Interrupting your regularly scheduled posting ...
I am staring at the cursor blinking away on my screen as I am trying to piece my thoughts together. I had plans for this post … I wanted to wrap up my Christmas 2012 selection with a stunner of a soup. Then Friday happened and I am not sure how I want to go forth.
Do I continue to post as I usually do?
Do I not post at all?
Do I share my thoughts, my pain, my worries?
Do I stay silent?
The Christmas verve is in full swing here in Weimar. To add to the spirit it has been snowing for the past 2 days covering Weimar in a blanket of soft, powder-white, pureness, making the city look postcard perfect. The annual Christmas market in the center of town has been spreading joys of spiced glühwein, roasted chestnuts, sticky cotton candy, fresh stollen or warm quark doughnuts, making it irresistible to walk through the cobbled streets without stopping and sampling a cupful here, a portion there or a morsel around the corner.
How much kitsch is allowed at Christmas? As I walked past the stalls of the Christmas market this weekend, I felt a surge of happiness as I saw the plethora of flashy ornaments and gaudy adornments. It seems Christmas is the season where anything goes and everything is allowed.
Tinsel, baubles, lametta, ribbons, fake snow, dancing Santa Claus, snow in cans - and we’re just getting started. I could not help filling my basket with a bit of each.
I disliked it the first time, finding it tedious and struggled my way through it for most of my school years. I had to work hard at it. For someone who had a sharp perception in every other area, I was not used to this kind of struggle. Had I known I’d have to go through it a second time I would have paid more attention the first time round. Fact is that I was so happy to skim through it, I never bothered looking back … or forward.
An exchange of ideas, thoughts and emails, soon we were in the midst of comparing our calendars in search of free dates. The rest came so easy. As Sumayya Jamil from the famed niche blog Pukka Paki and I put our heads together great things began to flow and it was hard to stop them. I shared my concept with Sumayya about creating a slightly different workshop series I am planning to execute next year and she put her faith in me and my idea, joining me for the first in this series.
Before we knew it we had chiseled out a fantastic schedule, booked the perfect venue and planned a luscious menu for what I hope will be an amazing 2 day Supperclub | Food Styling and Photography Workshop in London, UK.
The idea is to create a full food experience for the people who attend this workshop. Broken down it’s a food styling/photography workshop, where you will learn all the elements you need to hone your skills in food photography and learning how to find your way through the jungle of food styling to create the perfect set-up. Moreover, I am thrilled to have our special guest Jeanne Horak-Druiff, who will be teaching an extensive session on restaurant and low-light photography we will address the needs of bloggers and reviewers who need to polish their skills in taking photos in busy restaurants and with nasty lighting. There will be many practical exercises, a lot of theory and an on-location shoot. Sumayya will take our participants on a divine culinary tour, where you will not only learn different cooking techniques used in the Indian/Pakistani kitchens and create some mouth-watering dishes, but you will also indulge in an array tantalizing South-Asian street food.
How does all this sound? If I have enticed you some here are the details of what we will cover, what the course costs are and where you can register.
Workshop Details
Dates to diarize: February 15th-16th, 2013
Location: Central Street Cookery School, 90 Central Street, London EC1V 8AJ
Website: http://www.centralstreet.org/Preliminary Programme
Day one - Friday 15th February 2013
- Meet & Greet Brunch - prepared by Sumayya
A feast for the senses - Sweet, Spicy Sub-Continental Brunch:
This menu is based on Pakistani brunch-style, with Sumayya's contemporary twists along the way. Usually always a mixture of sweet, sour, hot and many different textures, flavors and aromas, this is a beautiful celebration of South Asian spicy sweet breakfasts!- Photography Fundamentals by Meeta
Mastering the camera, natural light techniques, focusing, learning the techniques etc.- Styling Fundamentals by Meeta
Composition and placement, creating a mood/atmosphere, the right props, color, texture etc.- Free-Style Photography Exercises
Short exercises to warm you up- Evaluation and presentation of exercises
Constructive feedback, discussion and critique on exercises- Restaurant photography by Jeanne Horak-Druiff
- Pushing Photoshop by Jeanne Horak-Druiff
Post-processing your low-light images- Gastropub Photo shoot
On location photo shoot to practice taking shots in a restaurant atmosphere and in low light conditions.- Dinner at Gastropub
Day two - Saturday 16th February 2013
- Enlightening yourself with Lightroom by Meeta
Workflow, post-processing, watermarking, tagging- Styling demo with Meeta
- Styling session for assignment with group
- Cooking session and demo with Sumayya
This will include different quick techniques of
Tempering - using hot oil/ghee to top temper a street style lentil dish with dried chillis, cumin, garlic topped with fresh coriander and ginger
Paratha bread making - making ghee flat breads on a flat pan and rolling them out
Deep frying street snacks - dipping vegetables in spicy chickpea batter, frying and serving quickly topped with spicy chaat masala and lemon- Lunch prepared by Sumayya
A walk through a South Asian-style food Street - based on a street style Pakistani / Indian menu, will include kebab rolls, tarka daal, pakoras, bun kebabs, chaat and sweet samosas- Intensive work on assignment
- Evaluation, discussion & critique on assignment
Constructive feedback, discussion and critique on assignment- Finale Cocktails by Sumayya
Be surprised by Sumayya’s luscious cocktail creations like Anartini, Imlitini and more.Ticket includes:
Does NOT include:
- 2 day food styling, photography and cooking sessions with Sumayya, Meeta and Jeanne
- Friday: Meet & Greet Brunch, Dinner at Gastropub
Saturday: Lunch, Cocktails- Snacks and beverages during the workshop
- Travel costs
- Accommodation
Registrations can be made using the registration form and are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis
Limited to max 12 participants
See you in London!
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
After my return from Dubai I was thinking of taking a few days out before jumping into the familiar high powered routine I usually have. We arrived just in time for a bank holiday in the middle of the week and there was nothing standing in the way of a few extra days of tranquility and lounging around the house recuperating from the intense eight days in Dubai. I was not tired nor did I feel drained, on the contrary I was full of energy and motivated, raring to shift into sixth gear and zoom ahead.
“Militante!” shouted Giorgio punching the air with his fist and grinning at us as he turned around and walked back into the cool air-conditioned Ronda Locatelli leaving us feeling exhilarated, ready to take on the world. Giorgio Locatelli is a man of great passion and it is easy to become infected by his passion as he shares his love of good Italian food with many stories of his childhood.
The surprise Sally and I had arranged for the participants of the Dubai Food Styling and Photography workshop was a full on success. Meeting Giorgio Locatelli was a well deserved treat that happened later on the first day after a packed few hours of photography and styling techniques and theory. Sally and I had organized our second food styling and photography workshop in Dubai, this time at the gorgeous venue of Miele’s lovely gallery.
It was just about a year ago that I was frantically packing my suitcases, mentally reciting a few lines from my presentation and packing my camera equipment, heading towards Florence. I always love traveling to Italy as it’s a country I feel attached to - its rich culture, the atmosphere, the people and the food, all entice me and inspire me on many levels. Traveling to Florence this time was special however, as I was going to be joined by 3 dear friends and 12 new faces. What I did not know however I was going to come away with many new friends and cherish the old ones more.
Strawberries, raspberries and cherries lie scattered on the countertop in the kitchen. The fresh asparagus glistening vibrant green in the sink waiting to be turned into a pesto. I consult my recipe and style sheet to make sure I have everything ready. The temperatures are mild outside, in my flip flops I take a step out on the porch, inhaling the clean and fresh air - it smelled just like it does in early Spring.
What comes to mind when you think of American cuisine? Is there even such a thing as an American food culture? Be honest now, how many of you thought instantly of hamburgers, s’mores, doughnuts or corn dogs? Or did you laugh scornfully and think microwave dinners and fast food?
I’ve always wondered why the thought of American food raises so many eyebrows and why it seems to have such a bad reputation around the world.
The aromas of burning charcoal, a mélange of spices and the trail of sizzling meat hanging in the air are, for me, the telltale signs of seasons turning and summer is just around the corner. Each year, as Spring days begin to warm up, I impatiently await the piquant fragrance to fill the neighborhood. I am not alone, I soon realize, as the neighboring gardens become a hive of industrious activity. The barbecues are brought out of hibernation and rubbed clean for another season filled with succulent marinated meats, sausages and vegetables.
At this time of the year however, when the summer warmth dwindles into a crisp, cool Autumn morning and the days begin to get shorter I see those barbecues, which dutifully and laboriously entertained us throughout a summer of friends, family and relaxing evenings, being packed and banished at the back of the shed.
Sometimes there are things that work so well that they just have to be repeated. Like Sally Prosser and me - we really harmonize and complement each other so well. After organizing and carrying through the Atlantis Food Photography and Styling Workshop in April this year, we just knew we had to do this again.
How did this happen? And how come it happened so soon? And am I really ready? Do I have a choice?
These were just a few of the many questions I silently turned in my head, thoughts whirling around causing a commotion. I knew however, that the time had come to let go of his hand a little more. We were entering a new phase: the Junior High School Phase.
Currywurst is to Germany as pizza is to Italy, hot dogs are to America and fish and chips are to Great Britain. But only a few have their own museum. The glorious currywurst is Germany’s traditional modest snack of sliced pork sausages drenched in a tangy curry-tomato sauce and boasts of its own sausage shrine.
That’s the way we roll in the summer. Enjoying long lazy days, taking in all that nature offers and spending a lot of time outdoors. It’s been a good summer and I’ve just returned from a most exhilarating, stunning and relaxing vacation. A road trip that took us to 3 destinations through 5 countries and I am dying to tell you about it. And I will as soon as I have decompressed and shifted through the hundreds of photos.
Stockholm has been one of those capitals I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m infatuated with the Nordic countries. Denmark’s capital charmed me, while the Norwegian capital Oslo stole my heart. So, when Tom started working on his project in Stockholm last year I was ecstatic, promptly buying books and magazines. I imagined flying up with Soeren to visit Tom on a regular basis and discovering Stockholm from a different side.
Could these possibly be the last of the strawberries for the year?
It seems not too long ago that we were just getting excited about the start of the strawberry season. Spending quite a few days at our pick-your-own strawberry farm on the way home from work and school became customary.
“Do you still get nervous?” Julia asked me a few minutes before we were to start with our presentations. I smiled and answered “Yes!” That never changes - it’s like stage fright and no matter how often I have given workshops for food photography and styling there’s always a slight sense of anxiety when the room starts filling up with a new set of participants.
Mum used to tell me that when someone leaves our world, their souls touch the sky and they become stars shining bright. At the same time when a shooting star fires across our skies, it carries a precious new soul ready to enter our world. Over the years I hung on to this tale and even today I put my belief in the stars above.
. . . . What I did not realize is that I’ve been doing it for over six years! The traditional way to go about this would be to sit down and write a proposal, with the goal to write a book, which eventually would be published. Instead, I blogged—for six years non-stop, covering many stories, thoughts, memories and almost always sharing a recipe’s creation.
Barbara Harris was a strong and very loved member of the food blogging community. She will be sorely missed and I cannot help but feel that there will be a gap in the community which cannot be filled. The few hours I spent in the poppy fields thinking about Barbara, I was wondering about how one could honor such a person.
A person who lived life vivaciously even though it was not all easy going. She was there for everyone with a cheerful tweet, a thoughtful comment or a touching email. She loved the blogging community so much and for many became a pillar to lean on.
It was Barbara who created the Hay Hay It’s Donna Hay event that has become so popular and it was Barbara who supported the Lance Armstrong Foundation and LiveSTRONG Day with a passion, creating Taste of Yellow for the food blogging community to show their own support for cancer. Cancer was the reason she started her blog and she boldly fought the battle against it all these years.
I met her through A Taste of Yellow in 2007 where I heard of the event and the courageous, brassy lady behind it. I submitted my humble Sauce Hollandaise and ever since then have been a part of Taste of Yellow and Barbara has been a part of my life since then.
It seems therefore appropriate to me that we remember her with an event that was so dear and close to her. It’s fitting to get the food blogging community together to share their memories, thoughts and stories about Barbara in one more A Taste of Yellow - but this ray of yellow is for Barbara.
When Gillian emailed me on Thursday sharing her thoughts on Barbara, her ideas were along the same lines. It was all decided quickly and I did not have to twist my dearest Jeanne’s arm, who is the current hostess of the July Monthly Mingle. She loved the idea and here we are … doing a very special mingle just for you Barbara.
Cin cin!
I’ll allow Barbara to explain how A Taste of Yellow works:
“I'm asking all bloggers to participate in the blog event A TASTE OF YELLOW by making a dish containing some type of yellow food. This can be anything you like as long it features a yellow food. Some ideas to get you started are lemon, banana, saffron, corn, eggs, cheese.”´
Barbara Harris from A Taste of Yellow, April 13, 2007
If you would like to enter A Taste of Yellow Monthly Mingle please head on over to Jeanne’s blog, Cook Sister! for further details on how you can submit your entry. The roundup will go up on August 11th, 2012 so you have plenty of time to join.
Let’s paint the food blogs yellow this July for Barbara! Hope to see you there!
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2012 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
Earlier this week I learned that a very dear, cherished friend and food blogger, Barbara Harris passed away.
Dearest Barbara,
There is a new star in the sky. May you shine brighter than all of them! You were truly cherished & loved by many in our food blogging community. Filled with grace and dignity you just rocked! Rest in peace, dearest Barbara!
xoxo
I was rather shaken by the news and took some time out to simply reassess and sort my thoughts. I spent a day on some fields taking in the beauty of these poppies.
Life is so precious and we need to take more than just a moment to indulge in it. Friends, family and life - in honor of a strong and vivacious person who lived her life to the fullest. Thank you for being such a inspiration to so many of us, Barbara.
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2012 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
When it comes to food I’ve always believed that the word “diet” just does not belong in the same category. It sticks out like a sore thumb! I dislike seeing the word “diet”, “light” or “meal replacement” labeled on anything at the supermarket and take a big detour around these products. I love my butter, my bacon, my pasta and bring on the chocolate!
She was always very meticulous and precise in the kitchen, never a hint of chaos or hectic surrounding her. The perfect hostess at the several dinner parties held at the apartment overlooking the bay. Depending on the time of the day the sea shimmered all shades of blue and green. I would often watch her looking out of the large windows far into the horizon. In the kitchen she always looked so peaceful and in her element.
Experts have told us over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and one should never skip it. The ancient proverb “Breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince and dine like a pauper” has more than a grain of truth in it.
I grew up in an Indian family traveling around the world. Living outside of India as kids a lot of our food habits were often influenced by the cuisine of the the country we were currently living in. What I distinctly remember however was, contrary to the proverb, we would dine in true royal Indian manner!
Does it ever become a routine when one does something often enough?
In some cases it might, yes, becoming a chore, perhaps. There are some things, however that no matter how often you repeat them, they still preserve the initial charm of the first time. And From Plate to Page certainly falls in the latter category.
“I feel old! Turning 44 has not been good on me.” I looked at my dear friend and smiled. She did not look 44. Her face glowed and the skin was smooth without the blemishes years tend to gather.
“Make sure you enjoy your 40th … after that it just does not go down well!” she warned me.
I looked at her, laughing nervously as she read my thoughts.
Time: here today, gone tomorrow. Trying to hold onto it is like trying to grasp sand in our fists, it creeps through our fingers leaving only traces of what was … once upon a time. But time creates memories allowing us to delve into moving emotions, sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet. While I cannot hold onto time, I can keep the cherished memories and thrive on the feelings time creates.
I complain of it sometimes but truth be told I am guilty of it too. Trying to be faster than the fast-paced life we are living in. A touch and go world in need of more information in 140 characters. Our lives are ruled by news tickers, coffee-on-the-go and internet shopping. Apps organize our day, keep us “in touch” and connected, while we are constantly on the move
Anything that will make us faster, better and achieve more - in what seems to be less time than we had before.
Read all about the workshop on my recap of the two days: Ettersburg Castle: A Regal Food Photography and Styling Workshop in Weimar
Are you interested in honing your skills? Join me at one of my workshops: Workshop Calendar.
Workshop Update and News: 02.05.2012
We are sold out!
But ... due to the awesome response for this workshop we are offering 4 additional places on the workshop. As guest speaker we have invited Holly Becker of Decor 8 to speak on Saturday morning. More details to Holly's talk can be found here. Registrations: We are now open for only 4 more places so make sure you register quickly. Register here.
Under the motto “Design & Composition,” I am collaborating with two skilled professionals to host a fantastic workshop here in Weimar. Earlier this year I teamed up with photographer Julia Julia Cawley and designer and cookbook author Lisa Nieschlag to style Lisa’s new cookbook, which will be published later this year. Now we are getting back together, coordinating our know-how to provide our participants the basis on how photographing, styling and designing a cookbook work in synergy.
Early morning fog rising over the Dubai Marina skyline - view from Nasimi Beach
Light. It is one the most important aspects of any kind of photography. Good or bad lighting can make or break any image. Light is what I love playing around with in my own photography. Taking shots from bright and crisp to moody and atmospheric is a challenge I really enjoy tackling.
So, when selecting a venue for the Dubai Food Photography and Styling workshop the only venue that matched all the requirements was Nasimi Beach at Atlantis, The Palm Dubai.
One of the most comforting aromas for me is the one of freshly baked bread emanating from the oven and filling the house with it’s sweet, yeasty perfumes. I live in Germany and have the most wonderful variety of fresh bread available from an abundance of several bakeries to choose from. I am spoilt for choice. The short distance I drive each day from home to work, which is about 4 kilometers, there are 6 bakeries, 2 of which offer organic bread and baked treats. Yes I am spoilt for choice.
“Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.” ~Ernestine Ulmer.
And if I may complement this piece of prudent wisdom “… start with a pavlova!” Because after you have tasted this true piece of heaven, whatever may come after that will just be consolation in the form of dessert.
While I wait for Spring to fully arrive at the markets I am satisfying the deep sweet cravings with chocolate … and coffee. It’s an intense but exquisite pairing that one can very easily get addicted to. Doesn’t addiction come is so many forms?
First, I want to say WOW! Thanks for all those incredible comments, wishes and feedback on my last post. I was so touched by your heartfelt thoughts. It just blew me away. I enjoyed reading them so much, smiling and tearing up all at the same time.
I hope you are in a party mood today. I am! And I have cake. It’s a special week for me as this space here - my blog - just turned 6. If we were to talk blog years that would be something like … 60. Back in February 2006 I had the ingenious idea of starting a blog.
Sometimes all it takes is a simple email. That email hits all the right buttons and it clicks. That’s what happened when I got an email from Lisa Nieschlag a little while back. Lisa is the cookbook author for the Anni Kocht series and she is currently working on her third book. For both the previous books she teamed up with Julia Cawley who photographed the recipes. In Lisa’s email to me she said that this time they wanted to work with someone who would style the dishes with them.
Looking for some repose from all the pink sparkly hearts and frilly red roses? Welcome to this space - a place where there are no cute frosted cupcakes or pink macarons nor will you find adorable red velvet desserts for two or pillowy puffs of pastel colored meringues. Instead, I give you a roasted chicken!
The icy grip of winter holds us firmly. Just as I was thinking we were going to get the mildest winter in years, things took a turn and we are now facing the coldest winter in decades. It totally amazes me how we are at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Do you know that feeling when you’ve been working on a project and cannot wait to present it to everyone? Well this is one of those times and one of those projects.
Last year Sally Prosser and I got together to discuss a Food Photography and Styling workshop in Dubai. Sally told me about the fantastic food blogger group in the Emirates and I was really looking forward to meet them on my next visit. As we talked further we began plotting and planning - a workshop for the food bloggers interested in improving their skills in food photography and styling was in the making.
What can I say? We had a blast putting it together and I think we’ve done a pretty awesome job. We’ve put together a brilliant schedule in an absolutely stunning location - Nasimi Beach at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.
Excited too?
So, here are the details:
When: Tuesday 3rd and Wednesday 4th April
Where: Nasimi Beach, Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Your Instructor: Meeta K. Wolff
Your Host: Sally Prosser
Workshop Website
The workshop will be limited to only ten people so that each person receives the best
attention and guidance. The aim is to solve as many of your food photography and styling
problems as possible so you leave the workshop with the information and skills you need to create great food images. You'll be given the inspiration and the means to unleash your creativity allowing you to hone your skills. This workshop is ideally suited for food bloggers.
The course will cover basic and advanced food styling, presentation and photography from
choosing props to composition. Through comprehensive exercises, hands-on assignments,
a market visit and restaurant meals, I will address a variety of aspects of food
photography and styling. The hands-on approach means plenty of individual coaching and
one-to-one contact. All your questions can be answered, ideas can be shared and practical
experience gained in a relaxed, sociable environment.
Read through the full programme of the 2 day workshop over on the workshop page.
Nasimi Beach at the Atlantis, provides a gorgeous location to stimulate your imagination and creativity and a fun, relaxing environment for us to to get to know each other better. From a live cookery demonstration with the chef to sundowners on the palm-fringed beach, they’ll be two days of food and photography inspiration.
The workshop includes two days of intensive instruction on food photography and styling with me, lunch on both days, dinner on the first evening and all beverages throughout the sessions at the Atlantis and transport to and from the off-site assignment.
So if I have tempted you to join us for this workshop click on over to the workshop website and register. You’ll find all further details on how to register and the great programme we’ve put together for you.
See you at the Atlantis!
All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2012 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First
So what’s with bananas? I mean, is it on anyone’s list of favorite fruit? I’ve often wondered about this every time I walk past them stacked up in all their yellow glory in the supermarkets. They seem to sit there, waiting eagerly for shoppers to stop and pick up a bunch. On rare occasions do I see people actually picking them up and placing them in their carts.
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