Old Bay Steamed Blue Crabs

It’s summer so why not steam some crabs. Old Bay seasoning is the only way to go when making these. Seafood can be intimidating to make but these are actually easy to cook.

Here’s a basic recipe for making steamed crabs:
Add 1 1/2 cups water, lager, apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons Old Bay to the bottom of the pot. Whisk to combine and bring to a simmer. Layer the crabs in the steamer insert, generously sprinkling with Old Bay on each layer of crabs. Cover the pot and steam the crabs for 30 minutes.

I also added corn on the cobs cut in half and fingerling potatoes at the top!

Fancy Food Show 2016: Part 2

Where did we leave off? Oh yes! Amazing food…

    Other than chocolates, condiments, and cheese the snack food options were extensive. Personally if I really need to snack or have something savory it has to be a type of cracker or chip. Popcorn is hard for me to eat unless it’s at the movies so this review is certainly a personal preference. At the end of one of the aisles a big bright display of Way Better Snacks was calling my name. The bright neon display and modern design of these chips was really cool. Their actual branding on their bags was very easy to read and nicely put together. What made this a top pick for me was their choice of ingredients. They sprout their own seeds and make this great cracker base of flax, quinoa, and chia. At the show I tried their sweet potato chip and it was so good! Also this brand sold a sriracha flavor. They provided me with a media kit on a really cool USB reiterating their branding.
    Something else I came across that I don’t think I’ve ever seen before was canned chicken! Not chicken of the sea…tuna but actual canned chicken! For me I eat healthy and have a pretty consistence diet. Beside eating tuna fish, chicken is up there in my meals. What deters me from making chicken is the whole process of making it. I get boneless skinless chicken breasts and pan sear or bake when I want. I have to grease the pan and then make dishes to wash. Or I will buy a rotisserie chicken then have to separate from the bones wasting some food and still making a mess. The canned chicken is just as easy and opening a can of tuna. I was able to try the chicken and it tasted fresh. The brand is called Wild Planet and the sales person said they carry it at Whole Foods. I’ll have to look for this next time, also she gave me some coupons. Other products they make is canned tuna, sardines, but canned chicken was pretty unique.
    On a different food note, there was a modest chef and his team making jambalaya and sampling it. Wow! I was blown away! It was jarred and on it said “As Seen on Food Network Best Thing I Ever Ate” They weren’t kidding. I haven’t had too much jambalaya in my life but this stuff was amazing and easy to prep. The product was called Raz’z Foods.
    Other notable moments from this year’s Fancy Food Show was the intense soccer game between Spain and Italy. For a couple hours during the show everyone seemed to forget about it and just watch the game. It was quite comical to see. In the end Italy won! Sunday night was the opening night for the show and with that they had a great party. There was music, passed appetizers, open bar, and more food! haha.

Fancy Food Show 2016

    Another great year at the Fancy Food Show in New York City. Once again I was overwhelmed with the innovative food and beverages that came out. There is a real passion for food from the people that come out to this event. It’s not just about getting your product noticed but being excited to share what you have created and to make a difference. The quantity of vendors are hard to cover closely over just 3 days. You certainly have to go in with a plan on what your looking for and what to accomplish.
    I feel my first takeaways or what I noticed overall at the event was the several different types of chocolate vendors. There’s nothing wrong with chocolate but there was a lot of show for that this year! Another condiment I noticed that still is very popular but has more varieties of it is Sriracha. The one brand that stood out to me the most was the local New York Bushwick Kitchen brands. I remember them from last year and their booth and packaging are very easy to read. Less is more I always think. I tried their Weak Knees Gochujang Sriracha which had a great flavor and texture! It wasn’t a smooth sauce which was unique in a good way. Another brand of sauce that I really liked and is also a newer brand at the show was Fix Hot Sauce. They had a Sriracha sauce that was really amazing! I see this brand going far.
    There were plenty more condiments I came across and was in abundance just like the chocolate. Last year’s big condiment; Sir Kensington was featuring their new vegan mayo this year called Fabanaise. It was made with the juice aquafaba which you find in cans of chickpeas.
    When it came to branding that stood out, and bonus if it was really tasty Slap Ya Mama Cajun products took the gold. I couldn’t stop laughing to myself about that name. The way it sounded and with it’s southern personality was just funny! I tried their Cajun pepper sauce which was so flavorful and perfect spicy. The sales guy told me, if you had a little butter you have your perfect buffalo sauce, and he was right. I was able to take home some seasoning packets, can’t wait to use those. Other brands and booths did jump out. There are so many vendors who have to have something unique about your product to catch my eye. One product that had classy and well designed packaging was Suckerpunch. The mix of color and old world illustration looked really nice. They were sampling some of their pickles which were really good. A cocktail mix Bittermilk also had some impressive design. Same idea of the old world look but with a modern approach. The mixtures were good, I sampled their Tom Collins. An extension of the brand that was also there and had good design was their brand Tippleman’s.
    Another big showmanship at the event was gingerbeer. Who would of thought, I feel every year there are a couple more companies there selling gingerbeer. It’s all very good and could be the new soda before we know it. Of the several gingerbeers I saw and tried I will have to mention Top Note. They recently re-did their branding which was well thought out. The color schemes was interesting but worked well. The product itself was very tasty too.
    This show has a lot to cover, I just mentioned some of the US offerings above. Their international reach is another overwhelming factor. I have a little more to say and will have in another post.

Photo Shoot for BFresh with Cramer-Krasselt

It was great to work with the C-K Team again on a new advertising campaign for BFresh Supermarkets. These cool new hip supermarkets cater to a very specific niche in the market which is fresh, affordable without compromising quality. The designers, myself, and client worked closely to create food shots that best represent what BFresh has to offer by using their actual products and way it is prepared. These images will be used for advertising in print and online. C-K created these cute illustration fruits and vegetables that will be in the layout with the final food shots.

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Felicia Perretti is a commercial food and beverage photographer and director based in New York City. She works nationally with food and beverage clients in advertising, packaging, editorial, and video. She has worked with food and drink in all shapes and knows how to craft the right team to get the job done! Her passion for food and beverage shine through on set as well as outside of work in her everyday life. Whether it’s trying new restaurants, traveling, or cooking with her husband Joe. Send her an email or give a call to discuss your next project, she would be more than happy to chat!

Photo Shoot New Jersey Monthly: Cave A Paleo Eatery

Just wanted to share a quick recap from a recent shoot for New Jersey Monthly! They asked me to shoot this charming restaurant near Asbury Park, New Jersey called Cave, A Paleo Eatery. I’m always interested in different diet plans people choose to live by and Paleo is certainly one many people know! It was great chatting with Chef Doug Stehle; chef and owner of the restaurant who eats a Paleo diet and runs his restaurant as one. The staff was super friendly and excited to see me there taking photos. The restaurant itself used to be owned by a antique dealer and when it was sold to Doug the previous owner still had some items there for sale. It gave the restaurant a unique feel. Also Doug is a surfer and being near the ocean there was appropriately placed surf boards he owned decorating the restaurant! All the items on his menu were dairy and gluten free. I tasted a couple things from the menu and I have to say their desserts were nothing like I had before. Their brownie was so rich and packed with chocolate it was the best thing I’ve ever had. There was also bacon on top! It probably took me 2 or 3 sittings to actually finish it. Also the chocolate chip cookies were stuffed with chocolate chips and the cookie itself was soft just like a homemade cookie. If you make a trip this way I would certainly stop in for lunch or dinner.

Dry Rub Ribs: Recipe

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

Pasta and Pesto Tips and Recipe

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.

APA Proof Sheet Featured Photographer Spring Issue

Working as a commercial photographer in such a competitive world today setting yourself apart can be a challenge. When talking with other photographers and always being asked what do you do to separate yourself from the noise, I feel it’s your personal work that can really make a difference. Myself like many other photographers always have a running list of personal projects they are working on or would like to start. These are the sole vision of yourself that no one else can replicate! For me I love finding the humor in food and practicing lighting setups that I normally don’t work within to add a challenge and to see something different. With this personal project Transformation it was just that. I shot this idea a few years back and it still continues to draw new viewers in and enjoy looking at the series. It’s really exciting to see a project like this gain so much traction since shooting it and continuing to get myself and my work noticed.

APA is a great photo organization I belong to and they really showed an interest in my personal project, so much that they wanted to feature it! I was so excited to hear this I wasted no time coordinating for an interview and getting the photos to their designer. These moments really make what I do enjoyable and couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

If your just getting into the business I have to say stay hungry and shoot often!

Link to the online publication Spring Issue of APA Proof Sheet: https://issuu.com/apany/docs/proof-sheet_spring2016_single

Photo Organization APA: http://www.apany.com/

B.T.S. Ommegang Brewery Photo Shoot

If anyone knows me, they know I have an appreciation for good beer. Ommegang Brewery in Cooperstown, NY has a variety of some of the best beers in the country. I knew of their brews before they became famous with the Game of Thrones specialty beer they put together. HBO came to them with the idea to create beer for the show! I’ve been in contact with the brewery before about working together, and finally the timing was right. Ommegang had recently redesigned their labels and needed updating for their brochure. There are about 8-9 beers that were re-done that needed to be photographed and paired with a food entree that spoke to the beer as well as their restaurant at the brewery. We planned the shoot around half of that because some were more of a priority than others. It was great working with these guys because of the creative freedom in the food styling and final recipes as well as the general prop direction. The shots had to have a rustic feel and clean background if they needed to run text over them. The main purpose for these shots was to update their brochure so vertical shots were needed. Working with my team and the designer from the brewery was a lot of fun and the day went smooth. In the video I included just a couple of my favorite final shots.

*That cheese and meat spread was something! :)

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

Soft Pretzel Month! Recipe

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 Recipe: Deviled Eggs

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

BTS: Food Photography Workshop at The Art Directors Club

What a great event and turnout for this past weekend's food photography workshop. It was great to share my experiences and tips I've learned over the years to help the students improve on their own photography. We had a packed afternoon of talking lighting setups, camera programs, and the importance of styling. I did a live demonstration on set shooting and building a sandwich. I also discussed the importance of hiring and working with a food stylist as well as a prop stylist.

Everyone broke out to separate tables building their own sets with props supplied and also making their own sandwich to photograph! You can see a time lapse below of the days events.

I would love to continue this workshop at other locations in New York City as well as New Jersey, and Philadelphia. If you are a food or prop stylist and want to collaborate on this please reach out! Also any studio spaces that would like to host us.

Food Photography Workshop Saturday March 12th 2016

I'm so excited to be working with The Art Directors Club on a food photography workshop at their NYC headquarters. It will be an exciting day of shooting food discussing how to craft your shot providing tips and tricks! Also touch on the benefits of working with food stylists and prop stylists. At the end will have a fun critique looking at what everyone shot.

You can find more info here and register for the weekend workshop, it will be fun :)

Don't forget, ADC month of March is Photography month.

National Pancake Day- March 8th

It’s National Pancake Day on March 8th! IHOP in the past has had it as today so I'm not sure...

http://www.ihoppancakeday.com/

This form of batter that was fried and considered a flat cake dates back 30,000 years ago. Amelia Simmons’s was the first known American to have a cookbook published which included pancake recipes back in 1796.

My personal favorite style of pancakes are buttermilk pancakes. Please see recipe referenced below from Bon Appetit. Recipe by Jessie Damuck

Ingredients
Servings: Serves 4 (Make About 8 Pancakes)

    1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
    3 tablespoons sugar
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 large eggs
    1¼ cups buttermilk
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
    Vegetable oil (for griddle)
    Pure maple syrup (for serving)

    Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, and butter in a medium bowl; stir into dry ingredients until just combined (some lumps are okay).
    Heat a griddle or large skillet over medium; brush with oil. Working in batches, scoop ⅓-cupfuls of batter onto griddle. Cook pancakes until bottoms are golden brown and bubbles form on top, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through and other side of pancakes are golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Serve pancakes with maple syrup.

How I Shot It: Wine Still Life

For this shoot I wanted the wine to feel very sophisticated and moody. How I created this image was I had a main light streaking in from the far left side of set just to hit the background burlap. From there I was able to angle my off camera mirrors and reflective paper in front to spot light individual labels. For the right side of frame I wanted a clean strip of light so I had my large 3x4 softbox just hitting some of the bottles and panning the head toward the back of set for less light to hit it. Working with the mirrors and reflective papers for shoots is always fun and experimental. I have so many different cuts and a handful of colors to work with. It can really add a level of mystery to the light.

Recipe: Buffalo Wings

I don’t have a deep fryer at home and buffalo wings make me feel guilty enough so these baked buffalo wings were a good trade off. I was really craving the buffalo style wings with that real orange sauce so this recipe I didn’t need to add to much extra butter. You can buy this style sauce at any supermarket, it’s usually next to the Frank’s Red Hot Sauce which also offers an awesome wing recipe on the bottle.

What you will need:

3/4 cup flour (this yields for about 20 wings, depending on the size and quantity of the wings you may need more or less flour)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 or 1/4 cup melted butter (whatever your feeling!)

1/2 cup of the buffalo sauce

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

*I also had a grate between the foiled pan and the wings just so they could get a little crispier.

Top 10 Chocolatiers In North America

Yesterday was a great event held at ICE in New York City (Institute of Culinary Education) Big sponsor was Cacao Barry and hosted with Dessert Professional Magazine. This event showcased the top 10 chocolatiers in North America. The chocolates were so unique coming from all other the country hand made by each chocolatier.

Just to highlight a couple from the night, Oliver Kita was revealing a new experimental chocolate he had put together that had seaweed on top of the chocolate. It was a take on the salty and sweet combinations that are very popular with chocolate. This version was a little healthier and the saltiness was a little more mellow. Anette Righi DeFendi had a great spread of chocolate reminiscing for Valentine’s Day! The chocolates were beautiful and jewel shaped. Her signature chocolate of the night was her chocolate turtle that consists of chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Simple but the flavor really jumped out. Santosh Tiptur’s chocolate table had an amazing presentation. The tiers of chocolate and the vessels he served them in were almost too good to touch. His popular chocolate of the night was his chocolate parfait that was layered with chocolate mousse, cake, caramel, and chocolate balls on top. The last to arrive but stole the show was the ever popular chocolatier from Savannah, Georgia Adam Turoni. His featured chocolate of the night was a creme brulee bite sized treat. He was blow torching the chocolate as it was served. It had the perfect crystallized crunchy exterior and the inside just melted with chocolate. Norman Love was the first inductee of the chocolatier hall of fame that night as well.

Norman Love and Johnny Iuzzini

List of top 10:

Susanna Yoon- Stick With Me
Adam Turoni- Chocolat By Adam Turoni
Christophe Toury- Voila Chocolat
Santosh Tiptur- Co Co Sala
Daniel Sklaar- Fine & Raw
Slawomir Piot Korczak- Polska European Bakery & Chocolate
Oliver Kita- Oliver Kita Chocolates
Elaine Hsieh & Catherine Sweeney- EHChocolatier
Anette Righi DeFendi- Kohler Original Recipe Chocolates
Michael Antonorsi- Chuao Chocolatier

Friday Farm Follow Up

This mild winter has been great so far. I’ve been continuing my personal project photographing at the farms with weather I’m able to stand in for a few hours! However I would like it to snow at least once so I can get shots of the farms in a wintery setting.

Baby calf being fed milk and nutrients by Andrew the farmer at the dairy farm

Cocktail Recipe: Mint Julep

This was fun to photograph and also very challenging because it involved so much ice! I could see myself revisiting this shoot and re-doing it now knowing the difficulty of shooting so much ice at one time and it all looking good.

The history of the mint julep is interesting but the presentation to me is what really sparked my interest. The stainless steel cup and bright grouping of fresh mint drew my eye in.  After doing research and reading about the drink it was almost like a slushy for adults which I think any adult would be OK with.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Mint Simple Syrup
Crushed ice
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) bourbon
1 (4-inch) cocktail straw or coffee stirrer
1 fresh mint sprig
Powdered sugar (optional)