Muscadine Crisp

Mmmmm Mmmmm Mmmmmmm... muscadines. I love muscadines. They are the South's perfect grape variety. Just like a true southerner, they are sweet, yet tough. These sweet grapes along with their close relatives, the scuppernogs, are flooding the markets right now and just waiting for you to pick them up and make something awesome. Along with this recipe for a muscadine crisp I'm about to share, muscadines and scuppernogs are great fruits to use for making jam, wine, a salad dressing, or just to eat raw. 

Some vendors with muscadines + scuppernogs are Mealor Family Gardens at the Decatur market on Wednesday and Saturday as well as Mountain Earth Farms on Sunday at Grant Park. I believe I also saw some at Scharko Farms table at EAV on Thursday. But ask around and pick some up before they run out!

A few things to note before embarking on this muscadine crisp... You must remove the seeds before baking. If you do not, you will have little bitter surprises throughout eating your crisp, and it is not a fun surprise. So when you slice the muscadines to separate the pulp from the skin, just squeeze out the seeds. 

The crisp topping I made is also the base for my homemade granola. You are welcome to add any nuts or seeds to this mix. 

Muscadine Crisp

Servings 2-4    Time 50 min

• 1 pint muscadines/scuppernogs, washed, pitted, and separated (pulp from skin)
• 1 cup oats
• 1/4 c pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup almonds, chopped
• 2 TBS flax seeds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 TBS cinnamon (any spice you'd like)
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 TBS butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes + more for buttering dish
• 1 TBS coconut oil (or canola/vegetable oil)

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. butter the dish of your choice. Keep in mind that this recipe utilized two 5 inch creme brulee ramekins. Adjust your recipe to suit your baking dish of choice. 
2. Layer the bottom of your dish with pulp and skins of muscadines.
3. in a medium bowl, combine oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. mix well. (this can serve as your base for a granola recipe).
4. Add oil and cut in 5 tablespoons of butter till you have a sandy mixture with pea size chunks. You want the butter to be dispersed throughout. 
5. Top the muscadines with the crisp and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbly on bottom. Your kitchen will also smell like heaven. 

Georgia Pear Flaugnarde

As I mentioned last week, the produce of Summer and the produce of Fall are doing a little dance at the markets, and it's a great time to get in the kitchen and try out some new recipes. This week, the tomatoes are still going strong, the eggplants perfectly ripe, but it's the Fall fruit that's catching my eye. 

I live my days as a pastry chef so it is no surprise that I am drawn to the sweeter offerings of the market: the fruits. Every season comes with it's charms, but Fall with it's apples, pears, and persimmons, oh my! It's heaven. It's the perfect season to curl up, bake something sweet, and shop for it all at your Community Farmers Market. 

For this week's recipe, I wanted to do something delicious with pears that I got from the one and only Ranger Robby, who you will see roaming around East Atlanta Farmers Market on Thursday. He is responsible for growing the garden in the back and educating lots of us on what is growing (and fruiting) in and around the city. He also just so happens to be a forager with Concrete Jungle (check them out if you haven't already). I also spotted some vendors rolling out with pears at Grant Park this weekend, so be on the lookout and pick some up. They are perfectly sweet this year and wonderful to bake with. 

One of my favorite books to bake from is from a bakery in San Francisco called Tartine. They make amazing bread and even more amazing French style pastries, and their recipe for clafoutis is one of my favorites. It is a traditional french style custard pancake baked with unpitted cherries. Changing the fruit gives it a different name, a flaugnarde, but the recipe remains the same. It is a great recipe for brunch or paired perfectly with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It lasts well covered in the fridge for 3-4 doors, but I'm assuming it won't last that long. 

I used a mandolin to shave the pear into thin strips, but you can chop it however you like... 

Pear Clafoutis/Flaugnarde

servings 8-10   time  1 hr

adapted from Tartine 

•  2 cups whole milk
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• Pinch salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 1.5 cups chopped/mandolined pears
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons sugar, for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.  Butter a 9 inch pie pan or quiche mold.
2. Melt 1 TBS butter in a saucepan and toss prepared pears in to coat. sprinkle 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp nutmeg and coat pears. 
3. In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt. Place over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar until just under a boil.
4. While the milk mixture is heating, whisk the eggs and flour together in a heatproof bowl until smooth.
5. Remove the saucepan from the heat and slowly ladle the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold and add the prepared pears, making sure they are evenly distributed.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until just set in the center and slightly puffed and browned around the outside. Remove the custard from the oven and turn the temperature up to 500ºF. Evenly sprinkle the sugar over the top of the clafoutis. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes to caramelize the sugar. Watch carefully as it will darken quickly.
7.  Let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ratatouille... CFM style

This is one of my favorite times in the seasons to shop at the markets. It's an in-between time, and just like there's still some heat in the air, some of our favorite summer fruits and veggies linger. But as the mornings get cooler only if by a degree each day, so do some of our favorite fall treats start to trickle in during the coming weeks. It's also a great time to spend at the markets as school is back in session, jobs are back to normal and regular schedules resume. That also means that the lazy days of Summer are becoming the hurried days of Fall, and so the ability to cook and spend time in the kitchen falls by the wayside. Our goal for this blog is make cooking easier and turn it into a go-to instead of a "well, if I time."

Our recipe today is nothing new, but it's definitely a good one to have in your repertoire. Ratatouille, originating in Nice, France was the food of farmers. Coming from the word "touiller," meaning to toss, ratatouille is quite literally the tossing of late summer vegetables in a warm and hearty dish. I added this recipe today as it is a wonderful dish if you have little bits and pieces in your fridge to get rid of. Toss in a half of an aubergine here or a quarter of a pepper here. For me, I had way too many tomatoes from my garden and 1 too many eggplant on my hands. I added onion, garlic, bell pepper, squash, a little bit of random cauliflower I had in my fridge, and basil from my garden, and POOF(!), I have lunch for 3 days and a solid base for making a pasta or rice dish. Ratatouille is traditionally a vegetarian dish, but who says you can't add a little Spotted Trotter sausage? Also pair with some H&F Bread Co crusty bread or make it real southern with some Riverview Farm grits. I ate this dish as a leftover a few days after preparing it and folded in some Decimal Place Farms goat cheese... it was divine.  

I adapted my recipe from Moosewood Restaurant's New Classics cookbook, who along with Deborah Madison and Alice Water's are my authorities on vegetarian cooking. Their recipe was pretty zesty adding lots of Indian spices like Cardamom and Cumin, whereas my recipe sticks to some more traditional herbs and spices like basil and chili flakes. 

Ratatouille

servings: 6     total time: 45 minutes

• 2 cups onions, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 shishito pepper, diced
• 3 eggplant, first sliced into rounds and then diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cauliflower, cut into medium florets
• 2-3  ripe tomatoes, diced (or add grape tomatoes)
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 squash or zucchini, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup veggie stock
• 1 tsp each Rosemary, thyme, parsley all finely chopped
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• *optional kalamata olives + capers to taste* 

1. Take eggplant rounds and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. You will see moisture rise to the surface. Blot dry after about 10 minutes. This will allow the eggplant to not get so soggy when cooking. 

2. Heat 1 TBS olive oil in large skillet or stew pot over medium heat. add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add shishito peppers, cauliflower, and eggplant and cook until soft and starting to brown. Remove all from pan.

3. Heat the other TBS of olive oil. Add squash/zucchini and bell peppers. Cook until tender and starting to brown. Add tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute. Add 1/2 veggie stock and return eggplant/cauliflower mixture in with squash and tomatoes. Season with herbs and spices and cook until liquid begins to evaporate about 3-4 minutes. I like my ratatouille a little juicy so I don't cook all of the liquid out, but if veggie juices aren't your thing, you can just let it go a little longer.

4. Fold in olives and capers and garnish with fresh basil.

Georgia Country Roads

We drove to Lake Oconee this past weekend and always love finding backroads with good views. We happened upon this little cut through which spit us out onto another road that we had stopped on our last trip to snap photos. I think Putnam County is trying to tell me something... like buy one of these abandoned farms and do something with it. I would gladly oblige...

These photos are not photography at it's best, but I love the reminder of being in certain place and time...

Once we made it to the main road, we sat at a red light and this beautiful car was just staring at me... 

Washington State

With a major travel bug setting in, I'm forced to reconcile my fever with old photographs of old journeys. I think back on how lucky I was to take such an amazing trip with my best friend across the country. Two weird girls setting out with very little by way of an agenda or plan.  We saw places and did things that, looking back now, i don't know if I would've ever seen had it not been for the circumstances we were in. Because we were exploring by car and because we had no itinerary, we found ourselves off the beaten path many times exploring parts of the country that are so freaking cool. 

And thank heavens, above all, I carried my camera...

These photos are from Olympic National Park in western Washington state. At this point, we were becoming exponentially poor. California had wiped us dry. We attempted to get in for free with a "lost" National Parks Pass (which had been stolen at Hugh Hefner's birthday party... in Vegas...long story). We also probably tried to get in as "senior" citizens. Seniors in College, heyhey! Although "rudeface" did make us pay, we're so glad we went, i would recommend everyone take some time to hike in the area. 

first look Spice to Table

If you're looking for a new spot for coffee, chai, and/or a new breakfast/lunch option, head over to Spice to Table at StudioPlex. Asha Gomez is blending French style pastry with her version of Kerala cooking at this sweet little nook in Old Fourth Ward.

Not only did I have the privilege of shooting it for Zagat, my pastry self also helped develop some of the pastry menu. Check out the samosa pockets made with flakey puff pastry and some of the sweet tarts with spiced pastry cream and fruits. For a short while, i developed a crostada dough using Many Fold Farm Brebis, which made the dough so tender yet really malleable. It was definitely one of my favorites.  I'm no longer there, but it was a blast to help bring together 2 very different food styles and make a unique menu. 

Lusca Atlanta >part II<

Here's a little peek at some more food + restaurant  shots I did for Lusca. If you haven't been, go! Check out the first look at Lusca here. 

... and then there was this photo:

Zagat 30 under 30

I recently had the privilege of shooting Zagat's Atlanta 30 under 30 honoree list at a private event at Painted Pin. The list is full of friends, old and new, doing incredible things hear in Atlanta from the genres of food and drink to hospitality and non-profit. I am so honored to know so many of these people and call them friends and colleagues. I am also pumped to live in a city where all these youngin's are doing badass things. It is certainly a good time to be in ATL... 

You can see the full story here, but I have the outtakes, so you'll definitely want to scroll through and see how fun and weird it got! Who knew a Monday at 12pm could be so AWESOME??

Congratulations to all the 2014 Zagat 30 under 30 nominees! A job well done!

Tomato + Peach Panzanella

I love how the foods we eat, or should eat, follow a cycle. It's a continuum and it's so lovely to eat in a way that follows that continuum. For example, peaches and tomatoes, when they first reach our farmers markets , they have a certain taste. They're not as sweet and work well in certain dishes. But as the summer progresses and these fruits get sweeter and sweeter they become more suitable for other dishes. I also love how this blog will follow a continuum, preparing foods that follow the seasons and piggy back each other from week to week. 

Last week, I cooked up a grilled balsamic chicken with peaches and sorrel on toasted ciabatta. This week, I'm taking a little bit of that ciabatta that is nice and crunchy with a a leftover peach that's almost about to be tossed and throwing it into a panzanella or tuscan bread salad. I also like this dish because it serves as a great side to roast chicken, pork chops, or even hamburgers off the grill. It's also a perfect go-to dish if you're cooking for 1. I've made this recipe for 1 serving, but you can obviously double it or do whatever you'd like. 

Tomato + Peach Panzanella

servings :1       total time : 15 minutes

• 1/2 Watsonia Peach, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup cubed day old H&F bread
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 TBS balsamic vinegar
• 2 TBS Basil, finely chopped and divided
• 1 tsp scallions, finely chopped
• salt + pepper to taste

1. Put chopped bread, tomatoes, and peaches in a small mixing bowl. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients until everything is well coated.
2. At this point you serve as is, garnishing with remaining basil and scallions. OR
3. Heat 1 more TBS of olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Once it's hot, place salad ingredients in pan and quickly sauté for about 2-3 minutes. This allows the juices to come out and really soak the bead and who doesn't love a juicy salad?! Garnish with basil and scallions*.

* Some other ingredients that are awesome in a panzanella along with the tomatoes and bread are onions, capers, burrata cheese or goat cheese, watermelon, uncooked greens, olives, cucumbers, mint, peppers, etc. The list is endless. It's such a fun, creative salad. And it's great to do with kids since it doesn't require heat. 

Cheers to a new week, and we hope to see you at the Markets and in the kitchen!! 

A Peachy Keen Sandwich for CFM

Here is the first recipe for CFM's food blog titled Eat your Veggies. I'll be posting it here, but you can also check the post out every monday here! 

With Summer creeping towards its final days, that means our beloved Summer produce is nearing its last few moments in the sun (literally). So, as a gesture of love and respect to our favorite Summer heroes that will soon be going away, I did a recipe + meal incorporating most of my summer favorites: peaches, more peaches, and tomatoes. 

Since this is our first recipe together, I decided to take it nice and slow.  I thought it wise to ease into the trickier dishes later and for now just use the amazing flavors that are flooding the markets right now.  I always love discovering different ways of preparing and serving the foods I  cook or consume regularly. Peaches, which are generally consumed just as the sweet little things they are, do wonders in savory salads and meat dishes. I also figured it's quite valuable to use this forum as a place to post meals and ideas that can be done in as little as 15 minutes... meals that can be served as a weekday lunch item or a Sunday night dinner. This is definitely one of those dishes; it's not just a typical boring sandwich.  This dish is very versatile in that you could substitute  ham for chicken, apples for the peaches, and spinach for the sorrel (bonus: also all items you can find at the Community Farmer's Markets!!). So, here lies the recipe for a grilled balsamic chicken, peach, and sorrel ciabatta sandwich. I served this sandwich for dinner with a balsamic cherry tomato salad with goat cheese and basil and it was perfect. It was filling, healthy, and tasty! 

Grilled balsamic Chicken, Peach, + Sorrel Ciabatta Sandwiches

Servings: 4  Time: 15 minutes

4 Mini H&F Bread Ciabatta Rolls 

3-4 Pearson Farm Peaches, thinly sliced

1 bag Freewheel Farm Sorrel, washed and loosely chopped

2 baked or grilled chicken breast, shredded  (*time saver: on Sundays, I roast a whole ... chicken and use different pieces throughout the week)

1 4 oz Decimal Place Farm Goat Cheese

1/4 Cup Mayonaise (optional)

1/4 cup Dijon Mustard (optional)

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Salt + Pepper (to taste)

1. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add shredded chicken, 1/4 cup balsamic, and salt and pepper and sauté until chicken is hot and coated. 

2. Toast Ciabatta and slice in half.

3. Prepare bread how you like with mayo + mustard or olive oil, etc. Layer peaches, sorrel, and crumbled goat cheese. Top with chicken, close the sandwich, and enjoy! Here you can eat as is or out it back on the skillet and grill it for a couple minutes on each side. 

Going There and Doing That

I was looking through my old photographs from my Go That Do There days (I spent 6 months in a van with my best friend traveling the country working on farms in 23 states), and it is so crazy to see how far I've come taking photos. I used that 6 month period of traveling to really learn photography and take photos of literally EVERYTHING. I wouldn't take just 1 shot, I took 20 of the same thing working all the different angles to figure out how it all worked. Looking back on these images, I remember how passionate I was about getting these shots and figuring out how the camera worked shooting with both a Nikon DSLR and my Canon A1. Looking back I remember why I love photography so much, It's such a valuable way to document life, people, and everything in between. These images I have, whether they are good or bad, spark so many great memories and I'm so lucky to have them... even if I have like 30 shots of the same thing. 

I took this photo at the Ventura, California farmer's market. The town is insanely beautiful and full of awesome hippies. We worked at a non profit after-school program called Art Barn. I will never forget that place... 

And these were some of the shots leading up to the one I love:

Happy Saturday, y'all!

Charleston Eats

So, we go to Charleston a lot. We've especially gone a lot in 2014. This trip was very special, though. We went for the sole purpose of celebrating my twin brother's nuptials to the perfect girl. Not thinking we would have a lot of time to explore and eat, we were surprised that this trip allotted way more time than expected to try some new Charleston eateries. And they were ALL AWESOME.  (please excuse that these are all iphone images. i made the choice to not touch camera this trip, and it was a needed break). 

First up, and not in Charleston, is The Willcox in Aiken, South Carolina. You might be saying, who gives a shit about Aiken, South Carolina, but by doing that you are depriving yourself of quite an experience. The road to Charleston from Atlanta seems especially long. There are basically 3 parts: Atlanta to Augusta (which feels like forever), Augusta to Columbia, and Columbia to Charleston. It is crucial to make a pitstop somewhere in there or you'll go mad. Or maybe that's just me. 

Normally, we stop in Columbia, but this time we headed to Aiken. A very old town first developed in the early 1800's, Aiken was the place where northerners came to vacation. More specifically, it was a place for the rich to bring and ride their horses. Driving through downtown, you can see that there still influence in area and The Willcox is a screaming example. Consistently named by Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler as one of the world's best small hotels, the Willcox screams Gilded Age and high society. I love it. 

The food was good, but not spectacular. (The chewy and not so tasty lamb belly was quite confusing for us). It was the atmosphere that I loved. The high society of Aiken pulling a chair up to the old bar, sippin' on G+T's, and chatting about nothing in particular in thick thick southern accents with a classical pianist playing in the background. AWESOME. 

Arriving in Charleston, we ate at our favorite; The Ordinary. Our previous 2 visits, we've only had enough money for the raw bar and cocktails, but this time Brian paid (thanks Brian), so we splurged. We ordered oysters, the heirloom tomato salad, and the grouper. And y'all, the grouper blew our minds. Holy moly. If you find yourself in Charleston, EAT AT THE ORDINARY!!

We tried Ted's Butcherblock which was the perfect lunch spot. Specializing in housemade charcuterie, it is what I'm hoping the Spotted Trotter will become here in Atlanta. The meats are awesome, and they have a full shop including meats, cheeses, wines, and prepared sides. Also,  they apparently have a bacon of the month club... um, yes please!  

On to breakfast. It's not my favorite meal of the day but it's probably the most important. The Early Bird Diner hits the spot. If you're there on a weekend, it might be tough as the line curls out the door into the streets, and the food truly merits that. But I am impatient and would never wait in a line like that, so thankfully, we went on a Wednesday. Although it was still crowded, we got in and out and fed well. Their Corn Cakes Benedict was pure delight. 

Probably the most unexpected eating victory of the weekend was Dave's Seafood. Located on a random corner with bars on it's doors, Dave's doesn't scream "come on in." Once you're in though, you want to be in. We ordered the Seafood Platter which is all fried, all locally fished by Dave and friends, and served in a classy styrofoam container. We took our platter, bought some bottled coke, and enjoyed our dinner as the sun was setting in Marion Square. I don't think life could've been any better at that moment. 

Found totally by chance, but I totally recommend, we stopped in Bakehouse on Bay St. I ordered the Orange Creamsicle Smoothie and my mind was blown. If you're walking around, this is the perfect place to stop for a reprieve from heat and fatigue and suck down a little orange dreamsicle nostalgia.

And to round it all out is our hangover meal of choice on the return home: greasy hamburgers at Rockaway Athletic Club in Columbia South Carolina. The wedding was a success, meaning we drank, we danced, we partied, and we were therefore hungover. So, it was crucial on the ride back to Atlanta to stop somewhere worthy of that hangover. And although they sold Pepsi (WTF), the burgers hit the spot and gave us the right amount of energy to make it home. 

Some other awesome places to try if you're in Charleston: Rarebit for lunch (and a moscow mule) and Dixie Supply for breakfast. 

Gah, I love eating in the south, and I just can't wait for my next trip!

Wide Angle Yoga

I've lived in Atlanta for quite awhile now and it has taken me way to long to find the perfect yoga studio. It is difficult though, between high prices, too few classes, or classes that are too crowded, it can be hard to find a class that makes you stick to it. 

Thankfully, I found Wide Angle Yoga, or WAY. Owned and operated by Deb Williams, her classes are PERFECT. If you're looking for something challenging, but also want the one on one help without the cost, this is your class. Her schedule is awesome and she even offers individual classes that fit your schedule. Also, if you're looking for an instructor to come to where you are whether it's a work yoga class or a bridal yoga class or just a private in home class, Deb is your woman. Check out her site for her class times and more information, and when you do, make sure to reference this site !

A Dinner with Sean O'Keefe

So, here's the situation: You want to throw a party. You have the most perfect group of people assembled. You have a perfect vision of how the evening can and will play out. But, problem! Where on earth will this perfect evening take place? A restaurant? No, that's not personal enough. Your house? The cleanup is enough to say NO WAY! Catering? Too much hassle and oftentimes way too expensive. 

Thankfully for you, I have the perfect answer to this little dilemma. Why not set up your next private event under a fig tree in a beautiful garden with wine, candles, incredible florals, and a personalized 3 course menu? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it's not, and the opportunity is right at your fingertips thanks to the one and only Sean O'Keefe. 

Sean and his staff go to great lengths to ensure that your private event suits what your looking for so that you and your guests can have the best event possible. Whether it's a dietary restriction or just a preference, Sean makes sure that your evening runs smoothly leaving all the fun up to you. It's kind of the greatest thing ever, right? 

So, head over to Sean O'Keefe Events and start planning your next private dinner with Sean O'Keefe! For obvious reasons, the set up is perfect for Summer, Fall, and late Spring events, so book today.

first look: Southbound Atlanta

Southbound has just recently opened and it's pretty darn beautiful. I was happily sent by Zagat to photograph the space and the people making it happen.

Repurposing most of the historical building themselves, owners Dennis Lange + Mike Plummer spared no expense to make the place authentic and cozy. One of my favorite chefs, Mihoko Obunai, along with Ryan J. Smith are running the kitchen and creating a very authentic southern menu "paying homage to southern heritae through seasonal table bounty." 

The few dishes I did get to taste, including the Southbound Hot Chicken and the Smoked Short Ribs, as well as a sampling of Mihoko's carrot ginger soup and the Blackened Grouper BLT.

The housemade grilled pineapple soda and Charles Gilbert's cocktail menu is sure to be awesome. I'm looking forward to going back and trying it all! 

Summer Time

Summer, I love Summer. Life is good in the Summer. Life is especially good in the summer when your friends invite you to the lake and you get to spend a long weekend on the boat, drinking beer, eating BBQ, and spending time with the best people. 

If you're looking for a fun weekend away from Atlanta, head to Lake Oconee. I think it's the most convenient and most relaxed spot outside of Atlanta.

If you do head that way and are interested in some good eats, check out Kelly's BBQ outside of Covington and the famous Blue Willow Inn. Kelly's is a little off the beaten path, but it was the perfect way to start the lake weekend. And the Blue Willow Inn was the perfect way to end it stacking our plates with a good ole fashioned southern buffet.

What does your favorite Summer weekend look like?

THE Sean O'Keefe Culinary Experience

I am of the opinion that we are at a very interesting point on our human timeline. Generations will look back on this time in history and have lots of interesting things to say. We've experienced a dependence on technology like never before. Whether or not you call it "global warming" or "climate change," we are experiencing a big change in global temperatures and a push to look at the way we use our world's resources. Looking at more personal actions, people of this generation are the first to grow up not really knowing how to grow and cook their own food. I realize this does not go for everyone, but I think we can agree that since the 1950's and the rise of prepared and packaged foods, there has been a noticeable decline in people cooking for themselves.  We are becoming more and more dependent on outside sources instead of relying on certain skills that (in my opinion) we inherently posses.

Enter Sean O'Keefe. Yes, he is an amazing event designer and coordinator, but he is first and foremost a chef with some pretty brilliant ideas in the kitchen. Having the background in food that I do, it was great to photograph one of his most recent classes and definitely learn a few tips along the way.  

If you're looking to beef up your knowledge in the kitchen, look no further than Sean O'Keefe. His classes range from the basics to more involved and no matter which class it is, you will 100% walk away feeling a little more confident in the kitchen. 

For this particular Sunday afternoon class, Sean instructed 6 folks through 6 different recipes, pairing each course with a new wine. Using a lot of the ingredients from his own garden and composting a lot of the waste, Sean keeps the classes environmentally friendly as well. From stuffed portobello mushrooms to oysters to quiche to cherry + goat cheese empanadas, it really was a delicious afternoon! 

Check out Sean O'Keefe Events and contact Sean to do a private class with your friends and family. He's offering special classes throughout the summer, so don't miss out! 

first look: Painted Pin Atlanta

Painted Pin opened a few weeks ago in Buckhead. I got to stop by and take a few photos for Zagat. It was great to catch up with owner and fellow Woodward classmate Justin... It's nice to see people doing interesting things here in Atlanta! Stop by and bowl a few rounds and make sure to get a badass cocktail from Trip Sandifer! 

Check out full write up HERE! 

a Many Fold Farm visit

Recently, I've had the extreme pleasure of visiting Many Fold Farm on not one, but two occasions. The first trip was total happenstance after following a sign marked "farm" while wandering around Serenbe and it's neighboring parts. The second visit was for their farm open house and it truly was a blast. Free beer, great music, CHEESE SAMPLES, and the MOST informative farm tour I've ever been on. 

After visiting, I'm in awe of the passion, knowledge, and drive that owners Ross + Rebecca as well as their amazing staff possess. They're long term plan of becoming a completely sustainable operation from the grass to their flocks is spot on and so AWESOME. Their knowledge comes from their passion and vice versa.  From the herding dogs to the chickens to the sheep to the actual cheese it was so neat to walk around and hear all that goes into making their amazing products. 

So if you find yourself wandering near Chattahoochee Hills, stop by their farm store, buy some cheese, and consider taking a tour of their setup. I guarantee you'll learn something and walk away with one of the best local (to Georgia) products. 

*I finally got to try the Brebis for a cheesecake and it was SUPERB. I will never use cream cheese again. *

*also, make sure to stay tuned to this... hopefully, there was enough of an outcry against it, but certain food laws designed at keeping food "safe" are ridiculous. this proposed FDA rule takes the cheese right now.*

Cabbagetown Mulberry Pie

For me, summer time means pie time. For others, it means cobbler time, and although I enjoy a good cobbler every now and again, I am way more into pie. (I do love Cobbler, I just reserve it for Spring or Fall, think Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, Apple Cobbler, etc...).

First off, there are very few things that I hold on higher esteem than flaky pie crust. Maybe, I would have to put puppies + kittens before flaky pie crust, but when it comes to food, tender flaky pie crust just out of the oven is one magical little thing. Now combine that flaky buttery crust with your favorite juicy summer berry. Blueberry? Strawberry? Blackberry? What about Mulberry? Now hold onto your brains... what about a combination of all the berries?! done and done. 

Mulberry's only came into my realm of knowledge a few years ago when our local foragers, Concrete Jungle, introduced me to their omnipresence here in Cabbagetown. Last year, I thought they were terrible, but this year I went out picking and was delighted to find that they were badass. Much sweeter than years past, which I assume is because we've had a much more consistent rainfall and temperature pattern this season, I picked and picked till I had enough cups to fill a 9 inch pie (about 7-8 cups). 

I prepped my buttermilk pie crust, which was a nice change, but not enough to switch from the standard flaky dough. I washed my mulberries, tossed them with sugar, lime zest, and lime juice and then allowed them to macerate for about 30 minutes. 

Buttermilk PIe Crust

8oz. cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)

12oz. cups all purpose flour (2.5 cups)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2-2/3 cup cold buttermilk (6-7oz.) depending on how your dough is coming together

1. cut butter into 1 inch uniform pieces and put in the freezer for 5 minutes. place measured buttermilk into the fridge to keep cold. sift flour and salt into a bowl and mix well. 

2. i like to cut into my butter on a cold surface, not in a bowl. so i lay out the butter on my marble countertop, pour the flour/salt mix on top and cut using a pastry cutter till my pieces of butter resemble pea size pieces. (*a food processor will work (it's about 6 pulses) and cutting it in a bowl works just fine). once the butter and flour start to look nice and course, make a well in the middle of the dough, and slowly pour the buttermilk into the center. use a bench scraper and slowly start to bring the dough together into a shaggy ball. you might need more or less buttermilk than required. once it come together in a ball, divide into 2 discs and wrap in parchment or plastic wrap placing them in fridge for 1 hour. 

3. after an hour, take the dough out and sprinkle you surface with plenty of flour. roll out bottom piece and lay into pan snipping the edges (it'll be about a 11-12 inch circle). pour the mulberry mix into the bottom and place in fridge. take the other ball and either roll like the first for a plain cover or get a little saucy and roll for lattice work. I like the Kitchn's how-to on lattice work. top your pie. I like to slip in a few dots of butter through the top then brush with egg wash and turbinado sugar. 

4. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes till the crust is nice and golden and the berries are bubbling. 

We enjoyed our slices of pie with old friends on Lake Oconee alongside a scoop of fresh strawberry ice cream made by my life long best friend's mom. The pairing of the strawberry ice cream was pretty perfect because it made up for some of the sweetness that the mulberries just don't have. If I had to do over again, I would add blueberries or strawberries to it to give it a more versatile flavor. But we ate it with guests who remember mulberry pie growing up in the south as it was a fruit you could forage the crap out of. So I guess it all worked out ok.

Being the awesome photographer that I am, I ended up deleting all of my "eating the pie" pics so you'll just have to take my word that it was juicy and awesome. 

So what's your favorite kind of pie?