London pt.1

The theme for the trip – creative & alcoholic!

Add comment December 1st, 2009

Nellis Pears

I can so vividly remember back in junior high art class, trying to draw still life images of fruit.  God, was I awful at it.  No matter how hard I tried, my drawings always ended up looking like ugly circles and misshapen squares, and I knew then, that I was no painter.  Thankfully, I have photography, and I do really enjoy the challenge of capturing a good still life picture.

The above, I shot earlier this week to go along with a recipe Kim published today for a Frangipane Pear Crostata.  I don’t even know what two of those words mean, but I do know that the thing tastes pretty great.

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, Kim’s been posting some amazing holiday recipes, and I’ve had the pleasure of being her taste-tester as she tries them all out in advance.  So if you’re a vegetarian or have one coming over next week or you just want to possibly try out a healthier version of an old favorite, definitely check out her blog – you won’t be disappointed!

Add comment November 20th, 2009

Hollywood Brewfest

On Saturday, my buddy Joe and I were given the VIP treatment for the first ever Hollywood Brewfest, held at The Music Box @ Fonda and sponsored by the good folks at Future Sounds.  Dozens of brewers, like Magic Hat, Angel City and The Bruery, descended onto Hollywood, and we made a point of taking our tasting glass (pictured above) to every single one of them.  Needless to say, I haven’t drank that much beer in quite some time, and there was indeed a price to pay come Sunday.  But it was all worth it, as we had a great time discovering several fun and tasty new micro brews, all the while enjoying a fantastic lineup of live music.  Now if I could just get over this hangover…

Add comment November 16th, 2009

Florida pt.1

I don’t know if there’s any better way to start a vacation than a mai tai on the beach at sunset.  We’re in Florida presently with Kim’s family, enjoying a week away from all things LA.

Ah, vacation and booze – I’m in heaven…

Add comment November 1st, 2009

C’est La V pt.5

Here’s probably my favorite thing of all of Kim’s baked goods – her Peanut Butter Brownie.  We all know how great chocolate and peanut butter go together, and this brownie is no exception.  In fact, it’s the epitome of that marriage made in dessert heaven.  Fresh out of the oven, nothing beats this bad boy, except maybe à la mode.

Add comment October 29th, 2009

C’est La V pt.4

Magic Cookie Bar - need I say more?  Kim’s still working on this recipe, so it’s yet to make its grand debut on the C’est La V menu.  However, my waistline is already afraid for the day that she finally finishes it.

Add comment October 28th, 2009

C’est La V pt.3

Here’s a shot of Kim’s favorite peach tart (see the link if you’re interested in the recipe).  Now I’m not the biggest fan of fruit desserts, nor do I care for peaches (baked or otherwise), however, I do really like this bad boy, especially with a scoop of ice cream (soy) on the side.

I have to say, I do kind of love that this photo looks like it was taken in some sort of studio, comparable to where they must film the Apple commercials, cause the reality of the situation couldn’t be any farther from it.  Picture me, out on our porch, standing a top our patio furniture to get a bird’s eye view of the tart on a white cutting board.  Glamour photography at it’s best!

Add comment October 27th, 2009

C’est La V pt.2

These are called chocolate crackle cookies, and it’s very appropriate that they should have crack in their name cause these things are addictive to say the least.  It’s like a brownie and a cookie had a baby, and then they covered that baby in powdered sugar.  Man, I wish I could eat one of those babies right now!

Add comment October 26th, 2009

C’est La V pt.1

The idea behind this whole photography blog (such a stupid word) has really been inspired by the work I’ve been doing for Kim’s baked goods business.  For those of you who don’t know, my wife is an amazing baker, and at the beginning of this year, she started her own bakery company, called C’est La V Bakeshop.  In less than ten months time, not only has she developed an extensive menu of products, all free of dairy & eggs and all extremely delicious, but she’s now able to sell & ship her wares throughout the country through her slick online store.  To say I’m proud of the little lady would be an understatement.

Now, it’s no secret that I’ve definitely been more than a little involved in this new business, and it’s been an interesting learning experience to say the least.  One of the things I’ve truly enjoyed most though about this collaboration with my wife, has been the challenge of producing photos that due justice to her incredible culinary skills.  Believe me – it’s no easy task, especially considering that I know nothing about taking pictures of food, though I do know that it’s a lot harder than it seems.  While I’ve never worked on a commercial shoot that’s involved food on camera, from what I’ve heard, companies seem to spend a ton of money to make sure the images of their food looks appetizing.  Obviously, it’s an important part of the food business – the stuff’s gotta look good if people are supposed to buy it.

But in taking so many photos of her stuff, for the store and for her wonderful blog, I’ve certainly learned a few tricks of my own, and I continue to just make it up as I go along (the story of my life).  For the month of October, Kim has been participating in a thing called Vegan Mofo, where she’s been posting a new entry to her blog every weekday, which has been a lot of fun.  So in honor of all things Mofo, I figured I’d post a week’s worth of my favorite pics of my wife’s baking.

Above: a sugar donut muffin from above.  Or as Homer would say, “Mmmmmmmm, donut muffin.”

Add comment October 25th, 2009

Wine Country pt.4

Here’s another angle on the Fess Parker viognier.  From this perspective, doesn’t the glass of white wine look strangely like a fish eye?  The dead gaze of the pupil, the touch of red of a burst artery, the scales that surround it…

Add comment August 21st, 2009