It doesn’t get more authentic than this and no puddles of cheese are necessary. Thin layers of fried eggplant with a light marinara sauce make up this classic dish. Breaking from my usual Sicilian-self I’ve eliminated the extra breadcrumb calories. Aside from the obvious benefits of a lower calorie count this Eggplant Parmigiana dish has another benefit — it can be served as a first course, vegetable side dish or even a main course.
Eggplant Parmigiana- While the photo may not captivate you, the flavors will!
Ingredients
2 1/2 lbs eggplant (approx 2 large or 4 small eggplants), skin and ends removed
3 cups + 3 TBS olive oil (can use 1/2 vegetable and 1/2 olive oil)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
3 1/2 lbs plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (can substitute 2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes, drained)
12 large basil leaves, washed/dried/sliced
8 oz fresh wet mozzarella, torn into 1/4 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup (approximately 3 1/4 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano
kosher salt
salt and pepper, to taste
2 TBS garlic salt
1 TBS Italian Seasoning
Directions
Take the eggplants and begin to prepare by first removing the ends and then removing the skin. Cut each eggplant crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cover the sides and the bottom of a colander with a few eggplant slices and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. The salt will draw out the water and reduce the eggplant’s ability to absorb oil. Top with more layers of eggplant and salt until you run out of slices. Fill a large pot with water and place the colander with the eggplant in it, weighting it down with a heavy bowl. This will keep the eggplant from turning brown. Bathe the salted eggplant in the water for 30-60 minutes.
While eggplants are in the water begin to make the sauce. Heat 3 TBS of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden and fragrant, approximately 2-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and/or the diced tomatoes with 1/2 tsp salt. Raise the heat to medium-high and stir occasionally until the tomatoes begin to break down into a sauce consistency. If using canned tomatoes it will take 10 minutes however, if using fresh tomatoes it should take 20-25 minutes. (Note: When using fresh tomatoes the sauce tends to dry up before the tomatoes have properly been broken down. In this instance you will want to add warm water, 1 TBS at a time.) Lower the heat to medium, add in the garlic salt and Italian Seasoning. Continue cooking tomatoes 5-10 minutes until the sauce becomes thick and chunky sauce as if there is too much liquid the sauce will make the final dish watery. Turn off the heat, remove the garlic and stir in the basil leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Simple Marinara Infused with Garlic & Spices.
Allow the eggplant to drain and pat dry each slice so to avoid dangerous hot oil splattering when it is time to fry the eggplant. It is easiest to do this by lining a baking sheet with paper towels and putting a few slices on it. Top with another paper towel and add in a few more slices, repeating until no slices remain.
To fry the eggplant, fill a 3-4 quart sauce pan or pot with the remainder of the oil and heat to 275 degrees (this can be checked with a candy thermometer or if you don’t have a candy thermometer cut a small edge of one eggplant and dip it into the oil – if it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.) I find that using a pot vs a sauce pan does reduce some of the oil splatter around the kitchen but can be a bit more dangerous when turning/browning the eggplant slices. When adding in the eggplant be certain not to crowd the pot/pan. Cook, turning only once, until golden brown on the other side. It is important to work quickly when frying and turning the eggplant and I recommend a slotted metal spoon or metal tongs. The second side always cooks quicker so watch carefully once turned onto the second side. Once cooked to desired brown color, drain-off as much oil as possible. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Repeat until all of the slices are fried, layering the refried eggplant between the paper towels.
Fried eggplants- the cornerstone ingredient to this classic Southern Italian dish.
Using a 8×10-inch baking dish, layer about 1/3 of the eggplant slices so they overlap slightly on the bottom. Next layer the marinara sauce over the eggplant, make sure to cover. Evenly sprinkle half of the mozzarella and then 1/3 cup Parmigiano cheese. Repeat for the second layer then for final layer put more tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese over the remaining eggplant slices.
Bake in preheated oven at 450 degrees on a rack positioned in the center of the oven until the cheese has melted evenly and the top is bubbly with browned edges. Cooking time is approximately 20-25minutes. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the cheese to become a bit more firm before serving so that it doesn’t fall apart when transferring from baking dish to plate.
As a main dish this serves four as a side dish it serves six.
Guimauve- French Marshmallows (Photo Credit: www.keldelice.com)
Wherever did the Marsh find the Mallow? As history reports, the earliest recorded “confection” to have utilized the root sap of the Marsh Mallow was a simple recipe of nuts and honey prepared by the ancient Egyptians in 2000 B.C. It is believed that this confection was reserved solely for the enjoyment of Egyptian pharaohs and the Gods they worshiped.
By the early 1900’s, marshmallows were available for mass consumption and began appearing in American five-and-dime stores. Marshmallows quickly became an integral part of American desserts and side dishes, sweet treats (such as ambrosia, s’mores, Rice Krispies Treats) and, of course, as a condiment to hot chocolate.
Americans are believed to be the largest consumers of marshmallows, followed only by the French. Pâté de guimauve is traditionally shaped in the form of long thick ropes or “lanyards”. French confectioners have been known to display these lanyards in beautiful tall glass apothecary jars. Some of the most exclusive Parisian restaurants are said to offer guimauve as a post-dessert, finishing touch to a meal. The lanyards are “snipped with a flourish by the waiter” into small “pillows” at the patron’s table.
I took my first dive into what I used to consider a baking ingredient. And well, my pillows tasted just like the store bought ones only they were square. If that wasn’t enough, I had to up the anti and make the s’more a bit more I-talian. How you ask, with a simple flick of the wrist into the Nutella jar the damage was done…oh wait, and then a splash of chunky peanut butter on top of my home made marshmallows, gently broiled, and slathered onto a graham cracker. The result = sticky fingers, an added increment to my waste line and a nice gooey smile on my face. T’was all good.
I-Talian Smore
Fluffy Squishy Puffy Marshmallows Adapted from Gourmet, December 1998
Ingredients
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin
1 cup cold water, divided into 1/2 cup
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
1 TBS + 1 tsp vanilla (favorite substitutions: 2 tsps mint or orange extract)
food coloring (optional)
Directions
Take a paper towel and lightly oil the bottom and sides of a 13×9x2″ rectangular metal baking pan. Use a colander or sifter with a small amount of powdered sugar to dust bottom and sides of the pan.
In the standing electric mixer bowl, add 1/2 cup of very cold water and sprinkle gelatin over water, being careful not to let all of the gelatin clump in one place. Let stand to soften. (If you do not have a standing electric mixer you can do this first step in a large bowl).
In a medium-size (approximately 3-quart) heavy saucepan over low heat add sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt stirring with a wooden spoon or candy spatula, until sugar is dissolved. Increase to medium-high heat and boil, without stirring, until candy thermometer registers 240 degrees, approximately 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.
With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (The hand held mixer does tend to take a little longer and might even need to go beyond 10 minutes.)
In separate medium-size bowl with cleaned beaters whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed when the beaters are removed. Gently beat whites and vanilla (or other flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into the oiled baking pan. Sift 1/4 cup confectioners sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow in the refrigerator, uncovered, until firm, approximately three hours, and not longer than one day.
To remove from pan, run a thin knife around edges and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up (or peeling back) one corner of inverted pan, with dry fingers to loosen the marshmallow and ease it out of the pan and onto cutting board. With a large knife, or oiled pizza cutter, trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly two-inch cubes (you can cut them smaller but I love these large oversize pillows of candy). Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, dusting all sides.
Makes about 48 2-inch cubed marshmallows.
Keep marshmallows keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
A few weeks ago I was at a Halloween bake sale and there was this one type of cup cake that hardly anyone had purchased. I learned that the man selling them was also the baker of this quasi-untouched treat. I consequently purchased his cup cakes out of sympathy, so that he wouldn’t feel badly that his prized treats remained on the nearly empty table. I mistakenly never caught his name.
Upon returning home, having one of my usual Saturday chocolate cravings, I decided to give this treat a whirl on my palate. Much to my surprise, it was amongst the best cup cakes I have had to date. At my first bite, I realized I had found my new obsession. Chocolate cup cakes with caramel frosting….and obsess is exactly what I did over the next two weeks. I read at least 12 books and countless blogs to see if somehow I could recreate this delectable morsel which seemed like the perfect treasure to bestow upon a friend. I am happy to report success! While it may not be this mystery person’s recipe, I think it is a wonderful blend of flavors and I can divulge that I ate two while they were still warm out of the oven and- *just* frosted!
(Note: Be sure to read over the entire recipe as there are two ingredients lists and two sets of directions.)
Cocoa Fudge Cup Cakes topped with Classic Carmel Frosting
Makes 22-24 cup cakes
Cocoa Cup Cake
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.
Using a hand held mixer, stir in shortening, buttermilk and vanilla. Beat for two minutes at medium speed. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to ensure that the dry ingredients are well mixed.
Add in eggs and beat for two minutes more, scraping bottom and sides of bowl often.
You can either coat the cup cake pan with cooking spray or use cup cake liners. Pour 2/3 of the way up the cup cake pan. Cook for 20-22 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out dry.
Classic Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
2 cups light brown sugar, tightly packed
4 TBS butter
4 TBS water
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
22 miniature marshmallows- optional
Directions
In a medium-size heavy-bottomed sauce pan, on medium-high heat melt the brown sugar, water and butter together, stirring constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue boiling for one minute before removing it from the heat.
While the mixture is still warm, add the vanilla and then stir in the powdered sugar under it reaches the frosting consistency you desire. Frost while mixture is warm for a smooth finish. Top with a miniature marshmallow.
Depending on the dialect of Italian being used, the word fagioli can even be pronounced “va-zu-l” in Sicilian. A 1927 song by Van and Schenck capitalizes on this latter pronunciation in the rhyme, “Don’t be a fool, eat pasta fazool.” And then there is the more recently famous Dean Martin song “That’s Amore”. And let’s face it, who doesn’t want to feel or be in love…even if it is with a bit of bean soup. When love is on the menu, the line is long. >sings to herself, the excerpt below<
When the stars make you drool
Joost-a like pasta fazool
That’s amore
When you dance down the street
With a cloud at your feet, you’re in love
When you walk in a dream
But you know you’re not dreamin’, signore
‘Scusami, but you see
Back in old Napoli, that’s amore
(When the moon hits your eye)
(Like a big-a pizza pie, that’s amore)
Attempting to dig back into this blog after a brief bout away I am in dire need of comfort and comfort foods. And this week the cravings were meatless yet hearty. Pasta fagioli or pasta e fagioli, meaning “pasta and beans”, is one of many traditional Italian peasant dishes that was widely available in all regions of Italy due to cheaply available beans and pasta. This recipe should be added to your files under -will keep you warm on a cold winter’s night.
Pasta e Fagioli
Ingredients
4 TBS olive oil, and 2 TBS olive oil
1 1/2 medium size yellow onion, finely chopped
7 cloves garlic, pressed hold 1 clove off to the side
3 cups dried cranberry beans (if rushed buy 3-15 oz cans)
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 sprigs rosemary
2 TBS fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
salt & pepper to taste
7-8 oz tubetti or small pasta
pesto (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
In a large pot add 4 TBS olive oil, onions and garlic, salt and pepper and cook on medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Add in tomato paste and coat pan without allowing the paste to burn.
If using dried beans, place broth and beans in the same pot and bring to a rapid bowl, lid slightly off, for 40 minutes. Reduce heat, add in rosemary, salt, pepper and parsley, basil and oregano. Place lid on pot and turn heat to simmer for 1 1/2 hrs, checking after one hour to see if more water should be added to create sufficient broth.
If using canned beans, place broth and beans in the same pot and bring to a rapid bowl, lid slightly off, for 30 minutes. Reduce heat, add in rosemary, salt, pepper and parsley, basil and oregano. Place lid on pot and turn heat to simmer for 30 minutes.
In a medium size pot with a cap full of oil, bring water to a boil. Once boiling add in 1 TBS of salt and then add in the tubettini or other pasta. Cook according to package directions, drain and set aside.
In a small sauce pan add 3 TBS oil, 1 clove garlic, minced. Cook over a low heat until soft and then stir in rosemary which has been finely chopped. Add this mixture back into the soup.
To thicken soup you can either use a stick blender and puree 1/3 of the soup to gain a nice thickness or you can remove two cups of the beans and smash them in a mug with a fork and then return them to the pot, stirring well.
To serve, place drained pasta in an individual serving bowl, cover with pasta fazool then top with cheese, dash of olive oil and a spot of pesto. That’s Amore.
A bit of history- when your best friend from third grade calls you up to say “It’s okay to be a good hot mess.” It is safe to say that she isn’t talking about the latest inspiration (AKA craving) – Spiced Bar Nuts or for SABS shall we call them ‘Hot Mess Spiced Bar Nuts’? Done!
If you had thought I would share more of this story….well, let’s just leave it at a cliff hanger. Rumors are always more interesting than reality and the name just works despite the origins of the inspiration.
NOTE: Please do not hold me accountable if you can not stop eating these nuts.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups assorted nuts (whole almonds, Brazilian nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans)
2 TBS rosemary, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS dark brown sugar
2 tsps sea salt (if using salted nuts then reduce salt by 1 tsp)
1 TBS unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix nuts together on a baking sheet and toast for a approximately 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
In large bowl, combine melted butter, cayenne, rosemary, salt and sugar and stir well. Add in mixed nuts and serve warm.
By definition, frittata is an open-faced (unfolded) omelet that originated in Italy – usually round in shape with other ingredients mixed into the egg mixture. Growing up this dish was more common to me than anything from McDonald’s – we ate it while observing meat free holidays, we ate it as a vegetable side dish, we at it for lunch with a salad and we *always* ate it in a sandwich. To me, frittata was on par with those comforting meatloaf sandwiches. In primary school I was always the child with the odd bag lunch (albeit the BEST lunch bag – that is until I had to start making my own lunch and then the quality greatly suffered). I seldom ever ate a ham and cheese sandwich, I ate prosciutto or egg salad or a breaded cutlet sandwich on sourdough bread, and I had no clue how lucky I was to eat such great food combinations.
Confession: Since it is nearly Sunday, it seemed appropriate to let you know that this post comes with a great deal of guilt. I was home sick and I tricked my mother, who hates photos/videos, to make the basic potato/egg frittata. She was anything but happy and she eventually complied, but know that she did this under protest. What I love most about this post is hearing her voice, watching her cook and that despite not wanting to do this vlog she did it for ME. It is really the little wins in life that are the most gratifying sometimes. Maybe someday she will even read this blog and smile like I do when I watch her cooking…love you mom!
Note: It seems that people looking at this post from Internet Explorer are not able to see the remainder of the post. I am working on resolving the problem. Please let me know if you would like the recipe and I will email it to you along w/the video links. ginavon@bowllicker.com
Potato Frittata
Ingredients
3 Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch thick rounds
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
8 eggs
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 TBS dried)
1 TBS Italian Seasoning
1/2 – 1 cup olive oil + more for frying potatoes and onions
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
In a large-size non-stick pan fry potatoes in hot olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once potatoes have become crispy and brown, remove from pan and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
Using the same pan, add another light layer of olive oil and saute onions and garlic until onions become soft and translucent.
In medium size bowl, scramble eggs and add in parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well.
In a deep-sided pan (or frittata pan) add 1/2 – 1 cup oil and cook on a medium-high heat (the oil should cover the bottom of the pan as well as go up the sides of the pan approximately 1/4 of an inch). Add in half of the egg mixture. Ensure the egg is covering the entire bottom of the pan by using a fork to pull the egg out towards the sides, covering up any visible holes in the mixture. Layer potatoes on top of the eggs, slightly pushing them down until all of the potatoes have been used. Cover the potatoes with the remaining egg mixture. Turn temperature down to medium-low. Using a spatula, gently press down around the edges and slightly pull the frittata away from the sides of the pan, moving it towards the middle. This will prevent the egg from burning and enable the mixture to further sink down into the pan. Cook 20-25 minutes on side one.
** If you are not using a frittata pan cover the top of the pan with a plate or a lid. In order to cook the frittata on the other side, invert it onto a plate and then put it back into the pan and cook the previously exposed side for 15-20 minutes – it is best to do this over the sink or a baking sheet to catch the excess oil.
** If you are using a frittata pan, it is recommended to turn the pan over while at the sink or over a baking sheet so that the oil does not spill out and cause a fire. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
Mixture Consistency
Cooking the frittata.
(freet)TAH-DA! {say it out loud, it is much funnier}
So it is official- I’ve been hacked by someone going by the alias Fatzv3. Not sure who this being is but he/she is anything but worthy of accolades in my book (or rather my blog). So I’ve written to @Twitter and asked them to please let me come back as myself and not his cheesy porn gal with the name Fat+a few extra letters/numbers. Feel free to help me in my quest to restore my identity by tweeting “@Twitter please bring back @ginavon”.
I truly wish I could claim that I have the body for this new calling but alas, an Italian girl who loves to cook it up (and yes, work-out to pay it forward) is not really the one you should be hunting down for this unapplied for job. I am flattered and annoyed. I hope that this was fun for you, now can we move on? I do not feel like breaking up with my friends and followers- please go find some of your own Twitter/Facebook fans and try to use a bit more creativity in creating your own identity.
Here is the culprit.
I've been hacked-memoirs of a pseudo-porn gal. (Formerly @ginavon)
p.s. don’t worry foodies- you are still on a food/tech geek gal site, I am just on a minor rant. New vlogs coming your way. Maybe I’ll branch out in the spirit of this rouse and do a bit to tease you with some sexy pictures of frittata (AKA foodie porn).
It was a week ago that I spent my entire day at BlogHer Food09 at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. Since that time numerous articles have been written about the the event and I realized from the moment I had “planned” to write my post that I would be at risk of not having anything new or news worthy to say – then I realized that my take on things would inevitably be different than everyone elses because I like to let my thoughts simmer (pun intended) – that’s just my style.
THE CONFERENCE: self revelations
I was truly excited about this conference because as someone relatively new to the Foodie blogger label I have grown up a foodie and yet it is a part of me that I have frequently denied- my restaurant heritage. When you grow up with something, and opt out of this career choice you never really imagine that some how you will back in the tangent realm of food. Now to you, the devoted reader, that may be obvious, I wrote a cook book and I talk about food, ergo I am very in touch with my inner cook. Well, I can be a bit stubborn in allowing myself to acknowledge this is my passion. But I believe the day has arrived. With that acknowledgment comes responsibility- or isn’t that what I am supposed to say? I generally avoid doing or saying what I am supposed to say so let’s move away from that lame concept.
THE NETWORKING: better than a tweet-up
The conference, the first of its kind, was a great networking event and a good first step in what I hope will be an event that grows in scope (not size because the approximate 300 attendees/sponsors) was a truly perfect sized group for someone like me who avoids the traditional conference. Having participated in many trade shows I generally avoid them like the plague but this was different. I had the chance to get together with some of my favorite gals – Stacy Libby, Stefania Butler, Charlene Prince Birk, Jane Maynard, Lori Luna – meet in person my long time Twitter buddies Jennifer Perillo, Alice Currah, Vanessa Druck a few new friends Genie Gratto, Heather Hal, Arnold Gatilao, Lori Lange and Jeremy Pepper.
Bertolli Dinner at St. Supery Winery
SPONSOR IMPRESSIONS: those that tried and those that won
Not to boar you with the fine little details but my take on the sponsors is that there was a good mix of sponsors to address the mommy blogger crowd and the more au natural food blogger gang. That said, the event may benefit in the future from holding two days next year to provide insight to these two distinct groups. That’s not to say that there isn’t cross-over, there certainly is but then I think I may be amongst the few to ADMIT to toggling the line. For example, I love to cook with fresh local ingredients but I also like to include items like Campbell’s Soup in some of my quick meals because I don’t always want to make my onion soup, nor do I have time to do this, when blending this flavor into my dishes. (This goes back to the fact that I am a person with limited time and resources and yet I often prefer to cook then to go out to eat but I don’t usually have 5 hours to splurge during the week to whip up my grandmother’s typical five course meals.)
Another sponsor was Bertolli Frozen, they took a few hits at the show for not knowing their audience and while I adored the Bertolli team that was kind enough to include me in their Friday night festivities at St. Supery (which I viewed as a big success), I have to confess that there might have been a better way to showcase their products at the luncheon and I say this from the view point of someone who has done numerous events and is open to the idea of incorporating their high-end alternative to cooking products into a meal — offering a pasta bar of their featured foods or having a tasters plate blended with other fresh local veggies and/or breads might have featured their product in a slightly different light. This is where Campbell’s won the prize in my mind, they hosted the cocktail party and they used all recipes made from their product line and it was done on the veranda on a gorgeous city night and the compliments were flying – it was tasteful and anything but a hard sell and it worked.
Scharffen Berger Hosted the afternoon break demonstration with acclaimed chef, Elizabeth Falkner and these wonderful chocolate boxes filled with chocolate glob and salty and sweet and spicy treats — and well you had to wear a glove to get a bit but it was creepy and fun all at the same time. Personally, I loved the creativity behind it and the experience. They were showcasing their upcoming Chocolate Adventure Contest and had a great follow-up invitation to this afternoon on two fronts – they participated in the post-party deserts showcase and a cooking webinar a few days later. This sponsor showed they knew their audience and took extra steps to solidify and leverage this event to meet their end results. From a marketing/sponsorship/communications viewpoint this was well executed – another win!
Gina and Jennie Tasting Divine Chocolate Glop in Scharffen Berger Box
TAKE AWAYS (not take-outs): we all have something to learn
What I loved was a lot of the take-away thoughts that I’ll share with you. Guest speakers included an all star line -up of Matt Armendariz and Heidi Swanson (Developing Your Visual Voice), Amy Sherman, Jaden Hair and Helen Dujardin (Your Blog Is Great…now what? Letting your blog lead the way the way to new opportunity), and Jory Des Jardin, Ree Drummond, Garret McCord, Dianne Jacob and Susan Russo (The Meaning of Identity and the Value of Voice in a Crowded Foodblogging World) and then the closing keynote with Lisa Stone, Elise Bauer, Ree Drummond and David Lebovitz (Foodblogging, now and forever).
Two fun video clips taken with the Bertolli Flip during the closing key note with Ree Drummond, David Debovtiz and Elise Bauer (L–> R):
Developing Your Visual Voice- 5 things to think about
(there were 7, I choose 5)
1) Be inspired by others
2) Think about photos in context
3) Understand what you are shooting
4) Think about the type of shots you are after
5) The workflow is important
Bottom line- there are no rules. Take as many or as few shots as you like, have fun with it and be bold.
Your Blog is Great… now what?
Use this as your yardstick when opting to provide your work for free:
Cash/Credibilty/Visiblity
People will always want your work for free and if you give it away then you hurt others in the business. For example, one person in the audience shared that she used to get $1,200 to write a piece and now the market will only pay her $300 for a piece. Where can you go to learn the value of your work? Your local food society. Ask them what the going rate is for what you’ve been asked to do for free.
Remember your recipe is the MEAT of a piece and the photos are the DRESSING.
Advice from the professionals:
- Helen: where each opportunity will lead you – who knows? But why not try it. If someone tells you NO it is not NO FOREVER it is NO for right now.
- Amy: Food is a competitive business and it is not always pretty. But usually it is friendly and passionate. Blogs open up the door to new opportunities but the deal is sealed in person.
- Jaden: Treat your blog as a business and get advisers to provide perspective, ask a more well recognized blogger if you can be an intern, write a yearly business plan and stretch beyond your blog to be a leader in food.
The Meaning of Identity and the Value of Voice in a Crowded Foodblogging World
Garrett: Blogging is VERY “I” focused.
Garrett: A good rule is not to say anything on your blog that you wouldn’t say at a cocktail party. (Ree asks,” After how many drinks!”)
Susan: How you deal with criticism is up to you but you have to let a lot go, as long as it doesn’t get personal.
Ree: I will often spend between 1-5 hrs on a post but not all at one time, because sometimes I am herding cattle.
Dianne: I had trouble finding my ‘Me” voice. It is important to define your voice for your readers, as a journalist we were not accustomed to doing this.
Photo Taken by Stephanie Im/KQED for Bay Area Bites
WHAT TO HOPE FOR NEXT TIME: my suggestions
I think there is a big opportunity to look towards some tracks that appeal to the every-day blogger that struggles to post even once a week. Talking with the celbs of this micro-mondo are good but I did find that left me wanting even a bit more practical every-day advice. Some tracks I would vote for on the foodie front:
The Economic Hangover/Cooking Less- Getting More
The proposed session looks at how we can get the most out of our limited available time to maximize our efforts and food dollars to recover from our manic lives in this economic hangover. The discussion would be focused on how to spend less time in the kitchen but arrive at getting more – the more being healthier meals, meals in reserve and stretching and leveraging your budgetary dollars.
Social Media Food For Thought or Stirring the Pot of Social Media Flavors
As your resident tech-geek gal, I’d like to see a bit more social media in the mix in terms of branding and promoting. Some of this was touched on but not in a structured presentation with solid take-aways which a gal like me would appreciate. Food for thought, if you will!
Unspoiled- The Future of Food Blogging
With so many social media outlets emerging do Foodies really have time to stir the pot to create and/or maintain a successful blog – Twitter, Facebook, Alltop, Del,icio.us, Ning groups and the ingredients list drones on like the who’s of who knows what. Can Foodies get lost in the shuffle and burn themselves out of creating compelling blog posts? Where are food blogs today and which should be at the top of your list? If you spend more time on some outlets will your audience migrate?
(Relevance/My sidebar: seems to me that with all of the new social media outlets, some food bloggers are having a hard time keeping their blog audience, they may drift away from their blog to focus on twitter, or perhaps newbies want to learn how to create a food blog in these times of the social media craze. Should be a solid panel.)
TA-DA
I am forever bemused that true chefs and the more famous variety of cook book authors (Rocco DiSpirito, Ryan Scott, Elizabeth Falkner) are always a bit surprised that the rest of us DO know how to cook. It is a kind of high-brow/low-brow dichotomy and I say it not to paint a divide but to point out a new observation. I’ll be the first to admit that I am not versed in all of the fancy smancy terminology but where good flavors are in the mix I can be trusted. I had the chance to eat dinner with Rocco, and he is an adorable dream, but he too was surprised by the questions of the ladies at our table. And if that wasn’t fun enough, I was invited to come up on stage and help Ryan Scott, Top Chef contestant and chef, cook his frittata and he complimented me on how nicely I cut mushrooms (supplied by sponsor The Mushroom Channel) – I of course laughed and said thank you, he too was quite a charmer even with his girlfriend by his side.
And Elizabeth Falkner on the Scharffen Berger webcast, unless I was imagining it, responded to my questions with an approving nod. So you see…bloggers are cooks too and the rest of the world is about to find out. (well maybe).
Thank you to the folks at BlogHer for taking this inaugural step to host the first blogger foodie show- I hope you will take on the challenge again! I look forward to the Second Annual Event in 2010.
And thank you to the sponsors for believing in the blogger foodies as a viable audience.
Special thanks to the after-party hosts that put on a top notch event – Elise, Jaden and Ree! Great music and OF COURSE great eats!
Anna Lingeris & Chef Elizabeth Falkner
Please note that I had an great video to share from the Bertolli dinner featuring Gaston and Rocco but the video exceeds the YouTube length by one minute and I am unable to post. If you have any suggestions on another site I can use, please do email send me a note at ginavon@bowllicker.com.
My triumvirate post in honor of BlogHer Food09 – I am excited for the festivities and the conference and to finally meet my friends behind the icons- fellow Foodies. Since I have yet to make my own champagne (or as we say in the Napa Valley ’sparkling wine’ — since the laws in Europe and other countries reserve the word Champagne for a specific type of wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy from the Champagne region of France) I went for the next best celebratory item for the palate – dessert. This concoction is ridiculous – brownie, espresso, butter bliss. Take a good long gander at the drool-some photo and then wash those digits, roll up your sleeves and get ready to lick your fingers as each sugary bite reveals its flavors. I DO want to know when you make it and I am betting against you. I think once you read this over, even the kitchen weary will jump in to make this dream a reality.
Hold onto your taste buds, it’s an explosion!
(Note: Be sure to read over the entire recipe as there are three ingredients lists and three sets of directions.)
The Brownie
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder
1 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 square baking pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a large bowl combine flour, espresso powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix and set aside.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips and butter. It is important not to burn the chocolate chips – I recommend setting the microwave on medium power in 30-40 second intervals and stirring in between until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Mixture should be warm.
Add in sugars and vanilla until completely combined. The mixture should be room temperature. Add in the eggs one, one at a time, whisking lightly after each addition.
Using a spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture until combined. Do not over beat!
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake in the center of the oven for 30 – 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack.
In a bowl, combine espresso powder and 1 TBS of milk or cream, stirring to dissolve.
Add in butter and sugar.
Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed to blend then on medium speed until creamy, adding more milk, if necessary to make a smooth, spreadable consistency. Spread evenly over the brownie.
Chill to harden, about 1 hour.
Glaze
Ingredients
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup whipping cream
Directions
Put the chocolate chips in a medium size bowl and melt on medium heat in 30 second internals stirring regularly. When melted, add in heavy whip cream. Stir until well combined.
Let cool to lukewarm.
Spread over frosting.
Chill until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Cut into bars or squares.
With BlogHer Food around the corner, my mind is reeling with visions of food recipes dancing in my head. It may sound like Tech-no-geek girl has lost her other edge but in effect this is the other side of my duality- my passion for food. So to help celebrate I am doing some additional late night food posts….I’ve been DM with the Foodies that I am eager to meet and I can’t wait to talk dish!
Now, back to dinner- the weather is hot and there is no sense in turning on the stove but that doesn’t mean dinner has to be compromised. Tonight I indulged in a great Middle Eastern salad with an open faced turkey sandwich. Yes, I’ll share!
Three Recipes:
- Hearty Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad
- Salad Vinaigrette
- Turkey Panini al Fresco
1 head red cabbage, medium chop or shredded
3 tomatoes (Shady Lady if available), diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed, dried and finely chopped
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) dark kidney beans, rinsed
2 cans (4 oz) oil packed tuna, drained
1 container (5 oz) crumbled Feta
Directions
Wash and dry all vegetables.
For the onion, consider quartering and soaking it in ice water in the refrigerator for at least two hours. This will cut the sting and leave only the sweetness.
In a large salad bowl, add all of the ingredients in this order: cabbage, cucumber, beans, tomoatoes, onion, mint, tuna and cheese.
Salad Vinaigrette
Ingredients
2 small cloves garlic, crushed or pressed
2 tsps coarse salt
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
Add salt and garlic to a mortar. Mash them together with a pestle. (If you don’t have a mortar/pestle it’s not a problem, press the garlic, add the salt and mix together.)
In a small high sided bowl, add lemon juice, black pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Transfer garlic mixture to measuring cup and whisk until blended well.
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