Perhaps it is the food stylist in me. I have spent a good hour “casting” prepackaged ham slices at the supermarket. I block rush hour traffic captivated by Subway sandwich ads in the Metro. And worst of all, I have taken an admiration to the compost bin, a deconstructed wink at what is on the table. I pitched the idea to my friend David at Studio B. And behold, a crazy idea transformed into something I find crazy beautiful. It’s the ultimate before and after. Bon app’!
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poire / poireaux soup with frizzled leeks and pickled pears
For soup: 3 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, cut into 1/2 inch rounds -1 pear, peeled and cubed – 1 bay leaf 4 tablespoons olive oil – 70 cl vegetable stock – Salt & pepper
For frizzled leeks:1 leek, trimmed, cleaned, and sliced into1 mm strips – 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
For pickled pear: 1 pear, peeled and cut into matchsticks – 1 tablespoon rice vinegar – 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar
1.) Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Spread leeks and pear on baking sheet. Add bay leaf, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until all well coated in olive oil. Roast for 40-45 minutes until leeks and pear are golden and tender. Discard bay leaf.
2.) To make pickled pears, in large bowl, mix pears with vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cover with water, adjusting seasoning to taste. Marinate for up to two days.
3.) For frizzled leeks, heat oil in a saucepan over high heat. Fry leeks until crunchy and golden, paying close attention not to overcook. Drain on paper towel.
4.) In a blender, mix roasted vegetables and vegetable stock until smooth, adjusting seasoning to taste. Reheat as necessary. Serve soup with pickled pears and frizzled leaks.
I am happy to announce the launch of my very first book as a food stylist. Or pardon my French, styliste culinaire. Les burgers du Camion qui fume by Kristin Frederick (Tana Editions), revealing the secrets of Paris’ wildly popular burger truck. I can personally attest that all of its 30 burger recipes are delicious, hot or cold. Although I have not craved a burger since we shot the photos early this summer, thumbing through the book has reignited my passion for one of my favorite Yankee doodle pastimes. With beautiful photos and reportage by my friend David Bonnier, it will certainly take the American street food trend into the French home.
Sorry friends, this one is in French. But luckily food porn needs no translation.
Paris is a dead end in August. And we are the resident zombies roaming the streets for cheap thrills and a decent brioche. The Puritan inside of me was happy to return from vacation to reality. If the early bird gets the worm, I would be an organized, self-promotion machine by the time la rentree rolls around in two weeks. Unfortunately, dipping my toes into Breaking Bad and Pinterest has put a crashing hault to the other things on my professional development to-do list.
Luckily, I’ve been able to squeeze in a few faux ice cream tests between Walter White and the personification of my food geekery. Mon mari has been taking the photos for me. However, he could never be a food photographer because he is too emotionally attached to food. “Are you sure you want to do that?” he interrogated as I scooped a butter ball of faux glace onto a perfectly edible apple tarte. In food photography, most everything gets either contaminated or thrown out at the end of the day. It is a pity, but I have come to the painful realization that as a food stylist, it is not my responsibility to turn 5 pounds of fake ice cream into a pound cake. But rest assured, no Magnum bars were harmed in the making of this smiley.
Nevertheless, I need your help. Do know of anything for a zombie or two to do in Paris this time of year?