Liquids

• Splashing! Pouring! Dropping cookies into milk! Pouring vodtka lit on fire into a martini glass! Very messy, but it just can't get more fun than this! Every shot I took in this series was surprising, and at times magical. Each additional shutter created a new look, nothing is static when you deal with liquids. The shapes you end up with are organic, explosive and very sexy. Each new shot became my favorite, each new liquid was more interesting to work with than the previous one.

"CLICK ON EACH IMAGE TO ENLARGE!"

My kids!!!

Chloe, Julian and Jasmine (Chloe's best friend). Each got 25c for one hour of work, plus they got to eat the props...cookies and whip cream!

Good Food at Hotel ShangriLA

Executive Chef Dakota Weiss has created a menu at the "The Dining Room" restaurant inside the hotel that is fresh, savory and very tasty. The few dishes that I got to photograph were as good looking as they were full of flavor, well balanced and in a few cases very surprising. I can eat French fryes everyday (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and I have to say that hers are some of the best I ever had. ("no French fry left behind" is my motto and policy)

The tomato/black truffle/burrata was was my next favorite. I can definitely imagine myself spending a night or two at the hotel, laying by the pool, sipping on a margarita and having some of chef Dakota's dishes. Maybe one day soon!!

My food obsessed friends...

After my last post, some of my friends suggested that I should include some of their favorite recipes and dishes into my blog. (actually they were more like demands than suggestions) As I am a good listener.. and friend, I decided to dedicate this entire post to them. In most cases I re-created the dishes they are so fond of, then I photogprahed them, and then I eat them!!! So, these are just for you, my food obsessed friends!!!

For Mihai (Milton Key, England), who's innovative and sometimes un-orthodox way of mixing and combining ingredients, makes him an outlaw in the cooking community now... but one day his recipes will become part of every kitchen.

Mihai's "Pistachio omelet" ... yes, those are pistachios!

For Wolfi (Bonn, Germany), one of my oldest friends. How long we known each other?... I'm not going to give any numbers, but enough to say that we used to play cowboys and Indians on the sidewalk in front of our house. Now he has a real craving for crepes.

Crepes for Wolfi

For Jon and Sherry (Arcadia, CA), who introduced me to Chinese dumplings, and showed me the proper way to eat one without burning my mouth. The secret: punch the dumpling with the chop sticks so all the hot air trapped inside the dumpling gets out, then eat it. The alternative, put the dumpling in your mouth, let it "explode" and burn your entire mouth, then finish the rest of the meal without being able to taste anything at all. Next, go see a doctor.

Shrimp Dumplings

For Ada(Castel Del Piano, Italy), who's meals are always magical!! Ada taught me how to make the best and simplest pasta sauce with only tomatos, garlic, basil, and olive oil. To this day I follow her recipe to the teeth, but somehow when she makes it is always better!

Ada's Pasta Pomodoro

For Claudio: The following recipe for the "real" Caprese salad was sent via email by Claudio: " MOZZARELLA DI BUFALA CAMPANA, fresh tomatoes sliced, only fresh basil (never PESTO), just a little of garlic cutt in small slices, salt, and abundant OLIO EXTRAVERGINE DI OLIVE . So you can write and eat ORIGINAL ITALIAN CAPRESE. BACI, CLAUDIO" Claudio's Caprese Salad

And finally for my brother, Calin (Sidney, Australia), who is secretly trying to turn me into an alcoholic by supporting me (and giving me detailed instructions) on how to make my own sour cherry liquor...two gallons at a time!!

Sour Cherry Liquor

PS. all the recipes are available upon request, and for a small fee!

If anybody else would like to have one of their "special" recipes photographed, please let me know.

Quiche Italiano...

A few days ago I saw Julia again, owner of Julia's Kitchen, for a photo shoot at her place. She needed a few more pictures for her website, main dishes and savory stuff rather than desserts and baked things, which she has plenty of already.

We ended up shooting about ten dishes, chicken, pastas, lobster, quiche, veggie platter, home made granola, etc., BUT... one stood out big time for me. She called it quiche caprese, you know... the mozzarella, tomatoes, basil combination, ...in a quiche shell. The "twist": instead of basil leaves... pesto! Both the presentation and the taste were brilliant. Light, savory, fresh and satisfying. We both agreed that this dish would be great especially in summer, but I can see myself eating it any time.

This quiche was the second dish we photographed, and although everything else afterwards was as good and fun to shoot, my mind kept on going back to it. Paraphrasing Tom Cruise in Jerry McGuire, I have to say: "Julia, you had me at the quiche caprese!" Thank you, and I'm looking forward working with you again, and being surprised by your talent!

The other dishes....

Chinese Dumplings, Arcadia

I visited this place 3 times in the last month! Will go again soon! The best and most popular dumplings are the "juice pork" ones. Like in most Chines places you have to go with pork, or shrimp... chicken just doesn't do it.

Beware of weekends...at least 30min waiting.

Plaisir Pastry Store

Plaisir is a little gem of a pastry shop just opened a few weeks ago by owners Philippe Dray and Daniel Salva. It means "pleasures" in French and as they explained to me, they think that everybody should indulge a little, or better yet, everybody has the right to a little bit of pleasure once in a while, it's a democratic/constitutional right we all have, especially in this economic situation. Don't forget these guys are French and the "liberte, egalite et fraternite" is in their blood. I for one... agree!

The main "pleasure" at Plaisir is their signature pastry, a puff pastry filled with mousse. I would have one everyday if I could, especially in the morning with my coffee. I had one that Philippe just took out of the oven and it just melted in my mouth.

The "original Plaisir" is just a mousse, very light and sweet, topped with a slice of strawberry, and served in a very cool and unusual little jar. No, you can not have the jar, it stays with the store.

We also shot a couple of quiches, ham and cheese and spinach, which you will go back for, if you like quiche, both "home made", savory and tasty!

After a few croissant sandwiches (turkey and cheese, ham and cheese and soon to come salmon and cream cheese) we went back to shooting sweets again: waffles and sweet crepes. I love crepes! When I was a kid, my grandmother would make them every week, and even though now I make my own, I would go back to Plaisir and have theirs as well.

The inside is very cool too. You can sit at the counter and while you eat your "pleasure" you can listen to music on one of their ipods... how cools is that!

Enjoy! ... and don't forget, it's your right to have a little "pleasure" at PLAISIR.

PLAISIR

8613 Santa Monica Blvd

West Hollywood, CA. 90069

310.855.7177

www.plaisir-la.com