Nectar

I've been in a MAJOR cooking rut. I know very well that the insanity of the last few months has a great deal to do with this, but I've been struggling to find inspiration as well. Much like the world of design blogs, I feel the number of cooking blogs has become overwhelming - and like so many of you - when over-stimulated by everything on the Internet - I tend to simply checkout and retreat from digital media. Then the new issue of Bon Appétit arrived. There is a fantastic story written by Jenny Rosenstrach about family meal planning. I became familiar with Jenny's book Dinner: A Love Story when it was released because one of my closest friends photographed its beautiful pages. Jenny's blog was something I immediately bookmarked then - and like so many things I bookmark, got buried. The story in BA refreshed my memory and it's exactly what I needed to kick-start my oven. With horseback riding and soccer 5 days a week - I really need to get back into a routine. Do you have a quick favorite for those crazy evenings?

I'm also finding myself re-inspired by local dishes here in Asheville. I shot another story about our little mountain town for Food & Wine last month - you can peek at it here and above are some of the outtakes from that shoot.

Finally - the winner of Crackers & Dips. Thank you so much for sharing your stories - I absolutely loved reading them. And while it was incredibly difficult to choose among my few favorites - ultimately, Sam of Elephant and Walrus stole my heart with her tale of her first magical date with her mister. Drop me an email Sam and I'll get that book right out to you - wishing you many more years of "cracker-time".

Last Spring was a whirlwind of work. I was wrapping up my new book for Chronicle (more on this next week) and was able to fit in shooting this wonderful cookbook by Portland-based Ivy Manning, Crackers & Dips: More Than 50 Handmade Snacks. I worked with an incredible team of friends including Chris Bryant (more on Chris soon as well) who recreated all of Ivy's recipes with love and meticulous attention to detail and Kristina Urquhart whose illustrations really make this book extraordinary. I prop styled and photographed this book in my home studio and we ended each day by sampling (i.e. devouring) the leftovers.

 

I love eating this way. Easy bites lead to a casual and unpretentious atmosphere where I find that I'm most comfortable. When my parents would visit us in England, our favorite dinner was baked dips, cheese boards overflowing with the bounty of the Suffolk country side and dotted with fruit... and of course, crackers. And a lot of Irish whiskey. The recipes in this book remind me so much of that special time at the beginning of my marriage - the simple but elegant recipes transport me.

Crackers & Dips will be available everywhere in May - in the meantime, I'm giving away one copy to my favorite "cracker & dip" story. Comment on this post and I will choose a winner next Wednesday on the 27th of February.