Food Photography And Styling
Breakfast , Lunch Or Dinner Food is the one staple we know that will continuously keep us on our feet and going strong. We work to eat and as we taste more and more of the flavors of the Earth either being plant or animal strength we gain from each is significant with our ability to work hard and live happy. So Eat , try the foods you don't like or know try different cultural cuisines... " You Only Live Once " so enjoy all cuisines as much as possible....or maybe you won't have " The Abundance Of Life "..... Eat, Drink, Dance and Be Happy ! Buen Provecho, Bon Appetite, " Enjoy Food "
You too can youtube just click on the link to the left and watch my culinary videos and slide shows. Sign up, sign in as a friend and subscribe.....It's all free ! Get up dates on new culinary videos and take a adventure in Food and Wines to pare with your favorite meals.
FINE WINES TO DINE...
There is no doubt that most everyone has heard that wine is good for you. And that the benefits of a glass or two a day " Helps keep The doctor Away " Well now we as regular wine enthusiasts can enjoy the great taste of the worlds grapes and do not have to be a sophisticated sommelier and can do so at a affordable price. There are many Restaurants , Wine Bars , Cafe's and Beverage Stores ( ABC'S Liquor Stores etc.) that offer wine by the glass , wine tasting's and wine seminars to educate the public on wines. Weather your interested a Red, White, or Rose, Zinfandel, Riesling or a Dessert wine what ever your taste it can be suited to your pallet and you learn the mystic of wine flavors and tasting techniques.
Ya know we have all come to age of the computer and the worldwide web,.Yes the Internet which I think most people in the babyboomer and later birth error may be afraid of but , can be of great value as the information tech highway. Wine and Beverage information is highly available to the universe in regards to who, what, where, and how in the wine industry. I have added two wine websites here to the right of this article and I would like to highly recommend a website of a friend of mine her name is Heather Johnston and she is a chef, wine sommelier and does her own Wine and Food paring videos on her website...so with no further a do goto www.sogoodtv.com
Recipes: Warm Olive Vegetables
yeilds: 6 2oz portions
Pan Saute or Sautern
1/4 cup E.V.O.O ( extra virgin olive oil )
1/2 cup Olives Green , Sliced
1/2 cup Kalamata Black Olives cut Halfed ( Pitted)
1/4 cup Olives Green
1oz roasted red peppers large dice (canned )
1oz small roasted shallots quarted
1oz roasted garlic cloves whole peeled
1 cup of tomatoes fresh diced or canned drained
1 tsp herb fesh Thyme chopped
1 tsp herb fresh Oregano chopped
2 cups spinach fresh
Black Pepper as needed
*Attention ! add salt to taste due to the salt content in the olives
Preparation: Slice or dice all vegetable according to ingredients list.Place shallot and garlic cloves together on a roasting or cookie sheet and place in oven @ 350 F for approx 10 minutes or until just tender and slightly browned. Preheat saute or sautern pan and add shallots,garlic and olives, saute for 5 minute and add roasted peppers , tomatoes and herbs. Season to taste . Remove from pan onto side dish and add spinach to the saute pan and cook just till wilted. remove to a serving plate and top spinach with Olive Antipasto. Serve as a side dish with your favorite proteins.
Chef's Sizzling...... Culinary News and Information...Find Out What's Cooking !
ChefMED....." SAID " Recipes
Hospitality Staffing Services
Ingredients and Recipes For Your Menus
Professional Staffing Services are the employers to those of us who need a helping hand feeding ourselves as well as feeding guest in the hospitality industry. The amount of work can be abundant weather it is partime or fulltime you have the opportunity to make ends meet...... and to EAT ! some also.....no pun intended.
To Veg Or not to Veg !....That is the " Question " Maybe you are considering eating better for your health ,dietary reason or medical concerns. Whether it is due to a host of concerns, situations and or reasons we all want to have a more well balanced diet. There are many foods that are varied in good nutritional value, flavors and taste to satisfy our palets.
More people are turning away from meats and animal products and finding plentiful bounty in vegetables,fruits,nuts and grains (legumes). Many nutrionalist and doctors urge us to choose and maintain a diet rich in complex carbohydrates which are found in grains, vegetables, fruits and cereal products which are very effident in vegetarian cooking. When a person includes dairy product in the diet it should be limited and restricted amounts as to include skim milk , low fat milk,yogurts and cheeses.Also by limiting the use of oils to polyunsaturated such as olive oil, sunflower oil, corn and peanut you can reduce fats in your diet substanialy. So try changing your diet to include more vegetables and less meats read up on vegetarian cooking and BBQ is a real treat just click on the link above for the Vegetarian Times News and you will be connected to one of the most exciting publications in cooking healthy and eating better.
Here is a Very Flavorful Vegetarian Pizza:
Feta Cheese ,Spinach Artichoke
Pizza Dough Recipe
1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water @ 70F degrees
pinch of sugar
4 cup white bread flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Dough Method:
Put 1/4 cups warm water in a measuring cup. Add the yeast and sugar let stand for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually pour in the water yeast mixture and olive oil. Mix to make a smooth dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes, until dough is smooth, springy and elastic.
Place the dough in a floured bowl cover and let rise in warm place for 1 -1/2 hours
Tomato Sauce:
14 oz can of chopped peeled tomatoes
2/3 cup tomato sauce
1 large garlic clove finely chopped
1tsp fresh oregano chopped
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp malt vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable Topping:
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic clove roasted and finely chopped (see cooking tips)
12 ounce canned artichoke hearts quarted
1lb bag of fresh spinach blanched
8oz feta cheese
1/2 once fresh oregano leaves (@ 2 stems cleaned) or use dried oregano leaves
Tomato Sauce Cooking Method:
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a high simmer. Lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occassionally until reduce to consistency is of your liking. Taste and season accordingly.
Vegetable topping preparation :
Measure out all ingredients
Roast and chop garlic and drain artichokes and quarter , blanch spinach and squeeze dry to remove some water.
Crumble feta cheese to approximately 1/2 by 1/2 inch pieces or sutible to your liking.
OK ! Now your dough has risen and you need to roll out the dough. Quarter dough and roll into balls by cupping your hand over the dough and rolling in a clockwise or counter clockwise motion(whatever you prefer) until dough forms a nice ball. Start in the middle of each ball and roll out to a 9"- 10" round and place on a baking sheet or pizza round if you have one. Brush dough with roasted garlic then top each dough with tomatoe sauce. Layer vegetables on top of sauce starting with spinach, artichoke and then cheese. Brush edges of pizza with a little olive oil. Place pizza in a 375F oven bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until desire doneness and crust preference
**Cooking Tips: Garlic may be roasted in the oven or in olive oil on top of the stove be very careful not to over cook garlic is very bitter once over cooked or over browned
Premade pizza doughs are available in your grocery stores for convenience and to cut prepartion time.
Broccoli Soup.........Sizzling Simple
Ingredients: First Thangs First
Serves 6
1 Head Broccoli Fresh
1 Onion Yellow Fresh Quatered
3 Stalk Celery (Three Long Pieces)
2 bay leaves
1/4 lb Butter
1/3 c Flour
1 14oz cn chicken broth or (2 qts water)
2 Cups Heavy Cream Heated Warm
Salt & Pepper To Taste
4 qtr stock pot or soup pot
* Chicken Boullion may be substitued for the chicken broth with water
Method: Next Thang To Do
Wash and cut Broccoli into florets and cut stems into six or more slices.
Peel and clean onion and cut into quarters, meanwhile cut celery into 2 inch pieces and add all vegetab;es to chicken broth or water which ever you choose to use.
Add bay leave, bring all ingredients to a boil. Once boiling turn down to a simmer and simmer until vegetables are very well cooked with out loosing much of there vibrant green color mainly broccoli. Once done strain stock from vegetables and reserve liquid in a seperate container for now. Seperate some broccoli florets from the cooked vegetables for garnish later . Ok now puree remainder of the broccoli, celery and onions in a food processor or food mill.
Set stock pot or soup pot on stove and heat until hot enough to melt your butter, add flour and make a roux, cook roux for about 10 minute and add strained vegetable stock reserved from earlier cooking of the vegetables. Cook this for about 20-30 minutes until the starches cook out of the flour and soup thickens nicely. Then add warm heavy cream and stir good until well mixed. If it is too thick you may add some more water or broth and if it is too thin you may add soften butter mixed with flour and drop it in small pieces at a time to thicken as needed. Now add your pureed vegetables of broccoli,celery, onion to the (veloute) thicken vegetable stock, season to taste cook for about ten minutes more, you may add what ever flavor you like to this at this point i,e cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, potatoes, etc. Add your Broccoli garnish fresh croutons or just toast some plain bread with olive oil and garlic and cut into quarters and .......Damn Gina ! Your Done ! Bon Appettito, Buen Provencho, Guten Haben ! Good Eats ! "Amen" Brother Ben Shot At The Rooster But, Shot The Hen " Let's Eat !
.food photography
Good food looks good first- the presentation of a well prepared dish is the first aspect of enjoying your meal. As a photographer of culinary delights the food must be tantalizing, mouth watering, steaming with the aroma of a realistic plate in front of you, without the actual smell and taste. A food photo should have the effect of "come and get me " falling over your feet running to find that restaurant serving that food item.
Food photography with professional skill and methods is like creating your own food photography recipe. Food photography combines teamwork, technology and creativity in partnership with chef's, (also know as food stylist), and prop professionals to create the perfect setting for what you or your client may be looking for.
when you see a pictures of food or billboards, menu boards, magazine pictures you wonder why the food does not look like the picture, well there are many factors involved in the photo shoot, just rest assure that the time it took to create the meal you are eating, it took almost ten times as long to photograph it....lol ! As they say " if it Does not look good as the picture....ask why (just remember all the technology that goes into the photo shoot).
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