Do you know why there is a parsley leaf in the middle of every plate? Chef Matt Kantor of  Little Kitchen shared this trick with me. It works best with a bigger leaf like basil, but that night parsley was the only fresh herb still available.

The role of the leaf is to make sure the bowl stays in place on the plate while you bring the dish from the kitchen to the table.

I took these pictures at Alexa Clark’s tasting menu birthday. This is the party with the DIY Etched Glass Water Bottles. More to come of this delightful event.

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I find fascinating the world of food styling. How they elevate food to be very appetizing. You can learn tricks of the trade by reading Still Life With.

Let’s face it, not every food looks great. But it does not means that they are not delicious. In one lesson, you learn how to turn an non inspiring molded salmon pate into an appealing food photo. When you are confronted with this situation, Still Life With told us to show just a little of the food and to surround it with beautiful things.

And if you are persuaded that professional food photography is a lot of work, look at this picture that illustrated a typical food styling and photography session. Photographers with their assistants and stylists work together to create these stunning pictures that we see in the magazine. Read the details of a master workshop with Francine Zaslow and Deborah Jones.

There is a lot more to learn on Still Life With.

+ photos: Still Life With

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Until November 2010, you could learn about the traditional food of Quebec from the first colonists to today in an exhibit that just started at Chateau Ramezay Museum.

Quebec traditional food was influenced by three cultures: the first nations, France and Britain. But what is the heritage of each? Quebec traditional shepherd’s pie main ingredients blended the 3 cultures. Plus, it will be fun to learn how traditions were born. For example, I would have never guess that  the famous sugar shack meal comes straight out of British kitchens. Beside recipes, Let’s Eat explores all facets of cooking and eating. You will see how we preserve food over the years, how we prepared food and served the meals, and how dining etiquette and customs changed over time.

The associate researcher for the exhibit is Yvon Deslogues, an historian who juts published a book about food habits in Quebec before restaurants. You can find A table en Nouvelle-France on Amazon.ca ($25.74 CAD) and in most bookstores across Quebec.

MORE:
+ Let’s Eat exhibit at Chateau Ramezay Museum
+ via Katerine Rollet’s Epicurean Life

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It has a sumptuous and dreamy Thanksgiving all written over. These were taken at a photo shoot that Sweet Paul styled earlier this week for Colin Cowie. I love the tableware, the color, the food and the tabletop that I let you discover on his blog.

+ photos: Sweet Paul

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Food styling is an integral part of food photography. It sets the mood. These beautiful shots are from the 2010 Calendar from la Fédération des producteurs de lait du Québec. I shared them with you because they illustrated a good trick when it comes to food photography: pay attention to the backdrop. In this case, they aim to create a cohesive mood instead of a minimalist approach.

Start collecting bold wallpapers, fabric coupons, and gift wrapping papers to create your backdrop scene. The stylist for Le Lait calendar was not afraid to opposite modern patterns to traditional plates and utensils.

Get inspired by the food and the tableware you use. If you find a strong pattern, you can repeat the main color of the food on your backdrop. You can also select a pattern that repeats the food shape. At other times, playing with contrasting colors works better. It is a game of trials and errors until you get it right. The key is to experiment. Therefore, always have on hand several options ready to be used.

Be Careful that the Food is Not Lost

The cream puffs stand against the busy backdrop because of the contrasting colors. On the other hand, the black and white pattern used for the cupcakes is not the best choice. I feel that the small cakes get lost. A bright yellow and black backdrop would have been more effective. I suggest yellow because it complements the creamy tone of the white chocolate curls.

This lesson is not only for food photography. It also applies when you design a buffet table. Simply think about Amy Atlas. A stunning pattern backdrop is a signature of her dessert tables.

MORE:
+ photos by Le Lait – click here to download the calendar (only in French)

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Except for the William-Sonama printed signature (I would prefer something like Bon Appétit!), I really like the look of this white porcelain plates that are perfect to serve a sandwich, a single serving cheese plate or a small tray of antipasto.

The plates can also act as a message board. A customer commented on the W-S site that she writes notes or her menu on them with dry erase markers. A simple wash will clean up the remaining marks. It is a good alternative to the chalkboard.

And I would love to receive for Christmas a set for 8 of Laguiole Flatware in ivory ($79 for 5-piece place setting).

+ French Pantry Appetizer Plates $20 for 2

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I wish the fruity fine pastry skewers by Fou de goût were available in Canada. They would be awesome for the dessert table I am preparing for my husband’s 40th birthday party. Can you believe that these marvelous fruit pastries are available at the frozen counters at Monoprix?

Once again, it shows the big gap in the level of the products available at the typical grocers in France and what we get in North America. In both countries, people are challenged with time. There is also a need for frozen upscale food here. Imagine how it would simplify your life to keep superbly presented fine desserts in ready to use portions on your freezer. Inviting guests at the last minute would not be as stressful.

Let’s hope Fou de goût cross the Atlantic in a near future. In the meantime, you can steal the design when you bake your own pastry.

+ photos: Fou de goût

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I bought for the first time a package of Kumato yesterday. Called the brown tomatoes, the fruits exhibit darker green, brown up to a darker red. It is sweeter than the red tomatoes that we are accustomed. The producer of Kumato, Sunset says it has an intense aroma and surprisingly sweet, juicy flavor.

The Kumato grabbed my attention because the color is perfect for a fall table. Serving a Caprese salad is a time saver but a Caprese salad feels like summer. Plus, the classic row presentation is too simple for a chic sit-down dinner. Not anymore. Look at how Sunset dished up their Kumato Caprese salad. I would slightly modify their recipe by adding some basil in the middle of the stack.

You could mix two or three kinds of tomatoes in a stack to add even more dimensions to your salad. If you do, make sure to select tomatoes with the same diameter.

Three Mozzarella Slicers and an Egg Slicer

We all experienced it. Making consistent slices of mozzarella with a knife is hard. This is where a mozzarella slicer comes to your rescue. I listed three slicers that people seem to appreciate. Except for the Tomato and Mozzarella Slicer by Rösle who catches juice in the base, the other mozzarella slicers on the market look like high-end egg slicers. I am curious to know if we can do both with one slicer. Does anyone know the difference, if any, between a good egg slicer and a mozzarella slicer?

1. Mozzarella Slicer at Williams-Sonoma $25 USD
2. Rosle 12755 Tomato and Mozzarella Slicer $29.95  USD
3. Mario Batali The Italian Kitchen Collection Mozzarella Slicer $24.99 USD
4. Leifheit Pro Line Stainless Steel Egg Slicer $13.99 USD

MORE:
+ Sunset Kumato Caprese Salad recipe

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I love this picture. The superb crafted table, the breakfast scene, and the angle of the shot. I dream of having enough room in my house for an extra-long dining table. You save space by putting benches and stools instead of chairs.

+ Via July 2007 edition of Living etc

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When my eyes first saw the soft-cooked egg with caviar photo recipe of Chef David Chang, I thought “What a cool way to serve a Camembert”. The French girl in me is never very far. In the September 2009 of Bon Appetit, David Chang explained the story behind his signature dish. Like he said, eggs (caviar) in egg is funny.

You can find his signature Soft-Cooked egg with Onion Soubise, Caviar, and Potato Chips recipe on Bon Appetit. It will also be published on its upcoming cookbook titled Momofuko. His cookbook will be in stores October 15th, 2009.

For my Camembert dishing idea, I still have to perfect it. It can sit on a bed of caramelized onions. You are welcome to share your ideas.

SOURCING:
+ Momofuko by David Chang $26.40 USD

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Dressing up a soft drink table for a party deserves as much attention than setting a regular bar. Both have to be pretty and inviting. This week provides delightful examples of what you can do to make it grand.

That quest started by this Old fashioned soda bar featured on Project Wedding. The concept was to find several old-style soda bottles. They collected 14 soda drinks. They made it beautiful by lining the sodas by color. This is a merchandising trick that you often see at fine stationery stores. They also suggest to not put them on ice. Instead, keep them on the fridge until the last minute.

Like they say, the hardest thing is to find the old-fashioned bottles. If you have relatives who live in several parts of the country, ask their help to expand your collection.

Print Your Own Soda Labels

Inspired by that project, Amy of Eat Drink Chic made templates to print your own soda labels. They are available in two font styles. It may be simpler than looking for the old style brands. You could buy bottles from different brands for a more realistic effect.

Homemade Lemonade Stand

Finally, the appeal of the old-fashioned homemade lemonade stand does not die. Here they used big jars with tags and ladles to serve the lemonade. Anyone with some carpentering experience can build a cute lemonade stand.

Fabric pennant banners hanged on the stand mimics the vintage look. You can follow the instructions on Mommy Diaries to learn how to sew your own banner or head to etsy to find one that you like. You can refer to some of my favorite flag pennant banners.

MORE:
+ Project Wedding
+ Eat Drink Chic
+ One Love Photo

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If you are looking for a twist of the typical muffin cups, look at these Tulip baking cups. They are designed to fit the standard 2-inch muffin pans.

These four-petal cups are made of Swedish greaseproof white or brown paper. They come in three sizes. Make sure you get the tallest model (2 3/4) since it is the only one that form a uniform tulip shape. The smallest sizes are randomly folded. Plus, taller muffins look more sophisticated.

You may want to revisit my tall muffin presentation where I discussed how to make your own tubular muffins. The raffia string creates a modern rustic look. For a more stylish look, replace the raffia by a beautiful paper band hold in place with an elegant ribbon and a decorative button.

SOURCING:
+ White Tulip Baking Cups $3.95 USD for pack of 24
+ Brown Tulip Baking Cups $3.95 USD for pack of 24

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