Happy Memorial Day!
May 28, 2012
Wishing everyone a wonderful day filled with friends, family and picnics! x
Pizza frite and Brownie a la mode
Brownies & Pizza frite
Brunch & Trunk
May 24, 2012
A couple weeks back, my friend Leslie hosted a little “Brunch and Trunk” gathering for Mother’s Day. It was a great setup of gifts that are not only perfect for Mother’s Day, but any time of year– from soaps to jewelry and bags. My fantastic flower friend, Jess also had some of her lovely potted plants for sale. And the food was just as great as the gifts. Leslie’s delicious menu consisted of a peach, tomato and mozzarella salad, a broccoli pasta dish and chicken pesto sandwiches. As for dessert, she put out chocolate covered saltines and strawberries. A perfect springtime meal and quick and easy enough to make when you’re expecting a large crowd!
Peaches
Jess’s Potted Plants
Peach, Mozzarella and Tomato salad
Jewelry
Chicken Pesto sandwiches
Chicken sandwiches and tomatoes
Pasta & Shrimp
May 15, 2012
Pasta dishes are always great solutions for dinner parties, they’re quick and easy to throw together for a crowd-satisfying meal. Last time I was in Syracuse we served up this fettucini dish with shrimp scampi, eggplant, portobello mushrooms and a garlic butter sauce. Another fun dish I photographed was this side of rice and broccoli.
Fettucini and shrimp scampi
Pasta and portobello mushrooms
Rice and broccoli
Pasta and cheese bread
Ingredients
Perfect for a Picnic
April 19, 2012
When I was back in Syracuse browsing through Wegmans, I discovered a combo for the perfect snack. Their fresh apple cider bread, with actual pieces of baked apple throughout, is amazing enough eating it alone. But topped off with brie and a nut/raisin spread made it complete. Easy enough to pack in your picnic basket the next time you’re looking for an outdoor snack.
I’m off to Maine for a few days to shoot those beautiful New England coastal towns and delicious local seafood fare. Be back next week! x
Apple Cider Bread
Brie and nuts spread
Apple Cider bread with brie and nut spread
Time for a BBQ
April 16, 2012
After a gorgeous summer-like weekend, how can you not be in the mood for rooftop and backyard barbecues. One of my top picks for quick and easy recipes on the grill are these chicken spiedies marinated in Lupo’s Original Endicott Style Spiedie Marinade. A local Upstate favorite that has an amazingly tasty flavor, if you aren’t in the neighborhood you can check their flavors out online.
Happy Grilling! x
Chicken Spiedies
Twice baked potatoes
Easter Desserts
April 12, 2012
My parent’s house was a makeshift bakery this past Saturday. Filled with the aromas of melting chocolate, bread cooking in the oven, and bits of flour trailing around, the end result was well worth it. We baked the usual Italian chocolate filled cookies and banana bread to share with friends and family. Luckily they’ve lasted me through the week and I even have a loaf frozen. A great find and prop for the shoot was the 1950’s mixer I took home from my grandmother’s house. Still need to get it working, but for now, it’s a perfect vintage accent to keep as kitchen decor.
Chocolate filled cookies
Banana Bread
Chocolate Filled Cookies
My favorite dough
Banana bread
Morning Mini Quiches
April 10, 2012
Mini quiches are the perfect answer when you have a late afternoon brunch on the weekends, but need something quick and easy to hold you over until 2 or so. Easter morning, my father cooked up these delicious muffin size quiches. Quick and easy to make, he threw in some eggs, cheddar cheese, spinach, asparagus, bacon and ham– a little taste of everything in one bite.
Mini Quiche with cheese bread
Ingredients
Ham
Sunday Sauce
March 23, 2012
One of my favorite days of the week are Sundays. Nothing beats a morning browsing the farmers market and and an afternoon cooking with friends or family before yet another work-filled week begins. After hearing such great things about D.C.’s Eastern Market, it was on my list of places to check out. Comparable to New York’s Brooklyn Flea, but with a great indoor food market as well, we explored the cute streets of Capitol Hill, shopped and stocked up on fresh food to make homemade sauce for dinner. I couldn’t have asked for better hosts, as they prepared a delicious salad, sauce and pasta all the while I had fun shooting and using their fantastic Anthropologie-inspired kitchenware. Happy Friday and don’t forget to explore your own local farmers market this weekend! x
Foccacia and fresh basil
Salad with dried cranberries, blue cheese and nuts and garlic
Eastern Market
Fresh basil and a Capitol Hill garden
Eastern Market mushrooms
Cooking up the sauce
Taste test on toasted foccacia and garlic chive cheese
Eastern Market asparagus
Short ribs and pasta
Grapes for dessert
Happy Friday!
March 9, 2012
With spring-like temperatures, daylight savings beginning and the weekend arriving, it’s the perfect day to get out the vegetables. Prepared by my roommate, she whipped up this tofu salad spread and alfalfa sprouts on spelt bread with a side of vegetarian stuffed grape leaves. Have a great weekend!
Vegetarian stuffed grape leaves and a tofu salad sandwich
Tofu salad sandwich
Sunday Family Dinner
February 29, 2012
This weekend I was back in Syracuse spending time with the family. Sunday was the perfect winter day with crisp blue skies, a few inches of freshly fallen snow, a fire in the fireplace and the aroma of my father’s Northern Italian dish for dinner filling the house. We started with a couple fresh loaves of Columbus Bakery bread, followed by an antipasto platter with lettuce, tomato, greek olives, cucumbers, salami, ham, provolone, blue cheese and topped with a white balsamic vinaigrette. The main dish was homemade marinara sauce with tomatoes, chicken stock, fresh garlic, onions, zucchini and a touch of sugar. After simmering for a few hours with the chicken breast and thigh meat, it was poured over fettucini and garnished with parsley and parmesan cheese.
Marinara sauce with chicken and fettucini
Antipasto platter
Columbus Bakery bread dipped in olive oil
Grating parmesan cheese and Columbus Bakery bread
Antipasto platter
Bread and Pasta
White balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
Pasta and bread
Antipasto
a camera in the kitchen 