Rosemary, and Olive Knots...and Photo Props

Question! How important is "prop setting" for your food photo?...is it the prop behind the food? ...or is it the importance of the photo of the food! Plating the food is to me, and the presentation of it....is  the most important thing! First of all, the props, the plating, the lights...natural is the best lighting, by the way!

So, really, which angle works best?...and what do you really focus on?...my most amazing knot shaped rolls, filled with sliced Kalamata olives, and chopped fresh rosemary?...or the fresh bunch of rosemary?...what about the beautiful Batik Cloth?...well, that should be and "eyeful,"...so bright, and pretty, the floral designs are absolutely gorgeous, on the background of a soft blue-green color! This was a gift given to me by my dear food blog friend for over one year now, Joanna (Jo)...from ChicGorgeous , whom I finally met in person, at the 3rd Annual Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, and we share nearly one week of fun, and adventure, in San Francisco! She gave me this beautiful cloth, and what did I give her?...what do most American wear the most...all genders...a Baseball Cap!
Yes, an all American Baseball Cap, with of course, Palm Beach, Florida written on it, from yet, another famous 5 star hotel, The Breakers Hotel! (let's just hope Jo will pose with the cap, and takes photo with it to post on her blog)

Rosemary and Olive Knots...warmed up, on the second day; tasted even better!

Before I get to post the actual step-by-step direction, recipe...since now, I forgot the exact recipe from the book, which I didn't even really follow...just needed the idea. By now, I know the basic dough making for the yeast rolls, and I have become more "hands on" with the using of the dry yeast powder. Don't be afraid to use it, just make sure that the date isn't expired, and make sure that you start out with warm water to get the yeast started with.

I, for one, will tell you the source my recipes come from, or at least an idea how it came about, most of the times, unless it's a "hand me down" verbal recipe that I remember from making it over, and over again. It's just a matter of experimenting with various herbs, spices, and different ways of creating, and re-creating a recipe! I got this book called "The Modern Baker" by Nick Malgieri, from my local public library, and I fell in love with the book and all the amazing recipes, for cakes, rolls, and breads. I simply clicked on to my Amazon account, and ordered it online, for an unbeatable cheap price...and NEW! I took the book back to the library, just after I made these rolls, and forgot to copy the recipe, but my book will be arriving in a few days, or so! I just had so much fun with this dough, along with my little grandson, again. (I think he will follow his daddy's and my footsteps)...and he will become a chef, or a baker!

Italian Restaurant, at the Breakers Hotel

First things first! This is a restaurant review that I want to share with you...no, I didn't make this amazing Shrimp Scampi, gigantic shrimp, served on a bed of fresh steamed baby spinach, and fresh diced tomatoes, in a delicious wine and butter garlic sauce. This was my choice for the entree!

My family and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at the Breakers Hotel, in Palm Beach...our favorite little Italian restaurant on the premises, at the gorgeous hotel. Kids friendly...they have a play room for the little kids, and also a fun arcade that even the bigger ones enjoy so much
.
http://www.thebreakers.com/restaurants_lounges/the_italian_restaurant/

Steamed Mussels...my son Joe's favorite, that we all shared...this was an appetizer...great choice!

A personalized pizza for my d-in-law, Cara...asparagus, shrimp, and olives...yummy pizza with such a great crust! The girls had their kids menu..their favorite, chicken fingers, made with chicken tenders, and fried crispy, and golden, with their favorite french fries.

For dessert, Cara chose the caramel apple tartlet, with almond ice cream and crunchy pieces of almonds.

My choice was the fresh berries with zabaglione...so perfect with the fresh berries..yumm!

My granddaughters favorite choice was the Brownie Sundae...just look at the perfect fudge brownie and creamy vanilla brownie...drizzle with fudge sauce...a chocolate lover's dream dessert!

Chunky Tomato Sauce... and a Book Giveaway!

As I mentioned in my last post, that my son Joe has finally published his first novel, self-published through Amazon.com I'm proud to offer a copy of his book, as a giveaway. Yesterday, he stopped over for a last minute lunch, and wanted to check out the waves on the beach, since we've been having such windy and rainy days in the last few days. He is also an avid surfer, since the age of eleven, and has won several awards, over the years. By profession he is an "Equity Trader" and these last couple years he's been working out of home, so he could finish his novel. Also, he decided to go back to college to get his masters degree in creative writing, after 14 years, graduating from college. He is a fabulous artist, as well, doing totally different designs...as for instance, surf board art designs, and creative designs on canvas. He also designed his book cover. Now, the latest project is his "political cartoon, daily art" which I myself don't quite understand, which has a lot to do with the "stock market."

Anyway, the emphasis now, is on my quick pasta sauce, served with fettucine that I made within 30 minutes, tops.
I always have fresh, dry, and frozen herbs on hand, for which is a "must" in my kitchen. Canned, or fresh tomatoes, is always a "must"...of course, onions, and garlic, and olives...so there you have it, a vegetarian meal to enjoy, even if you are not vegetarian. Joe and his wife Cara have decided to take that route now after and on-again, off-again route, for the last few years. Actually, they do eat seafood, and dairy...so they are "pescatarians?"...is there such a thing?

In a large skillet, all you do is saute, one sliced onion, 3 cloves of garlic sliced, 2 stalks of celery sliced, in 2 Tbsp.vegetable oil till  soft, and slightly golden. Add a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon tomato paste, mixed in 1/2 cup of water, 1 Tbsp.extra virgin olive oil... salt and pepper, dry, or fresh basil, and let the tomato sauce cook for about 20 minutes, on medium heat, open. Stir from time to time, and after the 20 minutes, add pitted olives (I used Nicoise pitted olives) you can slice the olives, or cut them in half. (I left mine whole)...Serve over pasta of your choice, and add chopped fresh Italian parsley, or fresh basil for flavor and for a nice appearance. You can drizzle more extra virgin olive oil on the top, and serve.

note: I sauteed the vegetable in vegetable oil, because it absorbs the flavor of the vegetables better, since it's cooked on medium-high, and it prevents burning of the oil. Adding the extra virgin olive oil, when you add the tomatoes, gives it a nicer and more flavorful texture. Also, instead of adding the tomato paste directly into the 1/2 cup of water will give it an even texture, and prevents lumpy and too thick of a  texture. 
Now, for the book giveaway:

Lamb's Bread: A Marijuana Fueled American Revolutionary 

[Paperback]

About the book, and Joe's art and Cartoon

Adrian Amato is a pot-smoking, marijuana-dealing, equity trader with a plan to set a trap and imprison the president of the United States on Palm Beach Island. His revolutionary intentions seize the imagination of his brother-in-law, Jeff Silver, who assists Adrian and serves as his biographer, believing that it is an unprecedented, inside opportunity to document the rise of a radical aimed at reshaping the world. Loosely based on the recent collapse of the nation’s economy, Joseph Pregadio’s subversive allegory about a new 

American age is as captivating as it is thought provoking. A suspense-thriller full of unexpected twists and surprising turns, Lamb’s Bread captures the anarchical soul of American discontent and channels it into a fictional tale far more plausible than anyone should feel comfortable with.

Attacking the hubris of the ultra-wealthy and the indiscriminate profiteering of corporate America, Pregadio dares to lay bare the very schemes by which many investment practitioners got rich and then watched the economic system cave in—and funnels that outrage into a broadside indictment through the eyes and actions of Adrian Amato, a modern-day pirate whose goal is to attack the establishment at every possible turn. Bracing in its honesty and entertaining in its method, Lamb’s Bread is a modern parable everyone should put at the top of their reading list. 

As for the giveaway, all you have to do is to comment, so you will be on the list. If you don't follow either on my blog, or Twitter, you will not be eligible. I will ship this signed copy of the book anywhere in the United States, Canada, anywhere else, in the world. YES!... for the first time! I will announce the winner Monday morning. Giveaway ends on Sunday, April 3rd, at 11:00PM, EST.