Best Food Photography Finalist - Vote for Me!

Thanks to lots of determined people, I am one of 6 finalists  for best food photography in the Homies awards! I hope you'll agree that my images are gorgeous - real food that is lovingly prepared, with an elegant-rustic touch. Thank you all for bringing me this far!!! Now, the work is to get everyone together to vote me to the top!!!!! We have until Friday, March 9th, and I think we can do it. :) XO

Confused by the voting process? Here's how it's done:

If you haven't registered,
1. Click on the image above and then scroll to very bottom of page and click on "register".

2. Add your email and make a password.

3.Click here, sign-in, and VOTE!

 Here are some of my favorite pictures from various stories I've produced - enjoy!

This food makes me happy

A birthday story

desserts make everyone happy.....!

fresh, beautiful food is what living is all about

Thank you all sooooooo much!!! Have a great week and see you on Friday!

From Lithuania with Love

I was recently interviewed for Llamas Valley, a gorgeous online journal all the way from Lithuania, and the issue is now out. Please get yourself a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, settle in, and have a look. My feature begins on page 116, but you may find yourself spending the afternoon leafing through the whole thing... sooooo many beautiful images and stories!

It is an honor to be in such creative company. Thank you Alge! Our many back and forth communications getting everything set up properly for the debut worked out beautifully.... :)

Interview at Great Food Photos

With all my social networking to keep track of (oy vey there's a lot to stay on top of ), I somehow managed to forget to share with you all this wonderful interview that Donny over at Great Food Photos did of me last week. We can't figure out how we learned of one another, but all the same I am grateful that we now have this flowering friendship to nurture...

I hope you enjoy the stories and images we put together! It was a lot of fun considering what my answers to his thoughtful questions would be, and, as per the title I of course selected some images to accompany the feature. Have a great week everyone :-)

Saveur's Must-Read List and Edible Manhattan

So, dear Annie in Wisconsin notified me today that Saveur Magazine included my blog in their list of newest - to them - great blogs to follow. I found myself in pretty amazing company and am once again awed by all the talent and content out there. A few that caught my eye are: Canal House Cooks Lunch, Three to One, and The Year in Food. I can't wait to learn more about each of the blogs listed (wouldn't hurt to have an eighth day each week...)! Thanks for including me, Saveur. :)

In other news Edible Manhattan's most recent issue, Eat Drink Local, includes my image of Spring ramps! Tribute gets paid to one of Union Square Market's finest, Rick Bishop, and his hard work foraging for ramps and other fleeting seasonal delights. Many of the top restaurants and chefs in the city source from Bishop - some even make time to accompany him as he scours terrain in the Catskills for these highly sought after wilds. For us lucky regular folks, he can be found at the market twice a week so we can bring the booty to our tables at home. 

Please Nominate My Blog!

Saveur is hosting their annual Best Food Blog Awards, and I need you lovely people to take a moment to vote here for my blog, for best food photography. You can view my blog's recipes (with oodles of yummy food photography) here, as well as peruse Licking the Plate in general for tasty visual treats. A big THANK YOU for your time and support!!!

 

Pairings at the Times

Hello dear readers. I had the good fortune to be asked to produce the photography for today's New York Times "Pairings" column, in the dining section....

It was a lot of fun to produce! If any of you decide to make the recipe, do let me know. Happy Wednesday!

Japan, I Love You

I thought I would share about my journeys as we traveled and as it turns out, I was wrong. Japan swallowed me whole, and I loved every bit of it. (well, maybe not the freezing, toes-numb parts, but more on that later) Our time in this fabled land was richly sensory: visual beauty and bombardment; culinary explorations in many, many directions, most, exceedingly delicious; and lots and lots of walking. We did take trains, buses, and the metro quite a bit, but it was our lucky feet that brought us to one destination after another and all of those treasured points in-between.

After our 14+ hours in a plane and 2 additional in a shuttle from the airport to Tokyo proper, we muscled our luggage to the rental apartment in Shibuya - a youthful, bustling area and a great anchor from which to move about. We got settled in, cleaned up, and then collapsed. And that brings me to our first day. We set out for my favorite nook in this incredible city, the neighborhood of Shimokitazawa, and true-to-memory it remains as vibrant as when I visited it last.

artwork on storefront gate

It was a beautiful sunny day meant for wandering. We were wide-eyed to drink it all in, and one of the first orders of business was to get to drinking some coffee. We found a little corner shop, and as we walked in I was surprised to see a coffee I knew well - the fruity Yirgacheffe that I have loved sipping at spots here in NYC. We got whatever their daily roast was - still brushing up on our *VERY* limited Japanese, we did not attempt to find out what it was. Only that it was delicious and I wished to have more of it. :)

 

cute teapots lined up along the window

 

sitting in the warming sun

photo by Jim Lafferty

Meandering around as shops began to open and bicyclists pedaled by, we came across various things.

fun sp moment!

outdoor restaurant display, weathered design on a large urn

Along another small street, there was a flower shop selling exquisite blooms.

such a thoughtful, smart presentation!

Peeking into various shops and taking our time, we were having a blast. Here's another sweet flower shop we happened upon - and I thought I'd be trudging in the freezing cold, it being winter and all!

We had arranged to meet A for lunch and in retracing our steps to meet with her, I found these - a little table that looked like the beginnings of a produce stand, and someone's refined display outside their home - gorgeous, right?

We dined at a place called Cafe Zinc, an artsy, light-filled space with enough room to remain intimate, even when full. The food was simple and a delight, a mix of Japanese comfort food and western-inspired offerings. I loved how the menu was composed: daily selections could be added or removed as per what the chef could source and wanted to make.

iphone photo, Jim Lafferty

What better way to top off a tasty meal than with a rich cup of joe? This place set a new bar for what coffee can be - we found ourselves measuring the flavor of every subsequent cup to the one we had here. It was a divine experience. Sigh.

The day wore on and we set out again. Seeing this orange tree growing on a corner was a warming treat during the late-afternoon.

We did finally leave Shimokitazawa to find a new area to explore. More on that soon. Our first day was bliss. I hope these scenes help you to enjoy it as much as we did!