Great Food Photos: Nicole Franzen

Just reading Nicole Franzen's "About Me" page is making me want to travel to Argentina as soon as possible. But since I don't have the funds I'll just have to see Argentina through her lens. It's always nice to feature and meet another Brooklyn based photographer because it's great seeing the city you're living in from another point of view (random thought, maybe fun to get all the Brooklyn based photogs I have featured here for a fun gathering?!) What's also great is that you get good tips about things like where to get good fish tacos! I've been hunting for good ones in the city for a while, apparently I have to go to the beach.

Oh and I had no idea you can make iced chamomile tea like this!

Q. Can you tell me what you’re trying to capture when you take your food photos? A. I try to create moments, ones that people can relate to and are pleasing to the eyes. I like to keep things simple and real. Fresh, colorful and alive. I love how vibrant vegetables are, we have a love affair.

Q. What made you pick up a camera and decided to be a food photographer? A. Well I have always had a camera in my hand. Even more so when I bought my first DSLR about 4 years ago. Ever since then I've been taking photos weekly if not daily. I have worked in restaurants for 12 years, and been obsessed with cooking/food since as early as I can remember. When I first started taking photos I was doing mostly lifestyle and people. Lot's of photos of friends, nightlife and adventures. But as time went on I asked myself why not shoot food? You're obsessed with it and its your life, maybe you should combine both your passions? So I gradually started teaching myself, cooking the food that I always ate and photographing it. And over time it just started working for me. I have found my niche. Capturing food environments is definitely what I like most.

Q. What inspires you as a photographer? A. The seasons, I am a big fan of spring and summer. I love the warmth, the light, the food, the energy, and the rich colors. I am inspired by nature and design. I love and like to combine interior design, architecture and the outdoors. I get the most excited when I actually step foot in either a farm or farmer's market. Something about all the fresh veggies, hard to explain. Flowers, produce and people who work honest jobs with passion. I am a sucker for it. Travel is also a huge inspiration and seeing new places. The ocean is also very close to my heart.

Q. Any food photography heroes? If not any photography heroes? A. I have lot's of love for my fellow photogs. They inspire me and push me to get better. Fine art food photographers I like to think of them as, like Ditte Isager, Gentl and Hyers, Mikkel Vang and John Cullen. They "wow" me and are extremely talented. I also have a ton of food photographers/bloggers that I adore. You can see a list of them on my blog.

Q. Best bite in Argentina? A. While I was living in Argentina I wasn't a vegetarian. So my opinions would be altered from how I feel now, as opposed to then. But I will talk about when I was living there and what I enjoyed eating. I loved getting a fabulous steak and smothering it in chimichurri. I would eat that with fries and a super fresh salad which you could choose the ingredients. Simple modest food but it was so fresh that I literally have such fond memories of something as simple as a tomato. I would eat a ton of pizza and empanadas. The pizza there is literally so much better then New York or any where else I have been. Napolitana to be exact, so so good. I loved the empanadas, jamon y queso (ham & cheese), caprese (tomato, basil & mozzarella) and one of my all time favs was apio y roquefort (celery & blue cheese) I am drooling now haha. The coffee is also great, cafe con leche. I drank yerba mate as well and grew quite fond of the ritual with friends. How can I forget the amazing gelato, dulce de leche and alfajores. YUM.

Q. Best meal so far in 2011? A. I cook most of the time. Mainly because most of the time when I eat out I feel disappointed and I think to myself that I could of made that at home cheaper and it would of tasted better. When I eat out it's to places that aren't usually that high end. I like to keep it real. I grab lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster and eat arepas from Caracas. I will grab a bowl of Thai mussels from Five Leaves and their ridiculous ricotta pancakes. I love eating at the Brooklyn Flea vendors. When we do eat out somewhere nice its usually a fabulous lunch at Gramercy Tavern. The food is always fantastic and I love working with them.

Q. Read in your blog that your favorite fish tacos are from Rockaway Taco, but any good ones in the city or Brooklyn? A. Rockaway Taco is seriously one of the best Baha style fish tacos I have ever tasted. I have tried handfuls of different places throughout the city, and in Mexico. Where we were staying in Mexico it was mostly ceviche and whole grilled fish. I don't think they were as obsessed with fish tacos as maybe the Pacific coast is? We didn't find anything amazing, is I guess what I am saying. I love the energy of Rockaway Taco and the ingredients are super fresh and the flavors are spot on. I still have yet to be wowed like that in the city. Pinche Taqueria is actually really good too, just thought of them.

All photos courtesy of Nicole Franzen of La Buena Vida

Great Food Photos: Melina Hammer

This world is a big place and sometimes the internet seems so much bigger. So it's quite exciting when you can spot a gem within this huge mess of noise and chatter. I seriously don't remember how I found the photos of Melina Hammer which led me to her blog Licking the Plate. It may have been a reTweet of a reTweet (hahaa) but it doesn't matter, I'm just glad I found her photos. Truly beautiful images! I especially love reading her post about her travels in Japan. It made me think about the time I was in Tokyo but wasn't so much into photography and everytime I think about it, it just makes me sad.

After you're done reading her interview (and hopefully you'll stay and go through the rest of this blog), I suggest you should go and get your own pork loin roast and try this recipe on Melina's blog. Perfect way to start and enjoy the Memorial weekend!

Q. Can you tell me what you’re trying to capture when you take your food photos? A. It is inevitable that everyone has a relationship to food. Community, the sensuality of food, and the idea of celebration are some aspects I favor in my own work. When I photograph food, I focus on how natural light kisses the surface, creating a vibrancy that showcases just how ripe or fresh whatever it is that I am shooting. I want the viewer to feel the flavor in seeing the picture. Capturing the wet in drops of sauce, the gesture in a scatter of salt, casually chopped fresh herbs…. Becoming part of the picture through feeling its flavor is where it’s at.

Q. Have you always been interested in photography? A. Yes. My father studied photography, along with architecture, when he was in college, and seeing a body of work he produced about loneliness sparked an interest for me. It gave me insight into trying to capture mood through photography. That, and the amazing images I'd see in my National Geographic magazines growing up, and I was hooked.

Q. Do you approach a food photo differently than non-food photo? A. I do. Before getting into food photography I was developing a body of work centered on urban ruins - structures left behind in American culture that still contain incredible pieces of collective history.... I documented remnants, but I would also shoot the environment in an abstracted fashion. For example, in front of me might be torn paper - by obscuring scale or context, it became other-worldly landscapes. Peeling paint became stained glass, and so on. With my work in food, I retain the interest in representation, for the most part. I enjoy making a scene or setup, and framing the food in a particular context.

Q. Any food photography heroes? If not any photography heroes? A. I have a number of photography heroes, food and otherwise. For food, some photographers I love are Con Poulos, Anna Williams, and Marcus Nilsson. Marcus makes everything visceral, and I really appreciate that when he’s capturing food. Anna often pairs disparate things together in a way that feels quite lyrical and beautiful. And Con is one of the first people to inspire me to attempt food photography. He has an incredible command over light, and modifies it so that just the right amount touches any surface, making it that much more appealing. Non-food-wise, I have always found inspiration from the work of Steve McCurry. He captures the human condition in a way that penetrates everything.

Q. A favorite dish to cook during Spring time? A. Salads of every kind. Greens like purslane, mizuna, sorrel, and sunflower sprouts add a punch of flavor and great textures. Combine them with avocados, charred seafood, fresh herbs, and anything else that reads flavor, and I'm happy. Often I'll go to the farmers' market and see what speaks to me, bringing home odds and ends to make some sort of spontaneous feast.

Q. Best meal so far in 2011? A. Though I've enjoyed or made numerous tasty meals since the year began, when I recalled our trip to Japan in late January and the various food adventures had there, I stopped in my tracks for the experience at Tsukiji Market. It isn't even that sushi is my favorite food, but really that all of the elements together made this an incredible and memorable meal. After three or so hours wandering wet, chilly aisles filled with every kind of sea creature, my husband and I were famished and dull with cold. A charming older man in one of the stalls offered us counsel on where to find great sushi at the market, and so we bumbled our way to what looked like could have been his recommendation. Another forty or so minutes in the chilly shade spent waiting in line and I was ready to eat almost anything, as long as I could be warm. Just then, a lady motioned "two!" with her fingers and nodded to us to come inside.

With enough stools to seat eight along a counter, she motioned and we sat. An older, bushy-eyebrowed sushi master fed us from behind the bar that day's omakase - chef's choice menu. Course after course, the fish was sweet, wet, and glistened with a special shine you can only find when that fish has only been caught hours before. My personal favorite was the sea urchin, which resembled a mound of sweet, briny, butter, followed closely by the ami ebi - raw sweet shrimp that were plump, delicate, and definitely sweet. Other notable items included miso soup with plump, tiny clams, and two kinds of fleshy, melty toro (tuna belly). The ikura - salmon roe - were juicy and just the right kind of tight. Egg cake, tamago, was also served and was springy, soft, sweet, and soothing next to the flavors of the sea.

Only simple green tea accompanied this feast, and it was just enough to thaw my toes before we had to end it all and head back out into the winter sun.

All photos courtesy of Melina Hammer of Licking the Plate

Daskam & Dworkis

Last month I saw on my friend's (Eastern District) facebook page about these cheeseboards that they were selling and got written up on Design*Sponge. They do look mighty beautiful. I found out from Eastern District that their studio is just down on Manhattan Ave so I emailed Tomas Daskam and Josh Dworkis to see if I could get a peek of their studio. They said yes!

Their studio is pretty awesome and has a nice view of the city. Josh gave me a quick tour and showed me few things they're currently working on. Thanks again Josh and Tomas!

Check out the rest of the photos.

Brooklyn Butcher Blocks

Brooklyn Butcher Blocks offers beautiful butcher blocks all handmade by Nils Wessell. I got the chance to spend an early Monday morning in his workshop to see how a butcher block was made. Nils told me that on a good day it'll take him about 3-4 hours to make 1 block but of course that doesn't count for the hours it take to let the glue dry. And since he cut the same butcher block twice to make end grain blocks, he will have to glue and dry the pieces twice.

After making sure the block is perfectly flat and straight he sands it down until smooth. After an overnight dip in mineral oil (which gives the block it's nice dark color), the block is then given a nice shine with Nils' homemade beewax.

If you want to learn more about Nils Wessell and Brooklyn Butcher Blocks, check out this excellent interview over at Cheery Observations.

Please check out the rest of the photos here.