Something from Nothing

Between shopping for shoots and shopping for a family with three kids, a dog and two parents - I find myself in grocery stores frequently, very frequently.  It has certainly happened that after a day in a studio working certain foods, I never want to see them again.  OK, maybe not never ever but just not for a long time. There is a correlation between the time spent with the said food and the amount of time that can pass before you might consider eating it again. I estimate that it is about one month for every day of working intensely with that food.  I remember working on a TV commercial for five days, and for five days I made lasagna.  I did not want to see, smell or eat lasagna for six months. When work is busy, and the food diversified - my personal menu options get drastically reduced.  

Sometimes shoots have good leftovers, and if they are food-safe and not in twenty kilo packs I am usually game. I might MacGyver some of these items into a week night family meal, when time is of the essence and short cuts are appreciated.  A friend of mine once called me "Kitchen MacGyver", a compliment I think, in the fact that I could conjure up a meal from relatively slim pickings.  This skill came from passing summers at a log cabin with no electricity, a hand pump and very basic propane appliances. This talent has come in handy as a parent and has proved very helpful as a food stylist. Being able to deconstruct and rebuild on set is essential, and sometimes the craziest solutions yield the best results.

I came across a food quote worthy of sharing the other day and it is credited to the Duchess of Windsor: "If you accept a dinner invitation, you have a moral obligation to be amusing."

Bon appétit tout le monde!      

Photo credits: roasted chicken leg by  www.michaelkohn.com, shrimp & mushrooms by www.mmphotos.com.

Genus Allium (a.k.a Garlic!)

Garlic has always been one of my favorite food groups, a fact that has been known about me for quite a while. Before getting married, friends and family got together and threw a surprise bridal shower in my honour, and the cake was in the shape of a gigantic head of garlic!  I have incorporated garlic into all kinds of food, you name - I tried it: the 40 clove garlic chicken, roasted heads as individual appetizers, soup and so much more.  I love it roasted, fried, raw and caramelized.  Friends were recently telling me how they have breaded and deep fried some cloves and the results were outstanding.

I have decided to take some kind of control and ownership of my garlic habit and plant some now, in November, and await the pungent but tender green shoots come Spring and the gorgeous full heads in the Fall.  Reputable sources are saying that it is not too late nor too cold.  I have some tasty Ontario garlic that I plan to put to the test. 

In ancient times, Virgil declared garlic to be "essential to maintain the strength of the harvesters."  The great pyramid at Giza is inscribed with words of wisdom regarding the garlic ingested for extra strength and good health by the men who built it.   I can vouch for the fact that I am healthy and strong and have never had an encounter with a vampire, thanks garlic.

Photo by www.michaelkohn.com.

   

Halloween

Another All Hallow's Eve has come and gone, and surprisingly enough - without tears!  Maybe it is because the kids are just that much older, maybe it was because school and Halloween did take place on the same day - but whatever the reason, I was relieved.

We live in a neighbourhood that LOVES Halloween, houses go all out in terms of decor and the kids are really well received.  We had a few people over, the youngest was a seven month old bumble bee - though she was sleeping during prime trick or treating time.  

Of the kids who did go out we had a too-shy-to-wear-a-costume two year old, a 3 year old Spiderman, an eight year Indiana Jones-ish man, two eleven year olds - an Al Capone look alike and a camo SWAT soldier, and finally two thirteen year olds in bright pink Indian Princess get-up.   They actually gave out much more that they collected.

My husband started a tradition a few years ago with turning the pumpkins into tiki-torches.  A roll of toilet paper soaked in kerosene for twenty-fours hours provides the wick, and the carved pumpkin - the venue.  It is quite something to see.

I had fun coming up with a few Halloween themed treats for our gang.  I happened upon a bat-shaped cookie cutter at the Shoppe At The (Riverdale) Farm, and knew that I had to have it.  I made a chocolate sugar cookie dough and pressed in black granulated sugar and those tiny coloured sugar ball for eyes prior to baking.  I also made some severed fingers and decorated them with black nail polish, which was a runny royal icing coloured with black food paste. 

 

Our youngest told his father that he should really start thinking now about a better costume for next year because he has worn the same false teeth and wig for four years running.  Another Halloween has come and gone and fun was had by all.     

Thanks to Brian Summers, www.summers.ca for the photos.

A Friend of the Farm

Alas, today was the last Farmers' Market at Riverdale Farm for 2009. The growing season goes by so quickly. We will miss all of the dedicated vendors who come to sell their wares week after week, and look forward to welcoming them back in Spring. We are truly blessed with the bounty for some of the items available at the market included: honey, elk meat, chocolate, freshly baked breads, cheese, mushrooms, beignets, Belgian Waffles, jerk fish, fresh french fries tossed with sea salt and thyme, empanadas and of course - fresh and fabulous produce. These photos represent but a hint of the fruit and vegetables that can be found at the height of the season.

On the subject of the market and Farm, Bill is a volunteer who spends hours clearing the walking paths around Farm. He arrives via public transportation, makes his way through the neighbourhood, and arrives at the Farm, ready to work. He always has his work gloves, a few hand tools, plastic bags and a knee pad along with him. He has been doing this almost everyday for over for 12 years. The work is backbreaking and ongoing, debris is always accumulating on the paths - regardless of the season. Did I mention that Bill is eighty years old? I ran into him the other day as he was walking back from the Farm towards the bus stop. He told me that he was leaving earlier than he likes to because he had to get back and make dinner for his wife who had recently undergone open heart surgery.

Today was Bill's birthday, he had mentioned that the date was coming up a few weeks ago and I made a note of it in my calendar. I surprised him with a cake today. Not knowing Bill's preferences, or if any of the other people who help out at the Farm kitchen had nut allergies, I went with a carrot cake and a vanilla butter cream icing. As I gathered a few items to take over to the farm, I opened the cupboard where I have kept extraneous birthday party material from kids' parties gone by. I found the perfect hat, and one only; an inverted conical hat printed with a farm scene, complete with a sheep, a cow, a barn and a pig.

It seems that Bill is a habitual kind of man. He enjoys a milky tea served in a mug as he works, and then comes by the canteen for a sandwich and a refill of tea around 12:30. I nabbed him while he was finishing off his lunch, sitting outside at a picnic table on a glorious Fall day. Several of the people who work around the Farm joined in, Tim put the birthday hat on him and and we surprised Bill with a sincere rendition of "Happy Birthday" and the cake. He was very touched. We enjoyed the cake, passed out pieces to a few passersby and when everyone had had enough, I packed it up in a box so that Bill could enjoy the rest at home with his wife. I learned a few more things about Bill today, the most astonishing of which is that he travels one and a half hours on public transportation system to get to the Farm, and the same amount of time to get back! He's eighty, and a volunteer! He says that he enjoys volunteering at the Farm because he grew up in the country - and though there would be volunteering opportunities closer to home - they would not have the special feeling of the farm. He has recently cut back on his volunteering days, down to three to four, from six! When I left the Farm today, Bill was still wearing the hat and getting ready to go back to work. The next time you happen to be at Riverdale Farm and see a spunky octogenarian gentleman with a rake, say "hello" to him, for it could only be Bill.

Thanks to Brian Summers for the market photos, www.summers.ca. More information on the Farm can be found at www.friendsofriverdalefarm.com.

Next up on the blog menu - Halloween!

One, Two, Three Testing

Creatives, or testing, are an exchange of services and a way to become more familiar with potential co-workers, checking them out and ensuring that they are client-friendly. Creatives are also a great way to augment one's portfolio, for the stylist and the photographer. I enjoy working on them time permitting, and if they yield useful material. 

For these photos, Toronto photographer Michael Mahovlich, www.mmphotos.com, contacted me with a few ideas that he wanted to execute.  I have worked with Michael on several shoots, so these shots were all about having fun and focusing on our ideas.  The ice cream image is a compilation, I prepared the "chocolate ice cream" on the cone, complete with a frill at the base of the scoop.  Later, Michael captured a chocolate milk pour and drops, and then put the components together for the final image.  

These tests shots are very much what they appear to be and required minimal post work.  The above shot is of cardamom pot de crème, garnished with pomegranate and pistachio nuts.  It was pomegranate season and we liked the trio of  Middle Eastern flavourings served in a contemporary fashion.  The base of the pot de crème is a crème anglaise and is infused with freshly ground cardamom prior to being baked in a bain marie.          

The white chocolate & lime mousse tartlet was inspired by those beautiful tiny Key Limes which are sold in 500 gr. bags - there must be 15 of them in there!  I came up with a recipe and arrived at the studio with a few variations of the tartlet.  The setting adds context and, more importantly, size perspective to the shot so that the diminutive limes read accordingly.

Verdana: Cheese or Font?

A good friend of mine, who happens to be full-throttle food enthusiast herself, passed this website onto to me. What a good time! I played this game for quite a while, and it really is quite addictive - easily justified as one can claim that cheese research is being done! This game would easily lend itself to a dinner-party cheese course scenario... the possibilities are certainly there. Give it a try and see for yourselves how many cheese names and fonts there are in the world. http://www.cheeseorfont.mogrify.org

If you are a competitive type, consider doing research prior to playing. For fun, I checked out my 2006 edition of "The Oxford Companion to Food" by Alan Davidson, to see what it had to say on the matter. Some of the more interesting, and less technical tid-bits include the following:

In 1962, Charles de Gaulle was credited for famously quipping, "How can you govern a country that has 324 varieties of cheese?" to Winston Churchill.

Nowadays, the French cheese count lies somewhere between 450 and 750 varieties.

The worldwide guestimate for cheese varieties is now in the 1500 range, not counting the many nameless types made by small producers, see below.

The cheese with the highest milk-fat content is of course French - the gorgeous Brillat-Savarin which rings in at a whopping 75%*! (*Note: I believe that the European method of measuring milk-fat (MF) is different than that used in North America. The European method yields a much higher percentage, double in fact, than the North American. This could, however, be the answer to the "French Paradox" and the "super-size" of people on our side of the pond. To be further investigated.)

In 1840, a group of Somerset farmers presented a 567 kg (1,250 lb) wheel of cheddar to Queen Victoria as a wedding present.

A hundred and twenty four years later, Wisconsin dairy farmers set out to create the biggest cheddar ever, and it weighed in at 15,190 kg (34,591 lb)!

Cheese is actually one of the oldest of man-made foods dating back to the prehistoric beginning of herding. Cave drawings, found in the Libyan Sahara and dating back to 5000 B.C., depict what appears to be cheese making. Cheese has even been found in ancient Egyptian tombs as an after-life snack.

A few of my personal favorite cheese memories yield from France. My husband and I were once in Bordeaux, staying in an unmemorable one-star hotel. We had reservations for transportation, but preferred to wing it for food and hotels. Across the street from the hotel, we stumbled upon a hip little restaurant with a "Baud & Millet" recommendation sticker in the window. There were various price-levels of prix-fixe menus and all included a visit to the cheese cave located in the cellar. The vaulted ceiling cave was carved out of limestone, had a water drip to maintain humidity and had three levels of shelves - all lined with cheese. I just found the link! It has been a few years since we were there, however, if you happen to be Bordeaux - you must go, and on an empty stomach.

http://www.oubouffer.com/restaurant-bordeaux/qa28566-baud-et-millet

On another trip, we were in Corsica enjoying a meal in a restaurant. I complimented the owner on the cheese and asked its name. "Madame, c'est du fromage!" was the response, and pursuing the question only resulted in the same answer. I speak French, so language was not the issue. I rather think that the cheese was one of those nameless products that is made and enjoyed locally.

The above photo was a creative collaboration with photographer Michael Kohn, www.michaelkohn.com

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving found us in the heart of Northumberland County, one and a half hours east of Toronto, amongst good friends and three beautiful country properties.  The weather cooperated and the colours put on a great show. Photographer Brian Summers, www.summers.ca, was up early to capture this shot of a horse in the pasture.  

We were at friends' on Saturday night, enjoyed a meal of lasagna and singing our hearts out to music from the sixties, seventies and eighties, all accompanied by a very competent and talented acoustic guitar player.

The big Thanksgiving feast itself was planned a week prior, a list was drawn up and tasks and dishes assigned. The meal was to be a sit-down event for some 26 people using china, stemware, cutlery, in a decked out barn complete with a stage, lighting, decor and a sound system.  Seven groups of people contributed to the grand event, and the menu included: shrimp ceviche, chipotle-spiced squash soup, roasted acorn squash, brown-butter mashed potatoes with herbs, salads, a baked potato soufflé and a lovely selection of breads.  A friend who lives out there volunteered to "do" the stuffed turkey. He found a 27 lb. free-range farm bird and did it justice by using a combination stove-top steaming and oven roasting method.  We made a jus-gravy and served the turkey with a cranberry salsa*.  Dessert included pumpkin pie, sweet potatoe pie, apple strudel and carrot cake with cardamom cream (see "Sugar & Spice" posting for recipe).  

One of the food contributions that we brought out was a cranberry salsa, made with organic cranberries purchased at the Riverdale Farmers' Market, www.friendsofriverdalefarm.com. The berries come from Iroquois Cranberries, www.iroquoiscranberries.com and are gathered in the Cranberry Capital of Ontario - Bala. The open-air market will be on for only a few more weeks, as it closes at the end of October.  It is held every Tuesday, from 3pm to  7pm.  I used one pound in the salsa and froze the other.  Cranberries freeze unbelievably well, as they are a natural for IQF (individual quick frozen) and do not clump together.  I received the following recipe when I purchased the berries at the market; I prefer to tone down the sugar content. 

4 cups, (1 lb) fresh or frozen cranberries

1  to 1 1/2 cups sugar (to taste)

2 limes, zested and juiced 

 

Process in a food processor, let sit one hour prior to serving.  Keeps in a fridge for up to ten days, and freezes well.

In between the soup course and the main feast, the eleven children who were present dug up wigs and clothing from the dress-up trunk and put on a dance / fashion and acrobatics show! Having a stage and a sound system in the barn brings out the performer in everyone. Yeeha! The dinner and show was the weekend highlight for our two older children, but for our youngest it was going horseback riding for the first time and bareback to boot!  Our dog is still exhausted by all of the outdoor activity, and the fact that she deservedly got kicked by the resident dwarf donkey.  Needless to say, a grand time was had by all, and we are very thankful for good friends, good health and family.