There is no reason on this beautiful green earth not to love kabocha squash. I know I’m coming on a little strong right out of the gate this week, but I’m pretty excited about squashes in general and kabocha is no ordinary squash. Kabocha is a squat, knobby skinned winter squash that is sweeter than butternut and has a texture and flavor that falls between a pumpkin and a sweet potato. It’s picked while still growing and then matures in storage for a couple months to develop a complex sweet flavor. Some people also refer to kabocha as Japanese squash. Give this homely little winter special a whirl. If you can’t find a kabocha you can substitute an acorn or carnival squash instead.
The burrata cheese imparts a delightful creaminess to this recipe which layers nicely with the floral sweetness of the lavender infused honey.
- 1 kabocha squash, seeded and cut into quarters lengthwise
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
- 8 oz fresh burrata (I’ve also top these with goat cheese and plain yogurt blended to a firm but creamy consistency, also delicious)
- lavender honey for drizzling
- ground nutmeg
- ground cinnamon
~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~ Brush kabocha quarters with olive oil and sprinkle with nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
~ Roast for 45+ minutes or so until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork and begins to caramelize on the edges.
~ Remove from oven, top each with a hunk of burrata cheese and drizzle with lavender honey.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
What a year 2012 was! This holiday season we were chock full of festivities as we hosted Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Year’s Eve. With all the celebrating, it was a great time to test out a bunch of recipe ideas. This recipe was a winner (admittedly among a stinker attempt or two) and who couldn’t use a few more really impressive looking appetizer recipes up their sleeve. When you think of gorgeous, delicate appetizers I’d wager that the humble potato doesn’t come to mind. Dowdy and unassuming, the potato can be easily overlooked, but with a little slicing and herbs it is easily transformed.
I recommend a mandolin for slicing the potatoes so the slices are fairly uniform in thickness and cook evenly. Trust me, I think mandolins are scary as hell and a couple years ago even cut the tip of my thumb off trying to use one on a butternut squash! Seriously. Super duper gross. This recipe was the first time I’ve touched that menacing little torture tool since it took a hunk of my flesh. I’m glad I did because I’m pretty sure it’d have taken me a lifetime to thinly slice all of those potatoes! So here’s to the humble potato and overcoming kitchen fears in the new year! HA!
- 1-1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes – each slightly larger than a golf ball
- coarse sea salt and ground pepper
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves (or finely chopped fresh thyme)
- 2 diced green onions or 1 diced shallot
- 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
~Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 6 cup muffin tin or a large baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
~Thinly slice potatoes, preferably with a mandolin to ensure uniform thickness. Place a few slices in each cup and top with cheese, onion, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Continue layering potatoes and seasoning every few slices, until stacks reach top of baking dish.
~Pour roughly 1 tablespoon heavy cream over each. Cover and bake until potatoes are golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes, removing cover half way through baking to get them nice and crispy on the edges. Gently scoop them out and serve immediately.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
We loooooooove brussel sprouts!!! It’s no secret, we’re a big brussel loving family here. My pups cry with more urgency for a treat of brussel sprouts than they do for red meat (yes, they’re veggie loving weirdies). This time around I came home from the market with a huge stalk of beautiful brussel sprouts, plop the bag on the floor and look away only to look back and see my youngest pup gnawing happily on the end of the stalk. Even I think that must taste pretty gross, ha! Anyway, I think most people hate these tiny cabbages because of the way they’re traditionally cooked. Why you would ever steam the life and crunchiness out of a brussel sprout to make a mealy, tasteless ball of “blah” is beyond me but, rest assured, that is not how we roll here. A quick saute in the pan is all these guys need to shine, though slow roasting is also a big hit;)
There’s no excuse not to eat your crunchy, delicious veggies when it’s this quick and easy to get a dose of the good stuff! Sometimes simple and easy really is best:)
I like using raw pecans and cooking them with the brussel sprouts because it’s gives them a fresh texture that pops a bit in your mouth. I think this will be one of this year’s lighter Thanksgiving dishes. I hope you find it a winner too!
- 1 stalk or a few dozen brussel sprouts, thinly sliced (halved and halved again)
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1/4 cup or more chicken broth
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
- handful coarsely chopped raw pecans (or pine nuts)
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
- shaved parmesan or hard aged goat cheese (optional)
~ Heat large skillet and toast raw pecans over low heat until fragrant. Remove pecans from heat and set aside. In same large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic and shallot until lightly browned. Add brussel sprouts and toasted pecans and saute for a couple minutes.
~Add broth and cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth evaporates and the edges of the brussel sprouts begin to crisp. Salt, pepper and serve.
~ Top with parmesan or hard goat cheese if desired.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
With fall rolling in it’s time to shift over to foods of a new season. It’s always exciting to see the year’s first harvest of a new food at the farmers’ market. This week I found bosc pears and nearly flipped my lid with happiness! The sweet, crunchiness of those ugly brown pears makes it truly feel like fall, despite the horrendously hot weather we’re still sweating through here in SoCal. Bosc pears give me hope of a cooler day! Ha! This autumn delight is as easy as can be and fairly healthy when compared to most sugar laden versions of caramelized fruits. We used honey to caramelize the pears instead of sugar which opens up all kinds of infusion possibilities. I used the chile infused honey we made a couple of weeks ago and it added a nice twist of complexity to an otherwise completely sweet dish. Feel free to use the infused honey of your choice and don’t forget to comment and let me know if you have a great infusion combo!
Here she is, your sweet, crunchy start to autumn…
- 1/4 cup honey, we used chile infused honey
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
- pinch of ground cardamom
- several large pinches of ground cinnamon
- plain greek yogurt
- 2 bosc pears cored and halved lengthwise
- pomegranate seeds
~Heat honey and butter in a large skillet over low heat, The mixture should bubble a bit but not burn or turn brown.
~ Sprinkle the cuts sides of each pear half with the cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla bean.
~Place each pear half face down in warm honey, swirl the pears around in the skillet to coat evenly, cover with lid and cook until brown (about 4-5 minutes)
~Flip pears over and spoon honey over top. Cover and cook still over low heat for another few minutes.
~Remove and plate pears, drizzle with remaining honey syrup.
~Top pears with a generous dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Yaaaay it’s olive time again! For some reason, I never even think of olives in the sweltering summer heat, but as soon as the nights begin to cool I crave those briny little orbs of deliciousness. An easy and healthy way to get a dose of the good stuff is to whip up a simple tapenade, the caviar of olives;) This recipe and a nice crusty loaf of bread, here’s an easy no-knead bread recipe, makes for a lovely fall treat and is always a fantastic appetizer (or dinner if you get carried away)! So let’s get pitting!
- 2 cups pitted greek olives, I used a variety of Niçoise, Kalamata, and Green olives
- 4 sun or oven dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 1 clove garlic
- finely chopped fresh parsley
- chopped fresh thyme
- finely chopped fresh marjoram
- finely chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 cup or more extra-virgin olive oil
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
So I know the thought of having leftover ribs is a bit of a joke, but once in a while we throw a big party and over do it a bit in the ribs department. Sometimes even stretchy pants aren’t enough to make it happen! When that situation arises, I turn to soup! No big deal, I thought as I google searched baby back rib soup. Well, I found diddly on the vast world wide web on what to do with my rib leftovers so I went to the kitchen to see what kinds of random goodies I had for this experimental soup.
This is the delicious baby back ribs recipe that I used to make these ribs. We don’t slather our ribs with bbq sauce until we grill them so this recipe would be great for leftover ribs that have been dry rubbed and baked but not brushed with sauce. Also, this soup is insanely good with leftover cut kernels from the grilled dirty corn recipe. Then it’s truly a barbecue soup! The quantity of the ingredients is up to you. I liked loads of squash and corn but alter the proportions based on your tastes and amount of meat.
- a few racks baby back ribs – meat pulled off the bone and shredded with fingers
- 1/2- whole butternut squash or 2-3 sweet potatoes – made into ribbons with a peeler
- grilled “dirty” corn kernels
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 quart chicken stock or enough to cover all the ingredients
- paprika – generous but to taste (I never know how much I use because I just keep adding more!)
- cumin – to taste
- 2-3 pinches cayenne pepper
- 1 TB+ smashed garlic
- dried thyme
- rosemary infused olive oil
~ In a stock pot or dutch oven heat oil and add garlic, onion, and squash ribbons. Saute until they soften a bit then add thyme and bay leaf.
~ Add some cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper to the pan, add rib meat and corn and stir in the chicken broth.
~ Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer until squash is cooked (less than 20 minutes if ribbons).
~ Add more paprika and cumin to taste. Salt and pepper. Serve.
ENJOY!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
We’re grilling masters these days taking full advantage of outside cooking 1) because it’s soooo good and 2) because the last thing we want to do is turn on the oven and heat up the house in this weather! After all, grilled corn is greater than boiled corn any day! This recipe is dubbed “dirty” because it looks like it fell on the ground and we just picked it up and threw it back on the coals. PS- we didn’t do that;) The dirtiness comes from herbs, salts, and char from grilling inside the husk. Delish! You cook the corn in husk for half of the time then pull back the husk, butter the cob and sprinkle generously with herbs and salt (and paprika if you like!) to make that corn fantastically filthy!
Get some friends together, start up the grill and get messy!
- corn on the cob in husk
- sea salt – medium coarseness
- thyme
- marjoram
- black pepper
- paprika (optional)
~ Soak full ears in husk under water in the sink for 15 minutes. This helps steam the kernels a bit and, I think, prevents the husks from catching fire.
~ Place cobs in husk on heated grill. Cook for 5 minutes or so on each side, turning once.
~ Peel back husk, wipe off any silks, brush with butter and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, thyme, marjoram and paprika (optional).
~ Place the cob with husks peeled directly on the grill and let cook for a few minutes on both sides until some kernels start to brown and caramelize a bit.
ENJOY the dirtiest corn on the block!!
So lately I’ve been celebrating (or exploiting;) the abundance of fresh sweet cherries from the farmer’s market. The most classic of all cherry recipes is the cherry clafoutis (kla-foo-tee) which is surprisingly easy to make. I’m not much for baking, but this recipe is a lovely rich custard that’s no more difficult that making pancake batter. That’s my kind of baking!
You can use all-purpose flour and most clafoutis recipes call for white flour, but I try to find interesting substitutes for white flour whenever possible. Even if the rest of this indulgent dessert is all eggs and cream, at least I can take solace in the fact the the flours in this recipe are full of fiber and healthy fats! The coconut and almond flour lend a nutty richness to this recipe you won’t get from white flour.
Traditional cherry clafoutis calls for un-pitted cherries. I pitted them for eating convenience but it’s your call!
- 3 cups whole cherries, pitted if you choose
- 5 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoons almond flour
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tsp ground vanilla bean
- coconut oil, melted if necessary
- powdered sugar
~ Wash, pit and let cherries dry. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~ Brush shallow baking dish with coconut oil and scatter cherries in this dish.
~ In a bowl, combine milk, cream, eggs, flours, honey, and vanilla bean powder with a hand mixer for a few minutes until thoroughly mixed.
~ Pour over cherries, place baking dish on cookie sheet in case it spills over, and cook for 45 minutes or more until the top is golden and the middle is ever so slightly jiggly.
~ Let cool then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
ENJOY!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Okay, this will be the last honey post for a while. I know, I’m obsessed. This is, as of now, the last of a tiny series of sorts focused around honey, which I use for EVERYTHING! It’s delicious chewiness lends itself to everything from toast to stir fry (just a spoonful of honey makes a happy tummy) and I also use it in homemade lotions and scrubs as well as a moisturizing and antibacterial face wash. Eating raw local honey can even help allergy sufferers over the long term. Thanks bees for letting us steal the fruit of your incessant labor!
Honey is a fun subject with it’s amber hue and sticky slow motion it lends itself to some pretty fun light play.
I’ve been engrossed in a pretty fantastic project these days and I haven’t had much time to shoot for the blog lately so please forgive me if things are a bit erratic or I miss a week here or there. I hope to share some of what I’ve been up to soon:)
Have a great week and don’t forget to take your spoonful of honey!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
fine art , gallery , recipes , studio shoots
Chilled Avocado Soup with Crab for CINCO de MAYO
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!!! To celebrate today I’m posting early this week so enjoy this refreshing mexican dish to accompany those Coronas! Enjoy the delicious festivities!
West coast living has got me wondering how I ever survived without avocados. Though you can buy them on the east coast, they aren’t as big a part of the food culture as they are here, where they are grown. If you have a friend with an avocado tree, you know that there comes a time of year that the sheer volume of ripening avocados on a single tree can become a burden. What to do with all those precious little green orbs? Cold soup, of course! Avocados are luscious and rich while being chock full of healthy goodness. This absurdly easy soup is a true taste of west coast living. It’s a cool, healthy, silky green treat for those hot dry days. You may notice this recipe doesn’t call for lemon juice, which is a common flavor partner with avocado. The tangy acidity of the tomatillos provides the tart component for this soup and boy does it do it well.
I love this with the the crab and fresh peppers but it’s fantastic alone simply topped with chives as well. For dairy-free peeps try substituting coconut milk and a squeeze of lemon for the buttermilk (good idea Katie!).
ENJOY!
- 5 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted)
- 1- 1/2 cups reduced fat buttermilk
- 4″ length of an english cucumber
- 1 cup diced fresh tomatillos
- 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 2 seeded serrano peppers
- 1/4 cilantro
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons smashed garlic
- 4 mini bells pepper, halved and thinly sliced
- small bunch of fresh chives, chopped
- lump crabmeat (optional)
~ Throw avocados, buttermilk, cucumber, tomatillos, broth, serranos, cilantro, salt, and garlic in the blender and puree until silky smooth.
~ Spoon into bowls and top with crab, bell pepper, and chives.
Told you it was easy;)
ENJOY!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
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