Recent work from a test inspired by early summer produce at the greenmarket & how we would eat every day if we only had the time. Recipes include the new cali cool sandwich, a stone fruit rustic phyllo tart, charred squid with scallions cilantro delfino, and the simplest saffron pasta with feta and flowering cress salad.
We were lucky enough to shoot at Pure Space Studio in Manhattan.
Photographer: Dane Tashima
Food Stylist: Erika Joyce
Prop Stylist: Aja Coon
Beyond thrilled to share the most recent series from Skyler Smith and me. #BodegasALoveLetter has been in the works for quite some time now and I can't believe how proud I am of it. We decided to offer an exploratory view of bodegas and .99¢ stores and the myriad of products they offer us. #Bodegas are an essential part of life for everyone- not just New Yorkers. Whether you know them as convenience stores, delis, or variety stores, there's something familiar and systematic about each one.
Personally, there have been times in my life here in New York where my local bodega has filled the empty space of absent family members, sound-asleep friends, the couch in my therapist's office, and the inconveniently shuttered pharmacy that wouldn't open for hours. I've purchased so many items from my neighborhood bodegas it's hard to fathom my life without them. I'm blessed to live in a very special neighborhood in Brooklyn that is graced by the upper-echelon varieties of Bodegadom.
Craving freshly fried chicharon? A bodega three blocks away has it. Grass-jelly drink at 3am? Don't fret, 450 feet away. Bad vibes in my apartment? Palo santo, Lady Guadeloupe are just up the road! Need 10lbs of the best carnitas this side of Mexico? Yep, they got that too. Banh mis, ça phe sua da, rice rolls, Haw Flakes, sesame balls- I can keep going! Am I drunk? Like insanely drunk at 2am on a Saturday? Well, single serve advils for .25¢ a pop when I'm fresh out, cans of ice cold ginger ale, perfectly constructed BLTs and Sno-Balls just waiting at the top of the stairs of my N-train stop.
My life in New York changed about two years into living here. Instead of going out of my way to seek out exciting new trendy things, I learned that I love the comfort of my home, the conveniences of my wonderful neighborhood, and my friends at my bodegas. They'll tell me if I have a poppyseed lodged between my front teeth. They know exactly how I like my coffee. They'll throw in a banana when I look more tired than usual, they put extra love in my sandwiches, and most of all they're always good for a hello.
The humble bodega and variety store have made my life in New York feel like I'm back in that small city in Maine, but with all the conveniences and anonymity of a big city.
These images are the first installment in a long-term collaborative series with photographer Skyler Smith. We wanted to invoke feelings of an Americana luncheon/dinner party that the likes of Jim Jarmusch, Irving Penn, and the New York elite of the 80s might attend. A gathering that starts with simplistic glamor and ends with the sort of debauchery that unfortunately most contemporaries all too often avoid. We aimed for awkwardness and familiarity in all aspects, the sort of thing that would make you scratch your head in uncertainty; our dated table settings, our camera angles, our passê food choices. We depict dishes in their full and proper state followed by their alluring aftermath. Behold the beautiful mess.
This collection of images are all from travels all around the world. Noodles are a common language between people of all races.
As Momofuku And once said, "Peace will come to the world when the people have enough noodles to eat."
Food & Fashion don't often go hand in hand, but for this recent editorial shoot with Nylon Germany, I worked on creating and styling food that was both weird and exciting to the eye- especially when paired with incredible wardrobe and an austere set.
An up close and personal view of the simplest of ingredients can often be more enchanting than a completed dish. Tight shots offer a unique look at ingredients that the average eye wouldn't pick up on. From roasted veggies, silky sheets of pasta being rolled, to tropical fruits, this gallery is meant to highlight how interesting food can be leading up to the finished dish.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. These images are all inspired by perfect breakfasts, whether that be your greasy spoon eggs over easy with hashbrowns and bacon, luxurious spelt waffles dolloped with creme fraiche, or the ridiculously yolk-drenched sausage egg and cheese.
sucre et épice, c'est parfait.
Inspired by the freshness and simplicity of Turkish food, I was inspired to create this collection of images shot by Aaron Graubart highlighting the vibrancy, delicacy, and thoughtful preparation of traditional Turkish fare.
These images are from a test that I shot with Beth Flatley inspired by recent travels to Vietnam and Thailand. These are primary ingredients, tofu and wood ear mushrooms with perilla leading up to the finished dish, Đậu Hũ Nhồi Thịt Sốt Cà Chua, which is fried tofu stuffed with mushrooms. We played primarily with moody shadows and textures in food and props to achieve the images above.
Perhaps my favorite part of food is the gatherings that occur as a result. The moments spent at the table, over the season's best harvest, proper drinks and great company are always worth capturing. These moments show food, drink and people in the most raw and honest form. Messy linens, imperfect plates, and culacino.
