The Yearly Pilgrimage — Tartine

Ooh baby. I've said it before, but if you are ever in San Francisco, might I suggest a visit to heaven on earth, AKA, Tartine Bakery? I really think it's one of the high points for a foodie spending time in SF.

If you go, know that there will be a line out the door. And know making it through that line will be well worth the wait. From the croque monsieur, to the bread pudding, to the meringues, to the ever-so-delicate lemon tart, it is seriously all good.

And consider yourself lucky if you can catch a glimpse into the kitchen. The hero chefs are all players in a controlled symphony of baking, frosting and dolloping. Enjoy the show!

Green Tomatillos, Black Plate

So, if food can be brooding, these tomatillos are acing it!

In any case, today we are preparing these beautiful tomatillos for a chicken chile verde dish. Did you know... cooking time is the key to any chile verde worth it's salt. Lots of cooking time! Time allows the flavors to mix, mingle and develop into a savory and complex stew.

I found a great recipe here — http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-chile-verde/— although I tend to cook the stew for a little longer, about three hours total. Enjoy!

Bagels and Leicas and Nikons, Oh My!!

Fun times today, shooting bagels. Although the shoot didn't quite go as I had planned. As is often the case. I find it's always good to be flexible and well prepared when shooting food.

Today was all about learning about my new-old Leica lllf, a beautiful camera that was created before I was even born. But before I could even dip my toes into the deliciousness that is Leica, I had to buy some actual film. Film! Haven't touched the stuff in years. I'm so happy to have a chance to reconnect. Gets me all misty...

After viewing an online manual, I moseyed on down to my fave camera store in Palo Alto, Keeble and Schucat. I chose a little B&W and a little chrome film, 100 ASA for both. Luckily I was able to score some time with the Leica guy. Yes, there totally is a Leica guy there. He knows pretty much everything about every model ever made. My kind of guy.

I was the happy recipient of a brief lesson about the camera AND the process of loading the film. Which is way more intricate than my old Nikon film cameras, but hey, it's all worth it.

Back at the ranch, I set up a rustic old table with a white parchment backdrop, and let in some beautiful natural light. I adjusted the ASA on the camera, as well as the shutter speed and the aperture, then focused through the left eyepiece and composed through the right one. SNAP! God, such a freaking satisfying sound. But unfortunately, I was only able to hear it once. After much fiddling, the film advance doesn't seem to want to advance. Sigh. So, that's that. I'll take the camera back over to K&S later this week for advice.

But in the meantime, I wasn't going to let a perfectly beautiful set go to waste. So out comes all 36 MP of my D800 and I'm back in the digital age, once again.

Kumquats, baby...

TART!!! And a little sweet. It's time, once again, for the noble kumquat to bear forth it's impeccable fruit. In the San Francisco bay area, we see these bright, sunny morsels in farmer's markets during the January, February and March timeframe.

In all honesty, this is the first year I've ever tried a kumquat. To me, they are one of the "food as a challenge" types of foods. They are eaten whole, peels and all.

I find them to be super tart, yet super yummy. And they are also incredibly healthy, it turns out. Kumquats are rich in vitamin C, flavinoids, iron, potassium and many other minerals. Good stuff!

Portrait of a Grilled Cheese in San Francisco

One of my favorite places in San Francisco is the Ferry Building. And within that favorite place, lies another favorite place, the Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick Cafe and Milkbar!

The food at the cafe leans toward gooey perfection in every way. Today they had a wonderful special — a raclette and sheep's milk ricotta grilled cheese sandwich with homemade pickles. The sandwich was warm, rich and delicious, with a tiny little "after" tang.

This is not your father's grilled cheese! Enjoy...

Well-used Copper Cookware

 

Spectacular, gleaming copper cookware found in the Filoli Gardens kitchen. Outside of the sheer beauty of the pots, I was wondering about the advantages of cooking with copper. This article elaborates on the pros and cons - http://www.essentialingredient.com.au/kitchen/cooking-with-copper/

Maybe it's time for a change!!

Portrait of a Morning Bun

There are gargantuan numbers of folks doing food photography these days. Now that I am actually lucky enough to have a chance to turn my focus back to photography, I'm faced with a dilemma. How do I differentiate my work from the rest of the pack? It's a really good question.

Maybe I'll start with this... I'm thinking of doing a series of food "portraits" after the Old Masters. Perhaps another trip to Amsterdam is in order. I get so inspired by the light there. And the art. And the pancakes.