it screams "I love you", "Let me comfort you", "make yourself a bowl and come unload what troubles you" or just "hey, things are wonderful, let's celebrate!" It's all that. A gentle hug, a reminder to slow down. The scent of vanilla infused milk just wafting through the house. Something that requires you to pause and stir. Inhale and exhale. To me it is the essence of cooking and sharing. As soon as I make Riz Au Lait, I want to give a bowl to someone.

Granted, it's usually a dessert I make more often in the fall and winter months but chilled rice pudding adds a nice bite and cold creamy smooth feel. I cook the rice with milk and a bit of vanilla, just to the point of the milk being completely absorbed. I let the rice continue soaking in all that lovely goodness until it is cool. It's soft and unctuous without being liquid. The creaminess will reveal itself in the bite, not the look. Once cooled, I top it off with fruit poached in a citrus and honey syrup. Right now, peaches are ripe and gorgeous, but it could well be rhubarb or strawberries, a mix of different berries, etc...

My extra bit of love comes from a couple of lemon verbena stems I add to the syrup. Vanilla, citrus, honey, lemon verbena. My favorites, all surrounding a comforting bowl of rice pudding. Maybe not like Grandma used to make but she would approve nonetheless. I'm pretty sure of that...

Chilled Riz Au Lait with Citrus Honey Poached Peaches:

Serves 4

For the rice pudding:
2/3 cup medium grain white rice
1/2 cup water
3 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup sugar

In a medium saucepan, bring the rice and water to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a simmer. Add the milk, vanilla bean paste and sugar and cook over medium heat the milk is just about absorbed. Stir off and on, keeping an eye on the milk to prevent it from boiling over.
Remove from the heat, let cool 5 minutes and put a sheet of plastic wrap over the rice for another 10-15 minutes The milk will continue to get absorbed into the rice. The texture won't be as creamy as freshly warmly made rice pudding but that is what we are looking for here. The creaminess will reveal itself in the bite, not the look.
Divide into 4 bowls and let refrigerate until ready to use.
While the rice cools, prepare the peaches.

Citrus Honey Poached Peaches:
2 peaches, halved and pits removed (I left the skin on, but feel free to peel them before you poach them)
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey
2 lemon verbena stems

In a tall saucepan, place the peaches, orange juice, water, honey so that the peaches are submerged in the liquid. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Poach the peaches for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the peaches and lemon verbena from the saucepan and let cool completely. Discard the lemon verbena. Continue to cook the syrup until it has the consistency of honey or syrup.
Let cool slightly. Slice the peaches and divide them on top of the rice pudding bowls. Top with syrup and serve.