recipe
What a cool project with Knorr! Although I didn’t get to meet Ludacris, my photo of the lemon pepper chicken cutlet is Very close to him! It’s a win! I couldn’t of done it without my amazing crew.
Taka Kuniyuki food stylist
Penelope Boukles prop stylist
Regina Tamburro Assist
Susan Shaughnessy Producer
Space28 Studio
Carolyn Somlo Rep
Excited to share a recent shoot with Arc Worldwide, Unilever and Meijer Stores collaboration. Ice cream 7 days a week is fine by me! We created 7 tasty and vibrant shots of ice cream and their recipes you could make every day of the week. A really fun play on words and even better treats! Couldn’t of been possible without the amazing support of AgencyMJ, Rocket To The Moon and the entire crew:
Food Stylist: Charlotte Omnes
Prop Stylist: Maya Rossi
Studio: Space28
Assistants: Regina Tamburro, Desmond Reich
Love this product! Really great to work with the Buona Vita team again on some new recipe photography and updated packaging work for them. This is such a tasty, great quality meatball that you can get in store. The recipe concepts we shot ranged from a meatball sub to a gyro! So tasty and creative. Couldn’t of been possible without the amazing styling team of Lisa Russell. Shot at the String Theory School. Can’t wait to see the images out in the wild.
NotCo What a fun brand to work with! It was so exciting when they reached out to work together on shooting new photography and video for their NOT chicken patties and their brand new NOT MILK product line. The vibrant colors in the brand were used in the background as well as table settings. We had a variety of set options for the recipes we shot. Tiffany Schleigh food stylist created indulgent dishes for us to capture. There were a variety of recipes that used plant based cheese, yummy sauces, and layers of goodness. When I tried their chicken patties and nuggets I coulnd’t belive it wasn’t actual chicken! They were so good!!
Along with the creative team we were able to work with the super talented kid model Miles @milesandre_14 He had fun expressions and excitement with each dish as well as the NOT MILK Chocolate Milk and regular Milk products. So much fun tossing things in the air.
We got to work with one of my favorite studios, Space28. We were able to shoot table top imagery as well as use their kitchen to shoot other dishes and Milk drinks.
Can’t wait to see all the shots out in the wild. You can find their products at a variety of stores like Whole Foods, and Giant Food Stores.
Growing up there were some brands you just dream of working with. Having the opportunity to work with Campbell’s came true! Lisa Russell brought me on as the photographer for this project. We had the opportunity to work with their snack division on some social content photography. This was so fun putting together stop motion and recipe photos. We got to work with The Snack Factory and Synders Pretzels. The recipes were great for upcoming holidays and the stop motion pieces were a playful way to use the brands. The photography had punchy color and light. Propping was great and helped elevate the brands. The Campbell’s team was very hands on and made the whole production run smoothly. In the end we walked away with great photography for them.
Can’t wait to see the images out!
When I think of bread that reminds me of summer, hands down it is King’s Hawaiian! It was an awesome project to work on that Chuck Studios executive producer Elyse Sara brought me on to. We had 2 days on set with a limited crew because of COVID-19 to capture beautiful kitchen scenes and super tasty recipes using the various King’s Hawaiian products. The kitchen sets were modern, contemporary with warm colors and greens peeking in. Helen Jones styled the recipes perfectly to really elevate the bread and flavor cues! Propping and set dressing was done by the amazing Christina O’Neil. We had all the COVID-19 regulations in place and we all felt safe on set. Also since the client could not be there we were able to setup a private Slack channel and use ZOOM to conference in the team. It was a seamless experience and would do it again. At the end of the day we got some awesome photos. Can’t wait to see them in the wild!
It was great to get a call from the Chicago office of The Food Group. It’s been a dream to work with these guys because we all share a true passion for food! We worked together on a B2B campaign for The Clemens Food Group showcasing a wide range of their quality pork products. The shoot consisted of 2 concepts over 2 days. The first day was to capture this large overhead scene of their raw pork products styled beautifully. Food stylist Nicole Twohy was perfect for the job. Her and her team in the kitchen brought out the prepped pieces while Kristine Trevino the prop stylist helped place them on the set. We had a layout to follow which was key to reference during the shoot.
The next day was fun; we got to create beautiful cooked pork recipes each plated uniquely for a table scene overhead as if you were dining at a restaurant. We had a hand model from Bella agency serving a platter into the top of the frame featuring juicy ribs, yum! Each recipe was carefully tested and chosen prior to the shoot so we knew which plating would work best and the colors all complimented each other. In the end we walked away with some great photos, couldn’t of done it without the team. Can’t wait to see these shots in the wild!
I know we all love hummus but do you want to kick it up a notch? Use beets! Especially in the cold months where are body needs immune-boosting nutrients, beets are high in vitamin C, and potassium. We had a much earlier recipe posted using the greens of the beets which also are very healthy. So all around it’s a great vegetable to cook with.
This recipe is super easy and not much different than your average hummus recipe with chickpeas. What’s great about hummus is you can really cater it to your specific taste so have fun.
Ingredients
• 2 small roasted beets (peeled)
• 1 15-oz. can (1 3/4 cup) cooked chickpeas, mostly drained
• zest of 1 lemon
• juice of 1/2 a large lemon
• healthy pinch salt and black pepper
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 heaping Tbsp tahini
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. Roasted beets:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. loosely wrap beets in foil tossed with oil. Cook through for about 45-50 minutes. Let cool then peel and cube.
2. Once your beet is cooled and peeled place it in your food processor. Blend until only small bits remain.
3. Add remaining ingredients except for olive oil and blend until smooth.
4. Drizzle in olive oil as the hummus is mixing.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt, lemon juice, or olive oil if needed. If it’s too thick, add a bit of water.
6. Will keep in the fridge for up to a week.
This was such a fun day and everything went smoothly. I can’t stress enough how important pre production to a photo shoot really is. The more planning, communicating with agency, client, and team the better the day will go. We finished our shoot on time if not a little early! Also it’s really nice when you have two amazing assistants on hand. This shoot for Stevia In The Raw was highlighting their newly designed packaging for print ads across many popular food magazines in addition some very tasty recipes using the product. The hero shot was really cool because we worked with Hinge; a 2D/3D animation studio in Portland that created a really cute gingerbread man character that they placed in my photograph for the final!
For the recipes they were all amazing, but I think my personal favorite was the chocolate espresso pizzelles. The expresso buttercream sandwiched between the two pizzelles was so good! Luckily Lisa my stylist made extras, haha! Lisa did a fantastic job creating the other recipes as well. She made the gingerbread butterscotch trifle cups that created these beautiful layers. The grand finale recipe was the chocolate peppermint truffle tart. She had sourced spearmint leaves fresh from a garden that topped the tart so perfectly. It made it picture perfect! Make sure to keep an eye out for my Stevia In The Raw shots and take a minute to see our B.T.S. video.
This idea between myself and fiance Joe has been tossed around for awhile; In what capacity can we work together? We are both commercial photographers specializing in different fields people automatically would assume, "You guys should combine forces and work together!" That is not something we wanted to do. I run my business and have my clients and so does Joe. Ignoring the fact though that we are together and in the same business wasn't going to work forever. We have been able to meet on this idea of working on a blog together! We both have passions for food, drink, and travel and both of us touch on this personally and professionally so it seemed to be a good platform to get started!
After a long couple days of brainstorming we were able to come up with the very creative and catchy blog The Pictured Kitchen
This has been live for about a week and we have a supporting Instagram handle @thepicturedkitchen which we are excited to populate with our personal journeys, recipes, drink tips and tricks! If you have anything you would like to contribute or comment on we would love to hear from you.
info@thepicturedkitchen.com
Working with a group of creative, energetic, and talented people is what making a successful video is about. The time put into planning, executing, and producing makes that final piece all worth it. These are just some of first thoughts that come to mind working with ad agency Weber Shandwick, my food stylist Lisa Homa, props Kristine Trevino, hair and makeup Ananda Khan, camera crew of Good Boy Media, and talent Amy Castle. We produced beautiful recipe videos of the Alli brand highlighting their healthy lifestyle. The lighting throughout the pieces was bright with a natural daylight feel. We were able to produce this look for the whole day. Amy Castle’s personality shined through in these pieces running through the script with her. In the recipes we shared how easy it is to eat healthy and enjoy cooking! Check out the videos here. ALSO on my MOTION section of my website. BTS Stills by Kelvin Williams
This past photo shoot we were doing some new advertising work for Don Julio; a true tequila brand. Having the client there and explain the true authenticity and story behind the brand was really great. The images we captured were really introducing the use of Don Julio tequila with a very popular Mexican drink; the Paloma. It’s a great mix of the Reposado and grapefruit juice. A very refreshing drink on a hot summer day. What was important to the client was getting across the grapefruit in the drink. We tried grapefruit peels and wedges. My food stylist was able to source really pretty grapefruit that weren’t too overbearing in the shot. I was able to enhance the pinkness in the fruit so it didn’t look like an orange. They really like the authenticity in the environment so we added water, condensation, and loose salt.
Food Stylist: Lisa Homa
Prop Stylist: Deb Donahue
I know poached eggs look difficult and have a delicate quality to them. If you follow some basic steps to making these you will have no problem whipping them up next time for a weekend brunch at home!
Use fresh cold eggs.
Use the right vessel to get the eggs to the pot such as a large spoon.
Use the right vessel to get the eggs out of the water such as a slotted spoon.
Recipe for making perfect poached eggs
- Fill your pot with water that comes up to the edge about 1-2inches.
- Add 1 tsp of salt and 2 tsps of white vinegar.
- Bring the water to a simmer
- Crack your very fresh and cold egg into large spoon.
**If doing 2-3 eggs swirling the water in the pot like a whirlpool then dropping the egg in the center helps keep the egg white together.
Patience: Once eggs are added to the pot turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Do Not Touch.
Remove egg with slotted spoon and serve!
Pears are a great alternate to apples and can be available in the summer and winter. They are great for table presentations and just as easy to cook with. Poaching is cooking in a gently-heated liquid. It’s not just boiling water like poaching eggs. With this method of cooking the liquid can be stock, wine, or another sugar mixture. You can use different types of fruit like pears. Personally I thought it would be pretty to top the bundt cake with poached pears and drizzle with the poaching liquid over top! The French word for this is “Frissonne”, meaning that the liquid should be just hot enough to make the surface shiver.
Ingredients
3 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 bosc pears (peeled)
1 star anise
Directions
Combine the water, sugar, cinnamon, and star anise in saucepan over low heat. Cook stirring for 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Add the pears and cook covered for 15 minutes or until soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove.
Take the liquid in the pot and transfer to a pan and boil high uncovered for 15 minutes until reduced to half.
Drizzle syrup over pears (or bundt cake) and serve
What an exciting end of the year. It’s certainly not slowing down! I had a great shoot with a favorite past client of mine, Alouette Cheese between Christmas and the New Year. They have been putting out some great new lines of cheese and also creating some nice recipes with their products. We shot 2 days in studio photographing some fun and refreshing recipes using various cheeses of theirs.
A personal favorite I think was their brie wheel. It was wrapped and baked in a Pillsbury dough and came out like a pull-apart bread. The brie inside was warm and gooey. If you really wanted to take it up a notch dip it in the cranberry sauce paired with it. It really was tasty and a perfect choice for a holiday appetizer. Another recipe idea was using one of their cheese dips to fill the bottom of glasses then pair on top with some cut vegetables. It’s a cute and fun way to serve it at your next party.
Check out some B.T.S. having fun with cheese! :)
Happy New Year and looking forward to 2017 projects!
Shot at The Up and Up
The holidays are an exciting time with the music, snow, gift shopping, and seasonal cocktails. It was exciting when a friend and photo editor reached out to me for a project for Village Voice! Myself and food stylist Jill Keller got to go around to 6 different bars in New York photographing 6 signature drinks the bar and bartenders worked on. Also it was great to reference if you wanted to try and make it at home for yourself. Each bar was very unique and fun to check out. I think my personal favorite was Miracle On 9th Street pop up bar by Nico de Soto. The bar was decorated like my grandma’s house around the holidays. There were so many nostalgic Christmas decorations. The drinks were served in these cute cups that looked like Santa. It was really exciting because after the story ran Bon Appetit Magazine was also doing coverage of the bar! Nico was doing live demo of making the drinks. I got to work with talented food stylists Jill Keller and we hopped around town going to each bar. It was fun!
How was your Memorial Day weekend? What type of grilling did you tackle? For us we did a nice dry rub spare rib recipe. Color is always important and using the right amount of paprika really makes a difference. These were also on the spicy side, a nice change up from the usual BBQ sauce rub.
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup turbino sugar
-1/4 cup normal paprika
-1/4 cup smoked paprika
-1 tablespoon salt
-1 tablespoon pepper
-1 tablespoon onion powder
-1 tablespoon garlic powder
-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-1/2 teaspoon ground thyme heaping
-1/2 teaspoon ground bay leaves sparingly
-yellow mustard rubbed on base of meat (makes the seasoning stick!)
*Let it soak overnight in fridge
-Baked 300 degrees 3 hours cover in foil
- Uncover and cook an additional 15 minutes
Pesto is a great addition to any pasta dish. Pesto can be high in fat with the oils and pine nuts mixed into it so you have to take it in small amounts. To help lighten your meal use a whole grain pasta instead of a white pasta. In addition to pasta you can use pesto on chicken, crusty bread, or a spread for a sandwich. If you want to have pasta but a sauce that’s a healthier option it’s best to stick with a tomato sauce.
What goes into a basic pesto sauce?
-basil leaves
-garlic
-pine nuts
-olive oil
-cheese
Find a great recipe at Food Network.
TRIVIA ANSWER: B. BALDIES
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in 1 1/4 cup warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. If the mixture is dry, add one or two more tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7-8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn and coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets.
4. In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in 4 cups hot water; set aside. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda-hot water solution and place pretzels on baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 8 minutes.
Ingredients
4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups warm water
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup baking soda
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup kosher salt (for topping)
Happy Easter Weekend! It is very early this year, I almost forgot about it :) A favorite snack of mine which you can have year round but certainly pops up at the Easter table is deviled eggs. A classic recipe with variations you can choose to do. For me I may use a little white or red onion in the yolk mix. You can certainly jazz is up with sprigs of dill and even bacon bits to the recipe!
Here’s my recipe adopted from Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/classic-deviled-eggs-recipe.html
