Food styling – Grow. Cook. Eat.

February 14, 2011

My Favorite Valentine (recipe: Cauliflower-Spinach Vichyssoise)

I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day, with all the red hype and floral expectations.

Perhaps, I’m jaded by the years of working in restaurants. As my old boss used to say, “This one’s for the house.” The night is so busy that we plan menus based on ease and efficiency, not on elegance, creativity or fun. Restaurateurs just want to get to midnight with grace and minimal damage to the restaurants’ reputations for slow service.

Or maybe it’s the high expectations of the “holiday.” I love grocery shopping on Valentine’s Day, watching all the flustered boyfriends: grocery list in one hand, bouquet of flowers in the other. You can see the worry and determination in their eyes to create the most romantic, most delicious meal…

I’m sure I sound like the Grinch at Christmas, but I much prefer the authentic times, the idle Tuesday evenings… when the love and gratitude for our friends and loved ones shows off effortlessly.

Boyfriends have come and gone, and my favorite Valentine’s Days remain the evenings I’ve spent with friends: Sitting by the fireplace with a lovely meal and bottle of wine. And eating ice cream out of the carton for dessert.

Wishing you happiness and love, today and always.

CAULIFLOWER – SPINACH VICHYSSOISE
This soup is terrific served hot or cold.

3 tablespoon Butter
1 shallot — peeled and chopped
½ apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 celery stalk
4 garlic cloves
1 head cauliflower – cored and chopped
2 leek – washed
¼ cup white wine
6 cups water
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup cream (opt.)

Heat a large pot over medium flame. Melt butter. Add shallots, apple, celery, garlic, cauliflower and leeks. Sauté until cauliflower begins to turn limp and brown a little. Deglaze with white wine. Cover vegetables with water, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.

Purée soup with cream, and return all but 1 cup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Purée remaining soup with spinach. Put in a separate pot.

To serve: ladle white vichyssoise into bowl. Ladle green vichyssoise into the center.

That extra loving touch:
Make vanilla oil to garnish soup: Heat ½ cup canola oil with ½ teaspoon curry powder and ½ vanilla bean. Simmer over low heat for 3 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Soup Photograph: Ellen Callaway. Food Styling: Me.

July 2, 2010

Peach Sangria

Don't forget about the Equal Exchange Chocolate Give-Away. Leave a comment on this post to enter.

I met my best girlfriend exactly 25 years ago. I remember the day precisely…. It was the fourth of July, and our picnic blankets were right next to each other on the downtown Mall of Washington DC. We were both there with friends to enjoy The Beach Boys’ annual concert and watch the fireworks display at dusk. As we tell the story, we were the only ones dancing among our friends.

We weren’t sophisticated eaters or drinkers back then… our coolers were filled with Popeyes Fried Chicken and Rolling Rock Beer.

I haven’t lost my taste for Popeyes, but my beverage choices have gone decidedly up-market.

On hot summer days, I now prefer Peach Sangria. It’s light and refreshing. And because it’s diluted with juice and soda, it makes for easy quaffing with minimal impairment (especially important when drinking in the sun).

Wishing you a refreshing and festive holiday weekend!

And to Michelle, Happy Anniversary!

Peach Sangria

1 ½ lb. peaches, peeled (opt.) and sliced
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups apple juice
1 bottle dry white wine
3 tbs. curacao or other orange flavored liquor
2 cups soda water (opt.)

1. Combine fruit, sugar and apple juice in a pitcher. Stir to dissolve sugar and let sit for 1 hour.

2. Add wine and liqueur. Refrigerate.

3. Add soda water just before serving. Serve over ice.

Peach Sangria Photo Credit: Ellen Callaway.

January 22, 2010

A Point of Clarification

Most cooking techniques involve some form of fat or oil. Marinades have oil, sautés and stir-fries require a thin layer of fat in the bottom of the pan, and broiling works better if the food has a thin sheen to protect and also help brown the exterior. Steaming and poaching are low-fat methods that usually require no added fat.

But back to the fat…the question becomes, which fat do you use when? And how can you effectively substitute if you do not have the required ingredient on-hand?

There are three ways that fat/oil is used in recipes: as a cooking medium, as a flavor enhancer and as a moisture additive (I just made up that term). Each way requires a different way of looking at the issue.

Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
Most of you have heard of smoke points, right? This is the temperature that oil begins to smoke… not to be confused with the flash-point, the temperature when oil will catch fire. So when choosing oil for sautéing, frying or other high heat cooking you want to choose an oil with a high smoke point – oils with lower smoke points turn bitter and lose their lubricating qualities when over-heated.

In general, refined oils have a higher smoke point than unrefined. This holds true for olive oils as well. What does this mean for your cooking? Using extra-virgin olive oil for high heat cooking destroys the flavor. It’s a waste of a high-priced, high-flavor oil. Better to use 100% pure olive oil, which is from the second or third pressing and has a higher smoke point.

Many people use olive oil for cooking because of its purported health properties. It’s ratio of mono and polyunsaturated fats make it a better choice for raising HDLs and lowering LDLs. Canola oil is rivals olive oil in this area.

Similarly, butter has a higher smoke point when it’s clarified. The milk solids in butter (which make up 5%-15%) burn at a much lower temperature than the butterfat. By removing the milk solids, butters smoke point increases to 400F.

Oils for High Heat Cooking
Peanut, Canola, 100% Pure Olive, Clarified Butter, Grapeseed.

I use canola oil when I don’t want any flavor from the oil. When I’m frying banana spring-rolls, or another dish where I know it will absorb the flavor of the oil, I use clarified butter. I avoid peanut oil because (1) I’m allergic to nuts and (2) lots of other people are too, and it becomes a hidden allergen.

I save the extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings and low-heat cooking where I want that distinctive flavor.

Photo Credit: Ellen Callaway

Banana Spring Rolls with a Drizzle of Chocolate and Ginger

Spring Rolls
3 bananas
6 tbs. brown sugar
¼ cup clarified butter or plain oil
12 spring roll wrappers
melted dark chocolate

1. Cut banana in half lengthwise, and then in ½ again width-wise
2. Lay a spring roll wrapper on a work surface with a point facing towards you. Put a piece of banana on the wrapper a little bit off center, and ½ tbs. brown sugar on top. Roll the spring roll like a burrito – pull the sides over and then roll it up.
3. Repeat process to make 11 more spring rolls
4. Heat oil or butter in a large skillet to medium high. Cook spring rolls until brown and crispy on all sides. Serve with crème anglaise and a drizzle of melted chocolate.

Crème Anglaise
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup half -n- half
3 slices of fresh ginger

Scald half -n- half with ginger. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Slowly add half -n- half, stirring constantly. Return to heat and continue cooking over low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula until the custard thickens. Remove from heat immediately. Strain out ginger.

April 13, 2009

Good Photography

Even the best food stylist needs a good photographer. I am neither, but Ellen has a way of making my food look delicious.

Take for example, this plate of braised shortribs with beet puree and broccoli raab. The colors are spectacular – the electric fuchsia of the beets, the bright green raab and the contrastingly dark braised short ribs.

Can you tell which photo was taken by the professional and which was taken by me? In both cases, I cooked and plated the food.

And perhaps, when Ellen's behind the camera, I spend more time plating and less fussing with my own camera.

In the end, we decided not to add this photo to the portfolio because it still wasn't the best showcase of either of our works.

April 8, 2009

Food Styling (Recipe: Fettucine with Spring Mushrooms

Growing up, I cooked mostly from the Time-Life Cookbooks. I loved the pictures in The Good Cook series that guided me through the techniques of each recipe. When I tired of those, my mom bought me the Healthy Home Cooking series and then the Great Meals in Minutes. To me, these books were far more interesting than Judy Blume or Nancy Drew. I would browse through the pictures, and ask my mom to buy the ingredients of the most enticing photos.

On the cover of Fresh Ways with Fish & Shellfish was the most enticing photo of Shrimp and Asparagus Wrapped in Sole. I read the recipe once, twice and then after the third time, I finally queried my mom – how was I going to wrap the fish around the shrimp and asparagus to look like the photo? She couldn’t figure it out either, and so she got on the phone to call the editor. I guess at this point in the story, I should mention that she worked for Time-Life Books so it wasn’t completely over the top that she should pick up the phone.

It was at that moment I discovered what food styling is all about: making food look enticing and succulent for the camera. Realistic and edible are not required.

Every once in a while, I will style food for local photographer Ellen Callaway. Together we created a portfolio of food shots. Unlike the recipes I create for my blog, we pick dishes that inherently will work for the camera. Because of that early childhood trauma, I refuse to stage food that is not created according to the recipe accompanying the shot.

For a recent photo shot, I wanted to create a pasta dish with chanterelle mushrooms, but only hedgehogs were available.

Fettuccine with Wild Spring Mushrooms and Parmesan

½ pound fettuccine
3 scallions, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces each
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
½ pound chanterelle or hedgehog mushrooms, brushed clean and cut into quarters
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
¼ cup dry sherry
Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste
Freshly grated parmesan

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. One minute before it’s done, add scallions to the water. Drain pasta and scallion together and toss with olive oil.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high flame. Add butter. When it’s melted, sprinkle the mushrooms in one layer in the pan. Top with a sprinkling of garlic, shallots, thyme, salt and pepper. Let cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Stir and then let cook for another 3 minutes.
3. Deglaze the mushroom pan with sherry. When mostly reduced, adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
4. Toss pasta with mushrooms. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Some other photos, Ellen took of my food:
Braised Artichokes with Creamy Risotto

Beets and Goat Cheese Napolean with Buttered Walnuts

Cappuccino Petit Fours

July 2, 2008

Farmers’ Market Report, Part 2: The Beet Goes On

Beets get a bad rap, though I’m not sure where it comes from. Perhaps it’s a hold-over from the days when the only variety available were canned, leaving them mushy, salty and bland. To me, they are a perfect balance of firm, refreshing texture with a sweet, earthy flavor. Best of all, they are nutritious, so I feel downright virtuous when I consume a bowlful like candy.

Last week, beets appeared at the market. They were shamefully small, and I couldn’t imagine there’d be much left after peeling. As much as I love beets, it seemed the farmers were rushing the process.

This week, however, they were decidedly larger. With the greens still attached I know they are freshly harvested — beets that have been in storage have the tops cut off as they wither in a few days. Like tomatoes, beets come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes – candy striped with white rings, golden, pink and red. They range in sweetness, the red sometimes cloying by comparison to the lighter colors.

Roasting beets intensifies the flavors and the sweetness. It also makes peeling easier. Before roasting, be sure to scrub the beets well to remove all the dirt. Toss them in some olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake in a 350 oven for an hour or so.

Lately, my favorite preparation has been roasted with bacon and onions. While the beets are roasting, I sauté bacon and onions together until the bacon is crisp and the onions are caramelized. When the beets are cooked, I peel and slice them and toss them in the bacon-onion mix. Seasoned with a little lemon juice or mint, they are the perfect accompaniment to salmon (Crusted with pistachios and horseradish) or a pasta carbonara with peas or asparagus. Pureed with a little olive oil or chicken stock, it makes a delightful sauce for just about anything.

Beets with goat cheese are a classic combination. The tart, creaminess of the cheese balances with the sweet, firm texture of the beets. Though, I don’t eat nuts, walnuts add both texture and flavor that some say is the perfect compliment.

Of course, beets stain exceptionally well – hands, cutting boards and clothing. The best remedy is to wash with a paste of cold water and baking soda. Not only does it remove the red from your hands, it leaves them soft as well.

Beets and Goat Cheese Napolean with Buttered Walnuts

1 lb. red beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
1 tbs. red wine vinegar
1-2 tbs. fresh chopped thyme
4 oz. creamy goat cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put beets in a pot and cover in cold water. Season water with salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until skins easily peel off.

2. When beets are cooked, cool under cold running water. Peel beets. Slice. Toss beets with red onions, vinegar, olive oil and thyme.

3. Put beets on a plate, and dollop goat cheese on top. Garnish with mesclun and buttered walnuts

Balsamic Mesclun
1 pound mesclun
3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. shallots
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. mustard
½ cup + extra virgin olive oil
pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Put balsamic, shallots, thyme and mustard in a blender. Puree. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar

Buttered Walnuts
1 cup walnuts
2 or more tbs. butter
salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet. Toss in walnuts and toast until lightly browned and fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

June 20, 2008

Casual Summer Dining

For much of my culinary career, I prepared elaborate dishes, often with more garnishes than there were components: Seared Sea Scallop Appetizers were garnished with (1) balsamic sauce, (2) arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, (3) fried capers, and (4) fried parsley leaves. It was a running joke in my kitchen when a server would try and take a seemingly complete plate to the diners… “Wait wait, not yet” as I placed more garnishes. All the different garnishes offer color and flavor contrasts.

Now when I entertain at home, I try to simplify as much as possible. I’d rather spend time with my guests than embellishing a dish with layers of flavors. I prepare each dish in advance thinking about interesting flavors, colors and textures that complement the other dishes.

The other night I hosted colleagues at my house. Since I knew we’d be talking business it was especially important that everything be prepared in advance. I had to balance the fact that they all knew I used to cook professionally, so they were expecting an impressive meal.

Hors d’œuvres – Instead of preparing labour intensive canapés, I served a trio of dips: Homemade ricotta with garden fresh basil, green goddess dip with tarragon, parsley, scallion and arugula (also from the garden) and smoked chicken salad. For scooping and dipping, I laid out carrots, cucumbers and crostini. All could be assembled in advance and set out when the guests arrived.

For the main meal, I opted for simple, quintessential spring. I brushed salmon with the green goddess and roasted it, roasted new potatoes with fresh thyme and lemon zest, steamed fresh shelled peas with butter and mint, sautéed morels with sherry and thyme, and roasted asparagus and fiddleheads with garlic and olive oil.

Everything was cooked in advance. By cooking during the relaxed hours before the guests arrived, each vegetable received proper attention: all were bright green and well-seasoned. The salmon roasted to a perfect medium rare. Too often with last minute cooking, we get hurried and forget to taste for seasoning. For this dinner, I threw all the sheet pans the food was resting on into the oven. The salmon cooked a little more to medium and the vegetables warmed through while maintaining their color.

Lucky for me, one of the guests offered to bring dessert — the quintessential spring strawberry-rhubarb pie. With a beautiful lattice top this epitomizes elegant, do-ahead dishes.