Escape to the Big Easy

We slipped away the day after Christmas to New Orleans for a little "research". Pim's Cups, Soft-Shell Crabs, and enough Oysters and Dixie to wipe me out. Last trip to NOLA landed me in the hospital for 3 days with a nasty case of food poisoning/salmonella and a morphine drip in my arm. The morphine was the only thing that saved me. With a built up immunity I was bullet proof this go 'round. Dinner at Antoine's -- think what you want -- but it was a real highlight of the trip. Sometimes I wish I lived in another era, and from what I can figure, Antoine's put me somewhere around the 1920's for those 3 hours.

Pre-Holiday Prouvé

On the NY Strip

Thanksgiving Day

Dutch Oven Bird

In addition to keeping a pretty fair garden at times, we also belong to a CSA -- Rita's Roots. The fall harvest has just started coming in which means we've got lots of greens and root veggies. I put this organic chicken in the dutch oven with a little olive oil, turnips, carrots, and onions (actually started with the oil and onions on the stove top and cooked them until they were translucent). Added the other stuff, put the lid on tight and put it in the oven at 250 for 4 hours. It all sort of melted together taking on what seemed like a sort of herby sweet flavor of whatever had been in the dutch oven the last time (rabbit, I think). After using the dutch oven I give it a good wipe/scrape with a paper towel, put a little water in it and bring it to a boil on the stove. Then I pour off the water and give it a wipe again, let it cool and store it uncovered. I never want it to get too clean so all those molecules of prior meals can add some magic....

Rack and Sprout

Dave's Cornish

I had just been picked up from the airport when I was told "We're going to dinner!" Great -- but a little early for me at 6:00pm. We met up with dear friend D. Peters W. and his new best friends and RoadFood legends Jane and Michael Stern -- at Dave's Carry-Out in Charleston SC. I opted for the fried fish sandwich, Jane went for the shrimp, Michael had the fried porkchop and some wings, Sandy had the shrimp and deviled crab. D. Peters had the oh so special of the day -- cornish hen with hoppin' john, butterbeans, and green beans.

Weekend at Home

The Pie -- We finally got a little time at home this weekend and worked up some great grub. Sandy made the apple pie 100% from scratch (including the crust) from some apples we brought home from Maine. Wight's Orchard is just down the road from our house, and while it's pretty easy to load up on apples just picking wild ones on the roadside, we hit the orchard stand anyway for a sack and some conversation. The Duck -- inspired by a recipe in Matt and Ted Lee's excellent cookbook -- theirs is a scupernong glazed bird -- we decided to maked due with what we had in the house and used bitter orange. We roasted the bird for @ 4hrs. and it nearly melted in our mouths. That long oven time renders out lots of fat, so it's not quite so heavy. The Rabbit -- rabbit has been on the table at home lots lately -- it's seems so much leaner and better tasting than those big breasted chickens that every grocery store has. Plus a small rabbit is perfect for 2 people. This one came from a mexican tienda -- 5 bucks! Seasoned, floured, and hot peanut oil....

Paris Matched

Here's a sampler from a quick on the road edit of a travel feature I'm shooting in Paris ( that's France, not Texas, Dad). More to come ....

The King of Grit

Chef Robert Stehling of Hominy Grill, Charleston SC -- James Beard Award winner, man of many faces, and to me, sort of an anti-chef - or maybe a chef's chef. After shooting Robert and some his food the other day I sat down for a bite to eat. I have to admit it had been a while since I had dined at Hominy Grill in spite of the tremendous press that the restaurant gets that puts it at the top of any "must eat" place in Charleston. What Robert does at Hominy Grill seems so effortless, so easy, so simple and good -- and real. No fluff, no puff, and always right on -- just like Robert. We shot some beautiful stuff -- here's an out-take that I like and that I figured wouldn't find its way into the foody mags.

So Pho

Film Test

I had to test some new film stock -- on white wine braised chicken. mmmmmmmm....

Box of Fish

When I was a kid my father and I spent as much time together out on the water as we could manage -- and most of this time was spent fishing. During the summer we used to do pretty good with king mackerel and spanish mackerel. The kings are big (3-4 ft.) and the spanish are small (1.5-2 ft.). Now, I like pretty much any fish and mackerel are no exception for me, but most people I know don't care much for mackerel (or bluefish) -- unless it's smoked. Back then, dad received a smoker as a gift (i think) and we tried smoking our catch in it. I can say without any reservations that that first batch of smoked mackerel we did was the first great culinary achievement of my life. It was delicious -- and so delicious it was almost addictive. All during my teens I had the "L'il Chief" fired up doing it's thing in the summer months.

My good friend and Maine Guide, David Cassidy recently invited me to go along mackerel fishing in Stonington harbor. I had always wanted to fish for mackerel up north because you can do it up there from a dock or pier or bridge pretty easily (in the south we'd have to head offshore). We half-filled a 5 gallon bucket with Atlantic Mackerel (@1-1.5 ft.) in no time -- and it seemed like a lot of fish (to clean). Dave didn't have too much of an interest in them that day as he and his family had recently gotten their fill, so he sent them home with me. Luckily, after a little shopping around I found the exact same model smoker may dad and I used to use when I was a kid -- the "L'il Chief". Here's how it all looks....

Pork Makes the Man

I had the great fortune to photograph and hang out with Chef Sean Brock again -- this time at his farm on Wadmalaw Island, SC. He leases a small chunk of acreage to grow veggies and now pigs for the menu at McCrady's restaurant in Charleston, SC. Most chefs I know are passionate about food, but Sean is especially so - raisin' bacon! Here are some out-takes....

Cornbread, Stewed Tomatoes, and BBQ -- Birmingham, AL

I love a gig like this -- Southern city, tremendous chef, great food....
I was sent to Birmingham to photograph cornbread for the cover of Garden & Gun magazine. Chef Frank Stitt of Highlands restaurant was very accommodating, and while it was a relatively quick shoot , it was a nice collaborating with him on the look of things. We also shot at Niki's West and we hit Full Moon BBQ for "personal research"....