Photo Shoot Recap New Jersey Monthly: Osteria Radici

Any food that encompasses the style of Italian cuisine I’m all ears and appetite. It was great to work again with New Jersey Monthly on their July feature for Osteria Radici in Allentown, NJ. Owners Randy and Ally were great to work during the photo shoot. The dishes we got to photograph each had their own personality and flavor that was amazing to see. It was great to see their different plate ware and table dressings to incorporate into the photographs. Also the interior had a warm welcome. Check this place out!! You can read the article and see more of my photos here:

https://njmonthly.com/articles/restaurant-reviews/italy-roots-osteria-radici-allentown/

Photo Shoot Recap: Angeline by Michael Symon

    I try not to geek out when it comes to celebrity chefs, especially now when everyone is on some type of food show BUT to meet and work with chef Michael Symon was awesome. I was hired for a magazine to capture the new Italian restaurant by Michael Symon called Angeline at the Borgata Casino. The Borgata is probably one of the most well known and visited casinos in Atlantic City with great stores and restaurants within. This new restaurant the locals have been waiting and raving about to open! Whenever Michael would come by the restaurant to talk with front and back of house staff, fans of his would line the windows looking in trying to grab a picture of him.
    When I visited they had already been open and had quite the momentum of customers. We stuck around that day for when they did open for dinner to grab photos and literally there was a line down the hall waiting to get in! I’ve never seen that before. I don’t blame them, the Italian fare I photographed and tried was top notch. The lasagna was perfect with its layers of meat and sauce, the artichoke heart appetizer was so tasty, the mozzarella was the freshest, the list can go on. Working with Michael was great, he was down to earth and a good honest cook. We captured some lifestyle shots of him slicing meat, and some environmental portraits of him in one of the dining rooms.
    The staff of Borgata that helped with the shoot were very welcoming and clearly took hospitality seriously. I highly recommend checking out the Borgata casino if you’ve never been. Even if you don’t gamble go for the stores and stay for the food.

B.T.S. Cheese Connoisseur and Grana Padano Cheese

What a great crew to work with. This past shoot working with Cheese Connoisseur and Grana Padano from Italy was such a blast. These type of projects remind me how fun my job is! We created various recipes using Grana Padano cheese product for the next issue of Cheese Connoisseur and for use directly with Grana Padano. These recipes showed how versatile a savory cheese can be. Some of the recipes we photographed were quesadillas, farrow salad, and apple galette. The mixture of the melted cheese with these acidic foods really worked well. The cheese itself was good on its own and created beautiful toppings to the dishes. For the photo shoot these Grana Padano cheese wheels and cuts were hand picked from Italy and delivered to the states for this shoot. They take their product very seriously and are proud of what it is all about. That type of passion for food really speaks levels and made the day all that much better. The beautiful cheese rinds were apparent in every photo, so you know to use the best when making these recipes. To finish out the day we did a gorgeous stack of cheeses with a rich slate as the background and a huge rustic chopping block as the base. This translated to authentic Italian.

I was able to try and practice my Italian at the end of the shoot, and sure enough I still need practice.

Ironically the next day Food and Wine Magazine featured Grana Padano cheese as a good way to prevent high blood pressure.

Food Styling: Jen Beauchesne

Prop Styling: Deb Donahue

Assistant/BTS Photos: Kat DeLeon

Studio: Neo Studios

First Look: Motion Reel

This year has had such a great start. One of my new endeavors has been reconnecting with an old and very talented friend who has developed an extensive business in the video production world.

The photography industry has been evolving so much so quickly taking a back seat would not be the best move. I need to continue to grow my team and work I produce while adding value to what I offer in the end. Motion work seemed like a natural next step. It’s still in the works and plenty of ideas to be story-boarded but were getting there! This is our first full feature video on pasta making. Not a quirky “how to” but more about the romantic view of making pasta by hand. Sourcing the right food stylist, color, and sound really brought this idea to life. I’m excited to continue this and see what myself and the production company come up with.

Video Production: Savvy Video

Food Styling: Harry McMann

Grana Padano photo shoot for Cheese Connoisseur Magazine

Just in time for the holidays, a few quick cheese recipes I shot for Cheese Connoisseur magazine. These were prepared with Grana Padano cheese, which is similar to Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is made in northeastern Italy. The recipes were really a nice selection to showcase how you can use this cheese. We made a simple quesadilla with roasted red peppers, a squash soup, and an apple crostata!

We had to make sure and leave room for titles and recipe text when these run in the magazine.

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Recipe: Homemade Pasta

In my experience I think homemade pasta does not get the attention it deserves. I feel people are intimated by the thought of making it yourself. It’s really a simple recipe with only a couple ingredients needed!

Making a well with the flour and adding the eggs was a hard thing to accomplish; I know I didn’t get it on the first try. I’ve found if your scared of making a egg mess all over your kitchen put it together in a bowl! In the end you will get the same product. Also you want extra flour on standby to flour your surface when kneading the dough.

There’s a great recipe at Food Network with directions and the amount needed for each ingredient: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/fresh-pasta-recipe.html

Italy Tour Follow Up: Stock Photography Opportunities

Photos For Stock

As some of you know I recently traveled to Italy touring Venice and Rome. I couldn’t of asked for better weather. People were mentioning in Venice the high and low tides and how St. Marks Square floods. Luckily I did not encounter any issues like that. I was able to touch on most of the major landmarks in Venice and come across some beautiful surprises capturing different things. After visiting the calm and serene town I would certainly come back in a heart beat and urge anyone that has not been there to check it out. The city actually reminded me a little of Zurich, Switzerland. It had to be the pastel tall buildings that lined the narrow cobble streets and the windows flourishing in bright, fresh flower arrangements. The plus though about this city was no hills!

As for Rome, it was just as gorgeous but you could definitely see a more developed economy and city vibe. Also Rome has plenty of hills and steps. There was still lovely cobble stone lined streets, pastel colored buildings, and plenty of notable landmarks. I was taken back by the large ruins that still stood today. This made for great images. One day I had a trip planned for the country side of Rome visiting a notable winery. 30 minutes driving out of the city instantly you were surrounded by rolling hills and greenery. Making our way up a long, hilly road we reached a higher altitude and rows of grape vines, and olive trees. Once again it was a picture perfect scene!

Beyond the vast landscapes of European culture the food was to die for. Everything was freshly prepared and served. I walked away from this trip at least 5 pounds heavier, haha! The pasta, pizza, wine, salads, and fish. At the very least I can say this was another trip I will never forget.

If you are looking for imagery of European culture, specifically in Venice and Rome please feel free to reach out and see how I can work with you on your next project. If you would like to see some images I can send them via Dropbox for convenience. Also if your interested in images from some of my past trips such as Munich Germany, Zurich Switzerland, or Paris France please don’t hesitate to ask!

Of course you can see more of my stock photography here: http://www.offset.com/artist/Felicia+Perretti

Travel Plans: Italy

I've been enjoying the end of the summer and just getting ready for my trip to Italy. My boyfriend (whose is also a commercial photographer: www.josephmkitchen.com) and myself will be leaving first week in September traveling to Venice and Rome! I feel you should really do international travel at least once in your life and while your younger. Traveling through the states I plan on doing when I'm older.

I enjoy traveling because it gives me time to explore new cultures and recharge my creative process. Seeing the world differently where you cannot always get that in your own country. I look forward to hearing new languages and trying to speak them too ;) French and Italian are certainly on my list of languages to learn. I can speak a little of both but nothing fluent... yet!

Stay Inspired!

Fancy Food Show Part 2

I wanted to have a separate post going into more detail the vendors I met and food I tried at the Fancy Food Show this year in New York City. I think the first vendor that had the largest impact on me and was a crowd favorite was Sir Kensington. As I was walking toward to convention center I was greeted by a large billboard with Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton who brought the brand to life. There is a whole back story that I invite you to read on their website: http://sirkensingtons.com/story In the end they did walk away with a Sofi award for outstanding condiment, specifically their special sauce. Overall I did enjoy the product, dijon was my favorite as well as the packaging. It was cute.

Another favorite of mine during the show was Slate Roof Creamery. Two gentlemen, Mark and Rik were running the booth and director of operations. The products were different types of butter which were very tasty! Original concepts of theirs were sweet butters but now they’ve introduced more savory flavors which were very very good.

Some of the brands and foods I came across during the show were unique, such as Just Hemp Foods from Canada. Packaging and design drew me in first followed by a pleasant sales person. They certainly played up the Hemp name referencing the drug, either way it was a tasty and healthy product. They were sampling their hulled hemp seeds, and toasted salted hemp seeds. I personally enjoyed the hulled hemp seeds. They had a creamy texture and were not crunchy. The product could easily be eaten as is or added to a smoothie or shake for lunch. They also sell hemp seed oil and protein powder.

During the show I tried to avoid friend, fatty foods but the brand The Perfect Bite which sold frozen food, defrosted as appetizers, snacks, sides, amongst other things was surprisingly good. At the time they were sampling their mini quiches which were so good they tasted freshly made. I wish they had more out to sample but if I was convinced with the one then they were truly quality. They lived up to their name as the perfect bite.

Turning the corner I was welcomed by sunny Florida Natalie’s Juice. The booth was so welcoming I had to stop and try their juices. It certainly put a smile on your face trying their variety of juices such as orange, grapefruit, and lemonade. I gave them two thumbs up and brownie points for being so pleasant!
Once again I was blown away by a frozen food. It was a New York local company which I wasn’t familiar with. Artichoke Pizza, which started and still is currently a real pizza store front with locations in Manhattan and other spots. I have a lot of pizza places on my list to go to in New York so I don’t know how this missed the list. They were sampling their frozen pizza line and it was just like you walked into their store and ordered a fresh slice. It was packed with flavor and fresh ingredients. Once again very very impressed with the frozen food quality.

I will end this post with a very cultural, genuine experience I had with Made In Morocco. A rep from the company saw me walking the floor and insisted I come check out their booth. It could of came across as salesy but I was having such a good time I was Ok checking it out. Once I got closer I could hear this beautiful Moroccan music and a festively decorated booth full of sweets, food, and Moroccan tea being served. I felt like I was in another country being handed all sorts of food to try and given a glass of their tea in a proper Moroccan glass. It was quite the experience and their food and style of cooking is so unique with the smell and spices they use.