Cooking
(guest photographer Tim Holmes)
Okay, one last post to showcase a party photo from Tim, and then back to our normally scheduled blogging. Tim's brother Chris was the hidden model in this picture. Chris is very visually oriented, a graphic designer and professional photographer (he was my photographer for my Paso Robles piece—due on newsstands soon—and my foie gras piece, hopefully due out by the end of the year). As a result, I suspect his plate was constructed for visual interest rather than gastronomic, but somehow he managed to get one of everything (save dessert) onto his plate.
This picture offers a visual menu of the party we had a month ago, and is one of my favorite shots from Tim's excellent set. Starting at the top, and going around clockwise: salmon rillettes with dill on bread slices; puff pastry stuffed with sausage and fennel; foie gras terrine with brioche; fruit salad with a lemon-ginger gastrique; salt cod brandade topped with fresh wasabi paste (I salted my own cod for this); green salad (Melissa's contribution); dried apricots with dried raspberries; wonton flower cups filled with red pepper, carrot, and shallot relish; bread slice with Explorateur cheese and anchovy and orange tapenade; various pieces of charcuterie; and finally, morbier cheese.
- Duck In A Box
Photo by Clotilde DusoulierI couldn't quite fit this picture into the dinner party write-up, but it's always fun to show the big container I use to store my duck confit. Melissa had me bring it out for our guests, and cameras started going off....
- Dr. Vino Goes To The Geese
Some of you know that I have a spider-sense that tingles when writers mention foie gras, but this time Tyler at Dr. Vino made my job easy when he sent a link to his post about a visit to a French goose foie gras farm. He touches on the "unmentioned" problems...
- Another Bang For The Buck Appetizer
(guest photographer Tim Holmes) Another simple but very popular appetizer from our party a month back, which not coincidentally affords another chance to post one of Tim's pictures. For the filling: sauté some diced fennel and onions....
- Bang For The Buck
(guest photographer Tim Holmes) I appreciate a time-consuming, labor-intensive dish as much as the next person. Okay, maybe more than the next person, but definitely as much as the person after that. But there's something to be said for a dish...
- Casual Dinner Parties, Part 2
If I didn't have time to do a full dinner party when our friend Jean came over on Saturday (see below), I certainly didn't have time to do one the very next night when our friend Chris came over. I went to the Fancy Food Show from ten until five...
Cooking
One For All
- Duck In A Box
Photo by Clotilde DusoulierI couldn't quite fit this picture into the dinner party write-up, but it's always fun to show the big container I use to store my duck confit. Melissa had me bring it out for our guests, and cameras started going off....
- Dr. Vino Goes To The Geese
Some of you know that I have a spider-sense that tingles when writers mention foie gras, but this time Tyler at Dr. Vino made my job easy when he sent a link to his post about a visit to a French goose foie gras farm. He touches on the "unmentioned" problems...
- Another Bang For The Buck Appetizer
(guest photographer Tim Holmes) Another simple but very popular appetizer from our party a month back, which not coincidentally affords another chance to post one of Tim's pictures. For the filling: sauté some diced fennel and onions....
- Bang For The Buck
(guest photographer Tim Holmes) I appreciate a time-consuming, labor-intensive dish as much as the next person. Okay, maybe more than the next person, but definitely as much as the person after that. But there's something to be said for a dish...
- Casual Dinner Parties, Part 2
If I didn't have time to do a full dinner party when our friend Jean came over on Saturday (see below), I certainly didn't have time to do one the very next night when our friend Chris came over. I went to the Fancy Food Show from ten until five...