A Simple Treatment For Some Amazing Carrots...

I picked up these carrots at the farmer's market on Thursday.  I've got no events this weekend but it had been a while since I played with some food and the camera at the same time...

No peeling needed...a good scrub, a rinse and a pat dry...

The parsley and the thyme were clipped from my new garden (more on that soon).

After nothing more than salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil they are ready for the pan.

...like candy...

My Ad in Edible Marin & Wine Country Magazine

I just picked up the Spring issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country Magazine and it is beautiful!  It has me excited about all of those great ingredients that have started trickling into the markets.  Some things have begun, such as asparagus, spring garlic & strawberries, while others are enticingly close (think english peas & fava beans).

I chose this publication in which to place my first advertisement and I could not be happier with how it turned out.  The magazine and the way I cook and shop could not be more in tandem and I fully expect it to help me reach the audience I am after.  

Here is the ad:

If you are not familiar with this magazine (or any of the Edible Communities publications) do yourself a favor and add it to your reading list.

Edible Marin & Wine Country was started by Gibson Thomas who I have gotten to know a bit through the process of getting the ad ready for the magazine.  She is very talented, very driven and very supportive of community, its artisans and the relationships that help connect them.

You can help support what she is doing by becoming a regular reader of the magazine and help the cause (and your own well-being) by supporting your local farmers markets and the hard working folks who sell their fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, dairy, breads, crafts and so much more.

See you at the market!

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?