La Buena Vida

Smith Built Pottery

2012-02-01T10:39:00.000-05:00

A recent collaboration with my friend Jessa Blades and her lovely mother Betsy Smith. Talent must run in the family. Betsy lives in Philadelphia and makes each piece by hand individually. These pieces got a lot of attention on instagram while I was shooting them last week. They have a great rustic feel and each piece individual. Visit her new website for more photos and inquires. http://smithbuilt.tumblr.com/

Mussels & Fries

2012-01-23T14:03:00.001-05:00

Mussels & Fries

2 pounds of mussels
fresh fennel bulb
2 cloves of garlic
2 shallots
6 oz of a Belgian style ale or wheat beer
sea salt & pepper
butter
fresh thyme
lemon

2 russet potatoes
oil for frying

Method

When buying mussels make sure they are tightly closed and smelling fresh. Any mussels that are open or cracked, discard. When buying/storing mussels never place into a plastic bag. They will suffocate. Keep them in a colander with ice. They are a living thing and need to be cared for properly or they will die. To clean them use a light brush to remove any excess sand and grit. If the beards haven't been removed, remove them. Mussels cook in no time, and have very little prep. I went with a wheat beer to steam them in, but you could use white wine. The nice thing about mussels is that they are very mild in flavor, nothing too scary for unadventurous seafood eaters. A good measurement to go by; a pound of mussels per person and one potato per person for fries.

Mince shallots and garlic. Shave about a cup of fennel on a mandolin. In a large deep sided saute pan on medium-low heat add a dollop of butter. Melt and add garlic, shallot and fennel. Season with sea salt & pepper. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme and 6 oz's of beer, bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes to start infusing the beer. Add the mussels and cover. Cook for 6-8 minutes until all the mussels have opened. Discard any that have not opened. Place mussels in a bowl and add another dollop of butter to the juice left in the pan. Melt the butter and pour the sauce over top the mussels. Season with a little sea salt and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with bread or fries.

For fries, I peeled and cut two idaho potatoes. Using a deep pot, heat oil over medium heat to 350 degrees. Always be careful when frying, its no joke. I fried in oil for 6-8 minutes until crispy and seasoned with salt. Lay down newspaper and make a mess! Fun times.

Untitled

2012-01-22T09:02:00.002-05:00

We got our first snowfall in NYC yesterday... these days are perfect for sipping coffee and tea.

Missing the Sea...

2012-01-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

Missing the sea, but embracing its treasures. I will be honest and say that this time of year is hard for me. I don't care for the bitter cold, darkness at 5 o'clock and dark and dreary days. While I have learned to embrace them instead of fight them which I had for years. I dream of beaches in foreign lands, and the itch to go away wont fade. While I have been lucky in my life and been able to go away for months at a time, this year we are doing something different. I will be saving for a trip to Europe this Summer. While South America & Mexico are screaming my name yet again, I will ignore it. England, France & Spain I shall see you soon enough.

Osteria Cotta

2012-01-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

On a night like tonight when the weather of January is finally showing its face, there is nothing I want to do more then to curl up with a good bottle of wine, a big bowl of pasta and candlelight. In spirit of that I decided to share a few photos of a recent shoot for the restaurant Osteria Cotta on the Upper West Side. I will be staying warm and cosy this weekend, hope everyone has a lovely one. Stay warm east coasters!

Little Gems

2012-01-11T18:29:00.000-05:00

Little gems... like this spot, The Bedford. These places are found in every nook and cranny here in New York, somewhere you may least expect hosts something fabulous. I took these photos last summer. While sorting through some old work, I decided to revisit them. The 1920's have made a strong come back in Brooklyn. Most bars and restaurants represent the finest of that era. The tin work repainted, the old light fixtures refurbished, the layers of paint stripped from the 100 year old buildings. What a beautiful style that I seem to be swooning over. Maybe I watch too much Boardwalk Empire. I love the photographs taken during that time period. Don't you just want to curl up with a whiskey? Dark, moody, black and white how I adore you...

The Little Things...

2012-01-06T18:40:00.001-05:00

Sometimes its the little things, that bring me joy. A warm cup of tea, fresh flowers and a clean apartment. What little things bring you joy? Saturday was 60 degrees in NYC, weirdest January ever. Have a nice week everyone.

Citrus Season & a Few Mentions

2012-01-06T08:54:00.000-05:00

In celebration of citrus season, I give you the image above which was taken for a Whole Foods Market Cooking shoot. Does anyone have a nice recipe for a citrus marmalade? Speaking of citrus did you guys see the beautiful post from Aran? She is in the heart of it, so jealous. I am going to attempt homemade english muffins and what better then a citrus marmalade to go with.

In part of my new years resolution I mentioned I wanted to try and make more from scratch and buy less things packaged. Which I already do very little of, I guess I should clarify that a little. Making my own breads is a challenge I am looking into. The only thing I bought canned was beans and that was mainly because I decided what I want to eat the day of. Being better about having beans soaked and even freezing them in big batches is something I am going to start doing. While I cant make my own milk, I can make some cheeses and butter. I would love to try making fresh mozzarella, ricotta and other fresh cheeses. If you have any great recipes you would like to share I'm all ears. I've wanted to make my own preserves for ages, but space and storage is a problem. Also pickling which I intend to explore in the Summer months. Soon enough it will be ramp season! This month is already flying by. I few things I forgot to mention.

If you have the latest copy of W magazine, I have a little photo that I took for Maialino on page 20. I'll take it :) You can also see it online here.

I also had a nice intervew where I share my insights on photography with Digital Photographer.

Winter Kale & Wild Mushroom Salad with Manchego

2012-01-04T13:56:00.002-05:00

It's cold here in New York, like really cold. This mild winter we have been having came to a halt yesterday with temperatures in the teens. I cant seem to seem to keep warm and I drink tea all day. While making a quick run into the city for a meeting, I decided to stroll through the farmers market. Amazed with the dedication of the farmers. Standing all day in these harsh weather conditions to sell us vegetables, I thanked them. While its slim pickens I did manage to find some beautiful baby kale and wild mushrooms. A warm wintery salad I thought, for me eating is all about choosing the best ingredients, never over thinking a dish and making it as simple as possible. I roasted these beautiful mushrooms and tossed them warm with the baby kale, shaved some manchego cheese on top and you have a warm healthy lunch in no time at all.

Ingredients

1 bunch of baby curly kale (regular kale is fine)
1 pound of wild mushrooms
manchego cheese
champagne vinegar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, using a damp towel remove dirt from the mushrooms. Cut into desired size and place in a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until crispy. Tossing the pan a few times to insure even cooking. Wash and trim kale. In a large bowl combine 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add kale, dress and season. Take the mushrooms hot out of the oven and place into the bowl. Its nice if the kale wilts a little. Serve onto a plate and shave manchego cheese on top. A poached egg would be a nice addition.

A New Year...

2012-01-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year friends. Firstly thanks for all your support and nice words over the year. You have made this year special and I have formed some great relationships through the blog. Since everyone is doing it, I figured I would jot down a few of my new years resolutions.

- Take better care of my body, being more active outdoors and doing yoga regularly. Less time on the computer.
- Do more to help in the community, helping both animals and people who are less privileged
- Getting my hands dirty, helping and learning from farmers, planting trees and expanding my summer garden.
- Travel more, whether it be little trips or big ones.
- Teaching myself how to bake well. The Tartine Cookbook will be my motivation.
- Buying nothing packaged or canned, cooking everything from scratch.
- Taking a wood working course, so I can learn to build things.
- Growing my business and creating new client relationships.
- Always looking at ways to improve myself and to never stop learning.

January 1st also happens to be my birthday, so New Year, new age :) 27 is going to be a good year.

Some of your favorite posts this year and highlights...

- This soup, potato, leek & celeriac
- Autumn in Union Square Greenmarket
- My trip to San Francisco
- Marin County Farmer's Market
- Dinner at our house
- August Restaurant
- A dinner party with The Cookery by Camille Becerra
- Summer at Eagle Street Rooftop Farm
- This Salad of Grilled Treviso, Watercress & Blue Cheese
- Rhubarb Apple Pop-Tarts by Camille Becerra
- Our trip to Tulum, Mexico

Out & About / West Village Style

2011-12-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday! Did you get anything special? I received a handful of my favorite cookbooks, including four of Canal House Cooking, Tender by Nigel Slater, Chez Panisse Vegetables and Tartine Bread. Super excited to start cooking from them, thanks G! My mom has been visiting for the last week and we've been covering the entire island of Manhattan and Brooklyn by foot. The first few days sunny and mild, which has now turned frigid and windy. Dreaming of places tropical and foreign. Here are a few photos around the West Village, super cute Cafe Minerva is a great spot on West 4th Street. I've got my list going of New Years resolutions and preparing for my 27th birthday eeek. xx N

A few New York favorites...

2011-12-26T16:39:00.001-05:00

La Colombe Torrefaction
One of my favorite coffee shops in the city. While I may not drink coffee everyday, when I do, its special. La Colombe is a beautiful spot with fantastic coffee. When I used to work in Soho I would pop in regularly. They have three locations in NYC, two in Philadelphia, one in Chicago and another opening in South Korea. They roast and blend their own beans in their Philadelphia location. Learn more about them here.

Balthazar Bakery

Balthazar Bakery, why must you always pull me in? With your baguettes in the window and warm glowing lights and interior. I have eaten at Balthazar restaurant enough times to know that it is totally overpriced and the food is just ok. While many may disagree, I think there are far better restaurants in NYC for that price tag. While the interior is fabulous and the energy persuasive, I would just stick to grabbing a pastry. I am a sucker for freshly made croissants and they make a mean tartine with butter and homemade preserves. Proceed with caution, French pastries galore. You wont be able to control yourself, consider yourself warned. See more about Balthazar Bakery here.

Ochre & Canvas

One of my all time favorite furniture shops in the city. I visit regularly to gawk at all the high end furniture and plan the house of my dreams. Ochre and Canvas are both located in Soho and a new opened store in Chelsea. Ochre is the mother and Canvas is the adorable little daughter, which maintains ochre's richness with a slightly lower price tag. Ochres chandeliers would be one of my first purchases if I could choose from anything in the store. Then of course all their linens, ceramics, flatware, glasses etc. You may know Ochre through Ditte Isager's work here and here. Visit Ochre's website and Canvas here.

Cafe Habana

One word for you, elote. A Mexican street food that consists of an ear of grilled corn that is then layered with a brush of mayonnaise and coated in a cojita cheese, sprinkled in red chile and freshly squeezed lime juice. It is a party in your mouth and I suggest everyone to try it. My favorite elote in the city is from Cafe Habana, along with all the other food they serve. They are a Cuban restaurant but include many other Latin cuisines. If you dont want to wait for a table, pop over to their quick take out restaurant right next door. Elote in minutes. Other favorites include their chicken diablo sandwich and I love their beans, rice and spinach, simple but delicious. They have three locations; in Brooklyn, SoHo and Malibu. Visit their website here.

Tacombi Fonda Nolita

I've finally found the delicious Baha style fish tacos I've been searching for. I've been looking high and low for the best taco in NYC. I'm a huge fan of Rockaway Taco, but being that they are only open in the Summer I had to find something that would suffice. This little gem is on Elizabeth street in Nolita, though you feel as though you've been transported to Mexico. The tacos are prepared out of an old VW station wagon. I love the vibe of Tacombi and it takes me right back to the beach towns along the Rivera Maya. The food is fresh and vibrant. I order the beer battered fish taco with chipotle mayo and cabbage and its flavors pack a punch. Owned by the famous chef Aaron Sanchez, they have another location in Playa del Carmen, amongst his other restaurants listed here.

Baked Eggs

2011-12-25T12:17:00.000-05:00

One of our favorite things to eat for breakfast on the weekend is baked eggs. Perfect for the colder months, its super easy to prepare and the ultimate winter breakfast. A jar of your favorite tomato sauce (or fresh sauce if feeling ambitious), crack in four eggs and bake until bubbly. You can make it a handful of different ways. Including things like creme friache, caramelized leeks, herbs, greens, potatoes, any vegetable, cheese or meat. Get creative.

Ingredients
4 eggs (2 per person)
1/2 of a jar of your favorite tomato sauce, 12oz
fresh thyme (any herb is a nice addition)
sea salt and pepper
mozzarella or parmesan

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, add a half of a jar of sauce, about one and half cups. The addition of mozzarella cheese is nice. Crack 4 eggs evenly spaced on top of the sauce. Season with sea salt and pepper. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top. Place in the oven and bake for 15-25 minutes, until preferred egg doneness. I like my yolks slightly cooked, but if you prefer them more runny, cook less. You want the whites to be firm and the sauce to bubble. Serve with toast and a nice green salad.

Winter at Gramercy Tavern

2011-12-19T10:45:00.001-05:00

Another season passes, holidays are here. Winter at Gramercy Tavern, always brings a cheer.
Happy Holidays everyone! Sending love to you and your families.

To see more of Gramercy Tavern visit, Summer 2011, Spring 2011, Winter 2010, & Autumn 2010.

Healthy Christmas Treats for Bon Appétit

2011-12-19T10:05:00.003-05:00

I almost forgot to post these. During one of my cooking stints this month. I made, styled and shot 10 cookies for Bon Appétit online. Featuring the lovely Marissa Lippert's cookie recipes, be sure to check out her awesome blog Nourish. Visit all 10 cookie recipes here onBon Appétit.com. My favs were the olive oil shortbreads with orange & fennel, the brownies and the everything cookies. Let the holiday baking commence!

Winter at Bellocq

2011-12-13T22:35:00.001-05:00

Some recent photos of Bellocq Tea Atelier. You may remember the ones I posted a few months back. It's in my neighborhood and it's fair to say I am a regular. I was invited last week to capture their winter decor. Isn't it beautiful? Some new loves include little dickens and noble savage, but hindu holiday is still my fav. They sell great little sample boxes, may I suggest you get some and try it immediately.

Warm Farro & Mustard Green Salad with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash, Feta & Walnuts

2011-12-13T11:03:00.001-05:00

I have for you yet another warm and satisfying winter dish. This is a perfect balance of savory, salty and sweet. This salad was a pleasant surprise. You could eat this as a meal or serve as a side.

Ingredients

2 cups of farro
1 bunch of mustard greens
1 acorn squash
feta cheese
walnuts
1 lemon
maple syrup
bay leaf
vegetable oil
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Method

Feel free to soak farro hours before cooking. It will speed up the cooking process. I have researched other farro recipes, many say farro cooks in 20 minutes. I am not sure if they have a fast cooking farro or what, but every time I cook farro it takes 45-hour. Drain farro from the water it was soaking in and place into a saucepan. Cover in water to the top, add a sprinkle of salt and a bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cover, turn down heat to medium and simmer. Cook until tender about 45 minutes, check on it through out the process, add more water if needed.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice acorn squash in half, remove any seeds and guts. Slice into quarter of an inch slices and place on a sheet pan. Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a drizzle of vegetable oil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and bake until tender and lightly browned about 30-45 minutes. Wash a bunch of mustard greens and tear into bite size pieces. Place into a large bowl. When farro is done, drain and allow to cool slightly. Not completely because you want to put the warm farro in with the mustard greens to wilt them.

For the dressing take the juice of lemon and whisk in olive oil. I do a half acid, half oil ratio with this. Only because you want the citrus to have a chance in competing with the richness of the farro and the greens. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing to farro and mustard greens, toss well. Taste and adjust to preference. Serve farro salad with the roasted acorn squash, feta cheese and toasted walnuts on top. Nom!

Winter on the Farm...

2011-12-11T12:43:00.001-05:00

A few more captures from Stone Barns during a recent visit to shoot the Young Farmer's Conference. I love being up on the farm, it's my escape from reality and the city streets. It's relaxing and brings me back to earth. The interactions I have with the animals and the passionate farmers always leaves me feeling blessed. These are my people, people who are in touch with nature and the way things work. People who are capable of growing things. Growing things that make us healthy, and enable us to create dishes that soothe the soul. I feel like way too many people are disconnected to that. We share the planet with more things then just ourselves. It's important to remember that.

I've recently watched a few children's movies. The animal based characters always portraying man as a negative influence. Something that comes in and destroys forests, builds horrible monstrosities, harms the environment. At what point in our lives does this transition occur? Where we stop being kids and looking at the animals as are our friends. When money, our jobs, and the busy adult lives take over. If we all kept even a little bit of our childhood love for animals as adults we would be in a much better place. The dog in the last photo and I had a moment. A moment of true affection and understanding. Though it may sound odd it was one of the best interactions I've had in a long time. I instantly fell in love with that pup and the feeling was mutual. I stood with her at the back of a pick up truck while she rested her paw on my shoulder. A moment too perfect, one that makes me want to leave everything and start a small farm of my own. Makes me question whats really important. Animals are so much easier to love, I wish people would stop hurting them. Most of my viewers know how I feel about vegetables and even though I didn't go into specifics about farming. The video below is great and inspiring, featuring the young farmer's and why they farm. Love them.

Voices from the 2010 Young Farmers Conference from Stone Barns Center on Vimeo.

Escarole & White Bean Soup

2011-12-07T11:51:00.000-05:00

It's honest to say that soup season has begun. Even though we are having a particularly warm season so far. When you're craving something hot and comforting but still want to be healthy, this is a perfect soup and it's very fast to make. Based off a traditional Italian soup called "Zuppa di Scarola e Cannellini".

Another great thing about escarole is that unlike kale it is still reasonably priced. Kale is on a serious trend right now and prices are from 4-5 dollars (at least here in NYC) and you can find escarole for as little 2 dollars. Escarole is grown in very gritty soil. Its important to throughly wash it so you don't end up cracking your tooth on a small pebble. I wash it 2-3 times in a salad spinner and double check the leaves to make sure that I have missed any dirt.

Ingredients

1 can of organic cannelini beans (any white bean would be fine)
1 head of escarole
1 cup of white wine
chile flakes
3 cloves of garlic
1 small yellow onion (or half)
few spring of fresh rosemary (or any savory herb)
2 celery stalks
1 lemon
Parmesan Cheese
olive oil
sea salt & pepper

Method

In a medium soup pot add a drizzle of olive oil. Add finely chopped onion, celery & garlic. Finely chop rosemary leaves and add to the mix. Season with salt, pepper and chile flakes. Cook till tender about 4 minutes and add a cup of white wine. Bring to a simmer and add a can of cannelini beans, juice and all. Throughly wash escarole and chop roughly. Place in the simmering soup and add an additonal 3 cups of water. It should be just enough to cover the greens. Turn the soup to low-med heat and allow to simmer on the stove for 15-25 minutes. Season with salt again and adjust to preference. Serve with grated parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil and squeeze of lemon.

An Untraditional Caesar

2011-12-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

So I will start by sharing my beef with the traditional Caesar Salad, that being that I hate anchovies. I have tried and tried to give them a break but if they touch any of my food they contaminate it with a pungent fishy taste that just rubs me the wrong way. Yes, I have tried them all, hoping that the white anchovies from Italy would change my mind. However, I don't mind them if they are subtly added to a putanesca or things of that nature when the anchovies merely act as a form of salt, and the fishiness dissipates. If you love anchovies, go ahead and add them! For me a salad is a meal, it is the norm that we will consume an enormous bowl of greens and call it a meal. I grew up that way and will forever be that way. Can never have enough salad in my opinion. This is my take on the luscious and fairly rich Caesar salad.

Ingredients

recipe for 2

1 head of romaine lettuce (1/2 head per person, depending on size)
1 slice of ciabatta bread per person
1 small clove of garlic
1 lemon
tablespoon of dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
parmesan

Method

I plated this by giving the romaine heads a quick rinse in cold water and cutting the heads into quarters. It's best eaten with a fork and a steak knife. I don't mind a meatier salad, but if you prefer you can chop into bite size pieces and place into a bowl for easier consumption. Depending on the size of the romaine hearts a half of a head is usually a nice portion size. Also feel free to make croutons if preferable or grill the toast if you have access. This salad is flexible. For dressing add one tablespoon of dijon mustard, juice with half a lemon, salt and pepper. Using a garlic press or microplane finely grate a small piece of garlic. This almost creates a juice. No one wants a big chunk of garlic in their salad so keep that in mind and keep it subtle. Slowly add in olive oil while whisking to emulsify into a beautiful rich dressing. Taste and adjust to preference. I tend to like things a bit on the saltier and acidic side, to match up to the hearty greens. Drizzle dressing over top, serve with a toasted piece of ciabatta and shaved parmesan, fresh ground pepper on top. Easy peasy.

Sunchoke Soup with Crispy Chips & Rosemary

2011-12-03T12:22:00.001-05:00

Do you like artichokes? If so then you will most certainly love sunchokes. Also known are Jerusalem artichokes or sunroot. Unlike artichokes which are considered a thistle, sunchokes are part of the sunflower family and are known as a tuber. They grow underground and can withstand the harsh winter weather. While I am sure many people may just walk right past them in the farmer's market I encourage you to try all the root vegetables. They really do add a special twist when used in a soup, or roasted with vegetables. I am a huge fan of my root vegetables and I tend to get pretty creative during the winter months when vegetables are at a minimum. Sunchokes are high in vitamin C, potassium and iron. In the soup listed below, I have done a few variations similar including one with celery root.

Ingredients

1 1/2-2 pounds of sunchokes
2 medium sized russet potatoes
1 yellow onion
2 small leeks
4 cloves of garlic
1 cup of dry white wine
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup of heavy cream
sea salt & pepper
olive oil
butter

for chips reserve one sunchoke and vegetable oil for frying.

Method

When choosing sunchokes try to choose ones that aren't super gnarly. You have to peel them and the more knots they have the harder they are to peel. It's a tedious task and you dont have to be perfect. In this particular recipe I peeled them, though I am interested to see how the soup would be without peeling them. Since most of their nutritional content is in the skin.

Peel and cube sunchokes into similar sizes and place into a bowl with water. You want to place them in water so they dont oxidize and turn brown. Do the same with the potatoes, peel and cube. Chop leeks, onions and garlic finely. In a soup pot add a tablespoon of butter and a drizzle of olive oil. Turn to medium heat and add your onions, leeks and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook till tender about 4 minutes. Add 2 sprigs of rosemary, a bay leaf and the cup of white wine. Allow the soup to return to a simmer and add the drained potatoes and sunchokes. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and turn the heat to med-high. Allow soup to simmer until potatoes and sunchokes are tender about 30-40 minutes. Keep an eye on the water level and add more if necessary.

To make the sunchoke chips use a mandolin on the thinnest level and slice a whole sunchoke. In a medium saucepan heat vegetable oil, carefully lay the sunchokes into the oil. The addition of a few sprigs of fried rosemary is a nice touch. Watch for splattering. Don't crowd the chips, once light browning occurs set on a bowl lined with a paper towel and season with salt. Right before soup is ready to be blended be sure to remove the bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. When potatoes are tender remove from the heat and using a hand held blender, blend until smooth. Add more salt and pepper to taste and a cup of heavy cream. Run the blender again until smooth. You can allow the soup to simmer on low heat or it can sit at room temperature until reheated before serving. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, sunchoke chips and fresh ground pepper.

Happy Friday...

2011-12-02T10:51:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday! Here's a few shots from yesterday's trip up to Stone Barns for the Annual Young Farmer's Conference. I had a lovely time as usual. It's really neat seeing the farm through out the different seasons. I will show more about the conference in the days to come. Have I ever mentioned how much I love cows and dogs? Well animals in general :) beautiful little souls. Have a great weekend friends.

The Last of Autumn's Color...

2011-11-29T19:19:00.001-05:00

It's been a strange Autumn here in New York. A random snow storm hit us on Halloween and now its in the 60's in late November. I will never complain about the mild temperatures though, as for I have rather enjoyed it. The leaves are taking their final plunge to the floor. Soon there will be very little color on the city streets for the months to come. My boyfriend tells me the trees are having a sleep. Here is one last attempt at capturing the beauty.

Autumn Fruits

2011-11-27T12:09:00.001-05:00

Nothing much to say... just wanted to share the beauty of natures wonders. Sometimes it's the little things. Autumn fruits, go get some.

A Few Moments...

2011-11-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

A few instagram captures as of late... I've been very busy working from home on a few cooking/photography projects, that I haven't had any time to come up with something for the blog. I am most certainly not complaining about all my lovely jobs and the fun challenges I 've been facing. I have been working my bum off and learning a lot. I've proven to have some baking skills that I never thought I had.That being said in my moments of time in between I rarely feel the urge to lug my camera around. Thankful for my iphone and instagram which allows me to take some pretty decent photos for a phone I must say. I hope to post something creative in the near future, don't forget about me :)

And the Winner is!

2011-11-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Thank you for all your entires and comments. I drew your names from a bag...

Congrats to Sarah B of Lemon Fire Brigade! You have won 2 Morris Kitchen syrups. Thank you to everyone who participated! I look forward to doing more giveaways in the future!

Morris Kitchen & a Giveaway

2011-11-13T13:53:00.001-05:00

A recent photoshoot from an Autumn inspired cocktail party featuring Morris Kitchen's delicious homemade ginger & apple cider syrups. This will be my first ever giveaway here on La Buena Vida! To enter leave a comment below and an author will be chosen at random on one week from today. As a prize you will receive both syrups! Which create some truly incredible cocktails. Learn more about Morris Kitchen & visit recipe ideas here. See more images on my website.

Photographer : Nicole Franzen
Product : Morris Kitchen
Models : Kari Morris, Eva Scofield, Alison Roman, Ashley Blanch, Chloë Greene, Betsy Duggan, Jamie Valleau, Robbie Macaulay
Hair : Robbie Macaulay at Damian West Salon, West Village, NYC
Art : Brooklyn Color by Chloë Greene

Catch Up / Edible Manhattan Magazine

2011-11-09T20:54:00.001-05:00

Dearest readers and friends, I apologize for the lack of recipes & overall attention on the blog lately. Maybe it hasn't been too noticeable but I feel as though I have been neglecting it. Where has the time gone? It's almost winter and I feel like the months are flying past me. Over the next few weeks I will be spending all my time in my home kitchen/studio preparing lots of recipes for fellow clients. Some of which I will surely share.

On other notes I had a nice little interview over on ABC home's blog, Reveal. I know many of us are big fans of ABC home and it truly is an incredible place that hosts some of the best furnishings/decor around. Also my story for Edible Manhattan Magazine just came out in their Nov/Dec issue. I photographed a story based on the "Feast of Seven Fishes". Being able to do what I love most, which is to photograph amazing food makers and to learn more about Italian cultures. Did I mention I love my job? So that was fun, be sure to pick up a copy. Also if your an instagraming addict like I am be sure to add me there.

A Little Something Different...

2011-11-06T17:13:00.001-05:00

While the last few years my focus in photography has been on food, the years prior were primarily of people. Ever since I was very young I had a camera in my hand and surrounded myself with images of my favorite moments in life. For a little while I tricked myself into thinking I wanted to shoot fashion, which always seemed rather forced and not quite the right fit. While shooting food is my niche, I forgot how much I loved taking photos of people. Children in particular, with their little faces that light up a room. I've decided that I will start to incorporate more lifestyle photography into my portfolio because its just too much fun not too. The photos above are taken of the fantastic Berrio family in Central Park. The images below are of a lovely couple you may recognize from their blog Hither & Thither. They recently had a beautiful baby boy Hudson. If your in the New York City area and are interested in shooting with me feel free to email me with any questions and for rates.

Murmuration

2011-11-05T11:14:00.000-04:00

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

Isn't this video just incredible? Doesn't it make you want to go and explore all of natures wonders? Are we doing enough to preserve our planet? So much to see, so much to do, how are we spending our lives? Are we doing enough? What is really important? Questions I ask myself.

The Importance of Tea / Bellocq Tea Atelier

2011-10-30T15:34:00.000-04:00

Tea is a very important part of our lives. It nourishes the soul and warms the body. I have always loved tea, but dating a British man took it to a whole other level. We dont just drink tea, tea is a way of life. On average G and I will drink 4-6 cups a day while we are home working. While I love coffee and appreciate a good cup, I can usually only handle one. If I drink more I become a total mess, anxiety and the shakes take over my body, to then crash. Tea is something that I can drink all day and has healing properties. While I feel I am still learning much about tea, I have my favorites. I recently became addicted to Bellocq's Hindu Holiday tea. Now when I taste other teas nothing seems to compare. I have become a true fan of this beautiful tea shop. I am so happy to have it only a mere block away. While its open only on the weekends I manage to pop my head in every chance I get. If you live in New York City may I urge you to make the trip. To open your minds to the wonderful world of Bellocq teas. Their creative blends will knock your socks off and leave you craving more. The image above is tea time at our house. The images below are all of Bellocq Tea Atelier taken by me. You can learn more about them on their website. The photos on their website were taken by the talened Anna Williams. Andrea Gentl also shared a lovely post about them here.

BELLOCQ Tea Atelier
104 West Street
Greenpoint, NY 11222
Atelier Hours: Friday & Saturday 12-7pm

Weekend

2011-10-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

A few snaps from the weekend. I rarely get to take my camera out during leisurely weekends these days. On Saturday my boyfriend and I took the East River Ferry to Downtown. We wanted to check out how the new trade center site is coming along. Also the thought of a boat ride on a crisp autumn day seemed perfect. If you live in NYC and haven't experienced the ferry yet I recommend it. I hope that someday in the future we can use it as an alternate form of transportation and avoid the subways all together. It's a nice thought. The new park in DUMBO also looks great and it's on the list of things to check out. At least one day a week I try to go on some sort of an adventure in the city. How was everyone's weekends?

An island...

2011-10-21T10:39:00.001-04:00

I felt like sharing a little part of my past with you all. It's been a very busy month and I decided to take a break from "work" photography on the blog. As autumn and winter start to kick in I always tend to remember how it was when I lived in the caribbean and how the seasons didnt change all that much. When I was seventeen years old I packed my bags and showed up on the island of St John. I had just graduated high school and my friends were leaving to go to college. I had just finished school I thought, why would I want to go back? Unsure of which career path I wanted to take I decided wasting money on a college education at that point seemed careless. I had always had the itch to travel but was unsure how to move forward. An old friend had recommended me going down to St John. So I did exactly that, I saved just enough money to get a small place of my own and the necessities. I had some connections and packed my bags and left.

I was scared, a mess and nervous. Though that all seemed to change the second I landed on to St Thomas. The air was warm and humid on my skin. The sea turquoise, the sand white, the hills green. I arrived on St John via ferry and jumped in the back of a pick up truck of a new friends. Driving along St John's winding and somewhat insanely steep slopes was completely exciting. The life on the island turned into visiting the beach every afternoon. Showing up to work at the restaurant, sandy feet and in a wet swimsuit. Working a few hours for dinner, to then frequent the small local bars. Which were mostly open aired, filled with beach chairs and hammocks. The local bar would have a "pour your own" motto because the booze was cheaper then the juice. So they would happily fool people into making their drinks uber strong. We all used to hitch hike around the island. It was the way and it was safe. Instead of sticking out your thumb you would point in the direction you wanted to go to.

St John is a very small community filled with people from around the world. Some people come to work for a season, some last a few seasons, some never leave. While living on an island like this may seem like total perfection, it does have its flaws like everywhere. As a young adult you can get easily bored and uninspired. There isn't much going on in the fun stimulation part though its great for outdoor activities. The food is ridiculously expensive, because everything has to be shipped in from Florida. When I was visiting three years ago, a noticed a head of raddichio was 8 dollars. There are no farmer's markets, and they don't grow much. Not to say there aren't great restaurants and food you just have to pay a pretty penny for it. I spent two years here working in restaurants and living the life. To then crave more excitement, I decided to travel more. I traveled through out South America and ended up in New York after. Moving to St John, opened my eyes, showed me that traveling is easily done and changed my life. I cant imagine how different my life would of been had I gone to college. It's amazing how things fall into place.

Potato, Leek & Celeriac Soup

2011-10-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

3 large russet potatoes
1 medium sized celery root
2 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
2 leeks
1 cup (8oz) of heavy cream
olive oil
butter
sea salt & perpper
thyme

Method

To prepare your ingredients, finely chop garlic and onions. Wash leeks well removing any grit, finely chop the white and light green parts. Leave the green parts aside, they make a great garnish when finely chopped and deep fried. Peel and cube both potatoes and celery root into a quarter of an inch dice. In a large stock pot over medium heat add a drizzle of olive oil to coat and a dollop of butter. Add garlic, onion and leeks. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and add the leaves of a few sprigs of thyme. Once tender and translucent add in the diced potatoes and celery root. Add 5 cups of water. Enough to cover the vegetables. Simmer until tender about 20 minutes. Add more water if needed. Turn off heat and puree soup with handheld or regular blender. Pure until smooth, then add a cup of heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasoning. Allow to reduce for another 15 minutes on low heat.

Long Island

2011-10-15T11:19:00.000-04:00

A few years back my boyfriend and I went on a little weekend trip out to the Northfork of Long Island. Its quaint little towns, wineries and fishing villages are overwhelming charming. While I have been slowing reworking my website I decided to revisit these images. I love the style set in east coast beach life. Adirondack chairs inviting you to sit and watch the birds as they plunge into the water to fish. Subtle breeze blowing through the tall green grasses. Beautiful shingled homes which only seem to look better after years of salt water air distressing them. Collecting shells and moonstones along the seashores. Eating freshly shucked oysters off the boats. Picking fresh berries from the farms. The list goes on. I also wanted to mention on an editing standpoint, just how awesome it is that though my styles have changed over the years. That shooting RAW images has been really beneficial. I can go back and completely change the feel of an image. Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. x N

Stone Barns Harvest Fest

2011-10-06T12:01:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday I was up at Stone Barns shooting their annual harvest event. I was invited a few months back and I had been counting the days until. It was a cool rainy autumn morning but it ended up clearing up into a perfect day. People decked out in their wellies wandered around the farm, meeting with animals, eating great food, listening to live music, and watching some amazing demonstrations. You may remember my photos from previous visits to Stone Barns like this one and this one. If you live in NYC and havent been I highly recommend making a visit. Its only a mere hour away and well worth the trip. They offer a wide variety of classes and different events through out the year so be sure to check out their website. You can also view the full set of photos from the harvest event on my flickr.

Penne with Wild Mushrooms, Lemon Scented Ricotta & Thyme

2011-10-03T20:14:00.002-04:00

Ingredients

8 oz of penne pasta
2 pounds of wild mushrooms (I used portabello, cremini & oyster mushrooms)
1 container of freshly made ricotta (cow or sheeps milk is fine)
1 lemon
parmesan cheese
fresh thyme
Lucini Italia roasted garlic extra virgin olive oil
Lucini Italia organic premium extra virgin olive oil
sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a damp cloth remove any excess dirt from mushrooms. Slice into quarter of an inch slices and place onto a sheet pan. Drizzle with Lucini roasted garlic olive oil. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and tender. You may want to toss the mushrooms once through out the roasting process. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to a boil. Season water with salt and cook penne to directions. In a small bowl add one and half cups of fresh ricotta cheese. Add the zest of one lemon and about a tablespoon of finely grated parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a tablespoons of olive oil into the ricotta. Mix well and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pan. Add in the ricotta cheese and mix till coated. Serve the penne with wild mushrooms on top, fresh thyme leaves, freshly grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. A perfect, easy and delicious autumn pasta.

Happy Autumn Everyone! It's safe to say its officially here. The air is crisp, the leaves are starting to change and I just switched out my Summer wardrobe for some of my boots and scarves. Last week was crazy busy in a good way. On Monday I was lucky enough to shoot The Annual Autumn Harvest Dinner at Gramercy Tavern. A fundraiser to raise money for an organization called Share Our Strength which works hard to stop childhood hunger. An event filled with pure talent included five courses from five different chefs including Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern), Michael Tusk (Quince, San Francisco), Nick Anderer (Maialino), Jonathan Benno (The Lincoln), Nancy Olson (Pastry GT), and Bill Yosses (Pastry Chef at The White House). Not to mention the guests ;)

I've also been working on a story for Edible Manhattan Magazine which is due out November. The story is based on Italy's "Feast of Seven Fishes". I photographed some amazing people and learned a lot about Italian customs. On Saturday I went up to Stone Barns for their annual harvest feast. I had been invited to shoot it months ago and have been counting the days till. I had a fantastic time and I will surely include a whole feature with images soon, so keep an eye out.

Autumnal / Union Square Greenmarket

2011-09-28T17:31:00.001-04:00

Autumn is showing in my local greenmarket :)

Apple Almond Crisp

2011-09-25T15:26:00.000-04:00

Autumn is starting to show its face around here, the days slightly shorter. I can feel myself craving more comforty warm foods, knowing that soup season is just around the corner. The leaves will go out with a bang with a show of vibrant rich colors. I have to admit that I get pretty sad when the leaves take their final plunge to the floor. Knowing that I wont see anything green and vibrant for around 5 months. While the Autumn colors on the East Coast are astonishing I start to fear that Winter is near. As the final colors of fall embrace us, expect to see a ton of color around here. I will embrace my Autumnal spirit for all it's worth.

This recipe was inspired by this one from Bon Appétit. Instead I put the crisp into individual ramekins and served with amaretto ice cream.

Grilled Eggplant Salad with Cress, Feta & Oregano

2011-09-18T13:59:00.000-04:00

My boyfriend and I have been making a good amount of Greek inspired salads lately. I love the staples inspired from the Mediterranean, everything from capers, lemon, fresh herbs, fish and lots of veggies. I made this salad the other day with eggplant since they are in abundance at Farmer's Markets towards the end of Summer. People I tend to find, are on the fence about things like eggplant and zucchini. It's all about how you cook them. Just recently while I was in CA a friend of mine said she didn't like zucchini but when she had them grilled it was a whole other story. They absorb those lovely charred flavors and become super flavorful. So throw some of those lovely veggies on the grill :)

Ingredients

1 medium to large eggplant
1 bunch of watercress
greek style feta cheese
capers
fresh oregano
sea salt
olive oil
red wine vinegar

Method

Slice eggplant into quarter on of an inch slices. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper to coat. Using a grill or grill pan cook eggplant on medium heat till tender and nice grill marks appear, about 4 minutes a side. Meanwhile clean your greens and set aside. Mix 1 to 3 parts red wine vinegar to olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place watercress on a plate and fan eggplant along the side. Top with fresh oregano leaves, capers, and crumbled feta cheese. Spoon some dressing over top and season with a pinch more salt. Serve slightly warm, yummy.

A Random Friday

2011-09-16T17:09:00.000-04:00

Hey Guys,

Just a quick hello before the weekend. I've had a really great week filled with lots of new projects and clients. I started working with Food52 and we did our first shoot. Amanda and Merrill are true gems as well as the other ladies behind it. Serious talent they are :) You can find my photos amongst several recipes there. I have also started working with Bon Appetit doing a few recipe shoots here and there for online. I recently did "11 low-sugar desserts" for back to school which is worth checking out. I was pretty nuts in the kitchen for a few days trying to prepare, style and shoot 11 desserts but it was truly fun and look forward to do more in the future. Above are a few more images of August Restaurant which I know you all loved before so I thought I would share a few more. Getting excited for a very busy season full of new clients and fun projects. Today you can really feel that Fall is here. The air is crisp and the days are getting shorter. Trying to soak up any last bit of Summer rays and produce before its gone. Are you all happy about Fall and Winter? or Spring and Summer for my friends on the opposite side of the equator? I'm also going to be shooting at Stone Barns Harvest Fest in a few weeks which I am really looking forward to. Are any of you going to be there?

Fig & Ricotta Gallette
View full slideshow here on Bon Appetit.com

San Francisco

2011-09-12T09:12:00.001-04:00

On my quick trip to Northern California last month, I only spent one day exploring the city. In that one day I managed to do a far share of walking. I was dropped off, camera in hand at the park right below the Golden Gate Bridge. I then walked through the Marina district, grabbed a quick tea with a friend and continued up the steep incline to the top of Lombard street. Working my way down to the Fisherman's Wharf and jumped on a trolly to the Old Ferry Building. Walked around the Ferry Building and checked out all the awesome foodie spots. Then walked through downtown and Chinatown and back up the hill again. The hills are MASSIVE. If I lived there and walked as much as I do here, I would be in incredible shape! I am no stranger to insane hills, but very used to New York's flat terrain and this was a serious workout!

When I lived in the Caribbean the hills were also like this. Though, I was carrying bottles of water, groceries, laundry and everything else you need for your home up these steep ass hills. Best to switch off from walking forwards to backwards up these massive inclines. I was in the best shape of my life living down in the islands, I felt like jungle woman. Wandering through the tropical brush, iguanas and creatures living in every inch. I used to need to a flash light to make it home. Meanwhile, its humid and hot. When it used to rain, I could barely make it up my driveway, having to usually crawl my way up. Anyway enough about that, these hills were steep!

I obviously fell in love with the Old Ferry Building, everything I could ever want. Cowgirl Creamery, Slanted Door, Hog Island Oysters and Blue Bottle Coffee. What more could you want? Plus a handful of other awesome shops. I missed the Farmer's Market here, as I mentioned in a previous post but the San Rafael Farmer's Market in Marin was awesome. While it was nice to pop through Fisherman's Wharf it is extremely touristy and not really the type of "food" I was looking for. The Ferry Building is where its at, if you are serious about good food. Though I had a great time capturing the Wharf. I wish I had more time to really eat at the long list of restaurants I wanted to try and to explore some other neighborhoods. Until next time my lovely San Francisco. Oh, I also just want to mention how amazed I was with the clean air. It smelled fresh, crisp with hints of wildflowers. SF can you teach NYC your clean ways? Thanks. You can view more photos on La Buena Vida's Facebook page.

A SF Dinner Party / Grilled Branzino with Lemon & Thyme

2011-09-06T08:58:00.000-04:00

On my last night in San Francisco, we had a little dinner party. I wanted to cook something special for my friends so we bought some whole branzino and grilled them. Living in NYC and not having an outdoor space with a grill had me longing to do this my whole trip. I LOVE grilling and miss it terribly. While I had never cooked a whole fish on the grill before, they turned out delicious. I must say my years of filleting fish at the restaurant truly came in handy.

I also love grilling vegetables so we decided to grill some zucchini and asparagus. I stuffed the fish with slices of lemon and fresh thyme. Whipped up a quick salsa verde for the fish made from fresh herbs, lemon and olive oil. We had a huge arugula salad and grilled some local figs for a cheese plate. We drank lots of wine including a bottle of yummy pinot we had gotten from Gary Farrell in Sonoma a few days prior. Boy do I miss dining al fresco, its heavenly. Sorry I didnt get a finished dish shot as for I was too busy cooking and enjoying the company of my friends :)

Ingredients

for fish

4 whole branzino (cleaned and gutted)
1 lemon
fresh thyme
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

for salsa verde

1 bunch of cilantro
1 lemon for zest and juice
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

for veggies

1 bunch of asparagus
2-3 pounds of zucchini

Method
Slice lemon into thin slices and stuff with fresh thyme into the bellies of the branzino. Season with salt and pepper both inside and outside the fish. Drizzle in olive oil to coat to prevent sticking on the grill. Place aside and turn grill onto high heat.

Slice zucchini into wedges and place onto a sheet, toss with salt, pepper and olive oil to coat. Do the same with the asparagus. Have everything ready to grill and clean up is a breeze. Meanwhile you can make a salad (not dressing until the last minute). We also grilled some figs to serve alongside our cheese plate.

Finely chop a bunch of cilantro, add the zest of one lemon and juice of half. Season and add olive oil. Taste and adjust to preference.

Place fish on grill, cook from 5-8 minutes a side. Gently flip and remove once the flesh is white and moves easily away from the bones. Grilling your zucchini and asparagus till tender and lightly charred.

Serve fish with the salsa verde, slices of lemon and salt. Veggies and salad alongside. For dessert we grilled peaches served with ice cream and caramel.

McCarren Park Greenmarket

2011-09-03T12:53:00.000-04:00

This is my local farmer's market in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It runs every Saturday, though I usually go to the Union Square Greenmarket because its about four times the size of this one. But every so often I make my way over for a visit when I am feeling too lazy to go into the city. It's a beautiful little market nestled under fantastic old trees.

Recipe :: Watermelon Steaks with Feta, Mint & Citrus Juice

2011-09-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

Is there anything more satisfying then a slice of juicy watermelon on a late Summer's day? Me thinks not. While at the market the other day I picked up a lovely little organic watermelon. A common pairing with feta cheese and mint but with the addition of a dressing made of honey and citrus juice makes this a stunner. You could make this into a salad, but why would you? When you can have a beautiful slab of watermelon topped with all that goodness. Keeping the texture and allowing all the little components to pop in your mouth. Sea salt really makes a difference here, please dont use crappy salts. Crappy salts make food taste bad. My take on a watermelon and feta salad.

Ingredients

salad

1 small organic watermelon
container of high quality feta cheese
fresh mint from your garden ;) if you have one
maldon's sea salt

dressing

spoonful of honey
splash of lemon and orange juice
olive oil
salt

Method

Slice watermelon into quarter inch thick slices. Place on a plate and top with crumbled feta cheese, and mint leaves. In a small bowl add the honey, lemon & orange juice. Add a pinch of salt and whisk in olive oil slowly. Taste and adjust. A little sweetness should shine through with a mellow citrus punch. Drizzle the dressing over top and finish with some extra flakes of sea salt. Flavor explosion in the mouth.

Sonoma Valley

2011-08-31T09:19:00.002-04:00

On my recent trip to San Francisco, we took a quick day trip to Sonoma Valley. Only about an hour away, unreal. I need to spend a month there, and slowly make my way through every vineyard in Napa and Sonoma. Also stopping at great farms, eating local cheeses, fruits and veggies. I did not spend enough time here! I will be back as soon as I can. We visited Iron Horse Winery and Gary Farrell. Tasted some delicious sparklings and roses from Iron Horse and drank the best Pinot's around at Gary Farrell. It's always great putting a vineyard to the wines you have been selling or drinking your whole life.

Sonoma Valley is totally gorgeous. Set inside the valley are rows of vines, large rolling hills and wineries scattered along the steep terrains. Surrounded by dense forestry of red woods and wild berries growing along the roads. The scent of wildflowers in the breeze. The Russian River following through the heart of it. What's not to love? I will be back people, I will.

Recipe :: Chilled Soba Noodle Salad

2011-08-28T16:38:00.001-04:00

Ingredients

Noodle Salad

8 oz of soba noodles (1 package)
1 bunch of scallions
4 carrots
bunch of cilantro
handful of chopped peanuts for garnish

Peanut Sauce

1/4 of a cup of crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2-4 teaspoons of garlic chile sauce ( sriracha or sambal )

Method

In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and add noodles. Cook to recommended time. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce and hot sauce. Whisk till smooth. Finely chop scallions and place aside. I used a peeler to make shavings of carrot. You could also grate the carrot or finely chop.

When soba noodles are finished drain and rinse with cold water. Add to the peanut sauce and toss until coated. Add the scallions, carrots and some finely chopped cilantro. Mix well, eat right away or allow to chill for a few hours. If thick after refrigeration you can add a touch of water to loosen the sauce. When serving add some additional peanuts on top. I also made a little mixture of a spoon full of hot sauce and soy sauce. Finish the pasta with a little spoon full for an added bite.

San Francisco's Chinatown

2011-08-26T10:34:00.000-04:00

I will admittedly say that Chinatown in San Francisco blew my mind. While exploring the city I decided to take a stroll through the heart of it. While initially their was a ton of tourists, I managed to escape and landed in the heart of the market place. I immediately felt like I had flown someplace much further then California. There were no gringos in sight. I had asked a local grocer if in fact those were durian fruit (which I have never seen in real life and only heard stories about) and he responded to me in a firm Mandarin. As if to say "No English will be spoken in these parts".

The smells and sights were some completely foreign to me. Dried fish in boxes along the road with vegetables & fruits I'd never seen before. Extensive tea and spice shops. I felt foreign and completely out of place, I loved it. Finally something new, new food, new sites, something culinary that wasn't totally predictable. That being said I tried nothing! I was too in awe behind my camera and exploring the area to eat anything. I was totally smitten with the interactions I was encountering. Plus I will be honest to say that dried fish ain't really my thing. I only like fish when it's super fresh out of the sea and most certainly doesn't taste fishy. I am not really a huge fan of pickled fish or even smoked fish. I know that my Scandinavians friends will gasp. What can I say I like my fish fresh and well everything else too in that matter. I did have a truly fantastic time exploring this area and I recommend getting lost there if you ever make a visit.

San Rafael Farmer's Market / Marin County / California

2011-08-24T10:23:00.004-04:00

San Rafael is located in Marin County, a mere 20 minutes over the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. One of my closest friends lives there and this is her local market. I really wanted to check out the farmer's market at the ferry building in the city but time was permitting. This market however blew my mind. Its literally 3 times the size of Union Square Greenmarket which I frequent. California kinda puts us to shame, just when I thought we had a big market. But saying that, it makes sense since so much is growing just right over the hill.

They had a really nice selection of seafood and fresh oysters. Oysters the size of my hand, which they grill and drown in butter. In addition to the four rows of veggies exploding out of the stalls, you will find incredible flowers, and food vendors. Fish tacos, roasted chicken, indian food, you name it, its there. With the addition of some local craftsmen and live music I could of easily chilled here for hours.

Firstly the fruit in California and Mexico are insanely delicious. I was blown away by the fruit during our trip to Tulum, Mexico and now I know that its the entire west coast. It makes eating fruit anywhere else seem like a total utter disappointment. No exaggeration, when you pop a berry into your mouth that is total perfection. The ripe fruit that had just been basking in the sun absorbing all that sweet goodness. It pops in your mouth and you can taste the warmth and smell the terroir. Blackberries grow wild along roads, tempting you to stop at ever bush. The smell of Northern California is one I will never tire of. The slight breeze carrying the smell of pine, wild fennel and the sweet scent from flowers. Even in the city the air is clean, fresh and smells of flowers. A nice change from the trash smelling streets of NYC. I am not sure how they pulled it off but maybe we need to take after them.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese is one company I feel I need to talk about. Their cheeses were so bloody delicious that I have been searching every shop in town trying to find it here on the East Coast. Their blue cheese is extremely well known in the area and for good reason. Its perfection and their mozzarella some of the best Ive ever had. Serious kudos, and I will be visiting them when I go back. Must have more Point Reyes Blue CHEESE! If you've had it then you know!

Sonoma, Napa and Point Reyes are serious foodie spots.Within a 20-30 minute drive from the city you are a redwood forest, a vineyard or on the beautiful coast. I really didn't have enough time! I want to spend months exploring every winery in Sonoma & Napa. I didn't make it to Marshall where all the oysters come from (bummed). There are so many things I want see. I need to spend a more time in the city eating at all of the awesome restaurants I have on my list. San Francisco I will be back! Saying that I did see a lot in the few days I was there.

To view more photos from the market become a fan of La Buena Vida on Facebook.

Recipe :: Summer Bean Salad with Fennel, Capers & Lemon Cream

2011-08-22T12:27:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh beans (I used fresh cranberry and purple-hull green beans)
1 baby fennel
2 tablespoons capers
greens (I used a mixture of watercress & arugula)
parmesan cheese

for dressing

3 tablespoons of Crème Fraîche
1 lemon
1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Method

Cooking your beans. The fresh cranberry beans still do take about 20-30 minutes. Most fresh beans only take a mere moment to cook. You could use any fresh bean in this dish, fava, edamame, array of green and wax beans. Blanch purple beans for a few minutes till tender. The purple beans turn green when cooked. Its a fun process to watch. Shock in an ice water bath and allow to cool aside. Simmer cranberry beans till tender.

Meanwhile make your dressing. Add a few dollops of crème fraîche, the juice of a lemon, a splash of red wine vinegar, fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Mix well and slowly drizzle in some olive oil about 2 tablespoons. Taste and adjust to preference. Using a mandolin on the thinnest setting shave a bulb of baby fennel. In a bowl add shaved fennel, the green beans cut into quarter inch slices, some capers and the dressing. Toss and season as needed. When cranberry beans are finished drain and allow to cool. Add cranberry beans to mixture and finish with some shavings of parmesan cheese. I like to serve this on a bed of lightly dressed greens, anything would be fine. I dress the greens seperately with olive oil, lemon and sea salt. Then finish with the bean salad on top. You could eat the bean salad alone but I like the addition of fresh spicy greens. It's amazing how different the beans look from their original raw state. The cranberry beans turn beige loosing their pinkness and the purple beans turn green. I wish they would keep those vibrant colors :) Delicious.

Taos Farmer's Market & New Mexican Food

2011-08-19T15:56:00.001-04:00

While I was home in Taos, my mom and I visited the local Farmer's Market. A very cute little market hosted on Saturdays. People took pride in their cute stalls and the veggies were delicious. The sun kisses everything in New Mexico. Every morning I would sit in my mom's backyard just to absorb the warm Taos sun on face. On the side of her house grows wild flowers, sage and trees. The air is fresh and fragrant.

The days are warm and dry, the evenings are chilly. Taos is considered a high desert at about 7,000 feet in elevation. You will find rough and wild desert terrain scattered with sage brush, pinon trees and cactuses that flower with the slightest touch of water. Along the river you will find lush green valleys, cows and buffalo in a distance. In the winter we ski and in the summer we raft down the river.

Taos is in interesting place filled with artists and creative types, with hispanic and native american cultures running deep. Makes for an interesting melting pot. I never appreciated the light as much as I did this last trip. The sunsets are vibrant, the skies royal blue and the night skies black with as many stars as the eyes can see.

New Mexican food is special, its original and nothing else compares. It has strong Mexican influences but has adapted and changed over time. Chips and guacamole, margaritas and all the lovely Mexican staples are prominent and available in most places. We eat tons of chile. Plain and simple, Green or Red? they will ask. Most people have a favorite but some combine both, we call it Christmas. Your plate decorated in both red and green chiles.

Green chile is grown locally. Hatch chilies to be more specific are some of the most well known and have the best reputation. Every Autumn, people buy sacks of chilies to be roasted and then frozen over the Winter months. To make stews, sauces and soups. Red chile is just as common but usually made from dried red chiles. They smother green chile on everything. Its mild-hot heat with a nice smokiness and richness that pack a punch. It adds a nice bite to just about anything. Green chile smothered burritos, on cheeseburgers, on french fries (my favorite) and just about anything you can imagine. New Mexican culture and food is quite divine and I recommend trying it sometime in your lifetime :)

I'm Back

2011-08-18T15:32:00.002-04:00

I'm back and as you can imagine :) I had a great time. Tons of photos to sort, many stories to share and posts to work on. I will be sharing a lot over the next few weeks, so keep an eye out. Trying to catch up now on everything and visit all my beloved blogs. Amazing how fast two weeks can fly by. More to come soon!

Recipe :: Fava Bean Salad with Mint & Mustard Greens

2011-08-11T12:16:00.005-04:00

A quick little recipe from the road. While at the Local Farmer's Market here in Taos, I picked up some of my favorites, fava beans. I am fairly obsessed with fresh beans and like using them in salads. With the addition of lemon, mint and parmesan, these little beans sing in your mouth. Super fresh and vibrant. While they are fairly labor intensive they are well worth it.

Ingredients

2 pounds of fresh fava beans
1/2 of a lemon
fresh mint
mustard or mesclun greens
parmesan cheese
sea salt & pepper
olive oil

Method

Remove fava beans from their pods. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt. Add fava beans and cook till tender about 3-4 minutes. Shock fava beans in an ice water bath. Allow to cool then remove the outer shell of the fava bean. You will see the bright, vibrant green bean. In a bowl mix the juice of half a lemon, olive oil, sea salt and pepper. In a bowl add a few handfuls of greens, mix in fava beans, leaves of fresh mint, parmesan cheese, and dressing. Toss well and serve.

All pottery is from Taos, New Mexico made by Georgia Neumann from At Home in Taos

A Quick Hello

2011-08-08T14:21:00.003-04:00

Hey all, just a quick hello and a few photos to share. So far my time has been spent catching up with old friends, eating and revisiting some cool places. I haven't be here in 4 years and a lot has changed but it is still very much the same. The smells bring back old memories. The sky is incredible and you can see the stars better then anywhere I've ever been. I am here till Friday then off to the Bay area. Many more photos to come :)

Recipe :: Roasted Corn Salsa

2011-08-04T14:49:00.003-04:00

Hello All,

Just a quick little recipe I wanted to share before I leave tomorrow morning. The Southwest has already started inspiring me. Also needing to use the last items I had in the fridge. I made a super yummy corn salsa. You can eat this with anything; with chips, in tacos, on fish or meat,on eggs, whatever your heart desires. Sweet corn is in season now and what a better time to fire up the grill and make this super easy, bright and refreshing salsa.

Ingredients

5 ears of sweet corn
1/2 of a red onion
1 bunch of cilantro
2 limes
olive oil
sea salt & pepper
cumin

Method

Remove husks from corn and lightly coat in olive oil. Cook on the grill or on the stovetop right over the flames. Turning to char the corn. Meanwhile dice half of one red onion and cilantro. Put ingredients in a bowl and add the juice of 2 limes. Mix in a little olive oil and sea salt. When corn is cool gently use your knife to slide down the sides of the corn. Add the corn to the mix and toss. You could add jalapenos if you want it spicy. Add a pinch of cumin and adjust seasoning if needed.

Dinner at Our House

2011-07-30T21:22:00.005-04:00

Hello All,

It's been awhile since I have posted any recipes so I thought I would share some photos of things we have eaten over the last month :) We always eat lot's of salads, especially during the Summer. Can't ever seem to get enough veggies. On some other notes.

Read a recent interview I did on Apartment Therapy's The Kitchn

Untitled at The Whitney launched their beautiful site with my photos.

Also my recent photos from August Restaurant went live on their new site

In other news I am leaving for vacation this upcoming Friday for two weeks. I am heading home to Taos, New Mexico for a week. Looking forward to seeing my mom and old friends. Then off to San Francisco and the Bay area to hang out with my bestie, eat lots of yummy food, cook and hang out with her awesome family and friends. Looking forward :)

How's everyone's Summer going? Any planned trips?

A day trip to Stone Barns

2011-07-23T20:40:00.001-04:00

My boyfriend and I decided to take a little road trip to the country. I wanted to show him Stone Barns and I was dying to get back since I was there last year. This time I didn't have dinner at Blue Hill, we just hung out around the farm and hiked around the property. It's so magical up there, I just love it. It's one of my favorite places outside the city and only a mere hour away. The property is located in Tarrytown, New York and was once owned by the Rockafellers. We visited with cows, sheep, pigs and chickens. Wandered around the gardens and through the forests. Dipped our feet in the creek, ate wild berries and gave the trees a hug. You can view my previous trip to Blue Hill at Stone Barns from last summer.

View all my photos from both trips on my flickr.

Stone Barns for Food & Agriculture
630 Bedford Road
Pocantico Hills, NY 10591
(914) 366-6200
http://www.stonebarnscenter.org/

Summer at Gramercy Tavern

2011-07-16T19:21:00.005-04:00

I was invited back to Gramercy Tavern to shoot my 4th season. This time in Summer's bounty of bright and vibrant colors. I have captured a full year of gorgeous food, flowers and decor. As usual the staff is amazing to work with. They are true masters of their craft. The kitchen blows me away every time. They are the leaders in hospitality and its evident. It's been an amazing year and I only hope to continue capturing the years to come. View all the seasons here.

Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 477-0777
http://www.gramercytavern.com/
Facebook Page

Kinfolk Magazine

2011-07-15T10:48:00.002-04:00

Kinfolk makes it's debut today. It will only be a matter of seconds before every food lover in the world gets their eyes on this beauty. I love the feel of it, a fine art quality. Full of some amazing artists, check it out. Check out Kinfolk's website at http://www.kinfolkmag.com

Open publication - Free publishing - More dinner parties

Restaurant :: August

2011-07-10T09:52:00.003-04:00

A few shots from a recent assignment at August restaurant located in the West Village.

August Restaurant
359 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
(212) 929-8727
http://augustny.com/

4th of July

2011-07-05T09:16:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone, hope you all had a nice relaxing 4th of July. We kept pretty mellow here in the city. Picnic in Central Park and watched the fireworks locally from Brooklyn. What did you all do?

The Cookery by Camille Becerra

2011-06-30T10:23:00.005-04:00

Last night I shot my friend Camille Becerra's press dinner for her new pop up series "The Cookery". It was located in The Little Owl's Venue in the West Village. Super cute space, delicious food and cocktails, a truly beautiful set up. Some of my reader's may remember the post I did awhile back with Camille for the Rhubarb Apple Pop-Tarts. If you are interested in seeing all the photos from the event visit my flickr page. This was the menu.

Chilled Parsley Soup
Chive Yoghurt Ice Cubes

Lemon, Vanilla-Salt Flatbread

Housemade Fresh Cheeses
Butter Poached Market Veggies, Tomato Aji Confit

Salad of Charred Squid, Mullet Skewers, Pickled Oysters
Saffron Alepo Aioli, Sweet Chili Oil, Mint Vinaigrette

Caviar Toast
Urchin Emulsion, Paddlefish Roe, Herbs, Blossoms, Vinegar Powder

Rice & Beans
Blood-Wild Rice Sausage, Butter Beans

Basil Flan
Fresh Currants, Spearmint

Table Gear
Babette's Hot Pepper Sauce
Cucumber & Kumquat Pickles

Smorgasburg & Saveur's "Sites We Love"

2011-06-25T23:06:00.004-04:00

Ok, I admit it. It's absolutely amazing living in New York City and being surrounded by the food scene here. During the Summer months it's literally endless the amount of open aired markets and food fairs that go on. Smorgasburg named after the Scandinavian Smörgåsbord meaning a feast or buffet. Being all cute they added the burg since it's placed in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I have been meaning to stop by the Smorgasburg since it opened up over a month ago. Since I always work on Saturdays I missed it, I frequently visit Brooklyn Flea on Sundays which takes place in the exact same waterfront location. They also have some of the same food vendors but with a wide variety of other things like antiques etc.

Today I was lucky enough to go for a visit. I met up with my friend Kimberly of The Year in Food who was here for a quick visit from SF. We strolled around this outdoor food market for a good hour eating everything from raw oysters, to baha fish tacos, to grilled corn with cilantro lime butter, a little blue bottle coffee and some of my new favorite shaved ice from people's pops. A must see if you are in the city and want to do something fun on a Saturday, did I mention there is a new East River Ferry? Takes you right to it :) Brooklyn rocks

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Saveur gave me "Sites We Love" read the full interview here. Happy face :)

Greenmarket, Fresh Pea Risotto & Shaved Baby Fennel Salad

2011-06-23T10:21:00.001-04:00

My little cousin has come for a visit from Los Angeles. It's her first time to New York and yesterday I took her to the Greenmarket in Union Square. I wanted to introduce her to a few things and show off all of our beautiful produce. She was pretty informed though I must admit, not like those kids you see on the telly who know nothing about food. She is very knowledgable, only a few things wowed her. Things like the multi colored radishes, the red and yellow carrots, a few of the lesser known berries, those sorts of things.

The market has been in full swing lately, I would say there is about 40 stalls. Berries are finally here; cherries, currants, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries & gooseberries. We bought some fresh peas and made a summer risotto with some fresh arugula on top. She loved it, so it's kid friendly guys! She also shelled all the peas! She was fast like someone doing prep work in a restaurant! I was impressed :)

Fresh Pea Risotto with Arugula & Parmesan

2 cups of arborio rice
4 baby leeks
3 cloves of garlic
5 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup of white wine
1 pound of fresh shell peas
fresh thyme and rosemary
arugula
parmesan
sea salt and pepper
butter and olive oil

Method

In a large deep pan on medium heat add one tablespoon butter and a drizzle of olive oil to coat. Add thinly sliced leeks (light green parts, washed) and two cloves smashed garlic. Add a spring of fresh rosemary and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Leave herbs on their stems because you will remove it later. Once leeks are tender add two cups of arborio. Saute for a minute then add a cup of dry white wine. Allow to reduce, there are two ways you can do this. You can either add all the stock and wait for it to reduce while stirring often or slowly add stock stirring until dissolved and adding more until finished. The whole process takes about 30-40 minutes.

While that is cooking remove peas from the pods. Blanch in salted boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Shock in cold water and return to a pan with just a touch of butter and salt. Plate risotto and spoon over fresh peas. Freshly shaved parmesan cheese and a some arugula that could be lightly dressed with lemon, olive oil and salt. Having the nice greens on top cuts the richness a bit and gives it a nice balance.

Okay, you got me. I am obsessed with taking photos of vegetables. Is it getting boring?

There is something about eating fresh vegetables during the summer. I love it and can't seem to get enough. Most vegetables with a little good olive oil, pinch of salt and a splash of citrus makes me a happy girl. When vegetables are fresh they don't need much work. I think people get intimidated by the size and their overbearing leaves and being covered in dirt. Most would look at a big bunch of fennel and say "What the heck am I supposed to do with that?". Well it's easy guys and here's how.

Shaved Baby Fennel with Herbs

1 bunch of baby fennel (any size is fine)
1 lemon
fresh herbs (I used chives, oregano, & thyme from my garden)
good olive oil
good salt (I used Balinese pyramids for a fishing salt)
fresh ground pepper

Method

Trim the tops off the fennel bulbs. Remove outer leaves and rinse any dirt. Using a mandolin on the finest setting thinly slice. Place into a bowl, add two tablespoons olive oil, pinch of salt and fresh herbs. You can also add a few of the fennel fronds. Add the zest and juice of one lemon. Mix and adjust to preferred taste. You can eat this plain or mix it with greens. Adding a good finishing salt at the end really is lovely. The salt crystals slowly melt on your tongue creating a burst of flavors. I Love salt, don't use crappy salts, they taste bad. If you like some freshly grated Parmesan on here would be great as well. Lemon + Salt + Vegetable + Olive Oil + Cheese = Bliss

New Amsterdam Market

2011-06-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

Tucked away right in front of the Old Fulton Fish Market lies the New Amsterdam Market. I went last year as the season was ending. This time it was much bigger and full of people. Located right near Pier 18 in downtown Manhattan. This market has a mixture of farms and local food stalls. It's every Sunday from 11-4. After you try a wide variety of yummy treats from the market you can walk to the waterfront and watch all the boats and the busy NYC waterways. Bask in the sun and relax. I am becoming more and more obsessed with outdoor food markets where I can get a taste of everything, as opposed to sitting in a restaurant.

Learn more about New Amsterdam Market on their website here.

I tried two different food spots while I was here. I had a grilled cheese with the addition of swiss chard from the people of Morris grilled cheese. They actually use a real grill so the flavors are dynamite.

After, I had a lovely shaved ice from people's pops. They freshly shave an ice block right in front of you, then drizzle it with homemade syrups. I had a combination of Rhubarb and Plum. Fantastic for a hot summers day. Addicted. They also had fruit pops which I want to try.

My Kitchen

2011-06-18T23:25:00.009-04:00

In doing a little updating on my website, I put this together. My kitchen over the last few months. Veggie land! We love our vegetables around these parts, and I always find it extremely bizarre when I hear people saying that they don't like them. I mean how could that be? Seriously? Is it because they aren't eating them properly? What are your thoughts?

Recipe :: Lentil & Shell Pea Salad & Updates

2011-06-16T12:29:00.002-04:00

Hey Guys,

So you know in the real world, out of bloggerville. That you have ingredients in your fridge that you can cook with a number of times. Like if you have a certain cheese, it's going to feed you 5 meals not only 1. That being said we try to have new and different ideas for every post. Well you know what I am breaking the rules. The last post of roasted beets with mint, feta and pistachios was great. But loving those flavors so much I decided to make this the following day. Is there anything wrong with that? This time I cooked lentils and fresh shell peas. I added feta, pistachios and mint and well, it was divine and worth mentioning. So there you go, you have two fairly similar recipes one after each other. Oh well :)

I also wanted to share a few other things.

I did an interview over at Great Food Photos with Donny. View it here.

I was also featured on my friend Peter Bagi's beautiful design site Sprk. View that here.

I'm not sure if you all know that I was mentioned in Jamie Magazine issue 19 under "site seeing" I am beyond flattered, as for a I LOVE Jamie Oliver and it was a very pleasant surprise. Thanks folks at Jamie Magazine! It's not super common here in the states but man is it a gorgeous magazine, I think it beats most mags we have here in the US. You can pick it up at Barnes and Noble. Food lovers this issue in particular is full of delicious recipes and gorgeous photography.

A have a few other interviews coming out soon, shhh ;) including Saveur and The Kitchn.

Recipe for Lentil & Shell Pea Salad with Feta, Pistachios & Mint

Ingredients

1 pound of fresh shell peas
1 cup of lentils
sheep's milk feta cheese
fresh mint
handful of pistachios
mixed lettuces
sprig of thyme
clove of garlic
olive oil

Method

Take one cup of lentils and rinse well to remove any small bits of dirt, rocks etc. Place into a pot and fill about three times full of water. Add one clove of garlic, sprig of thyme and pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes until desired tenderness. Keep an eye out as you may need to add a splash more water if necessary. When finished you want them tender not mushy. Drain and allow to cool. During that time rinse and trim the ends of the peas. Add them to salted boiling water. Blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain and shock in a cold water bath. Peas are a little time consuming but I love this type of work and its well worth it. Remove peas from their pods into a bowl. When serving I like to put the lentils on top of greens. I lightly dress greens separate from lentils. Season both with olive oil, splash of vinegar or lemon and salt. Place lentils on top and add finely chopped mint, crumbled feta and pistachios.

Recipe :: Roasted Baby Beets with Feta, Pistachios & Mint

2011-06-13T22:04:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

1 bunch of baby beets (regular beets are fine)
sheep's milk feta cheese
pistachios
fresh mint
olive oil
sea salt

Method

Clean beets and trim off the beet tops. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-45 minutes depending on size, until fork tender. Pull beets out of the oven and set aside to cool (about 10 minutes). With larger beets you may want to peel the outer layer of skin. With these smaller beets I didnt find it necessary. Slice beets and place in a bowl. Remove pistacios from their shells and chop roughly. Add pistachios and crumbled feta to the beets. Finish with a chiffonade of fresh mint and a drizzle of olive oil. Season and taste. This would be great over a bed of arugula or any greens. The combination is really perfect :) nom

Blueberry Breakfast & My Herb Garden

2011-06-10T11:16:00.004-04:00

I found some delicious blueberries at the market a few days ago. Some of the first I have seen of the season. Strawberries are abundant but blueberries have yet to show their faces. Until I spotted one vendor with a few containers. They were perfect, I dont care for blueberries when they aren't at their ideal peak ripeness. These were sweet and subtle, not tart. Blueberries with vanilla yoghurt and a splash of the chamomile syrup (see recipe below) makes for a lovely breakfast.

As for my herb garden. I think I am off to a pretty good start. Living in the city with no outdoor space, I had to compromise. I have 9 different herbs happily growing on my fire escape. Urban agriculture at its finest. If I felt safe that I could plant out there (which I legally can't) trust me I would be moving onto the veggies. Big containers of lettuces and kale. Tomato plants, peppers, peas and more. Oh well, someday when we eventually leave this city and have a house. I will have a full vegetable garden, until then this makes me happy :)

Recipe :: Iced Chamomile Sun Tea

2011-06-08T20:28:00.006-04:00

It's amazing how smells can trigger memories. When I was walking through the Farmer's Market it happened. A wave of nostalgia and stream of memories. I took a few more sniffs of the fresh chamomile and tried to place the memory. It is distinctly different from the dried version, which I often handle. I couldn't quite grasp the exact moment in time but it took me back.

I remember moving to Taos as a child in the peak of summer time. My mother had been been offered a job in Taos, New Mexico. Her job was located in a beautiful compound at the base of Taos mountain, surrounded by Native American land. No one can build there so the land sits untouched. Fields of crisp green grass with cows and buffalos roaming in a distance. The store was placed in these gorgeous old wood buildings amongst winding paths of wild flowers, trees and ponds. It was a wild playground for me and I would often hang out in the gardens. I used to pick these flowers, I remember the raw scent on my hands. Smelling them today I was taken back as if it were yesterday. Amazing how a scent can do that.

Ingredients

for chamomile tea
1 bunch of fresh chamomile
water
ice

for chamomile syrup
1 cup of sugar
2 cups of water

Method

Give the chamomile a good rinse. Place half of the chamomile flowers into a container with water. Allow to steep in the sun for the afternoon. Today it was 90 degrees and plenty of sun so this is ideal for sun tea. In a sauce pan heat 2 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar. Once the water comes to a boil and the sugar is evaporated turn off heat and add the remaining chamomile. Allow to steep into the simple syrup until cool. Remove flowers once the syrup has infused (about an hour). This syrup is delicious and can be used in a variety of ways. Pour sun tea over ice, finish with the chamomile syrup. Very light, sweet and subtle. A delicious summer drink.

Recipe :: Sugar Snap Peas with Radish, Cress, & Thyme

2011-06-06T11:21:00.006-04:00

This is seriously, one of the most delicious salads I've made in awhile. I realize that I post a lot of salads, mostly because it's what I love to eat. Ingredients change through out the seasons but I make my salads pretty much the same way. Olive oil with choice of acid sometimes lemon or an array of vinegars. I LOVE the combination of super fresh vegetables with the addition of salt and vinegar. It's heaven in my mouth. Most store bought salad dressings are seriously awful. They are dull and heavy. I like to be able to taste my food and know whats in it. Dressing a salad is not difficult and there is no reason to spend money on store bought dressings. Most of the salads I make take no longer then 5-10 minutes.

Peas are finally here, it has been a very late season for us on the East Coast. I picked up a pound of sugar snap peas, some radishes and watercress. I love the bold spicy flavors of greens like arugula and rocket, watercress, mustard greens, mizuna, etc. Add some more spicy radish and then the sweetness from the sugar snap balances everything out, it's pure harmony in your mouth.

Ingredients

Sugar Snap Peas
Radishes
Watercress
Thyme
Sea Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil (Lucini Italia Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
White Wine Vinegar (Lucini Italia Pinot Grigio Vinegar)

Method

In a small pot boil water and add a pinch of salt. Blanch sugar snap peas until tender about 2 minutes. Drain and shock in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and allow to dry. Add washed watercress to a bowl and add the sugar snap peas. Thinly slice radishes into the greens. Using a mandolin is best. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust to personal taste. Top with a little fresh thyme.

Lucini Italia

A quick note, a few weeks back I was contacted by the lovely people at Lucini Italia. They offered to send me some of their delicious products to try. They had found my work/recipes and saw how much I use olive oil and vinegars in my cooking. No pressure on their side to actually push it on my blog. Well they most definitely deserve a mention, in fact I am in love with the company. I am addicted to their products and I can't get enough of it. Thinking about it now, I am actually going to go make something as soon as I finish this post.

There is a little story behind this that I wanted to share. There is something out there that is not very common. It's called good customer service. You find it in the best restaurants, high quality products and from people who take pride in what they do. Those people take extra steps in assuring your satisfaction with the brand/product. It's not very common and when you do receive that high level of service you remember it forever. For me it was a very long and difficult day at work and I was beyond exhausted. The thought of cooking was not even tolerable. I came home surprised to find the box full of treats from Lucini Italia. In addition they sent me some of their tomatoes sauces to try. With a little note saying "When you're too tired to cook". It could not of come at a better time and I seriously got a little teary with relief. The feeling that someone was actually cutting me a break. The sauce was delicious, I put it on top of some rice with some sautéed kale. My perfect easy, no fuss, go to meal when I dont have the energy to cook. I will forever remember that gesture and I appreciated it immensely. I urge you to try their products, not only because they taste delicious but because they love what they do and it shows. Learn more about their products and find where to buy near you.

Visit Lucini Italia's website here

Central Park

2011-06-02T18:51:00.000-04:00

I have been feeling this intense desire to be outside and surrounded by green and nature. One of the few serene places you can escape to within this city is Central Park. Until I have more time to escape to further distances, this did just the trick :) Two posts in one day.

Recipe :: Angel Food Cake with Strawberries & Cream

2011-06-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

As I have mentioned in the past, baking is not one of my strongest skills. I give tons of props to those who are truly amazing at it. I dont seem to have those baking instincts. If something doesn't work out, I have no idea what I did wrong or how I could fix it. I will stick to the savories for now :) Balancing salt and acid, no problem.

It was a scorching hot day here in the city. It seems to have become summer over night. New York is one big tease, the weather goes up and down and its either all or nothing. You get used to those drastic weather changes, but sometimes you want to yell at the sky and say "Give me some consistant weather! damn you!" So that being said I was lazy and I will admit that I bought something already made. If you have the time, patience and your not worried about turning up the heat on your oven, then you should make it from scratch. I bought angel food cake from Whole Foods Bakery, my bad :P Top it off with macerated strawberries, some freshly whipped cream and your good to go. So delicious, light, fresh and it screams summer. This would be perfect for entertaining and impressing people.

Ingredients

1 container of fresh strawberries
2 cups of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of sugar
teaspoon of vanilla extract
angel food cake

Method

Rinse and slice strawberries, place in a bowl. Sprinkle a 1/2 tablespoon of sugar over the strawberries. Depending on how sweet your berries are this can be adjusted. Right now at the start of the season the berries aren't that sweet, later in the summer I may use less. The sugar pulls out the juices from the strawberries and also creates a lovely sauce. This is called macerating. It's a great technique with any berry. Add two cups of cold heavy cream to a bowl. Add 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip with a whisk till firm peaks. There is no reason to buy canned whip cream! It's so easy and tastes a million times better. Place a slice of angel food cake on a plate, top with a dollop of whip cream, cover in the strawberries and add some fresh mint.

Restaurant :: La Follia

2011-05-30T10:24:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back, I shot this adorable restaurant in the Gramercy area. As a photographer every shoot is something new and different. I take away new knowledge every time. When I shoot restaurants they rarely have the funds to pay stylists. So I have to be both. I would say it's not my strongest skill, but I do think I am getting better and better with practice. Designing my home and having an eye for details have been beneficial in this area. But styling for photos is entirely different and new territory for me. Creating different levels, composition and focal points. The best way to learn I have found is looking at other peoples work and gaining inspiration, and through tons of practice.

Everyone starts out somewhere and it's the road along the way that is important. I can be pretty hard on myself about my work. But sometimes you need to step back and look at your accomplishments. I realize that I have come a pretty long way in a short period of time. I have to give myself a little pat on the back. Instead of only thinking about the future and where I want to be and how I will get there. Trying to find my particular style and where I want to take my work is the next step. I am on that road and learning as I go, being as passionate as I can be and hopefully it will lead me to good places.

La Follia
226 3rd Ave (between 19th St & 20th St)
New York City
(212) 477-4100

Farms :: Eagle Street Rooftop Farm

2011-05-23T09:50:00.005-04:00

Where do I even start. I was so excited to post this that I am at a loss for words. I literally woke up at 6 am and all I could think about was this post. This topic makes me excited, makes passion and inspiration pump through my body. Every time I step on to this rooftop it's an emotional experience. It's tough to explain and some might think I am crazy. Maybe I am getting older, maybe I am very sensitive to my environments. But I feel things, I feel them deep, I feel them on a level that isn't really explanatory. Its my senses. Maybe its the length of time I have spent in the city. When I see the ocean, when I feel nature, I tear up. I cant stress enough how important and magnificent it is. It is commonly overlooked. Its a place of growth, a place of love and pure magic. Mother nature is so much more complex and amazing then us measly humans whom destroy it. Being a photographer and someone who loves to cook these are the things that inspire me. How could you not feel passionately about the whole process from start to finish. The growth, the preparation and the consuming, the way it makes us feel. Well its just magic.

This farm is literally 5 blocks from my home in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. A fully functioning, self sustainable farm on a warehouse rooftop overlooking the Manhattan Skyline. Pretty damn incredible. On Sunday, it was an overcast chilly day here in New York. I decided it was time to go back for a visit. They were having a plant/herb sale and I wanted to by some new herbs to grow. Upon walking on to the roof it was magical. The light soft, the sky grey, the city covered in thick rainy clouds. People can volunteer on Sundays and they were busy at work pulling and sorting greens. They often have classes and discussions. Last year I went to a cooking demo with The Van Leeuwens. They made a fish curry that they had learned while in Bali.

The energy of the farm is calm, people snap out of their city stresses, people think its fabulous just as I do. We talk about ways to cook things, eat right out of the ground. Rooftop farming and Urban Agriculture are becoming more and more popular. Young and passionate farmers are creating a whole new era of farming. I could not be anymore exited about it! If you had asked me when I was younger whether or not I would ever want to be a farmer I would of laughed at you. Now there are few things that I feel so passionately about and couldn't be anymore excited to learn about. Brooklyn Grange is another incredible rooftop farm in the same area.

Farm to Table

They have a small market setup at the farm on Sunday. I picked up some spinach, baby kale and arugula. A handful of herbs; oregano, lavender and chive blossoms. And a bunch of French Breakfast radishes. All the veggies were grown within 5 blocks of my house, talk about eating local! I made a delicious super fresh salad. Oh yeah dont eat the Bunnies please, I met them when they were born at the farm and now they are adults. They are too precious to eat and the chickens on the farm aren't killed either.

Learn more about the farm, visit or volunteer.

http://rooftopfarms.org/

Rooftop Green Salad with a Chive Blossoms & Herbs

Ingredients

1 handful of arugula
1 handful of baby kale
1 handful of spinach
chive blossoms
oregano
radishes
parmesan
olive oil
red wine vinegar
sea salt & pepper

Method

Wash greens and veggies well. Combine all ingredients and toss with olive oil and vinegar. Season, taste and adjust as needed. Shaved parmesan on top. Straight forward, fresh, delicious.

Restaurant :: Terrace 5 at The Museum of Modern Art

2011-05-20T10:30:00.002-04:00

Most of my readers know that a few weeks back I shot both the cafes at The Museum of Modern Art, here in Midtown Manhattan. I had a great time shooting these and worked along side some incredibly strong and talented women. Terrace 5 in particular is incredibly beautiful, its located on the 5th floor overlooking the courtyard and garden of the MOMA. It large terrace is bright, warm and inviting. A perfect place to grab a salad, plate of cheese and a bottle of wine to relax during an afternoon of browsing art. Special thanks to Lynn, Cristina and Tracy. To view these slightly larger see my website here.

Recipe :: Grilled Treviso with Watercress and Creamy Blue Cheese

2011-05-16T13:19:00.001-04:00

This salad and I go way back. Back into my high school days of bussing tables at a small restaurant in Taos, NM. I was around the age of 14 and my interest in food was taking a whole new spin. I would stand at the line peering into the kitchen and ask the chefs whatever I could. Why? Why do you do that? What did you put in this? 12 years later I still do the exact same thing. Bugging the poor kitchen staff. Insisting on learning everything I can. 14 years of culinary education right there. While none of this has been hands on, as if I were to actually be cooking in these places. I still took much of the information to heart.

This restaurant has been consistently fabulous for over 20 years. While its original owners sold recently, the legacy still lives on. I started as a busser, traveled, went back and served, then even managed. They taught me extremely valuable tools that I use until this day. It was a small house and we were a family. They are some of the best people I've ever worked for. They taught tons of young adolescents valuable tricks of the trade. Which I do believe helped all of us work better, more efficiently and even more importantly, passionately. Love you Lambert's :) Their salad was of grilled radicchio placed atop a bed of greens smothered in creamy danish blue cheese. This is my take on it.

This salad is ideal in the Spring/Summer months when the grill is fired up. Super easy, minimal prep and really fast. You can use any of the bitter greens; treviso, radicchio, or endive. When cooked these greens loose their bitterness and gain major flavor. Since I live in a small apartment and I dont have access to a BBQ. I used a grill pan. I hope to change peoples opinion of these bitter greens. As for this is not your average salad but one of richness. The creamy blue cheese really compliments the charred flavors.

Ingredients

1 head of treviso
1 bunch of watercress
5 tablespoons of blue cheese
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Method

Heat your grill or grill pan to med- high heat. Cut teviso in half and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place face down on the grill. Allow to grill for about 3-4 minutes a side, depending on thickness. Wash watercress and place on the bottom of a plate. In a small bowl crumble blue cheese, add vinegar, olive oil and season. Taste and adjust to desired taste. Fan the treviso on the watercress and drizzle with blue cheese dressing around the plate. Finished! See how easy :) This would be great for entertaining.

Busy Bee

2011-05-14T23:29:00.016-04:00

Hey guys, its been awhile. Well not too long but I feel like I havent posted in ages! Only 5 days. I've been keeping myself really busy the last few weeks. I've been booked on my regular days off for shoots (good thing). Hoping in the near future that I will be able to do it full time. I am pretty worn out though, working my normal 4 day a week job and booking shoots on my days off. Then juggling all the other little things in life. I am super grateful for being so busy but I can feel my patience and tolerance are a bit stretched. Last week I shot both cafes at The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) here in NYC. The shot above is of a ricotta dish from Terrace 5. Will share more of those shoots in the weeks to come. Next week I am shooting a cute little restaurant in Gramercy called La Folia. I also should have a little time to post a new recipe in the next few days :)

A few other things I've been up to.

-Last week I shot "Untitled" Danny Meyer's restaurant in The Whitney Museum

-Here you can view all my latest recipe contributions to Marcus Samuelsson's Website.

-I also spent some time cooking with my friend Camille Becerra, who made some delicious Rhubarb Apple Pop Tarts (see post below)

-A quick mention in the Good Food Jobs Newsletter, there will also be a interview with me in August so keep an eye out.

-A photo I took of the Burger from Gramercy Tavern was on Eater.com for Burger Week.

-I also shot a very special private dinner at Gramercy Tavern for the Japan Society. Prepared by Chefs Michael Anthony and Michael Romano. A beautiful event with sky high Cherry Blossoms by Roberta. Which you can view here on my my flickr.

Radish Love

2011-05-09T11:00:00.001-04:00

I have one very fond memory of my grandfather. When I was around 7 years old, I was at his home during the summer. He ate radishes with sea salt from his garden. It may of been the first time I ate radishes or maybe not but its the first radish memory I had. I have always been fond of radishes spicy flavors. They fit into a wide variety of dishes. This is one of my favorite ways of eating them. Simply on buttered toast with a sprinkle of Maldon's sea salt. I added some avocado in addition, one of my other loves. The combination is divine.

Butter + Radish + Sea Salt = Bliss

Spring Radish & Avocado Toasts

Toast Bread + Spread Butter + Add thinly sliced Avocado & Radish + Top with Sea Salt = Love

White Bean Salad with Radish, Capers, Walnuts & Ramp Pesto

Ingredients

1 can of white beans (garbanzo, navy or cannelini)
assorted radishes and green tops
handful of walnuts
capers
ramp pesto (or any high quality herb pesto)
fresh oregano or any herb
red wine vineagar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Method

Rinse white beans and place into a bowl. Add thinly sliced radishes, I use a mandolin. Finely chop a handful of walnuts and add. Throw in some capers and fresh oregano leaves. I added a few leaves off the radish tops. Add a dollop of pesto and mix. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. Season and taste. Serve room temperature. This is just an example of an easy spring salad. It is fast and holds well in the fridge. Great for a party or to take to for lunch.

Ramp Pesto

1 bunch of ramps (wild leek)
1 bunch of fresh basil
1/4 pound of walnuts
1/4 cup of grated parmesan
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Wash ramps well and be sure to remove any grit around the leaves and roots. Finely chop the green tops of the ramps. Wash and do the same with the basil. About 2 handfuls of each and place into the food processor. Then add a 1/4 of a cup of grated parmesan. In a small saute pan on low heat, toast walnuts. Add walnuts and pulse until smooth, slowly adding olive oil while blending (about 4 tablespoons). Season with salt and pepper, then taste. Adjust seasoning and add more olive oil if needed. Blend until smooth. The flavors pack a punch!

Restaurant :: "Untitled" at The Whitney

2011-05-08T10:27:00.001-04:00

A few weeks back I was hired to shoot Danny Meyer's new restaurant in The Whitney Museum. Working with chef Chris Bradely formerly of Gramercy Tavern. They currently are open for breakfast and lunch but are opening soon for dinner. It's a beautiful space with great food, keeping all of things that you would expect to find in a Danny Meyer restaurant. Local and seasonal produce being a big one. They offer a wide variety of great food from local makers like pies from Four and Twenty Blackbirds, pickles from Brooklyn Brine and they also use Stumptown coffee. Everything tastes great and comes with a smile from their fantastic staff. If you are ever up on the upper east side check it out :) Soon my photos will be on their website.

Untitled at The Whitney Museum
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York City (212)570-3670

Rhubarb Apple Pop Tarts with Camille Becerra

2011-05-05T09:46:00.059-04:00

{Portion out dough into 6 equal pieces. Put half of the dough back in fridge until ready to use}

{Roll out each portion into rectangle}

{Peel, core and slice apples and rhubarb}

{Cut rectangle in half}

{Spoon filling onto one half}

{Brush borders with egg-water wash}

{Place its half on top, trim excess to make a perfect rectangle and crimp edges}

{Make a few small splits on top}

{Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven, for 10 min or till golden}

Rhubarb Apple Pop-Tarts
Recipe by Camille Becerra, Photography by me
Makes 6

Pop-Tart Dough Recipe

2 cups flour, preferably organic
1 tsp sea salt
2 tbl sugar
250 g organic butter or shortening
¼ cup iced water
1 organic egg

By hand or food processor stir together dry ingredients, cut in the butter and add
water slowly until the dough adheres to itself.

Wrap and rest in fridge for at least ½ hour.

Rhubarb-Apple Filling

1 green apple, peeled & cut
1/2 cup sugar
Few gratings of nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3-5 rhubarb stalks, depending on their size.
Pinch sea salt
2 tbls flour

Gently sauté apples in small amount of olive oil or butter, add the sugar and
spice, follow with the rhubarb and sprinkle the flour when fruit is toothsome.
Cool.

See step by step instructions in photos above :)

Camille Becerra is a NYC based chef and restaurateur. As a chef she is known for incorporating the Latin spices of her heritage as well as her dedication to sourcing local quality and sustainable ingredients. She believes her approach to healthy applications and classic techniques lends itself to maximizing flavor.

After graduating from the Academy of Culinary Arts at the top of her class Ms Becerra spent the following years traveling the country, working on farms, and cooking at top restaurants in Los Angeles CA, Philadelphia PA, Cape May NJ, and Santa Fe NM. A student of Macrobiotic Cuisine she’s cooked privately for Cancer patients helping them in their recovery and at a Zen monastery as head cook, or Tenzo cooking for 103 year old Joshu Sasaki Roshi and his monks. When arriving back to NYC she began working in the front of the house, positioning herself to realize her dream of one day opening up her own restaurant.

In 2005 she became the proud Chef and owner of Paloma, a Brooklyn restaurant known for it’s daily changing menu that reflected the current availability of local product and creativity of its chefs. The kitchen coined its cuisine, Urban American. After a 3-year stretch a fire shuttered its doors in 2008.

In 2007, Ms. Becerra was given the opportunity to be a contestant on Top Chef Season 3. There she learned the inner workings of television as well as gained many friendships and mentors from within the show’s staff.

Chef Becerra has her finger on the pulse of the newest and most interesting culinary trends. She is the creator and founder of The Hunger, A Pop-Up Restaurant Series and has worked hand in hand with local farms like Queens County Farm to help bring awareness to the farm to table movement. The menu at the farm dinners utilizes solely what the farm produces and all proceeds go to back to the farm to help with children educational programs. She chronicles her experiences with food in her blog, MyPersonalFeast. She currently lives in Manhattan with her 10-year old foodie daughter, Paloma.

Dogwoods

2011-05-01T11:54:00.001-04:00

I couldn't resist sharing these beautiful Dogwoods I bought from the market yesterday. They are so special with their vibrant green flowers. Love them :) Last week it was Peach Blossoms and Lilacs. I dont want the Spring Flowers to end!

Recipe :: Spring Greens with Crispy Potatoes, Herbs & Asparagus

2011-04-30T20:18:00.004-04:00

On this beautiful Spring day in New York City, I stopped by the Greenmarket. Flowers everywhere, fresh herbs, loads of ramps, and the first of asparagus is here. I was so happy to see everything green and a new variety of veggies to explore. Today I was intrigued by all the greens. A new one I had never heard of, chickweed. Read more about chickweed below. Using my usual mesclun mix from one of my favorite farmers. Baby Mizuna and Mustard greens with the addition of Sorrel. Love greens! So happy your back :) Variety again yipee!

Upland Cress is also called Winter Cress, or Creasy Greens in the South. It is an easy to grow cut-and-grow again crop. The plant grows to about 4-6" tall with mildly peppery leaves. Harvest at any stage from micro-size to full maturity. Leaves, shoots, and flower buds are all delicious.

Fresh chickweed is very nutritious—it contains vitamin C and protein—and is a great addition to a spring salad. Traditionally, the herb was considered soothing to irritated mucous membranes, and the dried herb was made into teas for coughs and hoarseness.

Forms commonly used: Fresh herb, dried herb, capsules, tinctures and teas.

This recipe is not designed to be followed spot on. Its about trying new greens, ones that are seasonal and not very common. Depending on where you live and what is available. Also the addition of fresh herbs is very complimentary.

Ingredients

1 bunch of upland cress (any kind of watercress would be fine)
1 handful of chickweed
1/4 pound of high quality mesclun mix (baby mizuna & mustard greens, sorrel)
1/2 pound of roseval fingerling potatoes (a reddish color fingerling, any fingerling would be fine)
fresh herbs (I used oregano)
1 bunch of asparagus
red wine vinegar
olive oil
sea salt and pepper
parmesan (your favorite cheese)

Method

Wash all your greens well and place in a salad bowl. Blanch asparagus in simmering salted water for 1-2 minutes. Shock into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and bring out their vibrant green color. I added homemade crispy potatoes. Using a mandolin I thinly sliced fingerling potatoes. In a large pan on med-high heat, add oil. Add potatoes in small batches so they are evenly distributed in pan. Fry till crispy and season with sea salt. Dress greens with about 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar and 4 teaspoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fan asparagus on the salad or chop into bit size pieces. Top with shaved parmesan and the crispy potatoes. Very simple but the greens are so flavorful they dont need much :)

Marcus Samuelsson's Blog

2011-04-26T10:54:00.002-04:00

Hey guys, just a quick note to let you know that I have started contributing to Marcus Samuelsson's website/blog. Visit the full Spring Crostini Recipe here.

Thanks for all your support and be sure to "like" me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter if you would like to keep in touch with everything I am up too :)

Recipe :: Caprese

2011-04-25T20:06:00.005-04:00

I know, I know, I preach eating locally and seasonally. Yesterday, amongst co workers we shared our love for the caprese. Today when I stopped by Eataly and saw the freshly made mozzarella, it was all over. Thankfully for times like these, we do live in America and tomatoes are in season somewhere else! So I picked up some freshly made mozzarella, a few heirloom tomatoes and fresh basil. It is one of the easiest and most delicious things you could possibly make. Everyone loves it and it can be made a handful of different ways.

Ingredients

1 pound of heirloom tomatoes
1 container of fresh mozzeralla
1 bunch of fresh basil
2 tablespoons good olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper

Method

Make it anyway you like. Stack it, fan it or chop it. Cut tomatoes and mozzarella into even slices. Add fresh basil leaves and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divine. Simplicity at it finest ladies and gentleman. That being said the ingredients need to be fresh, especially the tomatoes! Crappy tomatoes equal crappy caprese.

One Spring Monday...

2011-04-25T17:30:00.003-04:00

Our vacation is long gone and my tan is starting to fade. Its finally starting to get warm here in the city. Spring in New York is finicky. We've had a ton of rain and I have watched the trees come back to life overnight. The vibrant greens and loads of colors are one of my favorite times here. I have a very busy work week ahead of me and I am bummed that I may not have the time to make it to the Sakura Cherry Blossom festival at The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. It's a truly beautiful experience and I hope I will make some time this week. Though it seems unlikely. While running errands today, and catching up with friends I tried to take some snap shots. The Greenmarket is coming back to life with tons of flowers and some early spring veggies. Flowers everywhere and growth, doors are open again as the warm breeze sweeps through the city. I have some exciting shoots these next few weeks and I will be sharing more soon :) Happy Spring people!

Where we stayed....

2011-04-23T21:39:00.003-04:00

A quick flight to Cancun and we jumped into our jeep rental. And we were on our way down Mexico's highway 307 to Tulum. About 2 hours roughly, passing through another popular beach town of Playa del Carmen. The anticipation builds as you cant see the ocean until you make that left turn towards Boca Paila. Driving into the town our hearts were full of love. The excitement rushing through your body. There is nothing like it. My first thought was how they felt on the movie "The Beach" when they all arrived on that island in Thailand. I very similar feeling I had when I was 17 and moved to St John, it was my first time seeing the beaches after I arrived. Driving in the back of a pick up truck through the windy roads, the dense green forestry and warm air on my face. It was paradise and I remember it so clearly as if it were yesterday. The colors of the ocean are just so astonishing and it's hard to even put it into words. A very special moment in my life.

As we drove through the small town of cute open aired restaurants, small eco hotels and mexican shops. People playing guitar and drinking margaritas, a peaceful vibe with tiki torches lite and hammocks everywhere. Palapa styled rooftops and modest housing. Most places rely on wind and solar power. People riding bikes up and down the beach along the road. The air is thick in humidity, a slight constant breeze and a smell so sweet and fresh. I LOVE that air, it's home. It was so visually appealing to us being that we had just been through the dark canvas that is New York during the winter months. A very pleasant change in scenery, a much needed trip away. We pulled into the sand drive way of Coco. Checked in and was shown our adorable little cabana. Only a few steps from the ocean. It was heavenly, a very simple room but it was perfect for what we were looking for. A place to get far away from it all, a quiet spot on the sea. The cabanas are fairly small, a nice bed with mosquito net, a table, shelf and a view onto the ocean. You have your own private hammock as well as the ones scattered along the beach.

While being there you become very aware of the life around you. There are beautiful birds, bugs and animals. We share the planet with many things other then us, we tend to forget. I felt at peace with it and have missed it dearly. I grew up in a place where the night skies are black, where you see every star in the sky. I loved that about Tulum, I was reminded that we are living on an incredible planet. One that should never be taken advantage of. You wake with the sun and sleep with the moon. It was incredible to watch the sun setting over the jungle bright red and watching the moon rise over the ocean. These are the moments in life, this is what living is about. We will be back very soon.

Visit Coco Tulum's Website for more information and booking.

The Food of Tulum, Mexico

2011-04-20T11:28:00.003-04:00

Well, I will start by saying that the food of Mexico has always been close to my heart. I grew up in New Mexico and while the food is slightly different, the spices and styles of Mexican food are very much home for me. Coming to Tulum, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew that there was going to be loads of amazing produce and fish, but we weren't sure of the local delicacies that were in store for us. My boyfriend and I are huge fish taco fans so originally we thought this must be the place to find them. We have searched high and low in New York. We had a hard time finding a Baha style fish taco that we were wowed by there. Instead we were wowed by the simple things. Mexican food isn't glamorous, it is fresh, flavorful and bright. Simplicity in its finest. The fruits knock your socks off and makes you wonder what you have been eating your whole life, with a sensation of feeling completely gipped.

Pescado, Pescado y mas Pescado

Their is no lack of phenomenal seafood in the Yucatan Peninsula, which is in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. It is in abundance really and everyday at the hotel next to ours, a fisherman would arrive in the afternoon with the daily catch. Me being the huge food geek I am, would flock to him. So would the owner and his son of the restaurant/hotel Posada Margherita. Most of the the time the little boy would be nude running to the boat in what is most certainly paradise. The pelicans knew when to come and would flock over the top of the boat. The little boy would throw small fish into the pelicans beaks. It was truly a magical moment for me. Experiencing the true paradise because really it doesn't get any better than that. That lifestyle is one close to my heart and one I plan on living sooner rather then later. The fisherman brought lobsters the first day, the second day he had caught a huge crab and a slew of tropical fish. I felt slightly sad by the fact that these weren't just ordinary fish but vibrant, colorful tropical fish which I wish would of stayed in their natural habitat. Too pretty to eat. That being being said it was something I wanted to part take in and it was well worth it. You really appreciate nature in its fullest here. There is no avoiding it, its in your face, over your head and all around you.

Every morning we woke with the sun. Living in New York City we have become slightly numb. Being there made me feel alive and one with nature, as cheesy as that may sound. I woke with sun and slept most of the night. I absorbed the sun into my skin and embraced the lifestyle around me. We would drink strong coffee and the best freaking orange juice I have ever had. I will say that the freshly squeezed juices found everywhere here was seriously one of my highlights. You become addicted to the nectar of the gods, no exaggeration. All cocktails are made from fresh juice, and in their solitude are divine. You can feel the sun soaked into every bit of fruit you taste. A serious sense of resentment when you think about the crappy produce in the super markets. Why does fruit always taste so much better in Latin Countries? I ask myself. In Argentina the produce during the summer is fantastic. Simply prepared and always flavor packed. A typical breakfast for us was to share a plate of fresh fruit; papayas, magoes, bananas and pineapple. We became quite addicted to Chilaquiles, a dish of tortilla chips smothered in a tomato chile sauce made of fresh tomatoes, chiles, onions, garlic and spices. Varying in levels of spiciness. Topped with cheese and crema. Often served with a fried egg on top and shredded chicken. Like everything packed with citrus and super bright flavors.

Mercados, Markets

The town of Tulum, which is a little inland from the coastal beach front bungalow community. Still rather small but scattered with a selection of restaurants, shops and little markets. Like I mentioned before fruit is huge here. All the markets have bananas hanging, plies of different varieties of mangoes, dried and fresh chiles, garlic, onions, citrus fruits, limes the size of oranges, and a ton of exotic fruits I have never seen or heard of. Not being sure of what I could eat etc I didn't branch too far out of the trusted spots. Next time I go back now that I know most of the produce is safe from chemicals and such, I will try every single type of fruit there is. I will branch out and get detailed descriptions and learn more about the local cooking customs. That being said I was only there a week and I did as good as I could. I need to go back for a month, rent a small house with a kitchen, spend some time in local kitchens and really learn. I want to try more things and reach out to the locals. Until next time.

We ate tons of guacamole, drank coronas, fruit cocktails, & micheladas. What's a Michelada you ask? It's a Mexican drink prepared with beer, tomato juice (or Clamato), lime juice, and assorted sauces, spices, and peppers. It is served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass. There are numerous variations of this beverage throughout Mexico and Latin America. It's delicious and perfect for hangovers. Another thing worth mentioning is the Pico de Gallo. Fresh tomatoes, chiles, onions, cilantro and lime is just divine. Put it on everything, yes please. Mexican Ceviche is a combination of fresh seafood with the addition of pico de gallo and wah la you have ceviche. Made with baby shrimp, octopus or fish, swimming in a bowl of citrusy goodness, often accompanied by the trusted tortilla chip. If I can get my hands on some fresh seafood this summer you bet you bum, I will be making this. So simple and so tasty. Did I mention that most restaurants are outdoors or open aired on the beach? Nothing better then dining al fresco.

The Trusted Coconut

My dear coconut, how I love you so. So Tulum is full of Coconut Palms. What's the difference? Palm trees, coconut trees? Well they are the same we found out. There are many different types but these are coco palms. Their uses are endless, I am in fact in love with this tree. The obviously health benefits of water inside the coco, the leaves can be used for thatched roof housing, coconut oil, coconut milk for my cocktails, the wood for burning. Endless amounts of uses and health benefits. My dear lovely coco. I love your smell and your taste.

Back from Vacation

2011-04-18T22:07:00.003-04:00

Hey guys, its been awhile. We have been far away in exotic places ;) we had a truly fantastic time and I miss it dearly. I will be posting more and more over the next few weeks. Cant wait to share all the stories and adventures we had. Missed you all :) You can view all the photos on my flickr here :)

Recipe :: Roasted Broccoli with Toasted Pine Nuts, Feta, Basil & Lemon

2011-04-07T18:39:00.000-04:00

Ingredients

2 pounds of broccoli
fresh basil
feta cheese
pine nuts
1-2 lemons
sea salt & pepper
cayenne
olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse and cut broccoli into small pieces. Lay broccoli on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil, add sea salt, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Toss to coat and place in the oven to cook for 15-20 minutes. Check on it a few times during the cooking process and flip. Meanwhile add the zest of one lemon and juice to a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a small saute pan on low heat add pine nuts to toast. Shake the pan frequently to move pine nuts and toast evenly, about 4 minutes until golden brown. When broccoli is finished allow to cool. Dress broccoli at room temperature or slightly warm with the vinaigrette, add crumbled feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and torn fresh basil leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Perfect as a side dish or over a bed of greens.

Spring Veggies

2011-04-06T21:12:00.003-04:00

I dont know about you, but I am super excited about all the Spring vegetables that will be appearing at the Farmer's Market in the upcoming months. It's been a long winter of root veggies and I am ready to start hitting the markets religiously. Asparagus, being one of my favorites will soon be popping up. Also including things like radishes, rhubarb, ramps, leafy greens, fresh beans like fava and soy, broccoli, pea shoots, cardoons, artichokes and sugar snap peas. Then moving onto loads of fresh berries and all sorts of delicious things later in the season. What is your favorite Spring veggie? I am also stoked for the flowers, Lilies of the Valley which is the most incredible smelling bell shaped flowers. Lilacs and cherry blossoms. We leave for Mexico on Monday and this will probably be my last post for a little over a week. I'll be back soon with endless amounts of photos.

On another note, Saveur is taking nominations for the best food blogs of 2011. I would love you forever if you took the time to enter me into the loop. Category most likely being best food photography. Thank you.

Visit Saveur's website here

Recipe :: Tabouleh

2011-03-30T15:46:00.004-04:00

Ingredients

1 cup of bulgar wheat
2 ripe tomatoes (organic, heirloom, vine ripe)
2-3 lemons
1 small cucumber
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 bunch of mint
feta cheese
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
pinch of cayenne
red wine vinegar
olive oil
pita (one per person)
clove of garlic

Method

Homemade tabouleh is fast, easy and delicious. Having any grain with lots of fresh herbs and lemon, equals a super bright dish that I love. You can be very flexible with this, I think using farro would be really nice or even couscous. I stuck with the traditional, and used bulgar wheat. An important thing to learn when cooking, is to adjust seasoning to your personal preference. Not everyone likes the same thing, so being a little daring and trusting your instincts can go a long way. I tend to love a nice acidity and salt. It really makes things pop, some people may prefer less. So always taste as you go.

There are a few ways to cook bulgar wheat, one is to rinse and place one cup of bulgar wheat in a bowl, cover with 1 1/2 cups water and allow to sit for an hour. Another way is to bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of bulgar wheat to a boil. Turn to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. I would follow the directions listed on whichever one you buy.

Dice tomatoes and remove seeds. Peel cucumber, remove seeds with a spoon and dice. Finely chop a bunch of parsley and mint. Add all ingredients to a bowl. Add the zest of two lemons and the juice. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Let flavors infuse for about an hour. Add bulgar wheat and mix well, adjust seasoning. Maybe more lemon? a splash of red wine vinegar? more salt? Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled. Top with fresh feta cheese, and a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick.

Before serving, mince one garlic clove. Place pita bread on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and scatter a little garlic on top. Put under the broiler for about 4 minutes till crispy. Keep a close eye on so they don't burn.

The Hartwood by The Selby in Tulum, Mexico

2011-03-30T12:26:00.004-04:00

{Photos by The Selby}

So as many of my readers know, we are heading to Tulum in just 11 days. A few friends mentioned that there was a new restaurant that was run by New Yorkers. A chef from Vinegar Hill House was transplanted into the tropics of Tulum, cooking with local food. Then today the New York Times showed The Hartwood shot by The Selby. Incredible shots of this amazing restaurant. I cannot wait to eat and shoot! I most def will be taking photos like these, probably like 2,000 of them, so be prepared. I am so super excited.

Via the New York Times :

Two New York refugees set up a rustic cocina on the Mexican coast.

Most people keep their New Year’s resolutions simple: exercise, save money, volunteer. Mya Henry and Eric Werner took on something more challenging — they made a pact to leave New York and open a restaurant in Tulum, Mexico. Last December, after seven months of planning, building and traveling around the country in search of antiques, they opened Hartwood, which they describe as ‘‘Mexican farmhouse rustic.’’ Werner, who cooked at Peasant in Manhattan and Vinegar Hill House in Brooklyn, helms the kitchen, while Henry, who worked for the Soho Grand Hotel, runs the front of the house. Henry blames her naïveté for fueling their project. ‘‘I’ve never worked so hard in my life — despite being in this paradise.’’

See all the photos on The Selby and read The New York Times article.

Visit The Hartwood Website

It's not all Black & White

2011-03-28T21:08:00.002-04:00

Spring is slowly approaching us. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding which mood I am in whether it be a little dark and moody (B&W) or bright and cheerful (color). Maybe I am a mixture of both, which do you prefer?

Markets :: Brooklyn Flea

2011-03-27T14:32:00.006-04:00

So today was my first time to Brooklyn Flea, I know, I know, how lame is that! Seriously lame, I wanted to go today because it was the last day that Brooklyn Flea was in the Skylight One Hanson building. It's an old bank building in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. Beautiful space with amazing light. They now move the Flea outdoors and to a closer spot in Williamsburg (lucky me). This place is great and a must do if you are visiting or live here. Full of awesome vendors, I finally bought cookies from Whimsey & Spice. Divine little cookies in honey & lavender and chocolate, orange & cardamon. I've followed her blog Sweet Fine Day for sometime, so it was nice to finally taste what I had been reading about. I am super happy that I finally purchased one of Claudia Peason's awesome handprinted tea towels. She is wicked talented and I have had my eye on them for some time. Check out all her illustrations on her site. Endless great vintage clothing, jewelry and furniture. Great food vendors as well, I had a badass Baha style fish taco from Choncho's Tacos, I will be returning to that stand surely. Tons of other food vendors I want to try. Next the Williamsburg waterfront :)

Restaurant :: Tenpenny Website

2011-03-27T09:47:00.009-04:00

In a recent post, I shared photos that I took of Tenpenny. A new restaurant that has opened in The Gotham Hotel. They recently launched their website, with a photos section from yours truly. If you live in New York City, check them out.

Click to view Website

Spring are you here yet?

2011-03-26T20:22:00.001-04:00

Ohhh New York.... you're playing tricks on us. One day, a little over a week ago it was in the 70's but now you have quickly reminded us that spring is not quite here yet. A freezing 30 degree weekend with a serious wind chill. Brrrrr, dreaming of our vacation in just over two weeks. Tropical paradise here we come! White sands, beach bungalows, turquoise waters, fresh fish, margaritas, and exotic rainforests are all in the future, so damn exciting!

Recipe :: Roasted Baby Artichokes

2011-03-23T19:15:00.008-04:00

Ingredients
1-2 pounds of baby artichokes
1 lemon
parmesan
sea salt & pepper
olive oil

Method

Only buy very fresh artichokes, best when they are in season. To clean artichokes; remove outer tough leaves, using a peeler clean the stem if needed and cut in half. To keep artichokes a vibrant green color place in a water bath with lemon juice. Dry and place artichokes on a sheet pan. I find that the smaller artichokes dont have the spiky hairy center the way the larger ones do. So I didn't remove the center and just roasted them whole. If there seems to be that fuzzy center use a small spoon to scoop it out before baking. Drizzle artichokes with a little olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender, turning a few times to ensure even cooking. In a small bowl add the zest of one lemon, the juice of half and drizzle in olive oil. Season with a little salt. When artichokes are finished, leave to cool. Plate the artichokes and drizzle the vinaigrette, and top with shaved parmesan. The addition of fresh herbs is nice.

Markets :: My Favorite Cheese Shops

2011-03-20T12:14:00.004-04:00

I love cheese, and can never seem to get enough. The thoughts of being a vegan for health purposes have entered my mind. But I just cant give up something that I enjoy so damn much. Cheeses are one of my favorite indulgents, pungent blues, creamy cows milk, covered in ash or herbs, local or imported, you name it and I'm into it. Here is a list of some of my favorite Cheese Shops in New York City.

© Nicole Franzen Photography

Bedford Cheese Shop
229 Bedford Ave (between 4th St & 5th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718) 599-7588
www.bedfordcheeseshop.com

BKLYN Larder
228 Flatbush Ave (between Dean St & Bergen St)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 783-1250
www.bklynlarder.com

Eastern District (A newcomer to Greenpoint!)
1053 Manhattan Ave (between Freeman St & Eagle St)
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 349-1432
www.easterndistrictny.com/

Eataly
200 5th Ave
New York, NY 10010
www.newyork.eataly.it/

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker St (between Cornelia St & Leroy St)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 243-3289
www.murrayscheese.com

Saxelby Cheesemongers
Essex Street Market
120 Essex St, #17
New York, NY 10002
(212) 228-8204
www.saxelbycheese.com

Restaurant :: Spring at Gramercy Tavern

2011-03-18T11:17:00.013-04:00

Spring at Gramercy Tavern
Chef : Michael Anthony
Flowers : Roberta Bendavid

I love shooting for Gramercy, its always a great experience. Congrats to Anthony for being nominated for Best Chef by The James Beard Foundation! Special thanks to Kaitlin for being my rock :)

To view all the photos visit my Facebook Page

Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street
New York, New York
(212) 477-0777