Rosemary Truffle Chips

One of my favorite things about our new place is our kitchen.  It was the first room in the house that was anywhere close to being complete.  We didn't have a couch for a good week and a half, but you can be damn sure we had a fully stocked pantry and cabinets full of pans and mixing bowls.

I love cooking, and I get really excited about good food.  Last week, I had a delicious burger topped with duck confit, sautéed mushrooms, brie and an herb aoili that I haven't been able to shut up about.  Forget what's happening on Game of Thrones - I had an AMAZING burger last week!  (80/20 Burger Bar, Norfolk).

I made homemade burgers about two weeks ago and I accompanied them with these rosemary truffle chips which were highly addictive and ridiculously good.  Here's how I made them...

Spritzenhaus 33 | Brooklyn, New York

I was shooting with Jas on Saturday and, as we took a break during the cocktail hour and I stuffed my face with freshly rolled sushi (#reasonsilovemyjob), we started reminiscing about the old days.  More specifically, we were discussing how ambitious (read: insane) we once were with shooting weddings.  We used to shoot every weekend for months, often shooting several events in one weekend.  One time, we shot three weddings in three days.

Shooting a wedding is very physically demanding.  Or, at least, for those of us who generally tend to forget that we're a human being with physical limitations because we're so caught up in getting that sweeeeeet angle, then yes, it's hard on our bodies.  I don't know how I ever shot three weddings in three days and actually woke up from the week-long coma I slipped into afterwards.  Just kiddinggg... it was five days, tops.

There are a lot of photographers out there who shoot multiple weddings every weekend of the year - and some of them even turn out consistently beautiful work!  But for me, these days, I like to throw all of my energy and creativity into just one wedding on the weekends.  Last year, if I had a free day after a wedding, I could almost guarantee that I was laid out on my couch in a catatonic daze, computer precariously balanced on my lap next to my dog, who is so supportive of my laziness, by the way.  This year, I'm trying to break that habit and actually stay awake during the free portion of my weekends (have a life).

Sunday Funday developed accidentally after three Sundays in a row of staying in New York (whattt!)  and planning really fun activities with friends.  The first was spent hiking Breakneck Ridge (my fav Hudson Valley hike).  The next weekend, Nicole and I spent Sunday at the Inner Wall in New Paltz, where I released my inner twelve year old.  And yesterday, we relaxed with the physical activity already! in favor of drinking beers, eating thirty-six bavarian pretzels (thanks, Corbach!), and playing ULTIMATE Jenga at Spritzenhaus 33 in Greenpoint.  It was kind of really awesome and perfect and I was even more thrilled because BETSI showed up and I hadn't seen that girl in WAY too long.

Anyway, here are some photos I actually took, because hey! I take pictures of my life now too!  And here is a haphazard collection of notes and observations on said photos:

• Spritzenhaus has a ton of games of Jenga laying around and the Jenga pieces have all been written on by various patrons of the establishment, which I love.  Some of the messages are sweet, some are hilarious, some are potentially offensive and some are just really silly.  Below are some favorites.
• If you happen to stop by Spritzenhaus, you should get a bratwurst with curry ketchup on a pretzel bun and dedicate that meal to me, because I cannot pass up a good German meal.  It's just how I roll.
• Ultimate Jenga is when you stack two Jenga games together, making an extra tall tower that isn't particularly steady to begin with.
• I'm going to start incorporating the pose in the second to last photo into photo sessions and name it something like "the showcase" and I'll probably win loads of awards for it.  Thanks, B.
• Sometimes when I reallyyy laugh (last photo) my nose scrunches up.  This is a trait I've inherited from my Mom.  We also have identical feet and crooked smiles.  I find all of these qualities we share super fascinating and awesome.

the Roundhouse at Beacon Falls | Beacon, New York

 A few favorites from a shoot I did over at the Roundhouse at Beacon Falls.  They make some beautiful food, letmetellyou.

the Jewish Mother | Norfolk, Virginia

We decided to take a walk through Norfolk a few Sundays ago to find a brunch spot.  We were looking for something local, but after a good half hour walking in the freezing cold, our only requirement was a place that was open.  We were really fortunate to stumble upon the Jewish Mother.  Having passed it a few times before, I wouldn't have pegged it for a brunch spot. live music venue, yes.  bar, yes.  but brunch?  apparently, yes.

I was a happy girl because they didn't make me throw out my coffee, and my satisfaction with our choice only increased as they brought generous mimosas, fresh fruit, french toast, omelets and hash browns.  

Altamira | Hamburg, Germany

A Tuesday evening at Altamira in Hamburg is my idea of perfection.  A sunny atrium, a table covered in a variety of savory dishes, tasty spanish wines, house sangria and great company.  Katrina, Svenja, Moritz, Henni, Marco and I spent the evening stuffing ourselves full of tapas, drinking and laughing harder than I've laughed in a long time.  It was one of those evenings that made me sit back and smile - I'm so grateful for this life.  And I'm so happy to share evenings like this with such good people.

Katrina knocked over a chair on the way out.  Moritz helped, I documented.

Leaping Lizard | Virginia Beach, Virginia

"Fresh local fare from the farms of tidal Virginia."

- the Leaping Lizard

Guy Fieri was right, the place is kind of amazeballs - and I'm not just saying that because I made friends with the greeter chicken or because I happened to have the best of company or because our table was in pretty fantastic window light.  I say that because I am picky about chicken salad sandwiches and I wish that their's had been endless so that I could still be eating it as I type.  It was a damn good sandwich, and so very photogenic, wouldn't you say?  Also, that seafood gumbo went pretty fast.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, in the case of the guy sitting across from me), the waitress took it away before I had a chance to lick the bowl, but she distracted me with barbecue duck and that delicious chicken salad sandwich so she was an okay gal in my book.

Their mimosas weren't skimpy either, which I always appreciate.

favorite kids, meet favorite burger.

I have managed to get an exceptionally large percentage of my friends completely addicted to Poppy's burgers.  It's become common for friends and relatives to sigh across the miles that separate us, mid-phone chat, "I want Poppy's," they'll say.  To which I'll reply, "uh, ok, but can you finish the story you were in the middle of?"  As for the friends of mine who have yet to sample the Hudson Valley's best burger, they know what they're missing.  "When are we going to get this burger you're always talking about?!" they say, immediately upon seeing me.  "Hello," I say.  "Nice to see you as well.  What has it been, three months?"

If you haven't gone, go.  You won't be sorry.

My go to is the BBQ Bacon Burger with a side of fries.  If you have multiple people with you, get the sweet potato chips, too.  They're delicious.  

I tried a bite of the veggie burger on this trip too and I had the overwhelming desire to serenade it with the karaoke version of this song.

I know.  I'm weird.

Don't say I never taught them anything.

How great is that face?

Hamburg: Fischmarkt

Fischmarkt

Hamburg, Germany

June 2012

The Fischmarkt opens very early on Sunday morning - so early, in fact, that to a good percentage of it's customers, it's actually considered very late on Saturday night.  There's live music and beer and fresh produce from local farms and handmade goods and fish.  Lots of fish....

I like to travel by immersing myself into the local culture, and one of the best ways to do so is to be open to local cuisine.  Sometimes it's great (puff pancakes in the Netherlands - gahh!) and every now and then, it takes some convincing.  For years, I've been hearing about the Fischmarkt, and in every description, I was told that I had to - had to - get fischbrotchen.

"There's nothing better on a Sunday morning!" I was told.

So when everyone else ordered the raw vinegar-fish sandwich, I begrudging added another to the order.  

It can't be as bad as it looks, I thought.

You love sushi, I told myself.

Shut up and eat it.

So I did.

Never again.