Wednesday, April 27, 2011

A Feast for Friends


It is actually looking like spring outside! What fortunate timing, as I've been starved for the season's flowers and the fragrance they bring. So with Easter as my excuse (should I ever need one) I bought numerous dainty and bright blooms and made preparations for a meal that would make use of things calling out to me from my refrigerator's stocks... food I think anyone would happily gobble. Made for ease and versatility - and of course supreme deliciousness - shared with friends. Enjoy. ;)


The fragrance from these jonquils permeated the living room!




                                                                                                                                 
 


As you can imagine, we had a great time. Nothing like catching up with dear people (it seems like far too long in-between each time one or another of us makes arrangements, but then again I guess that's New York). What even better time spent, making a festive occasion of it with flowers celebrating the season, and special-feeling, fantastic food.


Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy Easter & Happy Passover Wishes

Lately I have had quite a busy schedule, photographing for the Hamptons Magazine, Gotham, and BUST, and have been hard pressed to make time for my own work... a great problem to have!

I hope you are enjoying this special day with family or others dear to your heart. It was a beautiful day here today, and I spent it churning the creative juices...I'll be posting a new food story with delicious recipes very, very soon. Thanks for being so patient, and stay tuned. :)



Thursday, April 7, 2011

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!!!




Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Satisfying, Simple Eating





I am a big fan of throwing food together in a matter of moments. Sure, I love to go all out with pies, roasts, and other feats in the kitchen, but it is the simple creations that sometimes make time stop in its tracks with their small brilliance. This dish is exactly that. BIG on satisfying flavor, while - after the prepping of the artichokes - taking only a small effort to execute.

Artichokes are one of the esoteric vegetables, right up there with kohlrabi. That isn't to say that I don't enjoy it (because I adore it!), I just mean that I have to prepare with a capital "p" when I want to incorporate it into any dining plans. When I was a child, my mom would make steamed artichokes with an "aioli" for dipping. As part of the new wave of nutrition-minded mothers, she made our aioli out of yogurt, lemon juice, and a touch of store bought mayo. Not bad, actually. I remember relishing the ceremonial aspect of eating this strange & prickly vegetable: layer-after-layer, eating the flesh off the edge of each leaf, and all the discarded leaves piled in square metal saucers my mom would provide. Then came the dramatic finale of digging out the hairy choke so we could indulge in the tender heart. It was certainly eating with deliberateness.

In my recipe I have left the ceremony to the enjoyment of many elements together, like you with your beloveds and some good red wine. I've used baby artichokes (with some modification, you can use regular ones), and after trimming some of the tougher exterior parts and then braising them, you can eat the whole thing....yum!

 




If you like artichokes in any way - from your mother's cooking or recipes of your own - then make this! You will love it. And when all you have left is the braising liquid, use it as a sauce over pasta or add it to your favorite marinara or stew. Every element contributes new bounty - now dig in. :)