YOUNG AND HUNGRY

PROMO CARDS!

2012-02-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

We just received our promo cards this morning! Opening the Fedex box and unwrapping the cards felt like opening a long expected gift on a Christmas morning. We're so happy about the end result! Nothing like matte paper and dark and rich textures.

Thank you Jessica Comingore for designing them. Without you it would have taken us way more time to come up with something that would have been way less cool!

Thank you Kinfolk Magazine, because these 2 images were shot for the "Cosy" editorial in your Volume 2.

CHUMASH! MAGAZINE - TEAR SHEETS

2012-02-13T12:15:00.000-08:00

At the end of 2011 we had the pleasure of driving up to the Santa Ynez Valley to shoot for Chumash Magazine, and have two days filled with food and beautiful landscapes! Here are some of the tear sheets from the magazine. Outtakes coming up soon!!

BREAKFAST RITUAL

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-08:00

Get up. The sheets are warm, toes and nose are sticking out... the apartment feels cold. Walk down the hallway with sleepy eyes to the kitchen. Pour water in the kettle. Take out of the fridge blueberries, strawberries, one kiwi and greek yogurt. Four tablespoons of yogurt into a bowl, slice the fruit on top of it and handful of granola for crunch. The water is boiling. Pour it over orange blossom green tea. The bright morning light filters through the dining room kitchen. Wake up, it's Tuesday, time to work.

INTERVIEW OF YOUNG & HUNGRY ON "GREAT FOOD PHOTOS"

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you Donny Tsang of Great Food Photos for interviewing us. A great way to take a step back and think about the path we've taken over the last year. Verdict: WE LOVE WHAT WE DO!

See interview at: http://greatfoodphotos.com/2012/01/dax-henry-and-anais-wade/

WE LOVE SHOOTING FOR KINFOLK MAG

2012-01-15T08:32:00.000-08:00

We shot yesterday for Kinfolk Mag Vol.4 or summer issue. You'll have to wait until the magazine comes out to see the images, but here are a few outtakes!

We had a great time with our amazing crew. Thank you Adee Pelleg (Production on 5th) for helping us on production and making sure we were getting what we wanted. Thank you Jessica Comingore (website) and Krista Schrock (website) for being creative and inspired prop stylists, but also improvised chefs - yes they cooked the photoshoot food! - and pyromaniacs - yes Jessica, we saw the smile on your face while you were squirting some of that lighter fluid on the fire. Thank you Tony Byrd for being a great friend and willing to be in front of our camera even though you're usually behind it (website). Thank you Audrey Chihocky for being an easy and fun to work with model. And thank you Elaina Bellis and James Branaman for just being yourselves on camera.

Our initial location was Sycamore Cove, but to soon, we got kicked out by a park ranger for lack of permit. "You have 15 minutes to pack". That didn't deter us from finding another location, Deer Creek and get some amazing images AND wrap up early!

We can't wait to see our photos in print and to spend more time with our friends!

VENICE BEACH WITH MIWA

2012-01-13T20:02:00.000-08:00

We met Miwa at Gjelina's Take Away on Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice where she was working at the register. She is in high school and in the process of applying for college. To celebrate our relocation to Venice Beach, we thought we should spend time with someone like her, born and raised here. We cruised from our back alleys, to the Venice Highschool to end up by the beach. As always a great thanks to Holland Ingersoll and her partner in crime Dolly for helping us out with styling!

EATING LOCAL, AROUND THE BLOCK

2012-01-04T14:29:00.000-08:00

We just recently moved to Venice Beach, and Christmas day gave us a beautiful spectacle of dolphins jumping in and out of the Pacific as we were soaking in the sun on the beach. The ocean is definitely the main draw to our neighborhood!

But little did we know we'd end up moving around the block from the Venice Learning Garden. Attached to the Venice High School, the garden has countless fruit trees, herbs, vegetables, a green house and a whole program of classes. We met David King who is in charge of the garden, and looks like we're enrolled as volunteers! To earn our garden volunteer title, looks like we're starting with the weeding... then we might get a promotion, ha!

David sent us home with a bag full of lettuce and romaine leaves we harvested from the garden before the heat wilts them. We have a week supply worth of delicious juicy greens! And on the way back, what a perfect cherry on the cake to discover a huge zucchini plant that had climbed over a neighbor's wall over into the back alley. The zucchini flowers we picked will make perfect zucchini beignets.

Happy 2012!

Our freshly harvested salad from the Learning Garden.

Zucchini flowers picked in our back alley.

OUR NEW PORTFOLIO

2011-12-19T17:31:00.001-08:00

As the year wraps up and as we look back on our year we both are pleased and shocked on how many images we get to edit through for our new portfolio Book from Brewer & Cantelmo. We both can't wait to start filling these pages.

GETTING COZY - FULL STORY

2011-12-12T13:56:00.000-08:00

The beautiful Kinfolk Magazine wanted some "getting cozy" images to insert in their Fall/Winter Vol.2, and we took advantage of this opportunity to shoot a full story around the theme. We had the great opportunity of photographing Jana and Bryan, at Flat 501, a unique space in Venice Beach. We could have not envisioned any better partnership than the one between a beautifully designed magazine, a space perfect for small gatherings and friendly subjects to photograph. We're also grateful for the great work done by our hair, andmake-up queen Amber Kerns and amazing stylist Holland Ingersoll.

KINFOLK CONTRIBUTORS

2011-12-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

We are proud and excited to be part of Kinfolk Magazine's contributors. Such a beautiful network of creatives who love good food, craft and gatherings.

Find us in the grid!!

FLOWERS FOR YOU!

2011-12-05T13:33:00.000-08:00

We received our Young & Hungry postcards today.

Excited to send you some edible flowers as a thank you note!

ORANGE AND LEMON POUND CAKE

2011-11-29T15:05:00.000-08:00

Baking in the house is limited to fruit pies, crumbles and bread... the science of pastry making is something we look at with respect and fear. Savory and umami reign in the kitchen, we leave the chocolaty sweet things to others to delight us. There is something quite magical about pastry making, the mixing of all these ingredients turning into a solid sweet delicious desert. Temperature, ratios, shapes, combinations, it's a bit of an alchemical process.

So we said, to the hell with it, we'll make a pastry for our friend's Thanksgiving dinner! We made sure to forget the previous pastry failures including an unedible bourbon pecan pie or a rock solid flourless chocolate cake, rolled up our sleeves and got down to business. A good half hour of prepping and two hours in the oven later, we took out this splendid looking pound cake from the oven. We glazed it with an orange-sugar mixture and then just counted the hours until we finally could taste it at dinner!

The Thanksgiving feast finally came around, we ate a delicious Turkey and side dishes made by friends and us, and finally the moment came... desert! Needless to say, it was... a failure! Undercooked inside, the cake looked like a dense flan with an orange crust. Somehow edible, but not to be delected with, at all! We still took pictures, because it looked so nice.

Back to savory.

THE FOODSHOP

2011-11-15T12:44:00.000-08:00

We went to Venice last Saturday to be part of FOODSHOP - a pop-up dinner of 30 people organized by Itay Zach and Hyejin Cho in the kitchen, and Adee Pelleg. The dinner takes place every 2 weeks or so, for 2 or 3 nights in a row. "The Barn" is part of an art studio complex, and is filled with wood and metal tools, traces of another daytime artistic purpose. In the middle of the large room a long table was set to accommodate everyone, with place mats, glasses, napkins and silverware of all styles and colors. Candle lit and started with a delicious and warming hot tottie, the dinner felt cozy and comforting for a rainy and cold day. The onion soup followed to warm us up, then the winter squash for a sweet seasonal taste, and the buttery slow braised short ribs with polenta and parsley salad. A perfect fall dinner to color our cheeks with red warmth and happiness, topped off with a chocolate pumpkin tart to finish. We can't wait for the next dinner!

If you'd like to be part of the next dinner, check out FoodShop's website: http://www.lafoodshop.com/

On the menu
Hottie Tottie: warm dark rum, cider, fresh spices and herbs
French Onion Soup: slow caramelized onions, aged Gruyere, fresh baguette
Winter Squash: roasted winter squash, fried thyme, hazelnuts
Slow Braised Short Ribs with Polenta & Parsley Salad: red wine reduction, fresh Spices
Chocolate Pumpkin Tart: chocolate ganache, pumpkin, hazelnuts and a pinch of salt

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

2011-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the region of Santa Ynez, in the beautiful wine valley North-East of Santa Barbara. No wine story for this photoshoot...just land, sweets and a little gamblin'. Our favorite part: our own version of a safari on 1400 acres of land, at sunrise and sunset. Here a bit of behind the scenes from the shoot!

SHFT POP UP EXHBIT LOS ANGELES: OCT 21st - OCT 27th

2011-10-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Young & Hungry is proud to be part of the next SHFT pop up exhibit in Los Angeles!

The exhibition opens from Friday Oct 21 to Thursday Oct 27.

The list of artists includes: MB Boissonault, Joao Canziani, Sam Comen, Katrina Dickson, Elkpen aka Christian Kasperkovitz, Eliza French & Jeff Charbonneau, Caroline Furr, Corina Gamma, Kathleen Hawkes, Aitor Lajarin, Melodie McDaniel, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Patricia Parinejad, Nathaniel Perales, Renee Petropoulos, Vanessa Prager, Sarah Stitt, Quinn Tivey, Jeremy & Claire Weiss.

Check out the SHFT website: http://www.shft.com/

WE LOVE KINFOLK MAGAZINE

2011-10-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

Kinfolk Magazine published a photograph of ours on their online journal... yum shiitake mushrooms!

Check it out on Kinfolk Journal or our Portfolio.

We love Kinfolk's Manifesto: Kinfolk is a growing community of artists with a shared interest in small gatherings. We recognize that there is something about a table shared by friends, not just a wedding or once-a-year holiday extravaganza, that anchors our relationships and energizes us. We have come together to create Kinfolk as our collaborative way of advocating the natural approach to entertaining that we love. Every element of Kinfolk – the features, photography, and general aesthetics – are consistent with the way we feel entertaining should be: simple, uncomplicated, and less contrived. Kinfolk is the marriage of our appreciation for art and design and our love for spending time with family and friends.

HEIRLOOM TOMATOE JAM BY LAURA ANN'S JAMS

2011-10-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

The summer is ending, which also means that we won't be able to find certain fruits and vegetables at our farmers markets and in our gardens. But there is a way to capture summer's flavors for our shorter and darker days of fall and winter: jams! A touch of color and a world of flavor to brighten the mood on a grey fall or winter day.

Laura Ann made us a beautiful and tasty heirloom tomatoe jam in her Echo Park home on a hot summer day. We won't give you the secret to her recipe, but the images will show you part of it. Laura Ann gets her fruit from local farmers markets in Los Angeles, but also from friend's and neighbor's gardens. She creates something more than just a jam; just think of it as a perfect finishing touch for a piece of bread and butter, or ice cream, or a meat glazing...!

You can buy Laura Ann's Jams from her website or at Auntie Em's Kitchen if you're the neighborhood.

IN THE MOOD FOR

2011-09-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

This warm month of September and indoors office work is making us crave.... margaritas... and a pool... and why not, some mariachis!

HOME MADE BREAD

2011-09-25T15:50:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we decided to bake bread for the first time. But before we could start we would need a recipe. We went through our cook books at home and watched several YouTube videos before we found a nice british woman who gave us the confidence to mix some water and flour together. The bread was a little under cooked but all in all we thought our loaf had a nice flavor and crunch.

OUR FIRST SUNSET MAG PUBLICATION!

2011-09-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

We are very proud to announce that we got our first publication in Sunset Magazine. For Fall the magazine did a special weekend escapes edition for us Californians, which will be on the shelves for 3 months. Our photo is of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, chosen as a 24h escape from Los Angeles... and we couldn't agree more with Sunset Mag's choice. The Ace Hotel is one of our favorite destination whenever we want to escape the city's frenzy, and we just feel like relaxing by a beautiful pool, under the desert's sun, surrounded by a great mix of people.

Check out our full Ace Hotel story on our blog: http://weareyoungandhungry.blogspot.com/2011/04/desert-oasis-palm-springs.html

HOME MADE - ZUCCHINI GRATIN

2011-08-30T17:04:00.000-07:00

Zucchini reminds me of childhood, when I lived with my mother in Italy. It meant that summer was here, that the grass was warm and scented and the bark of the olive trees dry. We would eat them grilled, along with other grilled veggies like red peppers (pepperoncini) and eggplant (melanzane). My favorite was cold farfalle pasta with shrimp, smoked salmon and zucchini.

Zucchini are also a memory of my home country, France. Zucchini (courgettes) in a ratatouille were a delight to be eaten hot or cold, on a piece of bread or as a side. As a kid I had endless appetite for that dish! They were also delicious in my grandmother's soup: boiled zucchini blended with one laughing cow cheese, that was the secret. And a big favorite was the zucchini gratin; I can't even count how many my mom made in a lifetime!

Bon Appetit!!

Slice your zucchinis on a mandoline or in a food processor.

A handful of tarragon, coarsely chopped to be sprinkled in between each layer of zucchinis.

A handful of basil, coarsely chopped to be sprinkled in between each layer of zucchinis.

Young onions (but sweet yellow onions are better, just didn't have any) to be sauteed in butter with the zucchini before baking.

A tsp of anis seeds to be sprinkled in between each layer of zucchinis.

Grated parmesan to be sprinkled in between each layer of zucchinis.

Unsalted butter to cook onions and zucchinis in a pan before throwing them in the baking dish.

Three tbps of sour cream (that's all I had in my fridge, you can use cream and milk as well) to be wisked with 2 eggs, salt and a pinch of pepper; which will form the custard to be poured over the zucchinis in the baking dish.

Two eggs to be wisked with 3 tbps of sour cream, salt and a pinch of pepper; which will form the custard to be poured over the zucchinis in the baking dish.

After sauteeing the sliced zucchinis in butter and onions, place them in your baking dish by layering them. I ended up with 4 or 5 layers. In between each layer, sprinkled the chopped herbs, the anis seeds and the parmesan.

Bake for 1/2h at 350 degrees, and broil at the end for 2min to make the top crispy and gold.

HOME MADE - BACON DATE RUBBED ROASTED CHICKEN

2011-08-21T20:50:00.000-07:00

We stopped by Lindy & Grundy's butcher shop yesterday and bought a whole chicken, as well as a Devils on Horseback date and bacon spread. The spread itself can be enjoyed on a cracker, but we decided to combine our ingredients from the butcher shop into our own special roasted chicken. This morning we bought some mission figs from the Hollywood Farmers Market to add to our recipe; and at home we brought some leftover polenta out from the fridge, and chopped some rosemary from our plant.

We just mixed a half stick of butter with 3 table spoons of the date & bacon spread, to which we added the chopped rosemary. We placed evenly that mixture under the chicken's skin, after washing under cold water and patting it dry. The leftover mixture was coated on the inside, before stuffing the bird with our diced figs, diced apple and crumbled polenta mixture.

The chicken was then placed in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, and then at 400 degrees for an additional hour.

Bon appetit!!

FOOD CRAFTING 101 AT THE INSTITUTE OF DOMESTIC TECHNOLOGY

2011-08-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

We witnessed the inaugural class of the Institute of Domestic Technology run by Joseph Shuldiner and based in Altadena, on a perfect sunny Saturday. The class took place in a beautiful estate, and a brand new professional kitchen built to acomodate everyone. On the program of the festivities: bread making with Erik Knutzen, canning with Karen Klemens, home made lunch, mustard making with Joseph Shuldiner, cheese making with Stephen Rudicel and Gloria Putnam and "graduation". The class had around 15 students, and the atmosphere all throughout the day stayed relaxed, playful, yet focused. Just in one day, one could learn the basics of cooking for "survival"; who needs more than bread, cheese, a touch of sweet with peach jam and a touch of savory with mustard? Yes, you're probably wondering if a wine making class will be next!

Joseph Shuldiner. Director of the Institute of Domestic Technology. Mustard making instructor.

Stephen Rudicel and Gloria Putnam. Hosts, lunch chefs and cheese making instructor.

Erik Knutzen. Bread making instructor.

Karen Klemens. Preserving instructor.

WELCOME BREAKFAST

Welcome committee.

BREAD MAKING WITH ERIK KNUTZEN

PRESERVING WITH KAREN KLEMENS

LUNCH TIME!!

MUSTARD MAKING WITH JOSEPH SHULDINER

CHEESE MAKING WITH STEPHEN RUDICEL AND GLORIA PUTNAM

GRADUATION!

TASTING!

ANOTHER KIND OF DINNER BY RENZO PINILLOS

2011-08-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our resourceful and always curious friend Edie Kahula, we had the opportunity to enjoy Renzo Pinillos' delicious food this last Saturday night, in the chef's own home. Born and raised in Lima Peru, and trained in restaurants such as Jiraffe in Santa Monica, Renzo cooked a well balanced and innovative fusion of Peruvian cuisine, with a Californian as well as Asian influences. He packed joyful guests in his apartment for an evening of great tasting, shared conversation, laughter and discovery. His wife was helping in the kitchen, while his daughter was running around the tables and his son was skateboarding outside. A great family vibe. For an affordable price, Renzo brought us his vision on the plate with enthusiasm and passion. Thanks also for the little digestive touch of Pisco! It was a memorable night.

See his website: http://www.renzini.net/

The menu of the night

Amuse Bouche: Chorizo y Clams

First Course: Tiradito de Atun, Passion Fruit, Cashew, Mint, Cilantro, Red Onions, Aji Limo

Second course: Corn Fondue, Shrimps, Coco Peas Cream with Basil, Rocoto

Third Course: Pescado, Puree de Zuchine y Alcachofas, Salsita de Capers y Aji Limo

Fourth Course: Pork Belly Chicharron Mimi Sauce, Papa a la Huancaina, Salsita de Aji

Fifth Course: Torta de Almendras, Helado de Cafe, Espresso Sauce

special thank to edie for always making us discover beautiful things! you rock!

LUNCH TIME AT THE OFFICE

2011-08-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

Farmers market tomatoes with goat cheese and our potted basil plant chopped up with a drizzle of olive oil. Best lunch in the world when you combine with satiated kale, fresh corn and jalapino chicken sausage. And to top it off with a hand full of sunflower seeds.

SILVER LAKE FARMERS MARKET SHOPPING WITH LAURA ANN

2011-08-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Laura Ann is a jam maker, and a very creative one. We went shopping for ingredients with her on Saturday morning at the Silver Lake Farmers Market, and as we walked we listened to her talking about beautiful recipe combinations from our favorite blueberry basil to the fig, honey and bay leaf. She brought us a very seasonal treat as well, a heirloom tomato jam, absolutely decadent! Her ingredients are the freshest, natural and locally sourced. We're looking forward to see what she's going to do with that dragon fruit she bought!

Check out her site: http://www.lauraannsjams.com/

WE (HEART) CAKE

2011-07-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

Like kids again at the Santa Monica Pier Carrousel. Sugar and games!

EAT REAL FESTIVAL - CULVER CITY

2011-07-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Sunny summer Sunday in Los Angeles, a perfect day to enjoy a delicious ice-cream or a fresh beer, two things amongst many others you could find at the Eat Real Festival in Culver City. A galore or food vendors from butchers, bakers, beeswax makers, ice-cream experts, food trucks, beer crafters, oyster farmers, chicken experts, coffee roasters, etc etc. But also organizations that use food as vector for sharing and learning in the community, such as Food Forward or Root Down LA.

Main stage of Eat Real: folk music and food demos

Watermelon+basil shaved ice by Sno-Con Amor. A highlight of the Festival. Pure freshness.

Couldn't resist the Coolhaus ice-cream sandwich!

Maple waffle cookie + butterscotch with rosemary ice-cream.

Mayu's lunchbox shares tips on how to pack healthful and waste-free lunches.

We still salivate thinking of their delicious iced coffee.

You had Intelligentsia, now you can have Handsome coffee.

Serious honey addiction for Young & Hungry....

followed by Backyard in a Jar's fresh and delicious jellies.

We had to buy some!!

Lavender jelly: a taste of summer on toasted bread with butter.

Fire jelly: to spice up your favorite goat cheese.

White sage jelly: with your favorite meat, pork, lamb, chicken.

Cheese, cheese, cheese... another thing Young & Hungry can't live without!

It's in the brown bag!

Who likes pork?

Go pick some fruit as a volunteer to donate to the community!

No joking with recycling. A volunteer makes sure you use the right can.

SAN FRANCISCO - DOTTIE'S TRUE BLUE CAFE

2011-07-10T18:04:00.000-07:00

Yes it is a long wait, an hour... for breakfast. Not easy when it is the first meal of the day, and when you're reading their menu on your iphone, desperately salivating. Some say it's too much hype for a breakfast joint, we say it's worth the wait. Just bring a to-go coffee with you and a newspaper to read while you're in line. Or strike up a conversation with others next to you. We wouldn't recommend mingling with the tenderloin street residents though, unless you want to share some dumpster breakfast. The place opens from 7.30am to 3pm, sits 40, and makes all its breads and pastries from scratch on the premises. Once you make it inside, the smell of eggs, fresh pancakes just wraps itself around you. Good honest American breafast.

In our plates:
- Omelette with lamb merguez sausage, goat cheese, mushrooms, onions with home made fries and buttermilk dill.
- Rice flour banana pancakes and pure maple syrup with a Louisiana hot link
- Cheddar chili corn bread with a side of jalapeno jelly.... we still daydream about it!

INFO

Dottie's True Blue Cafe

522 Jones Street, San Francisco 94102

415 885 2767

SAN FRANCISCO - HAIGHT THAI LUNCH

2011-07-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

Passing through San Francisco on our way home to Los Angeles. We visited Haight to pick up Thai, coffee and browse books.

MY NEIGHBORHOOD

2011-07-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

My neighborhood in Montana is a little different than my neighborhood in Los Angeles.

OUR LITTLE BEA

2011-07-06T16:00:00.000-07:00

Bea needed a trim...

BEFORE

AFTER

JULY 4TH IN MONTANA

2011-07-04T21:45:00.000-07:00

We sat on our quilt blanket and watched the sky explode over our heads. Our bodies decompressing from flying from one country to the next. I was back home in my little town of Hamilton, memories of our last July 4th played through my head as I held your hand and we watched as the little mountain town of Hamilton brought a little excitement to slow summer day.

FRANCE- BOUCHERIE "REGALEZ-VOUS": HUGO DESNOYER

2011-06-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

Hugo Desnoyer is amongst some of the best butchers in Paris if not in France. He's worked in butcheries since his teenage years when after failing at finding out what he wanted to do with his life, his dad sent him to a butcher shop to work, and it is where the revelation happened. He's known for being the French President's butcher under the Chirac's years, less today under the Sarkozy government as the new President doesn't seem to be a "bon vivant" like his predecessor. Amongst his clients are also some innovative restaurants like l'Arpege (Alain Passard), l'Atelier (Joel Robuchon, Le Chateaubriand (Inaki Aizpitarte). Hugo selects his ranchers carefully, wanting the animals to be grass fed, free range and raised in positive conditions. Lastly, his matures his beef for 4 weeks; a process essential to the tenderness of the meat.

Stay tuned for the interview.

INFO

Boucherie Regalez-Vous

45 rue Boulard, Paris 75014

01 45 40 76 67

Website: http://www.regalez-vous.com/

FRANCE - BOULANGERIE "DU PAIN ET DES IDEES": CHRISTOPHE VASSEUR

2011-06-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Christophe Vasseur is a passionate baker, because it was his childhood dream that he decided to pursue at age 30 after a career in fashion business. Elected best baker in Paris in 2008 by Gault et Millau, and provider of bread for some great clients such as Alain Ducasse, it looks like love for one's work pays off. His best seller is "pain des amis" or "friends' bread", a very large loaf split in large strips cooked at very high temperature first then lower heat on in a stone oven. We loved talking to him at the wooden table set in front of his bakery to devoure his bread and simple sweets.

Stay tuned for the interview.

INFO

Boulangerie Du Pain et des Idees

34 rue Yves Toudic, Paris 75010

01 42 40 44 52

Website: http://dupainetdesidees.com/

FRANCE - DIVINE HATS

2011-06-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Interview coming soon!!

INFO
Divine Chapellerie

8 avenue Victor Hugo, Biarritz 64200

05 59 24 12 04

FRANCE - PIERRE OTEZA'S JAMBON AND CHARCUTERIE

2011-06-15T10:38:00.000-07:00

Pierre Oteiza is not accessible at first, like any Basque man you would expect. Quiet, stern and almost timid, he doesn't give away his secrets so easily. But if you take the TIME, his favorite ingredient and answer to most of our questions, there might be a chance you will become friends, and share good stories around a fresh beer and his decadent jambon and charcuterie. He reintroduced the basque pig 20 years ago in his region, and increased the number of animals from 20 to 5000. He has one of the me most sophisticated dryer facility in France, where him and a coop of other artisans make and store their delicatessen; up to 45,000 jambons are hanging there. If you have a question about one of his products or would like to verify it's provenance, just give him the number on the label and he will tell you exactly which pig was used for the meat.

Stay tuned for the interview.

INFO

Pierre Oteiza Charcuterie

Route Urepel, Les Aldudes 64430

05 59 37 56 11

Website: http://www.pierreoteiza.com/

FRANCE - ANCHORDOKIA FARM: SYLVIE BELASCAIN

2011-06-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Interview coming soon!!

INFO

Ferme Anchordokia - Sylvie Belascain

Maison Anchordokia, 64780 Bidarray

05 59 37 28 84

Website: http://www.routedufromage-ossauiraty.fr/etape-12-sylvie-belascain-64780-bidarray

FRANCE - GORGES DU VERDON

2011-06-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

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FRANCE - MARSEILLE

2011-06-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

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FRANCE - AIX EN PROVENCE: MARKET SOAP

2011-06-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

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FRANCE - AIX EN PROVENCE: MARKET PRODUCE

2011-06-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

...

FRANCE - FRENCHIE RESTAURANT: GREGORY MARCHAND

2011-06-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

The best influence from both sides of the Atlantic, based on local and fresh ingredients, that’s what Gregory Marchand will feed you at Frenchie. “Less is more” is the motto, even though we cannot help to be marveled by the beautiful composition of each plate, punctuated with colorful and unique ingredients. We arrived before the restaurant opened, and found his expecting wife and son hanging out with some friends at the outdoors bistro tables, a perfect welcome committee. A fixed menu that changes with the seasons, you will not regret to be told what to eat. Each plate was just a little slice of heaven for our palate. From the foie gras with drunken cherries, to the smoked mackerel with spring asparagus, just talking about it makes us want to hop on a flight to Paris for dinner!

YOUNG & HUNGRY: One word that describes you.

GREGORY MARCHAND: Ha, it’s hard to describe oneself! Happy!

Y&H: Why is your restaurant called Frenchie?

G.M: They always called me "frenchie" in the kitchens, people never really knew my name. I liked it. And it really well describes what I do, I am French with an Anglo-Saxon influence.

Fois gras au torchon, cerise a l'eau de vie

Y&H: Do you have a notebook in which you write your ideas?

G.M: Yes, since the very beginning when I started my project. I always had little notebooks wherever I went. I’m the kind of person who does a lot of to-do lists, who needs to write down things to remember them, to get organized. It’s a whole series of lists, lists, more lists, clipboards, notebooks; I’m always a pen in hand. Very important!

Y&H: Do you get suddenly woken up at night by new ideas?

G.M: It happens, but more during certain times. When I was about to open Frenchie, it was occupying 100% of my thoughts! After that I tried to take a bit of distance, even though it’s only been two years.

Maquereau fume, asperge, citron

Y&H: Your three key ingredients.

G.M: Acidity is important, so lemon and vinegars. Olive oil. It’s hard to choose! For this spring season the ingredient is the asparagus, but there’s also morel mushrooms. There’s so many! It all depends on the season.

Gnuddi, girolles, petits pois, epinards sauvages

Y&H: If you weren’t a chef, what would you be?

G.M: I don’t know! I actually have no idea where I would be, I would probably be bored to death. I started when I was sixteen, so it is hard for me to see myself doing anything else. Like many others as a kid I wanted to be a veterinarian. I never really wanted to be a chef, it was kind of a safety net, a way to survive. At age 16 in France you have to choose your school orientation, so I chose gastronomy because I somehow liked cooking.

Maigre de ligne, minestrone de printemps

Y&H: Who are the people who inspired you?

G.M: The first chefs I worked with in London like David Nichols from the Mandarin Oriental. Then I went to the Savoy with Simon Scott, who’s now in the South of France. All the people I worked with guided me, but it took me some time to realize what I was doing, at first it was only a way to pay for rent.

Canard, betterave, navet

Y&H: Is cooking for you a political act in the current state of the world?

G.M: Yes, I think that you need to pay attention to what you buy, where you buy and when you buy it. You can already make a difference by buying while respecting the seasons, as well as locally when you can. I have some great foragers that will look for ingredients from the region. At first it was hard for me to find things in and around Paris, because I had lived abroad for ten years; it takes time to find the right people. Now I have a good little network that allows me to have more ethical ingredients in my plate.

Pannacotta a la grappa, framboises, amandes fraiches

Y&H: What are your strongest memories of your experience abroad?

G.M: There are several, but mostly the discovery of a gastronomy through its culture. In London I loved working for Jamie Oliver, making “Italian-Brit” food, it really liberated me to work there, to forget all the rigid rules that are being taught to you in cooking school. In the United States I worked for the Gramercy Tavern in New York City, where they were all about farm-to-table. It is really interesting to work in kitchens that get their inspiration from all around the world, in cosmopolitan cities like London and New York, it opens up your horizons.

Y&H: Three adjectives for your food.

G.M: Less-Is-More. It’s one adjective no?!

Y&H: The ingredient of the day.

G.M: The strawberries from the Ile de France region! Good produce makes me so happy.

Y&H: What’s next?

G.M: Across the street, Frenchie Wine Bar, opening on June 21^st. Cold food, tapas style. A friend that was the sous-chef at Jamie’s will be doing the food there.

INFO

Frenchie Restaurant

5 rue du Nil, Paris 75002

01 42 96 10 72

Website: http://www.frenchie-restaurant.com/

FRANCE - CHATEAUBRIAND RESTAURANT: INAKI AIZPITARTE

2011-06-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Inaki, poet of the palate and the plate. A fixed menu that changes every day with the rhythm of seasons and inspiration, his plates are an unforgettable sensorial experience. Inaki was born and raised in the South West of France, in the Basque Country, a region that still inspires his cuisine. Former apprentice of the fresh and local produce obsessed Alain Passard, the young Aizpitarte makes high-end French gastronomy affordable and innovative. We still dream of his duck fat bouillon with licorice and tarragon, or his marrow served like a slice of butter with radishes “French style” sprinkled with seaweed.

YOUNG & HUNGRY: What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
INAKI AIZPITARTE: Hmm, nothing. I didn’t feel well. But usually I have a hot chocolate with milk, and then I switch to coffee. I rarely eat in the morning, sometimes a shortbread cookie or “petit sable”.

Y&H: An ingredient that puts you in a good mood.

I.A: There are ten million ingredients that make me happy, especially when they’re incredibly fresh and of exceptional quality. The ingredient of the day: arroche, from the family of spinach.

amuses bouche

ceviche, fleur de coriandre et framboise
mozzarella fumee, courgette et aneth

Y&H: If you could only save one thing from your kitchen, what would it be?

I.A: My sous-chef!

Y&H: When did you know that you had made it, that it was going to be your life?

I.A: I was always attracted to the idea of cooking, but I had never done anything about it. I discovered professional kitchens while traveling, when I was in need to make some money. I was a dishwasher in a restaurant in Israel around twelve years ago, while I was hoping I would get a job as gardener somewhere else. I ended up being a kitchen helper instead. When I sent my first plate out, I knew it was going to be my life. It was a great Mediterranean restaurant, that mixed French and Italian and pretty much did “author gastronomy”. It immediately clicked for me, and I knew that the moment I would set a foot back in France, I would train to become a chef.

amuses bouche

gougeres au fromage
bouillon de canard avec olive et reglisse

Y&H: A controversial ingredient.

I.A: Tuna right now. But also all the ingredients that travel too much, that we overuse, that get shipped for random reasons not in season. The tuna from Saint-Jean-de-Luz is subjected to quotas, but I can’t help but eat some, within the quotas, of course! It’s a childhood taste.

amuse bouche

radis avec moelle et algues

Y&H: What is your relationship to farmers and small producers?

I.A: It is the core of our work. We pay great attention to it. I love our relationships with the produce sellers, the people who find the best fish for us, the butchers, the ones who make olive oil, the others who hunt down spices, etc. We meet a lot of interesting people.

Y&H: Do you shop yourself for the restaurant or do you have buyers that help you find the perfect ingredients?

I.A: There are several networks in between restaurants, which allow us to obtain beautiful ingredients. But then there are little things that we hunt down ourselves here and there.

Y&H: What is your first memory of food?

I.A: It was a custom in my family to ask for your favorite dishes on your birthday, and for me it was “ink chipirons” or small squid with ink, a very typical dish from my region, the Basque Country.

entree

volaille jaune des Landes, tandoori, asperges, amandes, oignons pickles

Y&H: Why Paris?

I.A: When I came back from Tel Aviv, I decided to learn the craft in Paris, because it was where so many things were happening. It is a great platform for great products and ingredients. And then, I mean, it’s Paris! Old Parisian bistros always fascinated me, and I was lucky enough to get one for my restaurant.

entree

legumes, encre, lard de Colonnata

Y&H: Three words that can describe what you do.

I.A: Freshness. Acidity. Produce.

Y&H: What’s the next step?

I.A: We just opened another restaurant next door, Le Dauphin. The next step is probably the remodeling of my kitchen, it needs to be organized differently.

Y&H: Why fixed menu / fixed price?

I.A: I do a tasting menu because I think that food should be tasted in smaller portions. The idea is to tell a story. I also have a tiny kitchen!

Y&H: Where does your inspiration come from?

I.A: With the seasons, travel, and inspirations from other chefs. I don’t have a notebook, sometimes I might write down a couple of things on my phone. It kind of just happens serendipitously, I am constantly inhabited by what I do.

INFO

Le Chateaubriand

129 avenue de Parmentier, 75011 Paris

01 43 57 45 95

FRANCE - FOOD INTELLIGENCE FEATURE

2011-05-22T11:14:00.000-07:00

We landed in Paris on May 19, and two days later we found ourselves on Bruno Verjus' blog: Food Intelligence! What a great honor to be featured on this highly regarded food blog, written by Bruno Verjus, fantastic cook, culinary writer and lover of good life, as one would say here a "bon vivant". Ingrid Astier, food writer and lover introduced us to Bruno, and the two of them and us spent a couple of hours speaking about the best places to eat in France, farming, and the pleasures of eating. An invigorating kick start to our trip to France. Follow us from Paris to the countryside in the center of France, from Provence to the Riviera, from the French Basque Country to the South Coast of Brittany!

Link to the video interview of Young & Hungry on Food Intelligence.

See also Ingrid Astier's delicious book about great visionaries of food and life: link

ROAD TRIP - MISSOULA, MT - MOON-RANDOLPH HOMESTEAD

2011-05-04T01:48:00.000-07:00

Meet Andy who lives on an 1890 homestead a few miles away from Missoula MT, with his wife Joana and their two children. That day Joanna and her children were away, but we spent some time walking around this very old homestead they keep alive. He introduced us to their chickens, who had just layed warm eggs and showed us old orginal tools from the last 100 years that the previous homesteaders had used. Not always easy to find a balance between a very traditional way to live and the modern needs, but a great reward to be on this little peaceful piece of land.

You can see Joana's blog about their daily life on their homestead here.

INFO

Moon Randolph Homestead

1515 Spurlock Road, Missoula, MT 59802

Website: http://www.nmcdc.org/mrhhome.html

ROAD TRIP - MISSOULA, MT - LE PETIT OUTRE BAKERY

2011-05-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you Andy Brown for showing us Le Petite Outre backstage, where some of the greatest baguettes and other delicious breads come out. We just simply got addicted to the sourdough baguette! For breakfast with butter and jam, lunch as a sandwich and dinner with some double cream goat cheese... Bread is life! Some great people work in the bakery and we spent some time with them while they were mixing various dough and getting the oven going.

If you are in Missoula, here's more info about Le Petit Outre: link.

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - NAVARRE

2011-04-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Navarre Restaurant (link)! As we exited Portland, we peaked in before they served dinner. They source the majority of their ingredients from local farmers and ranchers. A half pig gets delivered every Wednesday as well. Their menu is ever changing with the seasons, and the customers get to custom build their meal. We will photograph their food and kitchen process in July when we come back. In the meantime we are delighted to share some "meaty" pictures and a bit of art! Bon appetit.

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - WAFFLE CART WITH GALINA

2011-04-27T01:24:00.000-07:00

Galina is a good friend from New York City who recently moved back to Portland. She has an addiction to waffles from this little cart in Portland, and so she took us there. While she downed a vegetarian sausage one, we went for the sausage/maple/cheddar and the strawberries/wipped cream... totally decadent, and perfect to gain some energy back in this cold weather! Thanks Galina!

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - AMPERSAND BOOKS AND PHOTOS

2011-04-27T01:21:00.000-07:00

We decided to start collecting "small trade" vernacular images or in other terms, found photos. Myles Haselhorst owner of the gallery/bookstore Ampersand greated us in his beautifully arranged space. We would have stocked our trunk with his great selection of art books if we weren't already packed for the trip! But we did find a few photographs for our collection. He also curates exhibits every six weeks or so. This month he has a collection of mugshots up. Check out his website.

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - TORO BRAVO

2011-04-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

Our friend Jason took us out to Toro Bravo as soon as we arrived in Portland. The line at the door was long, so we put our name on the list, and went for a drink upstairs at the Secret Society Lounge. Just about an hour to sip our favorite Hendricks Gin + seltzer water + slice of cucumber cocktail.

As we entered Toro Bravo, we saw the great duet from Portlandia (Fred Armisen of SNL, and Carrie Brownstein). We thought of this as a good omen, since we absolutely love the show, and had just landed in the actual Portlandia.

The meal was Spanish tapas style, tasty and earthy. It felt good to eat more elaborate cuisine, after so many days on the road! Bacon wrapped dates (a classic), chorizo and manchego with country bread (simple and just so delicious), grilled flat bread with black truffle cheese and arugola (fresh and creamy... tastes way better than it looked), squid ink pasta with hazelnuts anchovy syrup and egg yolk (pretty damn good), etc! So we were determined to come back. So a few days later we came right before dinner time, and ordered a couple of dishes, but unfortunately they weren't photogenic...so sardines are the only ones that made the edit!

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - STUMPTOWN (THE ANNEX)

2011-04-26T01:09:00.000-07:00

Oh the famous Stumptown... coffee aficionados swear by it, and to them there's nothing like their Hairbender blend. So if you want to learn more about coffee, or even be more of an expert than you already are, then you should go to The Annex, where coffee tastings take place every day at noon and two. A great team of young coffee lovers will guide you through the tasting process in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. We're definitely hooked!

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - STUMPTOWN (DOWNTOWN)

2011-04-26T00:58:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - THE MEADOW, MARK BITTERMAN, SALT EXPERT

2011-04-25T00:51:00.000-07:00

What’s your job?

I’m the co-owner and Selmelier for the shop The Meadow.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer.

One food that comes to mind.

Apple fritter.

What do you love about food?

What I love about food is you can be obsessed with food, as much as you could be with anything else in the world. I could never bottom out on my obsession for food. But in general I don’t like things I can’t be obsessed about.

You have sweet and savory in your store, which one do you prefer?

Sweet! Oh no, why did I say that…. Ha! That’s funny, my actual snacking habits is savory. Nothing against chocolate I adore chocolate but I often don’t eat dessert.

The word sweet is a hell of a lot better sounding than savory.

Can you give me six ingredients off the top of your head?

Butter, duck fat, lettuce, vinegar, caviar, champagne.

What is your favorite thing to salt?

The host.

How did you actually come to salt?

It was the ingredient that caught my attention for the importance of integrity of what we eat. I was 20 when I first thought salt was badass, so I started paying attention to salt. I wasn’t obsessed yet. But I started collecting salt. In my travels as a young man I started eating different amazing salts and started collecting names and places along the way.

It was the thing I first ate that stood out, but I felt salt was overlooked in food. At the same time I felt it was rooted in culture and in food ways. You can’t live without it, you can’t taste well without it.

Do you salt everything?

Yes. I put salt on everything, but I have the presence of mind to salt. We have an amazing Japanese salt and I’ll put in my coffee. Salt puts some lushness and depth even in a cup of coffee. So yes I will salt everything when I think about it but I don’t think all the time.

So do you have an obsession for salt?

Yeah well how many food do you not salt? I mean pasties are really good with salt. An example would be an apple, I don’t over salt them but a little pinch of salt is very satisfying.

What do you say to low sodium products?

Blaahhh! Why?! It’s a horrible idea that sounds like a misguided health reason.

What do you think of table salt?

It is an industrial white chemical.

Why Portland?

We moved to this town to raise kids cause it was easier than New York. We were in New York during 911. Self employed with a kid, it was very stressful, difficult and complicated. Here we can walk to school every morning with our kids, play basketball in the front yard; it’s easy to live here.

A user’s guide to salt.

Salt as much as you want as long as you are doing the salting. Cook with less salt and finish with more salt and use really, really good salt that is fun for you. I promise that is guaranteed happiness.

INFO

The Meadow Market

3731 N. Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227

503 288 4633

Website: http://www.atthemeadow.com/shop/

ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - THE PISTIL

2011-04-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - FOOD TATTOOS

2011-04-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - PORTLAND - HIGGINS RESTAURANT

2011-04-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

What’s your job?

Camp counselor! We have a lot of employees at the restaurant and I cook every day. But my main job actually is butcher. I butcher a pig every Wednesday and do all the charcuterie. The cookbook and all the recipes are in my head. We have a repertoire we revisit depending on seasonality.

Three words.

Eat. Good. Food.

What do you love about food?

What I like the best about food, is that it is ever changing. And here in the Northwest the diversity is unbelievable. The ingredients! I’ve traveled all around the world cooking and I just can’t find a place like Portland, and what it has to offer.

Why Portland?

I moved here in 1984, to help open a hotel. Portland had around 34 wineries at the time and 3 local markets. Portland has grown ever since; it has now roughly 400 wineries, 30 local markets and even a year round fresh market.

Sounds more intimate than Napa!

Yeah, Napa is little to Disney for me, ha! Oregon has an incredible selection of wines. Wine country is here.

Six ingredients of your choice.

Wild mushrooms, pastured pig obviously. I can’t live without alcohol to cook with, good cheese, I was a cheese maker in high school. Garden produce, fresh vegetables…I can’t limit it, I garden year round, I’m a feign for good fresh veggies. Good olive oil too.

If you weren’t a chef what would you be?

A fine art print maker, (I used to be one). I love art, but in the gallery world you have to make too many concessions. As a chef I feel more free to do what I want. I still need to offer steak for uncle Harry, but I get to make more creative choices And I didn’t want to end up a art teaching, but in truth I am teaching at the restaurant. At least I can fire people here, instead of teaching some halfhearted undergrad.

What is the philosophy of your restaurant?

As much as I am a chef, I’m also a voice for change in the food world. I see a lot of my former cooks opening their own restaurants, and spread what I stand for: fresh ingredients. But what I like best is to see my farmers become successful. Some of these guys I’ve been dealing with for twenty some years used to drive broken down station wagons. Now they make a pretty good living! We like to see the whole community grow.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

An Archeologist.

It is another kind of research now then?

Yes, cooking is very cultural. But unlike archeology, food is alive. We do have a percentage of customers who don’t get it, you could hit them with a tin of saffron and they wouldn’t know. Only 15% of people have a palate for what tastes good. But you have to shrug that off and know that those 15% are the people you are cooking for, but I suppose that in any field there is a small target audience.

What would your advice be to young chefs or people who would like to get into cooking?

Travel! I went to Europe in the 70s and I realized how fresh and amazing food could be. The gap has narrowed since then but there is still a lot of crappy food, I mean there is a lot of crappy food in Europe but there is a lot more crappy food in the States. Also, find great people to work with, you’ll learn from them.

INFO

Higgins

1239 Southwest Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

503 222 9070

Website: http://higginsportland.com/

ROAD TRIP - CRESCENT CITY TO PORTLAND

2011-04-23T00:12:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - REDWOODS

2011-04-22T19:56:00.000-07:00

ROAD TRIP - REDWOODS

2011-04-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - ORANGEVALE

2011-04-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

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ROAD TRIP - L.A. TO ORANGEVALE, CA

2011-04-20T12:33:00.001-07:00

Car packed, dog on backseat, coffee in our system, Young & Hungry is road bound! Today's route: Los Angeles to Orangevale (Sacramento).

OUR OFFICIAL WEBSITE IS UP!

2011-04-19T16:15:00.000-07:00

Dear readers and foodies, our official website is officially up! Go to weareyoungandhungry.com!!
More photos on the website to come. We're working hard right now on showing you the best of our portfolio.

Thank you for all your support to Young & Hungry. What started as a passion project, ended up being a life goal: to love what we do, to do what we love.

This blog will now be a platform for us to communicate about our process, what we like, and give you a bit more of behind the scenes of what we photograph.

Tomorrow we take off for a road trip from Los Angeles, through the Redwoods, Portland OR to finish in Missoula MT. We will along the way post some travel and food photographs that will hopefully make you dream. We will be back in Los Angeles on May 7 and then off again on May 18 for France this time where we'll bring you slices of Paris, Brittany and the South!

We are very excited about bringing you more of what we love.

DESERT OASIS: PALM SPRINGS

2011-04-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

A bit more than a hundred miles East of Los Angeles, Palm Springs lays in the desert and keeps its visitors sun soaked, pool refreshed and cocktail fed. Nothing like the Ace Hotel for this sweet far niente.

COOKIES N MILK

2011-03-29T11:02:00.000-07:00

YOU SAY POTATOES, I SAY...

2011-03-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

BREAD N CHEESE

2011-03-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

QUAIL EGGS

2011-03-21T17:37:00.001-07:00

OSTREOIDA

2011-03-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Fresh taste of the Pacific, hints of cucumber and melon; Saturday morning kind of brunch.

BEACHY ICE CREAM

2011-03-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Total decadence. Ginger ice cream and molasses cookie or the "Ginger Wipe Out".

ITALIAN FLAVOR: FRIED ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

2011-02-14T18:00:00.000-08:00

SUNSET SURF

2011-02-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you Peter. A perfect February warm day in Los Angeles.

IT IS ALSO WINTER: SHITAKE MUSHROOMS

2011-02-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

FORAGING: WILD FENNEL

2011-02-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

Growing in the mountains bordering Zuma Beach, along the river, tender green stalks of wild fennel. Delicious on a white fish like Tilapia, or in a fresh salad.

EARLY SPRING STRAWBERRIES

2011-02-10T09:21:00.000-08:00

California Spring means strawberries in February. Sprinkled with dried mint, freshly squeezed orange juice (navel oranges from the area) and brown sugar... can you feel flowers bloom in your mouth? Spring is around the corner in Los Angeles.

ARE WE IN JAPAN?

2011-02-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

NATURE'S FOOD TREASURE HUNTER

2011-01-26T01:29:00.000-08:00

Kerry Clasby calls herself an "intuitive forager", we like to imagine that she is a demiurge in the world of organic food, or in other words an artisan of the universe of fresh and unique produce. Driving or "meditating" as she says, up 1500 miles a week to hunt for the best fruits, vegetables and herbs of California, Clasby is the farmers and restaurant chefs best dream partner, linking the field to the table. Alice Waters was amongst the first restaurants who hired full time foragers, and Kerry carries on the trend with great inspiration.

We met her on Saturday morning at the Santa Barbara Farmers market along with the chef of a new restaurant about to open in Los Angeles on La Cienaga called Mezza. Her silver hair, straw hat, red cardigan and white pants distinguishable in the crowd, under the sun of January. From one farmers stand to another, from strawberries to dates, from pomelo to blueberries, from mustard greens to kale, from almonds to cilantro.... Kerry took us in a whirlwind of fresh produce! Everyone knows her there. Kerry carries a little piece of brown paper with a list, probably made of chef's requests. She flies from one stand to another, intuitively but yet with assurance. Sometimes she'll take her checkbook out, cross off an item on her list and negotiate on the price of a case of dates. Or she will place her order for the following Tuesday, "can you get me six dozen of eggs?".

The hunt for fresh produce didn't end at the Santa Barbara Farmers market, it just started there. We then proceeded to take a light lunch break at C'est Cheese and savor a simple three cheese grilled sandwich and a tomato soup. A snack much needed for what was coming... an afternoon safari race through the mountains of Santa Barbara, Ojai and Santa Paula to go see various farms where Kerry finds her gems. Peppery fresh arugola just torn from the fresh soil, oro blanco citrus picked from the tree, apple bananas peeled moments after being cut off the bunch... Kerry definitely made us feel young, hungry and happy.

Buying a case of dates

Beautiful displays of the Santa Barbara Farmers Market

From one stand to the other, finding the best produce

Emerald green kale

It's that time of th season... citrus citrus citrus

From one farm to another, Kerry shows us where what we eat comes from...

Ojai Valley

A taste of fresh wild arugola

Young & Hungry (one half) and The Intuitive Forager

David Pommier (grower and agricultural consultant) and Young & Hungry (one half)

Dave drives us through citrus groves and fields with his VW van

Apple Bananas that Dave recently planted

Apple Bananas, a treat for the end of this journey

The Intuitive Forager

DROP THE CART!

2011-01-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

TORTAS DE ACEITE

2011-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

We were in the mood for something simple, that reminded us of the Mediterranean. We both share a love for the anis spice, so tortas de aceite seemed like an appropriate treat. Originally from Spain, these "cookies" have made their way to the US and can be eaten with coffee, and if less sweetened with a white meat dish. Simple ingredients: water, olive oil, flour, dry yeast, anis and powdered sugar.

BEIGNETS AND CHICORY COFFEE

2011-01-18T09:00:00.000-08:00

FRESH EGGS FROM THE CITY

2011-01-18T07:30:00.000-08:00

LOST IN SALTON SEA

2011-01-17T19:15:00.000-08:00

SEARCHING AND FINDING

2011-01-17T00:37:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we embarked on a road trip to the Salton Sea, an artificially made sea in the 1950s in the desert which purpose was recreational for the vacationers of Palm Springs and the surroundings. Because of water evaporation and consequently a very high rise in saline content, the water of the Salton Sea today is no good so swim in anymore and certainly not fish as well... as we found out by seeing hundreds of dead tilapia fishes on the shore. What an eerie experience, for us, food and travel photographers seeking out life and looking forward to the future, to be stuck in a place that has none of these qualities. From the abandoned trailers of Bombay Beach to the strong smell of dead fish and an ominous border patrol (Mexico being not so far anymore)...we started missing Los Angeles, a lot!

The day after, we woke up back in Los Angeles, looking forward to a day made of good food, love and life. Perfect start at the Farmers Market on Fairfax. Walk around to smell everything, soak in the colors and shapes: candies, fruits, fish, spices, crepes, vegetables, french condiments and cheeses... Stop at Gumbo for beignets and chicoree coffee. Perfect New Orleans breakfast on the go, before an afternoon of shooting Tortas de Aceite, Spanish cookies made of simply just olive oil, water, flour, dry yeast and anis.

Below are mobile photos documenting moments of this weekend of searching and finding out that simple and close to home feel real good... (original/proper images coming soon, after editing).