summers last breath

so that happened fast!  summer was here and summer ran away...a few weeks of heat on the east coast followed by a bit out west.  in new york and the northeast, it went out with a bang.  a huge lightning and thunder storm slammed through and brought with it the cool beginning of fall on its coat tails.  although we are ready for a nice light jacket and strolls through the city without a full sweat, we will miss the days of cold beer, summer foods, boat rides and fireflies.  a little homemade ice cream is our last gasp at holding on to summer, and even as our hotter days end its never really offseason for ice cream in our book. so before the soups and stews set in, lets enjoy a few more weeks dreaming of that fantastic summer.

TART CHERRY BUTTERMILK ICE CREAM

for our tart cherry buttermilk ice cream we used a mix of sour and bing cherries, but you can use whatever you have on hand.  the buttermilk ice cream is a great base for whatever fruit is in season- try peaches sautéed in brown sugar and cinnamon or plums cooked with honey and cardamom!

2 cups pitted cherries

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbs water

12 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scrapped

2 cups buttermilk

pinch of salt

in a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat.  reduce to medium and cook until slightly broken down and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.  cool completely.

whisk eggs yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl. in a large saucepan, bring cream to a boil over medium heat. slowly drizzle the warm cream into the yolks, whisking constantly and adding all the cream in a slow steady stream.  pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add vanilla bean seeds and pod.  cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

remove from heat and pass through a mesh strainer into a bowl.  whisk in buttermilk and salt.  let cool completely and freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.  remove ice cream from the machine and fold in the cooled cherry mixture. transfer to an airtight container and freeze overnight.

all images © andrew purcell 2013

        

back down south

a few weeks back we spent a fantastic week down south in birmingham, al..  while shooting for cooking light magazine, we ate and drank our way through a town full of fantastic food.  we were showed lots of amazing southern hospitality, eating way too much fried okra, drinking lots of good people beer and connected with great friends like hector sanchez and mairin cooper carins.

this version of our pimento cheese is one we made for our friend dimity's birthday party. she had bbq flown in from butts to go, which we were also lucky enough to hit up while in al – they also happen to have the best potato salad we ever tasted. by no means are we experts on southern food and we definitely don’t discriminate – any bbq , bourbon cocktail or pimento cheese dish is good in our book! here’s what we think is a simple tasty recipe that’s perfect for any summer gathering and has an unexpected kick from easy refrigerator jalapeno pickles.

PIMENTO CHEESE WITH PICKLED JALAPENOS

4 medium jalapenos, thinly sliced

½ cup white wine vinegar
1 Tbs granulated sugar

pinch salt
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
½ tsp whole coriander seeds

combine jalapenos, vinegar, sugar, salt, peppercorns and coriander seeds and shake well. refrigerate for at least 3 days and up to 2 weeks.

8oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup mayonnaise
4oz sliced pimientos
12oz shredded sharp cheddar
½ tsp sweet paprika
¼ tsp salt
2 green onions, chopped
½ Tbs fresh black pepper
Saltine crackers to serves

in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese and mayonnaise, until blended.  add Pimientos, cheddar, paprika, salt, onion and pepper and stir until just combined. can be made and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead. serve with saltine crackers and top with pickled jalapenos.

all images ©andrew pucell 2013

summer cool down

as most of the people living back east already know, its been hot hot hot for too many days in a row...and for those in other parts of the world, you have no doubt heard all of us complaining about it, and we promise, its justified!  here is a drink we cant stop sipping and one that we think is a perfect cool me down treat on a hot summer weekend.  

we have started to get some amazing produce from our local csa in the last few weeks, and recently received some strawberries that were to die for.  we quickly remembered this great strawberry cup recipe from gourmet in print a few years ago.  we made the shrub syrup (the gourmet recipe without adding the soda water and ice cubes), added a little adult enhancer and a bit of cucumber and we think it pretty delicious, let us know what you think!

strawberry cucumber cocktail
makes 1 drink

1 oz. strawberry shrub syrup (recipe)
1.5 oz. quality vodka
2 oz. soda water
garnish with persian cucumber ribbons

combine with ice and stir

all images ©andrewpurcell 2013

gazpacho

well, here we go…after a bit of downtime on the blog (ok, a looooong break), we are newly inspired with some great recipes and images to share. we did a bit of a redesign and made room for some larger photos.  pictures and pancakes will most likely be a fun work in progress, but we really hope to get more images, recipes and those that inspire us up on the blog a lot more often in the second half of 2013!  let us know what you think and maybe what you might like to see. 

this recipe is a simple summer soup that’s refreshing, quick and takes advantage of tomatoes at their peak ripeness. tomatoes that are a bit soft or almost overripe are perfect for this soup! your average red or your favorite heirloom varietal can work just as well as yellow tomatoes and feel free to garnish with whatever veggies you have on hand.

we love eating anything out of these gorgeous bowls from the fabulous Nikole Herriott of www.herriottgrace.com .  made in england by sue paraskeva, we'd love a set of 12.  and if only we could have one of everything from the shop our kitchen would be complete…

we are heading to Birmingham, AL soon for work – any restaurants or shops we shouldn’t miss?

Yellow Tomato Gazpacho

makes 4 cups

2 pounds ripe yellow tomatoes, cored & chopped

1 small cucumber, peeled & chopped

½ to 1 small jalapeño, seeded & diced

1 clove garlic, smashed

2 tbs olive oil

2 tbs red wine vinegar

½ tsp salt

2 whole cloves garlic

1 rustic loaf, sliced and grilled

garnish with thinly sliced candy stripe beets and lemon cucumber, finely diced red onion, thai basil leaves and freshly ground black pepper

in a food processor or blender, combine tomatoes, cucumber, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and salt and puree for about 5 minutes or until your desired texture. chill for at least 1 hour.

slice a bit of the root end off garlic cloves and place in a square of foil. drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil each, close the foil pouch and roast at 400 F for about 1 hour or until tender and soft. let cool slightly and then squeeze out garlic paste to separate from the clove.

divide soup between bowls and garnish with beets, cucumber, onion, basil and pepper. serve with grilled rustic bread spread with roasted garlic.

all images ©andrew purcell 2013

progress

well, we have been away for a bit, keeping busy with our careers and loving every minute.  but we have missed this great outlet and really want to make pictures and pancakes something for everyone to enjoy again.  in the very near future, we will be posting as much as we can...from recipes to work, interviews to inspiration and everything in between.  we hope you can join us on this ride as a newly inspired couple sharing what we love most.

above are a few images from recent work...we'll see you with more very soon!

covers!

happy friday! just a quick hello and some new work. july/august Food Network Magazine is on newsstands now and Andrew shot it with our friend, prop stylist, Paige Hicks, and Rebecca Jurkevich styled the food.
we're excited to watch some baseball and cheer on the angels this weekend while they're in town to play the yankees. also looking forward to seeing these guys and this guy play a free show in our hood on saturday afternoon.
have a great weekend everyone!

summer tart

with such an early hot summer this year, the tomatoes at the market have already been full of delicious flavor! here's a simple tomato tart that makes a great lunch or dinner with some fresh greens on the side and a cold glass of white wine.

lots of new work to share with you soon. we've both been busy working for great clients like People, Food Network, Reader's Digest, La Cucina Italiana and more. we'll post some pics later this week but check out the july/aug Food Network mag for Andrew's cover and a beautiful feature on cherries! also check out both of our websites that have been recently updated with new work & tears.

are you on Instagram yet? both of us are and so are lots of other big leo artists - we love sharing behind the scenes, studio views, pretty props and of course lots of food! hoping to escape the city heat soon & really looking forward to this at the end of the month.

have a great week!

Roasted Tomato Tart
serves 4

4 medium roma tomatoes, halved
3 medium kumamoto tomatoes, halved
4 small vine ripened tomatoes, halved
4 tbs olive oil
1 sprig thyme
salt & pepper, plus more for garnish

12 oz all butter puff pastry

2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
4 cloves roasted garlic, smashed into a paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
12 cherry or yellow pear tomatoes, halved

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. combine tomatoes, olive oil, thyme salt and pepper and spread out in a single layer on a large sheet pan, cut side down. roast for 45 min to 1 hour or until slightly wrinkled but not too browned.

increase oven to 400 degrees F. place puff pastry in a square false bottom tart pan and press up against the edges. prick bottom all over with a fork and fill with foil and baking beads or dried beans. blind bake for 20 minutes. remove foil and beans and return to oven for 8 to 10 more minutes.

in a bowl, combine eggs, milk, goat cheese, garlic and salt and whisk well. carefully arrange roasted tomatoes all over pre baked tart shell and add cherry or yellow pear tomatoes. pour egg mixture over and around tomatoes, filling until almost full but not covering tops of tomatoes. bake 18 to 22 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is set. let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
enjoy!

covers & stuff

just a quick hello - wanted to share andrew's new Food Network Magazine cover that's on newsstands now. check out a few other shots from the inside here and pick up a copy soon!

also excited to share some new work i did for the Williams-Sonoma summer catalog - you can see a few of the spreads here. also check out my recently updated website here!

can you believe it's almost june?! we are excited for a quick trip to Block Island, to fill our bellies at the Big Apple BBQ Block Party and for some fun work projects this month. hope you had a great memorial day weekend - summer is here!

spring!

sometimes it take a little nudge from a friend to get things going. we've been a bit absent from this space, figuring out how to balance everything - we've still been cooking and eating, just not shooting and sharing. our good friend jen, gave us that push when she asked for a guest post on her blog, nectar. check out the recipe for pea & feta crostini, our 46 & mint cocktail and a spring mix playlist here!

now that spring has sprung, we have a fresh outlook and are feeling inspired! check back soon for new posts, recipes and work.

happy new year

happy new year! we had a long overdue vacation over the holidays and spent 3 weeks with family and friends in AZ and CA. back in NYC & we feel recharged for a wonderful 2012! we had some great meals at old favorites like gulfstream, amazing fish tacos at bear flag fish co. and a great dinner in phoenix at noca.

we're working on lots of fun projects we can't wait to share and are feeling inspired by the large stack of cookbooks from our xmas list - especially excited to start cooking and baking from momofuku milk bar, off the menu, & american flavor. before looking forward, it's always good to look back as big leo did for a year of photos - we were so happy to be a part of creating many of these beautiful images over the year!

for the healthy breakfast inspiration above, andrew shot the fit to eat feature from the january 2012 issue of martha stewart living. enjoy!

apple cake

when it comes to dessert, i've always been more of a pumpkin pie (or pumpkin cheesecake) person - and eating a slice for breakfast the next morning with a cup of coffee is really the best part. lots of people have apple pie for the holidays though and it wasn't until last thanksgiving when a friend brought a delicious homemade apple pie that i finally started to understand the allure. so when we made this with apples from our apple picking adventure, i knew it would be a great thanksgiving dessert! and it tasted pretty wonderful for breakfast as well! the recipe is from this cookbook - everything we've made from it, including this, has been so delicious. happy thanksgiving!!

Apple Upside-Down Cake

serves 8 to 10

for the apple butter:

1 vanilla bean

6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup apple juice

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup sugar

split the vanilla bean lengthwise with a pairing knife, scrape out the pulp with the back of the knife, and put the pulp and the pod in a medium saucepan. add the apples, a few drops of lemon juice, and the apple juice, nutmeg and sugar. cover and cook over medium heat until the apples are steamed and soft, 7 to 10 minutes. smash the apples with the back of a spoon until they form a sauce. cook over low heat, stirring frequently to allow the excess moisture to evaporate, for another 10 to 15 minutes. the apple butter is ready when it becomes thicker and smoother and is a rich tan color. let the apple butter cool to room temperature and remove vanilla pod.

for the caramel:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/4 cups sugar

5 apples, peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat and add butter and sugar. stir to combine as the mixture melts. cook until mixture caramelizes to a deep brown color, about 7 to 10 minutes. carefully add the apple wedges and transfer the skillet to the oven. bake 15 minutes or until apples are tender but retain their shape. remove and let cool slightly.

for the cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

cream the butter, brown sugar, salt, baking powder and nutmeg in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. add the egg and 1 cup reserved apple butter and mix to combine. add the flours and mix just until incorporated. spread the cake batter directly over the caramel apples in the skilled and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. the cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool slightly. place a rimmed plate that's larger than the skillet over the top and invert with towels or oven mitts. if any apples stick to the skillet, remove and put back on the cake. let cool 20 minutes before serving. enjoy!

sweet paul - finger food

have you checked out the winter issue of sweet paul magazine that came out on tuesday?! it's the biggest issue yet and full of beautiful photography and styling by all our favorite people. we got to contribute a fun story of finger foods and cocktails with some delicious treats for any holiday party!

also excited that we just picked up a few items we bought from elephant ceramics in the most recent shop update - gorgeous stuff you'll be seeing in some shots soon! finally made it to dinner here with our friend dimity and had an amazing dinner!! we are getting very excited for thanksgiving (the best food holiday of the year) - what will you be making?!

raspberry jam tartlet

seems like the fall colors are in full effect here in nyc and we've had some gorgeous warm days to wander around the city and enjoy! we've been busy working and playing so far this month - our friend ashleywas in town cooking on a yacht and we had a blast planning menus together and creating dishes in the galley. we'll be posting a few of the delicious dishes we came up with here soon - like sausage pretzel crostini and asian lobster buns! before she headed off to morocco we met for drinks at the breslin in a newly discovered cozy nook upstairs.

looking forward to the holiday issue of sweet paul magazine to come out next week! sporting these cute new toms to support movember and raise awareness for cancers affecting men. we've had 2 memorably great meals out recently - an indulgent comfort food filled dinner at the redhead and amazing pizza at Co.

hope you enjoy this cute little jam tartlet - perfect afternoon snack . . . or sweet treat for breakfast!

Jam Lattice Tartlets

makes 4

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tbs sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, diced

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp almond extract

2 tbs ice water

1 jar raspberry jam

confectioner's sugar, for serving

in a medium bowl, combine flours, sugar and salt and stir. add butter and using fingers or pastry cutter, work mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with some small pea-size lumps. in a small bowl, whisk together yolk, extract and water and add to flour mixture. stir just until dough comes together and forms a ball. divide dough into 2 balls, flatten into disks and cover in plastic wrap. chill 1 hour.

preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease four 3 1/2-inch tartlet pans with removable bottom. keep on disk in the fridge and cut one disk into 4 equal portions and roll each out between sheets of parchment into a thin round slightly larger than the tartlet pan. transfer each circle to the prepared pan and press lightly to fit into pan. prick the bottom of the tart dough with a fork and chill for 15 minutes in the freezer. bake 15 to 20 minutes or until shells are golden brown. let cool slightly.

distribute jam among 4 pre-baked shells, filling almost to the top. cut remaining disk into 2 parts and roll into circles about 1/8-inch thick. cut into long thin strips with a knife or pastry wheel. assemble a lattice top across each tartlet, trimming the edges of all strips so they are flush with the edge of the pan. bake 20 minutes or until jam is bubbly and top is golden brown. let cool, 15 minutes in pan and then remove from tartlet pan and cool completely on rack.

dust with confectioner's sugar before serving. enjoy!

halloween for adults

happy halloween everyone! Just wanted to pass on a link and a couple images we did with dimity jones for her blog three to one. she wrote this fun little story about a couple cocktails for the holiday. we were more than happy to photograph them before we drank them. check out her blog often, as it has amazing writing and lots of talented photogs are featured all the time! check back here this week as we will be sharing more recipes and images. happy halloween

apple picking

we came home with loads of fruit from apple picking at stuart's farm over the weekend and wanted to come up with some new recipes. they may not be the most beautiful northern spy, macoun, baldwin and mutsu apples due to some late season rain but they taste great - it was so much fun to walk through the orchards on a cool overcast day, tasting apples before we picked them to ensure the most tart flavor and crunchy texture before filling our bags. we'll post a sweet apple recipe soon but on this cold rainy almost wintry feeling evening in nyc a savory dish felt more appropriate. there are many classic combinations but few are better than pork, apples & sage - this dish is a simple roast dinner and the apples become unbelievably tender and creamy.

Roast Pork Loin with Apples & Sage

serves 6 to 8

4 tbs olive oil, divided

3 1/2 lbs boneless pork loin roast

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

6 to 8 small tart apples, quartered or cut into wedges

6 large leaves fresh sage, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

grease a large baking dish with 1 tbs olive oil. place pork roast in fat side up and season all over with salt, pepper and 1 tbs oil. arrange apples around meat and drizzle with remaining oil. sprinkle pork and apples with sage and garlic. roast for about 1 hour or until temperature reaches 140 degrees F. let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing to serve with apples. enjoy!

thanksgiving tears

a quick hello and some fun tears from a thanksgiving spread i styled. look for these delicious holiday dessert recipes in the november issue of everyday with rachel ray - shot by the talented jose picayo! it was so much fun to bake such a great variety of sweets and the whole crew enjoyed taste testing as well.

we had fun apple picking and can't wait to share some of the tasty recipes we came up with after the adventure. we also stopped here on the way back to the city and loved exploring such a beautiful old place full of history.

tacos

it's getting to be that time of year when preparing slow roasted meats or dishes in the slow cooker sound wonderful. this recipe was inspired by a dish we saw on diners, drive-ins & dives from a fantastic looking mexican place in cleveland - slow cooked brisket, shredded and served as yummy tacos! and it's the perfect dish to smother with this roasted tomatillo salsa.

excited to go apple picking with a friend from out of town this week and to check out this farm stand. also had an amazing day wandering among sculptures and beautiful fall colors in the hudson valley here - definitely worth the drive out of the city!

happy weekend!

Braised Beef Tacos

serves 4 to 6

for beef:

3 1/2 lb beef brisket

3 tbs ground coffee

2 tbs kosher salt

1 tsp jalapeno powder

1 tsp ground chipolte chile

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 large onion, cut into quarters

3 bay leaves

3 sticks mexican cinnamon

6 cloves garlic, smashed

1 lime, juiced

for tacos:

1 tbs olive oil

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

1 large onion, peeled & thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tbs heavy cream

1 tbs dried oregano

corn tortillas

tomatillo salsa

cotija cheese

avocado

preheat oven to 300 degrees F. in a small bowl, combine coffee, salt, jalapeno powder and chile powder and mix. rub all over brisket to coat well.

heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add olive oil. sear meat on each side until nicely browned. add remaining ingredients plus 2 cups water and bring to a simmer. cover and transfer pot to oven and cook for 3 hours or until tender. remove meat from broth and set aside until cool enough to shred. strain liquid and return to pot. simmer over medium heat until slightly reduced. stir shredded meat into broth and keep warm.

heat olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium high heat. add peppers, onion and garlic and saute 10 minutes or until softened. stir in heavy cream and oregano.

for each taco, top a warm corn tortilla with about 1/4 cup meat, a few tablespoons of stewed peppers and onions, salsa, cheese and avocado. enjoy!

green sauce

a quick hello and a very simple recipe for a great roasted tomatillo salsa. stop by later this week for a great machaca taco recipe . . . a perfect place to use this not too spicy tangy green sauce! it's also great on huevos rancheros, yum. the green market this weekend was in full autumn mode and has inspired lots of cooking on our few and far between days off.

we've been working on loads of fun projects lately and can't wait to share some new tears. (like the thanksgiving desserts spread i styled in the new EDRR - pick it up!) remember when we made homemade worcestershire here? well, we were making bloody marys with our friend dimity recently and it inspired her to post this. we celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary last week but still haven't gone out to dinner to celebrate - any suggestions for a fun new spot in nyc? happy monday!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

makes 2 1/2 cups

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

4 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped

10 medium tomatillos, husks removed, scrubbed and quartered

6 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

preheat oven to 400 degrees F. toss onion, jalapenos, tomatillos, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together on a large baking sheet. roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until softened and lightly charred. transfer to a blender with lime juice and cilantro and blend until combined and smooth with a few chunks remaining. serve warm or room temperature & enjoy!

budino

remember when we just told you about a great trip to philly and the delicious salted caramel budino at barbuzzo? well you can imagine how happy we were to see the recipe printed in the september issue of bon appetit! a great make ahead dessert and the perfect ending for our lovely evening with matt, adam & linda a few weeks ago - we all just about licked the jar clean. find the recipe here.

we both have lots of work out right now in mags like every day with rachel ray, food network and a cooking light special issue but the knotted dinner rolls and ragus i styled for the oct/nov issue of Fine Cooking were really delicious recipes that stick out in my mind- especially this one.

it was a beautiful new york day on governors island yesterday for pig island. a few favorites were maple bacon sticky buns from print & lechon nam khon from ducks eatery. hope you had a great weekend!

work

hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend! we're getting some much needed R&R, catching up on magazine & blog reading, drinking lots of coffee from here, watching lots of tennis and hanging out with friends. we had an amazing evening friday night finally getting to meet matt & adam, who came over for dinner with our good friend linda. it's always inspiring to hang out with people in our industry who are such wonderful people!

just back from styling on a week long cookbook shoot in Maine here - a beautiful part of the country, amazing farm, great crew (shot by matthew benson), all the lobster rolls and steamed clams we could eat and a truly inspiring week with barbara & eliot. can't wait to share some images!

above is some of andrew's latest work from the september martha stewart living. also check out his website which is newly updated & have a happy labor day tomorrow!