A Year in Review
November 18, 2011
A Camera in the Kitchen turns 1 tomorrow! I cannot thank you all enough for your support and enthusiasm you’ve expressed to me. It’s been such an amazing year capturing and sharing the art of dining. I’ve dug through my archives to compile some of my favorites that I think best reflects this. From tasting California’s fresh fruit while dancing at the Coachella Music Festival, to chowing down on a burger in Montana after a day of snowshoeing in the Beartooth Mountains, or grilling Wahoo from Aruba’s local fish market in celebration of a friend’s birthday. It has been such a learning experience for me, and I only hope to bring more exciting things to the site in the year to come.
Above all, I’ve learned a meal is more than just satisfying your hunger, it’s about the experience, the culture, and most importantly the people you are surrounded by. Whether grabbing take out for an evening home with the roommates, or sitting at a cafe in Reykjavik with new friends, I always make the most of the moment, and the meal, and that’s what I aim to capture here. I hope my photos inspire you to take time in your own life to appreciate the moments shared over that dish. You may get too full for that last bite of pasta, but you can never be too full of great memories.
Some of the dinner parties we've hosted-- big and small
Travels to Iceland, Montana, California, Miami, Beacon and Newport
Travels continued through New Jersey, Montana, Iceland and Brooklyn
Island Burgers & Shakes
November 7, 2011
This weekend my friend Kelly was here, and we ran around town (literally) for 2 days doing all sorts of fun activities like wedding dress shopping and cheering on our friends running the NYC Marathon. With little time to spare, Island Burgers and Shakes was the perfect quick stop for a delicious and filling meal on Saturday afternoon. Difficult to choose from the never-ending menu, we went with the Mona Lisa Churasco, a grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella, pesto, sauteed onions, mushrooms, roasted peppers and Parmagiana reggiano on ciabatta. And I had the Roma Churasco, grilled chicken with thyme, rosemary, garlic, oregano and red pepper.
Roma Churasco
Fries & Ketchup
Roma Churasco
Mona Lisa Churasco
Lunch in Miami
October 26, 2011
I escaped the cool weather this weekend and spent my time soaking up the rays at Miami’s beaches and rooftop pools. My friend, Victor, and wonderful host, was kind enough to prepare lunch on Saturday. My new favorite snack, fried plantains, are delicious topped with anything from goat cheese and mint, to pico de gallo and queso blanco. We also had tasty hard boiled eggs with paprika, cayenne pepper and curry powder, and he whipped up some seasoned ground turkey wraps. Certainly enough to keep us filled until dinner and give us a taste of that local Miami flair.
Fried plantains with goat cheese and mint
Plantains
Fried plantains with Pico de Gallo and Queso Blanco
Hard boiled eggs with paprika, cayenne pepper and curry powder
Onions
Cilantro
Seasoned ground turkey, goat cheese and pico de gallo wrap
Seasoned ground turkey and Queso Blanco
Café at the Cloisters
October 8, 2011
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend this gorgeous October afternoon than at the Trie Café overlooking the gardens and fascinating Medieval artifacts the Cloisters has to offer. Quite possibly my favorite museum in New York, this Uptown branch of the Met in Fort Tyron Park was a perfect place to bring my parents who are visiting for the weekend. Soaking up the sun, we snacked on Mozzarella/pesto, tuna and turkey sandwiches.
Pesto, Mozzarella and Pepper sandwich
Turkey and tomato sandwich with chips
The gardens
Tuna and onion sandwich
Pesto sandwich
Fjorubordid
September 23, 2011
It’s said that people risk their lives in bad weather en route to the village of Stokkseyri for just a few spoonfuls of lobster soup from Fjorubordid. So of course, we decided it would be the ideal place to have lunch on a quiet Monday afternoon. With little more than a few neighborhoods, a closed gift shop and a church, surely this charming coastal town’s restaurant is the spotlight. Offering stunning views and a menu of delicious breads, soups, salads and seafood, we left town stuffed as can be and checked off Stokkseyri on our to-do list.
Lobster soup and sides
Some of the best bread dipping sauce-- sundried tomato, sweet garlic and tzatziki
Country side salad-- Mozzarella cheese & tomatoes, fresh green salad & slices of marinated beef
Lobster soup
Fresh homemade bread with tomato spread
Picnic at the Falls
September 16, 2011
You don’t feel much more freedom than driving along the wide open roads of South Iceland’s countryside. Passing through one of the few small towns, consisting of a mere two or three buildings, we stumbled upon a farmers market that had fresh pastries, veggies and homemade breads. Perfect for an afternoon picnic at at the foot of the waterfalls. With limited supplies it was more of a random food sampling than lunch menu, but you don’t need much to satisfy your tastebuds with that kind of scenery. Fueled up we were ready to explore the glaciers.
Happy Friday!
Kleinur, Iceland's answer to doughnuts and Kryddbraud, their answer to a cinnamon spice bread
Traditional Icelandic flatbread with fresh tomatoes from the market
Skogafoss
Pizza-style pastry
Cinnamon glazed pastry
Kex
September 14, 2011
Kex, unlike your traditional Icelandic dining or bar establishments, is the new and trendy place to go. Reminding me of home, and a place I’d frequent around the Lower East Side, I couldn’t resist making this my go-to place for the weekend. It’s an old biscuit factory turned hostel and bar, but more taking on the resemblance of Ace Hotel than your typical first impression of bunk beds in an old, unwelcoming building. The photos speak for themselves on the impeccably cool style of the place, as their concept is a vintage industrial feel with an eclectic, contemporary touch. The kitchen offers a range of dishes, like the Kex Platter with a sampling of meats, to the vegetable quiche, and their beer selection far surpasses the standard Viking lager that is found elsewhere.
Kex Platter with potatoes, salami and olives
Lounge area
Salad with Icelandic vegetables
French Press coffee and good books
Sitronukjuklingur med Klettasalati or simply Lemon Chicken with Ruccola
Salami on the Kex Platter
Pylsur med Kartoflumauki og Sterku Sinnepi ... aka Pan Fried Sausages with Potato puree and mustard
Café Babalu
September 8, 2011
Reykjavik’s streets are filled with so many cool, laidback cafés, it’s rather difficult to choose, but with Café Babalu’s bright colors and welcoming roof terrace, it’s hard to deny. Saturday afternoon my friend and I enjoyed the sunshine and crisp autumn-like temperatures while sharing an amazing pesto, tomato and mozzarella panini and nutella crepe for dessert. The decor is mismatched retro findings to give it that unique yet warm character. It’s the kind of place that serves white wine in a chipped souvenir mug from Germany, but you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Nutella Crepe
Pesto Mozzarella Panini and salad
Nutella Crepe
White Wine
Pesto and Mozzarella Panini and salad
Café Babalu
A Summer Spinach Salad
August 29, 2011
Spending a lot of time around the apartment this weekend in light of the rainy hurricane over the city, my roommate tossed together a fresh, organic salad consisting of spinach, apples, carrots, avocado, cherry tomatoes and sunflower seeds with a hummus dressing. For a healthy drink, she blended spinach, apples, celery and water into homemade juice. It’s always fun taking a search through the pantry, making the best of what you’ve got without even leaving your home and ending up with a successful meal.
Spinach Salad
Fruit & Veggie juice
Corner Café
August 4, 2011
This cute little café a few blocks up from the harbor in Newport, Rhode Island is one of the best breakfast and lunch places in town. We were seated in the corner window table with pillows and paper lanterns, and browsed through travel magazines that they had out, being inspired on where to venture to next. We tried their quesadilla that had all my favorite foods wrapped into one– gorgonzola cheese, cranberries, turkey, bacon and avocado. For a taste of breakfast, their hash browns with seasoning were amazing with a fresh glass of their signature cleanser– cranberry, red raspberry and grape juice.
Quesadilla
Hashbrowns
a camera in the kitchen 
