project

so every once in a while you need to do something different, something out of the box. in this business, there can be a lot of the same, the same colors, layouts, thoughts and props. don't get us wrong, we love each and every job, and they are all totally different, but sometimes, as in all of life, things start to feel a little the same. that all said, something needed to happen, and quick. we put a team together and started to brainstorm. what came out was a eye opening, adrenaline pounding, fun project that made us rethink what we do in a whole new way. with a little thought from the amazing prop stylist sarah cave, we were off and running. we shot an eight pic series of prop first photos. what we mean by that is sarah, carrie and i went to prop houses all over nyc and searched for the props first and thought of the food and layout second. we searched for the props that get no love, the ones that sit on the back of the shelf, the ugly duckling that needed to see the light of day. we then worked the food with the props and let the layout and the light work its way around that. what we got was an organic feel from a premeditated idea. we will soon have a promo that we will share with a few of the images, but first here is a taste of a shot inspired by coffee and a few props that grabbed our attention on our search. we hope you enjoy, and we will keep you posted on the rest.

cuban black beans

we had a fun weekend celebrating with fellow photographers & stylists at the big leo bbq on saturday - got to chat with some amazing artists like jim bastardo and bjorn wallander while eating great food, enjoying delicious cocktails and a even whole pig roasted by photographer hector sanchez. we contributed our gin & ginger cocktail as well as these amazing cuban black beans. julia diaz is a family friend who graciously passed on this recipe and has convinced me that dried beans really are better than the ones we get from a can. don't get me wrong, i still use canned beans in recipes, but for this one it is absolutely worth the effort to soak dried beans over night. these perfect with some fresh tortillas and a little queso fresco or scrambled eggs and sliced avocado - a delicious addition to any meal!

Julia's Black Beans

1 lb dried black beans

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into quarters

1/3 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

4 tbs red wine vinegar

salt & pepper

in a large pot, soak beans overnight with quartered green bell pepper. transfer beans to the stove in the soaking water and simmer for 45 minutes. heat olive oil in a saute pan and cook garlic, onion and bell pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. add 1 cup drained beans and mash together. add to pot with oregano, cumin and bay leaves and simmer about 1 hour or until beans are tender. add vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

link love

happy weekend! we are excited to sleep, shop at the green market, catch up on blogs, drink lots of coffee and get outside to enjoy the sun. we've had a few busy but wonderfully creative weeks working with some amazing people. can't wait to share a beautiful project we shot with our friend prop stylist sarah cave. shooting all week with the talented photographer frances janisch and prop stylist paul lowe - having way too much fun to call it work! check out this yummy cocktail recipe paul posted on his blog sweet paul. you can also see some of the styling i did in the recent issue of Fine Cooking on the big leo den here.

went to an amazing show featuring ben sollee, daniel martin moore and yim yames to raise awareness for appalacian voices - check out the website to learn more about the cause.

have you seen this beautiful collaboration between jenifer altman & martha mcquade? don't wait too long to order a set.

have a wonderful week everyone and we'll try to post something edible soon!

bloody mary

just a beautiful image and no bulky recipes to give you some inspiration for your weekend libation. i know we've already discussed bloody mary recipes here but if you don't feel like whipping up a batch from scratch, these guys make a delicious spicy mix that we just discovered and adore! like we said before, don't forget the mean beans from rick's picks and a dash of our homemade worcestershire. can't wait to start cooking out of this cookbook that we just picked up - maybe we'll be sharing some of our favorites very soon. just bought one of these today and we're so excited to make our first cup of siphon brew with some blue bottle retrofit beans!

crostini

the artisanal and local cheeses out there are endless and we love trying everything we can. we were inspired by this ricotta made in brooklyn and this recipe in bon appetit from andrew carmellini to try making fresh ricotta from scratch. it's so easy to make with only three ingredients and so incredible to watch come together! why have we never done this before?! so now we have this beautiful homemade cheese - what to do with it? how about a little crostini - ricotta is a great base for showcasing lots of different flavors but we chose to make an onion jam. make both of these ahead of time and assemble the crostini for a delicious & simple appetizer.

just read about an urban winery opening in brooklyn this fall - looks like fun and you can take hard hat tours while the building is under construction! excited to check out this surf art exhibit at three different galleries in chelsea - but hurry cause the show ends august 6.

Fresh Ricotta & Onion Jam Crostini

for onion jam:

2 tbs olive oil

2 cups finely chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbs grainy mustard

1 tsp worcestershire (preferably homemade)

1 tbs brown sugar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

in a small saucepan, heat oil and saute onion until translucent, about 8 minutes. add garlic and cook 1 minute more. stir in mustard, worcestershire, sugar and vinegar and cook until slightly reduced. cool completely.

for crostini:

1 whole wheat baguette

1 cup fresh ricotta (see recipe)

salt & pepper

olive oil

1 cup onion jam

slice baguette and toast in the broiler or grill until golden brown. place a tbs of ricotta on each slice of bread, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and finish with a spoonful of onion jam. enjoy!

chocolate & ginger

as you've probably figured out by now, we love ginger - in our cocktails, in our scones, in our parfaits, and on and on. candied ginger is a wonderful sweet & spicy addition to almost any baked good. recently, we were looking for a healthier option for late night chocolate cravings (or mid afternoon or first thing in the morning!) and stumbled upon this simple recipe from whole living magazine, formerly body & soul. it's a perfect combination of chocolate, spicy ginger and crunchy biscotti to satisfy any craving and great to keep in the cupboard in case of emergency!

on a new york side note, we're excited to check out the New Amsterdam Market this weekend and can't seem to resist the coconut cookies from here every time we walk by!

Double Chocolate & Ginger Biscotti

(adapted from Whole Living)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, plus 1 yolk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

3 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. in a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg, yolk and sugar until fluffy. beat in vanilla and oil until combined. with the mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients until combined. fold in walnuts, chocolate and ginger with a spatula. with moistened hands, shape the dough into 2 logs, each about 9x2 1/2-inches. bake until set on top, about 20 minutes. cool 10 minutes and reduce oven to 325 degrees F. transfer logs to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. bake 10 minutes per side until, crisp and cool completely on a wire rack. store in an airtight container for up to a week. enjoy!

adventures

where have we been?! it's been a busy several weeks of working, traveling, long train rides, catching up with friends, more working, eating bbq, laying on the beach and having amazing adventures. had a wonderful time food styling a cookbook with two amazing women - photographer ann stratton and prop stylist pamela duncan silver - beautiful images and a fun project i can't wait to share. we also took a long train/road trip to the beaches of north carolina for the fourth of july and then enjoyed some wonderful authentic bbq in durham & chapel hill. illegal fireworks on the beach, lots of icy beer from a can, flaky biscuits with salty country ham, vinegary pulled pork and lots sweet tea were just a few of the amazing things north carolina had to offer. but now we're finally home for a bit, happy to be back in this amazing city and back in our kitchen, inspired by our recent adventures. hope everyone is staying cool and eating lots of ice cream!

turnovers

we saw this pear at the market and just couldn't resist his perfect shape and adorable dried leaves - isn't he cute? we bought a few extra and headed home with only a pear portrait in mind. so now what? this recipe from molly inspired me to make an incredibly easy & dangerously delicious little pastry. it's amazing what a little puff pastry can do! this is a great recipe to use with any extra fruit you have on hand (like apples & cinnamon), although watch out for very "wet" fruits making a soggy pastry. a pear turnover & a cup of stumptown coffee is a wonderful way to being your day. (we're currently working out way through latin america!)

Pear Turnovers

makes 9

1 1/2 lbs. firm pears, peeled, cored & cut into 1-inch pieces

1/8 cup water

2-3 tbs sugar

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1 package frozen puff pastry (this is our favorite), thawed

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

2 tbs demerara or turbinado sugar

place pears, water, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. cook for about 5 minutes or until pears are very tender but not too mushy. you can add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture is much too dry. remove from heat and stir in cardamom. cool completely.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. roll out puff pastry into a 15-inch square. cut pastry into nine 5-inch squares. place a generous tablespoon of filling in center of each square and lightly brush the edges of pastry with beaten egg. fold half of pastry square over the filling to form a triangle and press the edges firmly with fingertips to seal tightly. brush the top of pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar. using a sharp knife, make 3 small slits on the top of each triangle to allow steam to escape. place triangles on baking sheets and refrigerate 15 minutes. bake turnovers until beginning to color, 15 minutes. reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until golden brown, 10-15 minutes longer. serve slightly warm or at room temperature. enjoy!

carrot soup

as the temperatures rise and it feels more and more like summer outside, the last thing on our minds was a warm bowl of soup! but with several bunches of carrots leftover from a recent shoot, i couldn't think of anything i'd rather make. it's actually quite perfect to eat near the blasting air conditioner with a cold crisp salad for lunch or dinner. quick to prepare and with minimal time spent by a warm stove, this soup could even be served chilled.

might have to try this salad over the weekend from smitten kitchen via the wednesday chef.

it's now the perfect time of year to start drinking rose and this bottle was always one of our favorites! wonder if we can find it in nyc?

great recipes for icy treats here from design sponge. remember when we made boozy pops here? also, if you happen to be around brooklyn flea or chelsea market, definitely check out people's pops - they're great.

have a wonderful weekend!

Spiced Carrot Soup

serves 4

2 tbs olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

1 lb carrots, peeled & roughly chopped

2 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock stock

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

cilantro sprigs, optional garnish

in a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onions until translucent, about 5 minutes. add garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more. add carrots and broth and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. carefully puree soup in batches in a blender or in the saucepan using an immersion blender until smooth. stir in cumin, coriander and lemon. divide between four bowls and garnish with yogurt and cilantro.

spring risotto

how was your holiday weekend? ours was wonderful & relaxing - filled with beautiful weather, a rooftop bbq, a corn dog from the shake shack and a few long walks in the sun. according to the calendar it's still officially spring, so you've got a few weeks left to make this delicious spring risotto. or use the concept as a base to add your favorite seasonal vegetables all year long. we found a great stand at the green market with amazing sprouted and leafy goodness and decided to pick up some pea shoots (which scream spring!) and lamb's quarters (new to us, but so tasty). too many people think risotto is a labor intensive dish - but it really just requires a little prep and about 20-25 minutes of stirring - and the result is definitely worth it! in our opinion, there are two key elements to good risotto - the freshest ingredients, which should go without saying, and a rich homemade stock. whether you prefer veggie or chicken, make it at home and you'll love the depth it adds to your cooking. hmmm, i feel another blog post coming soon . . on stocks!

Spring Risotto

serves 4

4 cups chicken stock

3 tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled & diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 small carrots, peeled & diced

1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice

1 cup fava beans, shelled, blanched & second skins removed

1 cup lamb's quarters, roughly chopped

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup pea greens

in a small saucepan, bring stock to a simmer and keep warm over low heat. in a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil. saute onion, garlic and carrots until just tender, about 5 minutes. add rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. add 1 cup of warm stock and stir constantly until all or nearly all the liquid is absorbed by the rice. add remaining stock, 1/2 cup at a time and stirring constantly until each portion is absorbed. stir in fava beans and lamb's quarters and cook for 1 minute. remove from heat and stir in cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. garnish each portion with 1/4 cup pea greens and serve immediately. enjoy!