Filed under: Photography
So I haven’t been around much because I’ve been busy, but the good news is that despite this, I have still been cooking and photographing, I just haven’t had the time to sit down and write or edit anything to post. The material is sitting and waiting for my schedule to free up though. What exactly have I been busy with? Very exciting things.
The first will remain somewhat mysterious, but I can share pieces of the story. At the start of the year, I volunteered to contribute some chapter opener photographs to an upcoming cookbook. Originally my photographs were to be the only ones in the book and would feature a finished dish from each chapter, but the publisher decided later to have more photographs throughout. As a result, a professional photographer was hired for the in-chapter photos (of finished dishes), but I was allowed to stay on and shoot more general ingredient photos for the chapter openers.
In spite of this shift, it is a very exciting opportunity, and I’m thrilled to be involved with the project. It offered an entirely new experience and a chance to grow as a photographer. The photography credit and images will be great résumé and portfolio pieces.
The shoot was a challenge, not due to any of the people involved (they were wonderful!), but attempting to capture seven perfect shots of more than a dozen setups (several of the openers had up to four options) was no small task. It was intense trying to get it all done in one day (before the January sun set at 4 p.m.!), but everyone was pleased with the result, and I only had to reshoot one chapter opener at a later date (for a slight variation on the original).
On top of all that, I had to edit my images for print for really the first time. I’ve had a few photos published before, but I didn’t have to worry about the color correction or print specs for those—I just sent along the original files. This time I needed to carefully process each image and provide match prints. I spent many a night obsessing over the most minor details. Being a photographer is certainly not as simple as “aim and shoot”! I realized how much less pressure there is when only posting photos to the Web.
On to the results: The feel of this particular cookbook is bright, colorful, wild, and over the top. Can you guess from these sample shots what the recipes showcase? (Don’t give it away if you know already!) If you’re wondering about some of the compositions and amount of dead space, note that as chapter openers these photos will not be the only element on the page.
Obviously this has been the main reason for my diverted attention these past two months. The cookbook will be released this fall, and I will refrain from sharing more details than that until it is at least sent along to the printer—because then there can be no doubt it is a done deal! At that time I will happily post the final images and any other relevant information.
More excitement: Two weeks ago my husband and I had the pleasure of visiting M and K in New Orleans, our first visit to the proper South. I could go on and on about this trip (miss you, M!), but I’ll focus on the food, which was phenomenal across the board. We tried all of the standards: beignets and cafe au laits at Café Du Monde (totally lives up to the hype), a muffuletta sandwich at Central Grocery (delicious, and a whole one is a good foot in diameter!), hurricanes at Pat O’Brien’s (they go down so smooth . . . ), barbecue shrimp at Deanie’s Seafood (more on this below), and charbroiled oysters at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant (fantastic). We also tried Cajun pasta, gumbo, jambalaya, hot wings, soaked salad, red beans and rice, and king cake from various eateries. It was an incredible tour of the seafood, spices, and palate of New Orleans—one we won’t soon forget.
I loved each meal for different reasons, but I think my favorite one of all was the barbecue shrimp. I had been looking forward to Deanie’s for months beforehand. Really, I had been looking forward to trying the famous dish ever since M and I made a version at her place last year. Deanie’s did not disappoint. My meal started with a fresh house salad with blue cheese dressing. Then the waitress brought out my bowl piled high with whole shrimp in an amazing seasoned butter sauce. Served with it was one of the best French breads I’ve ever had. There are no words. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the flavor of the sauce was absolutely divine (even more so soaked into pieces of bread). I was practically floating on air when we left.
I made barbecue shrimp at home again last night just as M and I did, and while it was really good, now that I’ve tried the real thing, it just can’t compare. The spice packet packs a little too much punch and the seasoning ratio isn’t quite right; Deanie’s sauce was a little more subtly warming and satisfying. I’m sure I’ll never be able to recreate the (secret) original recipe exactly, but Deanie’s does provide a version of the dish on their website. (I’m also planning to make their Sweet Fig Vinaigrette, which sounds great.)
You can even watch a Deanie’s cook make barbecue shrimp on the New Orleans episode of the Travel Channel show Man v. Food. At the restaurant they prepare a compound butter infused with their spice mix, and then they sauté the shrimp in it in a skillet; the packet instructions and the Web recipe instead call for melting the butter, stirring in the spices, and then pouring over the shrimp before baking in the oven. I suspect this difference in preparation affects the outcome. I’ll try making it on the stove top sometime and see for myself.
I have become fascinated/slightly obsessed with Southern food as a result of the trip, and I can’t wait to visit again. If you love food and history and music and fun, you should visit New Orleans as soon as possible too.
Otherwise I have been working, reading, cooking, and continuing to learn the nuances of my new camera and how to better my photographs. It has been a rewarding 2011 so far, and here’s to more of the same!
Filed under: Recipes
I’m working on a post regarding my absence here for the past month or so (totally legitimate reasons, but boy do I have a growing stockpile of recipes and photos to share), and to tide you over in the meantime, here is a unique salad recipe from Cooking Light that I made recently. It’s filling, so it works well as a light main course paired with some bread, fruit, or other accompaniment.
I thought in particular that the shrimp tasted great. The marinade had a good flavor and could be used for any number of meats or vegetables as well as in myriad ways.
A preparation note: I found that if you don’t fully dry the chickpeas (try leaving them on two layers of paper towels at room temperature for half an hour to really make sure), they will absolutely splatter and explode when they hit the hot oil. Personally, I didn’t feel like deep-frying (per the original recipe) was totally necessary, so I’ve adjusted the instructions below accordingly to simply sauté the chickpeas in a thin layer of oil to heat them through and create a slight crispness.
Chickpea Salad with Prawns
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons lemon zest, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley stems
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
18 large (about 3/4 pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cups rinsed and drained canned chickpeas
1/2 cup canola oil
Cooking spray
4 cups fresh baby arugula
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup torn fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup chopped green onions
Combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, parsley stems, 1/2 teaspoon of the red pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, and garlic in a medium bowl. Add the shrimp; toss well. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Dry the chickpeas thoroughly in a single layer on paper towels.
Heat the canola oil in a deep skillet over high heat. Place 1 1/2 cups of the chickpeas into the pan; fry for 4 minutes or until slightly crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove the chickpeas from the pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining chickpeas.
Remove the shrimp from the marinade; discard the marinade.
Preheat a grill pan to medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. (Alternatively, thread the shrimp onto skewers and cook on a grill.) Grill the shrimp for 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
Combine the remaining olive oil, lemon zest and juice, red pepper, and salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add the chickpeas, arugula, spinach, mint, parsley leaves, and green onions; toss gently to combine. Place 1 1/2 cups salad in each of 4 shallow bowls. Top each serving with 4 or 5 shrimp.
My final City Arts assignment (more on that below) was a festive cocktail. As I took stock of the ingredients on hand, I noticed that my longtime bottle of Rose’s grenadine only had a few drops left, so I decided to research a from-scratch recipe. Turns out, making grenadine at home is quite simple. In theory, anyway.
I’m not sure if I’m the only one, but I always thought grenadine syrup was made from cherries. I guess I should say I thought it used to be made from cherries considering how it is now often made exclusively with high-fructose corn syrup and red dye. Never mind that I didn’t realize the name comes from the French word for “pomegranate.” I suppose I can consider that mystery solved.
As I was saying about it being simple . . . have you ever tried to juice and seed a fresh pomegranate? Be prepared to stain every surface and item of clothing in any proximity to the sticky deep red juice that comes dribbling out as you struggle to gently remove all of the arils from the white membranes surrounding them on every side. It’s no easy task.
That being said, I do think it is worthwhile, especially when pomegranates are in season (fall/winter) and on sale. When you consider that true pomegranate grenadines (not those made of corn syrup) typically cost $8 to $20 per 12-ounce bottle, homemade is much cheaper and fresher. The flavor and consistency is virtually identical to store-bought, only better, so you’re sure to be pleased with the results. The downside is that even when making a small batch, it’s hard to use it all up before it expires unless you are hosting a few cocktail parties (or are a heavy Shirley Temple drinker!). Perhaps the better way to look at it is this: making grenadine at home provides the perfect excuse to have a group of friends over for drinks.
Homemade Grenadine
This recipe yields 2 cups grenadine.
1 pound pomegranate (about 1 large)
1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 to 2 cups granulated sugar
Separate the pomegranate juices and seeds from the membranes and skin. (Be careful—this can get very messy and the juices will stain.) In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, cover the juice and seeds with the water and bring to a simmer, stirring until the arils release their juices, about 5 minutes. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-layered sieve into a bowl, pressing the juice from the seeds. Discard the seeds.
Return the strained juice to the saucepan and stir in 1 3/4 cup of the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar as needed. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until desired consistency. Cool to room temperature. Pour into a decorative bottle with an airtight stopper or a Mason jar with lid and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
So I originally prepared and photographed these grenadine and cocktail recipes for the City Arts blog for a holiday drink piece. However, as is often the case, the holidays were busy and time got away, and it didn’t really make sense to post them after the fact. Plus, at about that same time, City Arts brought on a dedicated food writer to contribute to the print magazine, which meant my contributions to the blog would come to an end (for a cohesive focus). The shooting practice and recipe-testing experiences over the past year have been excellent, so I certainly can’t complain!
Since this beverage was intending to be served at Christmas parties, it’s red, bubbly, and named accordingly. However, it seemed appropriate to repurpose the recipe just in time for Valentine’s Day, for similar reasons, and not the least of which because pomegranates (if you make homemade grenadine) are said to be an aphrodisiac. Why not share this cocktail with a loved one this year? In honor of this holiday reassignment, I have renamed the recipe accordingly. Instead of a Bubbly Poinsettia (its original title), let’s go with the über-cliché “Love Potion.” If you really want to go over the top, share some chocolate truffles. Oh, yeah . . .
Love Potion
3 ounces gin
1 1/2 ounces grenadine
1 ounce maraschino liqueur
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Splash of brut champagne
2 lemon slices
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice cubes. Add the gin, grenadine, maraschino liqueur, and lemon juice. Shake well, then strain into two flute glasses. Top with champagne and garnish with the lemon slices.
Pretty Dishes 