Inspired Still Life

Irving Penn is a huge inspiration for us in our journey as photographers. From our desires to create images as young adults and thru out our careers, Irving Penn’s work has influenced our lighting and compositions.  Looking back at all of the work we have produced in the last 30 years, some of my favorite still lifes and portraits have a spark of his work in them. 

photo by Irving Penn

photo by Irving Penn

Last summer there was a retrospective show at the Met in New York.  We had to make our pilgrimage and see the show… even though it was July in NYC!  The trip was filled with museum visits and inspiration at every turn.  Thank you Irving Penn!

NYC in July... travel, even when it's hot, is great!

Props for the shoot. Delicious ...

Pasta in Umbria

 On our latest trip to Umbria we had, of course, a lot of pasta, and it was all fabulous.  Because we were in the mid to northern part of Italy the pasta was cheesy, al dente and with very little red sauce,  mostly noodles with excellent flavors—so delicious!

We were inspired to try to do our take on a home made pasta with cheese and butter. The classic Cacio e Pepe pasta.  We thought it was great in Umbria, but when we made it here in the states it needed something more.  We added some items like cooked pancetta, crimini and shiitake mushrooms and capers.  Also we split the difference half pecorino cheese and half parmesan. Just a bit more flavor and visual pizazz.

Our  lunch inspired a recreation ...

Our home made pasta...

Styling the pasta in the Italian rustic way... In our studio!

Umbria and Tuscany… are there better places in the world to eat (Pasta), drink wine and soak up history? In February the hills are a vibrant green, the dormant vines a rusty brown and a cold mist often covers a valley floor. Perfect time for a hearty lunch of pastas, cheese, bread and more wine than should be had before the Sun goes down.

Short Rib Tacos

Brian and I had a photo shoot up in Aspen this last Fall.  When our day ended we went to the historic Hotel Jerome on Main street to have dinner.  They have a renovated sit down bar, the Living Room Bar,  that is just so cozy—fire place and all.  Looking over the menu we decided to try their short rib street tacos.  Delicious!  So that inspired us to search for a recipe and make them.  I’ve made these tacos five times since we had them at the Hotel Jerome.  Thanks to Bobby Flay’s recipe.  Just the best!  There is some work to these but so worth it.  We made them for Xmas dinner. 

For the best visual the meat first, then guacamole, pickled red onions (Bobby Flay) and then Cotija cheese on top.

#bobbyflay  #hoteljerome  #aspen  #shortribs

Sorry!  Horrible bar lighting and shaky i phone.

Dusting of snow during mid Fall in Aspen.

Beef Stew

    When it is snowy outside or when I’m skiing in the Rocky Mountains the first comfort food that comes to mind is beef stew.  Its hearty, robust and flavorful.  And it just warms the heart. I think what made me like beef stew originally is all those times my mom would heat up a frozen meat pie when I was a little girl.  Love, love, love them!!  So I wanted to learn how to make a really good beef stew.   Cook’s Illustrated has a excellent recipe.

Cold outside, warm in the kitchen.

#aspen  #maroonvalley  #maroonbells  #10degrees

View of the set.  Large format camera--used to control focus.  Just like before photoshop.

#sinar   #selectivefocus   

Looking for recipe?  Check out Cooks Illustrated, November 2016 issue.  Official title of recipe is "The Best Beef Stew".

www.cooksIllustrated.com   

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

Beautiful browns, reds and yellows dotted the sidewalk on a crisp Fall day making me think of the holidays and, of course, pumpkin Pie.  Unfortunately for those who love Thanksgiving, it’s being overlooked! This country dives straight into the Christmas frenzy right after Halloween.  I love Thanksgiving because it’s not complicated with gifts, traffic or beliefs… it’s about giving thanks! (If we have resources enough to create and view this blog there’s a lot to be thankful for!) 

#takebackthanksgiving #pumpkinpie

The fall leaves on the sidewalk was all I needed for inspiration to decorate.

We were meeting family in Aspen and I wanted to do something special for Thanksgiving. Thinking of warm colors,William Sonoma catalogs and family I remembered my Dad's recipe from his bakery.

I grew up watching my dad run his own bakery.  I was always fascinated  at how physical and proficient he worked in such a small space.  I loved most everything my dad made and his pumpkin pies always had a bright and wonderful flavor to them.  Looking through his recipe book for pumpkin pie I had to try to change the amounts because all his recipes made ten pies and I was making one!  With the help of a few cookbooks and the web I got close to making the pumpkin pie my dad made as a little girl.  One trick I found on the web from Chef John is using unsweetened condensed milk.  As he says it does help to prevent cracks if you use the whole 14 oz. can.  I tried using half a can because I felt like it was too rich. I did get one crack—a real looking pie.  But I found most recipes did not add brown sugar or honey which my dad did—I think that makes the difference.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe (for a 9 to 9 1/2 inch Pie)

Oven is at 425 degrees for 45 minutes

1 [15 oz.} can pumpkin

2 eggs

1 [14 oz.} can of unsweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp. of allspice or Chinese 5 spice powder

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of honey

Use your favorite crust recipe!!!  Make two crusts one for the bottom of pie and another to make the leaves. I use the leaf molds from William Sonoma.  I use a egg wash which consists of a little cream and a egg stirred.  Then sprinkle sugar crystals on top.  You will need to watch the leaves bake---they will not need to bake as long as the pie.  Approximately 10 to 15 minutes till golden brown.

Tawny Port

Tawny Port is one of my favorite indulgences after dinner.  The rich, complex flavors of caramel, nuts, leather and earth (and other notes) are a great way to end a meal. It’s amber and ruby color only add to the pleasure of this drink.

#port #tawnyport #afterdinnerdrink

After another wonderful meal in Portugal, made even better by the hard won 40 miles on a bike, I threw my napkin on the empty table. It looked beautiful.  The only thing missing was my glass of Port.

#inspiration 

Our good friends that we share many adventures with invited us to go ride bikes in Portugal. Who would say no?  Six days and 220 miles later on winding paths and dirt roads I could see a “no” as a possibility! But in truth, it was awesome. Cute beach towns, fields of cork trees, Cows by the river in green valleys and Storks nested on high cliffs above pristine oceans. All seen slowly on a bike…

#portugalbestcycling #cyclingoffroad

Port in Portugal! Awesome...

Umbrian Pear Salad

The cool, rainy season of Umbria was where my husband took me for my birthday.  I had been to Italy before but this trip was so different from the other trips, it just seemed more magical!  Maybe because two sets of dear friends surprised me to celebrate. We found ourselves driving through beautiful green farmland on our way to a hill top town called Monteleone D’Orvieto. The little village looked so majestic from the valley below.  If you have ever been to an Italian hill top town, you will know that the roads are extremely winding, narrow and only accommodate really small cars.  Thru the excitement we managed to get lost but finally found our place.  The antique front door flanked by two topiary plants beckoned us.  So charming!  We entered into a world that was a wonderful mix of old world and new.  The apartment, Mazzini 31 from www.lucidicasa.com, had modern furniture with hand painted fresco walls, stone and ancient beams. There was also a Etruscan cave wine cellar discovered during renovations. 

#mazzini31 #umbria #monteleonedorvieto

The agenda was to tool around Umbria and take on a few wine tours. On one of those wine tours, our guide, Alberto http://www.winetourscortona.com, would always take us to a local restaurant for lunch, this time in Montefalco.  One dish in particular stood out, a salad consisting of pecorino cheese, pears, shaved almonds, raisins and pomegranates. It was fabulous!!! And so easy to do!! (A mandolin might come in handy.)

Our inspiration!! This was the salad we were served at Oleum or "olevm" in Montefalco.

Ingredients

First, I sliced some soft Pecorino cheese using a mandolin and put the slices on the bottom of the plate.  You can layer as much as you like.   Go to a fine grocery store to find a  softer Pecorino cheese.  Then thinly slice a Bosc pear and make a slight curl.  Then I sprinkled sliced almonds, pomegranate seeds, white raisens and used a very light salad dressing.  

Umbrian Pear Salad Recipe

       A block of pecorino cheese

       One Bosc Pear

       Sliced almonds

       Pomegranate Seeds

       A light lemon dressing, light balsamic dressing or a raspberry vinaigrette.

Rosemary Gimlet

Speaking of Rosemary and Fall…

Last Fall, our friend whom we’ve coined “cocktail maestro” mixed up an incredible Rosemary Gimlet for us. Terriffic! A soul warmed by spirits to be sure… and a visually inspiring drink as well.

Sometimes the vision of a shot starts somewhere in your mind and finishes really differently. This was the beginning... We discussed the overall feeling and lighting and decided this was not it! Changed the background, lighting and props.

In the making...

#stgeorgegin #freshlime #crushinit

Our friend got the recipe from www.davidlebovitz.com

http://www.davidlebovitz.com/rosemary-gimlet-gin-cocktail-recipe/

To make 4 gimlets…

Rosemary Syrup

1/2 cup (125ml) water

1/2 cup (100g) sugar

2 tablespoons (4g) coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Rosemary Gimlet

2 ounces gin

3/4 ounce fresh lime juice

3/4 ounce rosemary syrup

1. To make the rosemary syrup, heat the water, sugar and chopped rosemary leaves in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Once cool, strain the rosemary syrup into a jar, and refrigerate until ready to use.

2. To make the rosemary gimlet, chill a stemmed cocktail glass in the freezer.

3. Measure the gin, lime juice and rosemary syrup into a cocktail shaker. Fill the shaker halfway with ice, preferably slightly crushed, cover, and shake the cocktail mixture about thirty seconds. Pour into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or a slice of fresh lime.

Rosemary Potato Medley

This is one of our favorite dishes to make in the Fall. We made this dish quite a few years ago after first discovering it at a restaurant that is long gone called “Dixons” which was located in downtown Denver.  Then we had similar potatoes at another Cherry Creek favorite restaurant called “Piatti.” They added sweet potatoes. So we combined the two along with lots of rosemary.

#rosemary #fallpotatoes #naturallightphotography #piatti

Fresh Rosemary from the garden.

Priscilla photo styling...

Rosemary Potato Medley Recipe

serves 4-6 people

2 russet potatoes cubed (half to 3/4 inch cubes)

2 sweet potatoes cubed (same)

5 sprigs of rosemary (no branches) chopped lightly

 Olive oil

a good sprinkling of sea salt

a good sprinking of pepper

Cube potatoes and place in a large bowl.  Drizzle olive oil on potatoes to stir and coat.  I do sprinkle the potatoes with a bit of salt and pepper but not much because I add more before serving.  We like to use a iron rectangle pan and place on the grill at 350-400 degrees. But if your using the oven you can still use a iron pan or a 1/2 sheet pan using the same temperature. This takes approximately 30 minutes.  20 minutes into the cooking process we add the rosemary.  I add more salt and pepper before serving.

Polenta Fries

Polenta Fries in San Francisco

The late afternoon sun was lightly hazy when we stopped to have a pre dinner appetizer by the Ferry Building at the Embarcadero. We ordered Polenta Fries with some chilled, classic California Chardonnay. The Polenta was slightly fried to a crisp and was served with a Harissa spiced aioli. Fantastic!

I thought the graphic quality of the fries with round shapes was interesting.

Our inspiration

#oneferrybuilding  #embacadero

Behind the scenes.

We played around with what we thought was the recipe and came up with our own concoction.  It was very flavorful.  We were trying to make a more healthy version and baked the polenta fries instead of frying them. Didn’t really work! The baked version was very fragile and didn’t keep their shape.  If you want a firmer French fry shape I would fry these. 

Polenta

4 cups of water-add a chicken broth cube

1 Teaspoon of salt 

1 Cup of Polenta  #red hill polenta

3 Tablespoons of butter cut up

1/3 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/3 cup of grated Pecorino cheese

4 sprigs of rosemary without the branches

Sriracha sauce

1-2 Tablespoons depending on how hot you would like it.

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 lemon juiced

1 tsp of salt

1 garlic clove minced

I basically followed the directions on the box to make the polenta.  When the polenta was ready I stirred in the butter and then both Parmigiana cheese, Pecorino cheese and rosemary.  Then poured the polenta into a half sheet pan and cover gently with baking paper and placed in refrigerator to chill.

When polenta was cold I cut my french fries shapes and place into a olive oiled pan and cooked till the pieces are golden brown turning them occasionally and very gently.  Then carefully removed them from the pan with a spatula.  Bit of work but the flavor was so worth it. These would be good with marinara sauce as well.