I was asked to share 10 of my favorite food images that I have shot for First We Feast. They did an interview with me, and made a slideshow on their website. Unsurprisingly, when asked for my favorite food images, I chose mostly story-driven pictures: ice fishing; running around eastern Canada with the Joe Beef chefs; a foie gras factory, and more. Link to story here.
Michael Symon’s latest book, Carnivore, hits the shelves on October 16th. I’m excited about this book. We shot it last fall, when I was 6 months pregnant, including a trip to Michael’s home in Cleveland, OH. Here are a few shots from the book, and I have already cooked two recipes from my advance copy, and everything is as tasty now as I remember it being on set.
A sneak peek at the cover of Iron Chef Michael Symon’s upcoming cookbook, Carnivore (Clarkson Potter, October 2012). I shot this with Michael in NYC and in his hometown, Cleveland, over the fall. So many delicious meat and vegetable side recipes, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy.
We did a very simple Thanksgiving: A beautiful heritage turkey from Fleisher’s Grass-Fed & Organic Meats, wrapped in a butter-and-stock-drenched cheesecloth, from a recipe by Michael Symon, served to guests who traveled from afar. We rented a table to fit everyone and to cover that table I bought a 10′ length of burlap. Today I will reuse that burlap in the garden to wrap a honeysuckle bush a buck has been using as a scratching post for his antlers.
Burlap covered dining table - thematic, pretty, inexpensive, and will be re-purposed in the winter garden.
As for the turkey – I can’t imagine ever going back to basting or brining. Chef Symon’s recipe made for the most luscious flesh & crispy skinned bird we have ever cooked. For my own reference next year, his recipe is below.
Our heritage bird was 16 pounds, and we cooked it at 350 for almost 3 hours, which brought the internal temp to 190, which should have been a disaster. But, it was perfect.
Chef Michael Symon’s Roast Turkey
Remove innards from turkey and rinse inside and out. Place all veg, herbs, stock and butter in large pot and bring to simmer. Place cheesecloth in pot and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain liquid and reserve vegetables and herbs and let them cool. Stuff cooled vegetable mix in cavity of bird and place on roasting rack in pan breast side up. Cover bird with soaked cheesecloth and place liquid in bottom of pan and place in 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Open oven and remove cheesecloth and baste with liquid. Raise temperature to 400 and continue to cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove turkey from oven and make sure leg and thigh are at 160 internal temperature. Let rest for 30 minutes and serve.
More Thanksgiving recipes from Chef Symon here.
I spent my birthday doing two of my favorite things: Photographing a cookbook on location, and eating great food. The cookbook part involved following Chef Michael Symon around the West Side Market in Cleveland – we met his favorite meat vendors and took the elevator down to the cutting chambers. The next day, for lunch, there was Michael’s classic beef cheek pierogies at Lola Bistro, an array of charcuterie, and house-cured bacon and house-smoked turkey sandwiches. Still, one of my most vivid memories of Cleveland was seen through the car window as a man walked his pit bull through the rough side of town, carrying a big stick. The need for the stick was clear – as two other pit bulls charged, barked, and lunged from the other side of the road. Lucky for the four lanes of traffic between them, and the man and his dog passed without incident…that time.
Cleveland's Historic West Side Market
The open kitchen at Michael Symon's Lola Bistro in Cleveland
Leaving Cleveland just after sunrise
Michael Symon told me today that my laugh sounds like his laugh. This is quite funny if you have ever heard one of us laugh… And there were quite a few giggles on the set. Here we are on day 2 shooting his Carnivore cookbook.
Michael Symon on the set of his Carnivore cookbook shoot
I was speaking with a college friend of mine on the phone the other day and she reminded me of how much we change. In particular, she reminded me of my 7-year long stint as a vegetarian. Those days are long gone, and now here I am, up close and personal photographing all kinds of meat. First there was the Fleisher’s butcher cookbook, then there was the Joe Beef cookbook. And this week I am in the studio with the crown prince of fleshy treats, photographing Iron Chef Michael Symon’s upcoming Carnivore cookbook (Clarkson Potter). And I couldn’t be happier.
Shooting the Carnivore cookbook with Michael Symon