Sara Remington's Lecture at CCSF

Since I first discovered Sara's incredible work close to a year ago I have made it my personal mission to meet her and talk to her about her images and experiences as a photographer.


Knowing how busy she keeps herself, in an industry where many very talented photographers are struggling to find work, it was that much more special that I was able to attend her lecture at the City College Of San Francisco this past Monday.  (Special thanks to Marshall Berman, whose class she was speaking to, for extending the invite!)


I had so many questions to ask her, a few of which were answered through the course of her lecture, and a few more that I asked directly.  I'll admit holding a few back in hopes that we will soon get the chance to get together at her beautiful studio and talk some more.


You should NEED to go visit her website and take a look at her beautiful photographs.  

Are you still here?  Go...seriously, I'll wait...

You're welcome!  (thanks for coming back...wasn't sure you would...)

Sara is not just a food photographer, but shoots travel and lifestyle as well.  She has some great work on her blog from trips she took to Argentina and to Calabria, Italy (both current book projects).


I have spent so much time in the year since leaving the commercial kitchen looking at food photography.  Having looked at so many sites and in so many magazines, I've yet to find any work that inspires as much as hers.  I don't know how to describe it other than saying her images still have their soul intact.  There are so many "pretty pictures" out there...so many technically great photos, but many just don't tell a story.


In the same way that I love cookbooks that are more than just about the food itself, I love photography that gives you the sense of a place and the culture that supports a cuisine.

My Beloved Knives, Part 6

Forschner

(6 inch boning & formerly 6 inch boning)

These Swiss made knives are without a doubt the most bang-for-the-buck knives in my kit.  They are very well made and, at about 20 bucks each, a real bargain.  I really do love to butcher, and these knives make the job a joy.  They've helped me break down maybe fifty whole lamb, literally thousands of chickens and countless other ducks, rabbits, quail and the like.  If you happen to be a vegetarian do not read the previous sentence...see, I'm a compassionate guy.  My meat fabrication teacher at the CIA used a knife that looked like the one on the bottom in the picture above but the blade had been worn down even thinner.  I remember wondering how that could possibly happen...how could a knife get used so much (and resharpened...or should I say re-shape-ened?)...to get that thin...and of what use is it then?  I have two more of these knives that are worn to degrees between these two, so I guess I no longer wonder how a knife can get so worn.  This instructor was a true character...tons of energy...he spent many years working as a cutter in a Hormel plant and was also an umpire for Major League Baseball...a fairly common combination of jobs, I'm sure you would agree.

My Beloved Knives, Part 5

MAC

(8 1/2 inch chef's & 3 1/4 inch paring)

These are my favorite and most used knives.  These great Japanese knives are light, thin, and nimble...and "relatively" inexpensive.  I used to be able to get the chef's knife for about $90...now they are closer to $150.  To some of you this may not fit into the admittedly stretched category of inexpensive, but they are an absolute dream to use, hold an edge very well and will last a long time.  I used to think I loved the larger, thicker, heavier German knives but once I got used to the "mighty MAC" there was no looking back.  Now when I go back and cut something like carrots with the Friedr. Dick knife it feels more like splitting wood with an axe.  It cuts the first third of the way, then just splits the rest of the vegetable before the blade has a chance to slice.  No nice smooth cut, just splintered shards.  The MAC, on the other hand just feels like it is gliding through.  My first MAC was a gift from a chef I was working for who always seemed to hate my "big klunky German knives".

There is no right or wrong, here...use what you like.  To me it is a bit like golf clubs or skis...such a personal choice.  Ultimately, it's about the end result.  Do your golf clubs help you enjoy the game and shoot better scores?  Do your ski boots hug your feet just so after hours on the mountain?  Does your knife fit YOUR hand comfortably and help you get the results you are after?

My Beloved Knives, Part 4

Gustav Emil Ern

(9 1/2 inch blade)

This knife was a leave behind by a former roommate and co-worker (he stole from me while we lived together, so don't think too poorly of me for not tracking him down to make sure he gets it back).  When I found it in a random box in the garage it looked like something I probably should have just thrown away.  Every square inch of the metal was pure rust!  It felt hefty and well made in my hand so I figured it worth taking a chance on and I brought it to my "knife doctor".  He did the most amazing job in bringing it back to life and, in doing so, revealed that amazing stamped logo.  I love this knife's character and it's what I use for hacking up bones (oops, that makes it sound like I'm coughing up bones...maybe whacking is the better word) to make stocks and sauces.  If you look closely, you can see some pretty significant nicks in the blade.  Poor guy, his last job was chopping up some very sturdy venison bones while I was still chef at Calistoga Ranch.  I have since relegated him to more suitable bone chopping jobs such as fish frames, chicken, duck, and rabbit bones, to name a few.

My Beloved Knives, Part 3

Friedr. Dick

(8 1/2 inch blade)

Ok, so it's not the most macho chef thing to have your name engraved on your knives, but let me explain.  This is one of my culinary school issue knives, the same one everyone at the school has...need I say more?  This is a heavy, thick, sturdy German knife.  No longer my style (...future post...) but it still gets some use in my kitchen.  This one comes out when I need to halve a large winter squash (if you've ever tried cutting a kabocha, you will know what I mean) or filet a whole salmon where my more delicate Japanese knife might get dinged.  When my family and I were in Venice one of the vendors at the Rialto Market was using a saw very much like this one...

to cut these kabochas (photo credit to my sister, Robin...go Robs!)...