Salad on a Stick?!

Yes, you heard me correctly. It is time for the State Fair! The Minnesota State Fair has a place for everything and almost every food you could imagine on a stick, from alligator, bacon, cheese curds to key lime pie, this is where you can find it all ready to eat on a stick.

I was thrilled to work with Giggles Campfire Grill to style photographs of their newest addition to the 2011 Fair food line up, The Northwoods Salad on-a-stick. The salad includes skewers of fresh mozzarella cheese balls, grape tomatoes and basil on top of a chilled wild rice salad drizzled with a balsamic dressing.


The resturant specializes in "made from scratch" fish and game menu items, so be sure to save room for their other tasty treats like elk burgers and walleye cakes. They have plenty of picnic tables and cold beer, so head over to the authentic log cabin in the "North Woods" area, on the corners of Cooper and Lee near the water tower. 


Can you say you had a salad on a stick?

Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year 2012

Here is a new opportunity for phorographers I did not want you to miss.

This is this first year this contest will be held. It is open to professionals and amateurs an any part of the world.  The awards cover nine categories, ranging from Food in the Street, Food in the Field, Food for Sale, and Food Portraiture. 

The entries will be judged in March 2012 by a highly distinguished panel of experts, ranging from picture editors to publishers, retail directors, chefs and photographers. The winning images will be displayed at the world-renowned Mall Galleries, London SW1 in April 2012.

The awards are sponsored by Pink Lady® apples, the UK’s leading apple brand. Pink Lady® is uncompromising when it comes to quality and visual appearance. High quality photography is central to the brand’s image and the way it is perceived by the millions of consumers who enjoy Pink Lady®. Pink Lady® is also becoming established as ‘the culinary apple’ due to its fantastic cooking qualities and is delighted to support this landmark event for the food industry.

For more information on the contest and how to enter click here. Good Luck!

Food Labels

Confused about food labels in your grocery store?

With so many "buzz words" and food claims it can be a bit overwhelming to make sure what is in your cart is actually good for your family. The good news is UC Berkeley and Good magazine recently held the Rethink the Food Label competition. A competition looking to designers to make health info on packaged goods easier to understand. I believe we have a long road ahead to creating a system that truly represents the food quality well but I feel we are making strides in the right direction.

Here is what the U.S. Food and Drug administration have to say about how to read the current food labels.

Out Styling In The Field

What do you get when you put inspiration and skill together? Well, in this case a garden party for 16. While recently in Boston at the International Food Styling and Photography Conference, my wonderful assistant Anna and I were inspired by a group of farmers and chefs coming together to create a one of a kind outdoor eating experiences.

We decided to do something similar with a small group of mixed friends, an overgrown pasture and our culinary appetites; we had the most delightful 6 course dinner I have had in a long time.

You might say it was hotter then hell the night of the dinner, and we relished in it for in just a few short months snow will fall in Minnesota.  As we finally sat down to greet our guests with a chilled glass of white wine and peach infused rosewater tea, you would have never guessed that our table was set just a 15 min drive from a bustling city. The birds were chirping, a slight buzz in the air from near by insects the path down to the pasture passed by a green pond and an array of wild flowers. To say it was charming would be an understatement.

 

The menu was created by Anna and I, a wonderful colaboration allowing both our personal styles to shine. We started with a seared Parmesan polenta topped with a savory tomato relish, creamy goat cheese and crispy onion straw, followed by a chilled raw corn and cashew soup. Our salad was a delight to the eyes as well as the taste buds, the bright refreshing flavors of tomato and peach with a cilantro citrus dressing were remarkable.

For a palette cleanser we chose a basil lime sorbet. I must say this very simple course was my favorite. The entree was a roasted pork roulade with wild mushrooms, spinach, smoked ham and rosemary served with a stone ground mustard sauce and fresh arugula. Dessert was truly inspired by the chocolate loving Anna, she chose a dark chocolate and coffee essence "cake" with whipped cream and fennel salt. Just when you think it is all finished we had one last little treat, a home made limoncello, it is becoming a tradition with meals served at my house.

The food was amazing, the setting made by nature was perfect. I think of the highlight of the evening, it was sharing it with those I love and meeting new friends. Simply their smiles and appreciation of such a unique experience enjoying the world we have, and the people who make it so very special to us. After all, I continue to realize that it is the food that brings us together but the people around us that make it special. 

A special thank you to Chris Bohnhoff a dear friend and colleague for sharing his skills with us and so beautifully capturing the evening. To view more pictures from the evening click here.