Almond Cake with Lemon and Crème Fraîche Glaze

Jessica Hicks from Astro Coffee, in Detroit, makes her tender lemon, rosemary almond cake (above) with skin-on ground almonds for texture and then drizzles smooth creme fraiche icing over the top, for the current (June) issue of Food and Wine Magazine, on newsstands now.

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I've been staring at this image now for weeks, and I never get tired of it.

This image, hangs on a wall, near the desk, where I have been freelancing this past month, at the offices of Food and Wine Magazine here in New York, where luckily I get to look, work, design with, and edit great images. I sometimes get to try and taste new products and upcoming recipes for the magazine, as well. Anything from the 6 new potato chips flavors just out from Tyrrell's, (My favorite was the Worcestershire Sauce and Sun Dried Tomato) or the top 12 supermarket BBQ sauces you can buy right now, (taste tested over roast chicken). We've also had the pleasure of having Danny Bowien, guest cook in the F & W kitchens the kind of food he'll be serving at his new NY restaurant, Mission Chinese Food, open right now in Chinatown.

This image above comes from the June Issue of Food and Wine magazine which is on newsstands now. Please run down to your local newsstand and purchase the issue! (a printed, smooth, glossy magazine, now—doesn't that feel more exciting in your hands than that grey, irritating electronic device?) It's a story about Detroit. And this cake is the Almond Cake with Lemon and Crème Fraîche Glaze. Jessica concedes there are two tricks to give this cake its rustic, nutty texture: She grinds whole, skin-on almonds herself instead of using almond flour, and she also adds a bit of polenta to the batter. I think this would be the perfect cake to make for a Summer BBQ.

To get the recipe, and to check out the new Food and Wine website, click here. To subscribe to Food and Wine magazine, click here.  

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MARCUS NILSSON STYLING BY ALISON ATTENBOROUGH

Salt-Baked Carrots and Beets

Chef Seamus Mullen, is the chef and owner of Tertulia, which has become my go-to place to feed my insatiable, endless, craving for Spanish food. They have authentic tapas, perfectly paired with peerless wine as well as crunchy, Pan con Tomate, (Grandaisy bread topped with fresh garlic and ripe tomatoes) as well as many other things. I dream, nightly, too, about the tosta matramonia, which is black and white anchovies, with slow roasted tomatoes, sheep's milk cheese and aged balsamic.

Chef Mullen has a new cookbook out, and it's at bookstores now. The inspiration, or initial foundation, of this new book is derived from his on going battle with Rheumatoid Arthritis, (Click here to read a wonderful NY Times article by Jeff Gordinier). And while the book is not intended to be cure-all, 'diet' book, per say, it is a personal journey that includes great recipes, that you can use, and also recipes that can provide him with relief from the physical pain he endures from this debilitating disease.

Photographer Colin Clark, a contributor to "Three to One", photographed the book, and his shots, look amazing. He tells me it was an incredible experience that took over a year to complete. They started shooting in Fall 2009, at Seamus' mother's farm in Vermont, where they, in true head-to-tail, farm-to-table fashion, butchered three lambs and cooked and ate every part of the animal. The next shoot was in May 2010, when they all went to Barcelona to shoot all of the Spanish and Winter sections. The rest was shot during Summer, in Long Island, (NY), except for the Spring section, which they shot on the roof of Seamus' New York city apartment, and then in Fall 2010 the book was finished!

Colin says that one of the most memorial days of shooting, was when they all traveled to a small town a few hours south of Madrid to an olive farm which produces all the olive oil that Seamus buys for his restaurant. It's called Valderrama. It's very high quality, small batch. They camped out there for a few days, and on their last day there, cranked out about 10 dishes in the borrowed kitchen of the olive farm restaurant. They packed up and drove out, heading back to Madrid, where they were flying home the next day. On the way back, driving north, from their car windows, they spied a crumbling old edifice on a hillside adorned with an old orchard of ancient olive trees. Olive trees hundreds of years old that have been essentially left untouched. They pulled off the road drove up this very steep dirt path, parked, and walked up onto the hillside and through the orchard, in quiet amazement of the beauty of the place. It was dusk, the sun was setting, the light was perfect. No one said a word. It was a moment that Colin, and no doubt Seamus, will never forget.

Seamus kindly agreed to part with a recipe from his new cookbook, just for my blog! (Thank you Seamus!) It's the Salt-baked Carrots and Beets, which Colin says despite the amount of salt used, doesn't taste salty, at all—more like a crunchy and supremely flavorful dish, almost the way food was intended to taste. Enjoy!

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SALT-BAKED CARROTS AND BEETS

From Seamus Mullen's book "Hero Food"

A Few years ago we were playing around in the kitchen with salt-crusted whole fish. We made all sorts of salt crusts, some with herbs, some with scraps of ham. Somewhere along the way we came up with the idea of cooking vegetables the same way. I remember having tried a dish in Spain, years ago, called papas arrugaduas, or "wrinkled potatoes," and I seem to recall the spuds were baked in the oven on a bed of salt. This recipe for many colored carrots and beets takes that idea and then does what I like to do—drops a bunch of flavor into the mix. The spices and herbs make these roots rock out. —Seamus Mullen.

1 pound of Kosher Salt Zest of Lemon 2 tablespoons of Pink Peppercorns 2 tablespoons of Black Peppercorns 2 branches fresh Rosemary 2 branches of fresh Thyme 1 bunch of small Carrots, trimmed 1 bunch small Beets, trimmed.

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. In a large roasting pan combine the kosher salt, lemon zest,  pink and black peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme and mix thoroughly. Add the carrots and beets and cover completely with salt.  Bake until the veggies are cooked through and tender, 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the vegetables. Once thoroughly cooked, remove from the oven and scrape off the skin using a dish towel or the back of a pairing knife. Serves 4 as a nice side dish.

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To get Seamus Mullen's new book Hero Food here.

Chef Seamus Mullen is the chef/owner of Tertulia,

to visit his restaurant, click here.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY COLIN CLARK To see his work, click here.

COLIN CLARK is a photographer who grew up on a dead-end dirt road in Southern Vermont. He picked up his first camera at the unbelievably tender age of 19, (or 20).  He is inspired by open spaces and mottled light. He loves to shoot pictures riding no-handed on his old Swedish tenspeed. 

Ex-Top Chef Ty-lör's New Dinner Series in New York (Asian BBQ!).

Ty-lör Boring has had trouble with his name and I know this, because my name is Dim and my whole life people have been teasing me because Dim means 'not very bright' and that's just the start of it. Most people think my name (Dimity Jones) sounds like a man's name, I've sat outside many an interview waiting room, as they scratch their heads, is that really Dimity Jones?

Ty-lör Boring, too, unlike his name, is also anything but boring. He's fun, animated, wicked smart, and he's no johnny-come-lately, either. He's been cooking in different spots, for the last nineteen years, in twenty, or so countries, and on 4 different continents, which has given him, amongst other things, the resources to pull flavors from an extensive travel resume and merge them into his current venture, a 'Pop Up' type restaurant called TBD, (TBD's is a rather tongue in cheek name, obviously meaning 'to be decided' a reference to the fact that he hasn't decided what to name his new future restaurant and a also a play off his name Ty-lor Boring's Dinners-TBD.)

Ty-lör's 'pop up' will consist of three consecutive dinners, held next week here, in New York City at a place called City Grit. City Grit is the brain child of chef, Sarah Simmons and her business partner Jeremie Kittredge, and it's housed in a phenomenal space—an old school house In Nolita, that's an antique store by day, and a restaurant by night (guests have been known to purchase the furniture, and lighting fixtures between entree and main). The place features supper-club style dinners, and a guest-chef series of well-known and emerging chefs. This means that the menu gets to change frequently, and organically, and in the larger picture, it gives an opportunity for emerging chef's to be able to showcase their (maybe, unseen) culinary work.

Ty-lör will be serving a multi-course tasting menu of Asian BBQ flavors, and it's really a preview of the type of food he hopes to set up in his future restaurant. He's hoping backers will come to his dinner, (and I hope so too!) taste his food, and get behind him. The idea of BBQ comes from his roots. Ty was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, (Ty's brother has an extensive BBQ background, having been associated with places like Jack Stack Barbeque, and Oklahoma Joe's) and the Asian comes from the fact that he's been involved and moved by the Asian culture, and food, at several different times of his life. (when he was child, he had a Japanese Nanny who cooked recipes from her homeland for him, he also spent time in Hawaii, and, for 3 months he worked at a friend's mother's food stall, on the streets of Bangkok.) It's Asian street food, + BBQ, combined, but it's not really fusion, but more of a focus on hyper-local cuisine. A gathering of spices from the Issan region of North-East Thailand, or a daikon pickle recipe that comes direct from the Kagoshima prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan, for instance. It's fascinating stuff.

These dinners will mark Ty-lör's second foray into the world of 'pop up'. His first was when he cooked 6 nights straight for fashion week back in February. He had just gotten off Top Chef (Ty was a contestant on Top Chef's last season, the one based in Texas), and was eager to get back into cooking again. The dinners were a sold out immediately. A huge success.

This Wednesday, photographer Justin Walker and I decided to stop by City Grit and surprise Ty as he was prepping and and planning for his dinners next week. We got to hang out, shoot, and taste two of the dishes that he was concepting:

1) Crispy Duck Fat Chicken with Kale Coleslaw and Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce. The chicken is brined in salted water, then crisped up in duck fat. (Ty keeps both duck and bacon fat on hand in in kitchen at all times.) The spice blend for the chicken is from the Issan region of North-East Thailand, from a village called Si Saket. The chicken is served with a miso-based coleslaw that has 2, or 3 different kinds of Kale, Chinese Chives and White Miso. The sauce is a bright orange, spicy/sweet combo of spicy Sriracha, thick Orange Marmalade and Honey. 

2) Country Style Pork Ribs with Black Eyed Pea Pit Beans and Tamarind Glaze: The ribs were moist, tender with crispy edges.The spice blend for the ribs is a hybrid of techniques from neighborhoods around Kansas City, Missouri, using Pan-Asiatic ingredients. Ty makes up a stock with a Ham Hock and Bacon, and flavors it with Lapsang souchong tea, then he cooks the Black Eyed Peas in the stock and adds them to the dish for earthiness. The glaze on the top is sticky and delicious. It's fragrant, flaunting both smoke and star anise. 

The dishes were vibrant, spicy, with such depth of flavor, and held tastes that I had never ever tried before. I couldn't stop eating them! These dinners next week will also give Ty the opportunity to head out of the kitchen, and talk the guests through the Asian BBQ maze, describing the spices, discussing the flavors and answering questions. A lot of people attending these dinners, will be trying this kind of food for the first time; a wonderful and unique opportunity.

I strongly suggest you get down there.

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I've been told (at the time of posting this) that there are still seats available: To get ticket's to Ty-lör Boring's TBD Dinners, next week in New York, click here. To get more info on Ty-lör Boring and his work, click here. To learn about City Grit, click here.

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Pics: (1) Ty preps the Kale Coleslaw for the Crispy Duck Fat Chicken; (2) Ty-lör Boring; (3) Crispy Duck Fat Chicken with Kale Coleslaw and Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce; (4) Ty; (5) Country style Pork Ribs with Black Eyed Peas Pit Beans and Tamarind Glaze. (6, 7, 8) Prepping.

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PHOTOGRAPHS © JUSTIN WALKER Check out his blog, here. 

JUSTIN WALKER is a travel and food photographer based in Brooklyn. A native to Durango, Colorado, he grew up as a bystander to his families adventures; from commercial salmon, and halibut fishing in Alaska—to big game hunting on a small ranch in Colorado.

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Art Direction Dimity Jones. All rights reserved.

Buford Highway Farmers Market, Georgia.

It’ would be way too facile to call the Buford Hwy Farmers Market a simple ethnic store, nor is it really a 'Chinatown', or a 'Little Havana', the market serves several cultures, and even if your not from one of the cultures; this place is an object of cultish adoration for all obsessive food types. (ie, me!)

The market is off Buford Highway, outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and Buford Highway itself, is a dingy, unremarkable, seven-lane expressway, lined with strip malls. You could zip fast past this 6 mile stretch, (in an air conditioned SUV, with a mediocre, deli sandwich) intent on some other parts unknown, (the road connects Atlanta to points northeast), and not notice the incredible food that lies here, and is far better than anything you could purchase at any well meaning, but pretty ordinary, deli.

Like a Vietnamese place, for instance, that makes the most delectable spicy vermicelli noodle soup with pork blood, pork foot and crab meat, that you might miss, because maybe it's hidden between a Transmission Store and a now closed Burlington Coat Factory. Or a Mexican place that makes killer taco's, and whole fried tilapia, that might lie between a a 'Dollar and Change' and a Pawn Mart.

Inside the Buford market, though, is everything you could ever wish for, and the list of countries represented is endless. From Korean, to Bangladeshi, Russian, Mexican, Vietnamese, Central and South American, West Africa, the Philipines, and many more. There is a huge produce section, with an array of herbs and spices unlike any you've ever seen, and while a lot of the names are in the language of their home country, there are managers on hand to guide you through, should you need translations. There is also a bakery, where they sell Mexican Lechuza, Tavasquena, and Stik de piña (both 79c) and many other things. And a seafood and meat counter, which has soft shell turtles, and salted fried pig skins, amongst other things.

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I was lucky to visit this market through a tour offered by the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, which I attended this last weekend in Georgia. To learn more about the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, click here.

To read the best blog about "What to eat on Buford Highway", click here. To read more about Buford Highway Farmer's Market, click here.

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PHOTOGRAPHS © IAIN BAGWELL

IAIN BAGWELL is an Atlanta, Georgia, based food photographer who was born in Twickenham, England. (The home of Rugby!). His favorite childhood food was Shepherd's Pie, but on birthdays it was Big Mac, Fries, and a Chocolate Milkshake from McDonald's. (And I love that he told me this!) His favorite restaurant is Pricci, where he loves their risotto. His client's include Cooking Light, Kraft Foods, Sunset Magazine, Southern Living mag, Publix supermarkets, Coastal Living, Clarkson Potter, Woman's Day, and Weight Watchers. Iain once DJ'd in techno clubs, where he had the opportunity to play for 10,000 people in Budapest, Hungary. 

CHECK OUT HIS WORK, HERE.

(All rights reserved. Please do not copy or reproduce any of these images without written permission.)  

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, from the "Back in the Day Bakery" Cookbook

Old friend, photographer, and contributor to my blog; photographer Squire Fox, shot the Back in the Day Bakery cookbook. The couple behind Back in the Day Bakery are Cheryl and Griff Day. Squire met them while shooting for Southern Living magazine, (it was a story on Savannah and their bakery was on the shot list). The book has been so popular it's on it's third reprint. Cheryl and Griff kindly agreed to part with they're crisp recipe from their cookbook, and since it's rhubarb season, this dish is timely and frankly, perfect!

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STRAWBERRY RHUBARB CRISP Recipe courtesy of Cheryl and Griff Day from The Back in the Day Cookbook, thank you!

HAND'S DOWN, GRIFF'S FAVORITE: The tender sweetness of Summer-fresh strawberries paired with chunks of cherry-red rhubarb creates our favorite sweet-and-sour dessert. The buttery oatmeal topping adds a rustic goodness as the fruit juices bubble up through the crisp and over the sides. Serves 8-10 

For the Topping: 1 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour Half a cup of packed light brown sugar 3/4 cup of old fashioned rolled oats 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 tablespoon of canola oil

For the Filling: 2 cups of strawberries 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled rhubarb 1 and a quarter cup turbinado sugar 3 tablespoons of unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Method: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and line a baking sheet with parchment.

To make the topping: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, rolled oats, cornmeal, cinnamon, salt, butter, and oil with a fork until completely blended. Set aside.

To make the filling: In another bowl, combine the strawberries and rhubarb with the turbinado sugar, flour, and cornstarch, stirring to coat the fruit.

Pour the fruit mixture into the prepared pie plate. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit mixture. Place the pie plate on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown and crispy. Let cool slightly.

Serve the crisp warm. It is best served the same day, but it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

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To learn more about the Back in the Day Bakery click here. 

To get the Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook, click here. 

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Photographs © Squire Fox Food Styling: Cynthia Groseclose

SQUIRE FOX was born into a creative family. He was influenced by his mother, a painter and quintessential southern hostess and father and grandfathers—all furniture craftsmen, who drank bourbon and ate oysters. To check out his work, click here. 

Where to eat in Sydney right now: Wilbur's Place!

Mat the owner tells me the idea for Wilbur's Place was inspired by the road side Porchetta vans that you see in Italy where you can get hot delicious Porchetta served on rolls. (Something really sweet and really simple!)

The menu at Wilbur's Place changes frequently. Right now, stop by for the Suckling Pig, a dish inspired by the owner's recent trip to Bubi Guling, in Ubud, Bali. The suckling pig, is served with Chestnuts, Sprouts and Butternut Pumpkin.

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VISIT WILBUR'S PLACE AT 6 Llankelly Pl, Kings Cross, (02) 9332 2999, wilbursplace.com.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY VANESSA LEVIS

VANESSA LEVIS is a Bondi based photographer originally from Castle Hill. Her favorite childhood food obsession was with peaches, and her favorite pastime, (up until she had kids!) was surfing. Vanessa's favorite restaurant is Sushi Suma, where she loves to order the Agadashi Tofu. Her client's include Gourmet Traveller, Sunday Life Magazine, various Cookbooks and Martha Stewart Living. If there is one thing that she would love to do but cannot, is fly!

CHECK OUT HER WORK HERE.

Fried Green Tomatoes at the High Country Grill, Bozeman, Montana.

Heather Chontos, artist, prop stylist and contributor to "Three to One" writes to me from Bozeman, Montana—

"The High Country Grill opened in March 2012 inside the well known "Rockin R" bar in downtown Bozeman, right on main street, a staple of the local bar scene for many generations and well known for the fact that it—amongst three other businesses on the block, blew up only three years ago from a gas leak.

Downtown Bozeman has gone through many culinary transitions. A new addition to the food scene here is the High Country Grill owned by local chef Chip Bales who has undertaken the task of creating a delicious menu consisting of scratch-made bar food. Food that we all would love to eat. It's a take on the American version of the "gastro-pub" phenomenon.

Chip's background is pure Southern, though he has been kicking around kitchens in Southwestern Montana for quite some time. His food speaks to those Southern flavors; the fried green tomatoes (my personal favorite) with a buttermilk ranch dressing, being one of them. The tomatoes are breaded perfectly with juicy, fleshy, tomatoes inside. The Chicken wings come with three different sauces (Caribbean Glaze, House BBQ and Buffalo) and there are also lamb skewers with Mint Dijon and grilled Green Onions. The lamb is tender, has great flavor, and is cooked to perfection. The meat is sourced locally from a Rancher's Co-operative right down the highway in Big Timber, Montana, called Sweetgrass Natural lamb.

Then there is the high country burger, smothered in a molten Poblano Cheese sauce with crisp and lightly salted hand cut Fries, the Meatloaf, too, a cajun recipe, served with a spicy roasted tomato sauce is a must order.

This is scratch-made bar food taking bar food to a new level in Montana, for sure."

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Kindly Chef Chip Bales agreed to part with his recipe, thanks Chip!

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES from the High Country Grill, Bozeman. 

Flour: I cup of Flour 2 teaspoons of Creole Seasoning

Green tomatoes: Core and slice quarter inch think discard end pieces.

Egg Wash: 1 cup of whole milk 1 egg 2 teaspoons of Creole Seasoning

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing: 1 quarter cup of scratch Mayonnaise 1 quarter cup of Buttermilk 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh Parsley Quarter teaspoon of granulated Garlic Quarter teaspoon of granulated Onion

Breadcrumbs: 1 cup of Breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons of Creole seasoning.

Technique: Working with 4-5 slices at a time dust green tomatoes with flour, then dunk in egg wash and dredge in breadcrumbs. Line cookie tray with parchment and freeze breaded tomatoes. Preheat fryer to 350 degrees. Fry frozen tomatoes in small batches. As they start to thaw in the hot oil, the oil will begin to splatter violently. When this eruption begins to reside, you will know that the tomatoes are about done. After frying, transfer tomatoes to a small metal bowl and season immediately.

Notes: It's commonplace to fry green tomatoes directly after breading, but Chip says that freezing them first, is the key to this recipe. The technique allows the breading to get super crispy without the tomato itself getting mushy. Chip's favorite bread for the breadcrumbs in this recipe is a baguette. Leave the baguette on your countertop of at least a week, then break into chunks and grind in a food processor. Leftover breadcrumbs will hold indefinitely. 

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HIGH COUNTRY GRILL Located inside the Rocking R Bar 211 E. Main Street, in downtown Bozeman Daily: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm 231.587.3295

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Photo and text by Heather Chontos.

HEATHER CHONTOS: is an artist, prop stylist and wannabe cowgirl, who lives in Bozeman, Montana with her two daughters, a giant St. Bernard, four chickens, and three ducks. Heather travels between both coasts for work, but when at home, hosts big dinner parties in Bozeman where they draw all over the table together and make crazy art whilst eating. Heather now works mainly through her little design consultancy Milk Farm Road.

Check out her work here. And her blog here.

I went to the market on Friday and all that was there were... apples!

It's Spring here in New York, and I had teed up with photographer Addie Juell, (and her wonderful husband Eric) to  go to the farmer's market, pick up whatever was there, and we would shoot whatever I found, at her Williamsburg studio. It would be impromptu, I would just buy whatever was there. I had hoped for spring greens, (pea shoots or sunflower sprouts), ramps, some fiddleheads, even. But there was none! New York's idea of Spring is a fickle beast. The ramps were there but the time I got in line they had sold out, the fiddleheads too. (I was right behind the guy when he bought the last ones.) There was plenty of stacked sticks of rhubarb, but I didn't want to construct a shoot around it. But what was there? Apples. And many beautiful kinds. A reminder that New York is slow with it's Spring, and some days are warm and promising, and some days are cold, but if you look hard enough there is still beauty everywhere.

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ADDIE JUELL, a native Northern Californian, leads a double life making art and taking pretty pictures of things that (mostly!) don’t move. She lives in Brooklyn, plays the ukulele and as hard as she tries, can’t seem to follow a recipe.

At Wagners Pharmacy: Fried Bologna Sandwiches.

Wagner's is very close to Churchill Downs racetrack in Kentucky. It's one of those places that's been around for a really long time. (1922!) If you visit Louisville, you have to go to Wagner's. I ordered the Derby Sandwich, which is Hot Honey Glazed Ham, Melted Swiss Cheese and Mayo (for $4.99). It was good but everyone else ordered the Fried Bologna Sandwich (served hot or cold) which we had hot and fried, sandwiched between white bread, with ketchup for $3.29. It's fantastic. It completely took me back to my primary school days of eating sliced Devon, on White Bread with Tomato Sauce. It's the very same thing!

Whatever you order, the audacious décor, gracious servers and down-home food of this Louisville gem, are well worth a look-see.

Happy Derby Week, Kentucky!

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Wagner's Pharmacy 3113 S 4th Street Louisville, KY 40214 (502) 375-3800 

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY GRANT CORNETT Want to know what Grant has been working on? Click here!

GRANT CORNETT is a very prolific photographer from Texas, who has been stuck a little too long in NY. He enjoys quiet time by the water, watching the ponies run at the track, and puppies. To check out his website, click here. 

Andy + Tina = De Luxe Coffee

The door is red, but it's a retro red. It's warm, and inviting. The wallpaper is bronze. It's a pattern similar to the one I grew up with. (In the lounge room, the one my mother wallpapered herself, up a ladder, with a swimming cap on her head, to stop the glue from falling onto her head.)

In theory, I could come to this place just to drink the Cortado, a favorite here that showcases their dark oily espresso, with just the right amount of steamed milk. But in reality I come here, because it's run by an adorable couple that will make you feel so welcome the moment you walk in the door, you'll never want to leave. This place is called De Luxe. Andy's at the front, making coffee. (Their coffee's called Doma, it's from Post Falls, Idaho, and they are the only people selling it here in New York.) Try their El Tigre Del Norte (that's their house blend coffee) which is great as just a regular drip brew. One of their goals is to offer up a great cup of coffee that's ready to go—that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, and tastes great black, (or can even stand up to some milk.) His wife Tina, who is out the back, makes ricotta, several times a week, that she slathers onto chewy demi baguettes, coated with truffled honey and evenly spaced out figs, that you want to sink your teeth into, every day, all day. (Try that one, or even the egg/arugula/cheddar sandwich, which is a great option for breakfast.) They also stock pastries from Dough, Balthazar, This Chick Bakes, and HIM in the kitchen.) And the nice surprise? It's in Park Slope. Double strollers still push their way through the door but everyone is welcome here, and their customers are eclectic; musicians, artists, stay-at-home dads, business women, everyone. No matter who you are, this is a great place to be, and the coffee? Sublime!

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Pictures from top: (1) Coffee and The Ricotta/Fig/Truffled Honey Demi Baguette; (2) The wallpaper makes you feel comfy, like you're at home; (3) Tina and Andy, (4) The De Luxe neon logo, (5) The Dulce de leche doughnuts from Dough. (6) The Doma Coffee Roasting Bags, have drawings (laid out by Tina) of Andy's tattoo's. The drawings are by tattoo artist Mark Harada in the style of traditional American tattooing. (Black venom is their house-blend espresso.) (7) The owner, Andy Schulz, (8) Diamond on the cup/rough, (9) Faema E61 espresso machine (10) El Tigre Del Norte (the De Luxe house blend coffee), Black Venom blend.

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DE LUXE COFFEE 410 7th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY. Open every day from 6.30am. But closed on Mondays.

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PHOTOS BY JUSTIN WALKER What's Justin been up to? Check out his blog, here. 

JUSTIN WALKER is a travel and food photographer based in Brooklyn. A native to Durango, Colorado, he grew up as a bystander to his families adventures; from commercial salmon, and halibut fishing in Alaska—to big game hunting on a small ranch in Colorado.

My Mother's Anzac Biscuits

Happy Anzac Day!

Frances Janisch, photographer, and founder of the blog "Melting Pot, food is culture", posted a story on my mother's Anzac biscuit recipe. Thanks Frances!

Check out the story here, (which also includes my mothers Anzac Biscuit recipe).

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PHOTO (ABOVE) BY FRANCES JANISCH. Check out her work here. And her blog here.

What an athlete eats. My interview with Cannon Doll X.

Photographer Sye Williams and I have a funny relationship. He'll tell me he just shot Linda Honeywell, (the Dolly Parton impersonator), Rashad "Sugar" Evans, the UFC champion, or a female inmate, who's in for life, and I'll say, great, but what they were eating?

I've been a long-time friend and fan of Sye's, who's work visually documents professional boxers and wrestlers, as well as capturing the underbelly of some of American's most interesting subcultures. A world that is not always pretty, and sometimes downright painful, but he always captures a dignity and beauty that is undeniably real. What people eat, from all walks of life, professional and non-professionals, has always been of interest to me. How they came by their meal, was it a choice they made? Or did somebody make it for them. What are they addicted to, what fuels them, and what do they crave? You would think a boxer, for instance, might eat only carbs. (I don't know why, but perhaps from watching too many Rocky re-runs, I've always thought a boxer is usually swilling street coffee, and scoffing unimpressive cheese pizza slices, all between jabs.) Seth Kelly, the Editor in Chief of UFC magazine, says the answer to what an athlete eats is varied. "I have seen guys that eat six meals a day, measuring out carbs/fat/protein ratios, and there are guys that slam down a few slices of pizza and go out and smash their opponent."

Sye, who has photographed several boxers (including Oscar De La Hoya for Vanity Fair, and Amir Khan for HBO) started asking around for me and found the following; Boxer Russell Lamour Jr, eats egg whites, the morning before a fight, with pancakes, just to carb up. Then mid afternoon a chicken sandwich or fruit, just to stay balanced so he's not too full or hungry before a fight. David 'the dream catcher' Imoesiri, concocts shakes with his Enagic Kangen Water Machine that makes electronically microclustered H2O water molecules for hydration and detoxification of internal organs and tissue, (!) along with plenty of healthy home cooked meals, some honey bunches of oats, and some almond milk for zinc.

So when Sye sent me pictures of a recent assignment he'd done on the athletes at the women's roller derby in LA, I had to ask, who was Cannon Doll X? What was Roller derby? What did this sport involve, (were they out to kill each other?) and most importantly, what did Cannon Doll eat to fuel herself, for what looked like a pretty grueling workout?

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An interview with Roller Derby's Cannon Doll X (including what she eats): 

Me: So for me, (the dumb and uninitiated!) this is roller derby right?

CannonDollX: Yes, the amazing sport of Roller Derby

Me: What are the rules, what is it you do when you skate around?

CannonDollX: There are pages and pages of rules, but I can explain how the game how it's played and some of the things.The game is composed of two teams of five players each: four blockers (one of whom wears a striped helmet cover as the "pivot") and one jammer. Points are scored when a jammer breaks through the pack, races ahead to rejoin the back of the pack, then attempts to jam through once again scoring a point for each opponent passed. The jammer has 60 seconds to score. No, we can't use our elbows, or trip up anyone, or anything that is played out in the movies. 

Me: How long have you been doing this? 

CannonDollX: I started in 2006, so for over 6 years.

Me: ...and how did you first get involved with it? 

CannonDollX: I worked for a clothing company that used to make the shirt for the LA Derby Dolls, I thought it was some chick punk rock band. The company I worked for was moving into a new warehouse and we were going to have a 70's party. I decided to go as a roller girl (cause I'd find any excuse to wear my skates). One of the girls that was freelancing for us at the time mentioned she played roller derby. I thought.. NO WAY!! That's so rock star! I went to one practice and during that time I was there all of 2 hours, I saw this sisterhood and athleticism I had never seen before. I was already sold then BAM! This women coming around the track during the scrimmage part of practice slammed into the wall and her foot went the other direction. My friend who took me, looked at me shocked like this was the wrong practice to take someone you are trying to recruit. I said with a wide eyed excitement.. SOLD! I'M IN! Then the rest is history! I'm still doing this crazy awesome sport! Where you can be beautiful and an athlete!

Me: How did you get your name?

CannonDollX: I made it up! I am a HUGE nerd.. when I say HUGE I mean fangirl status! I have always been a comic geek and well Rogue of X-MEN is who I always felt a relation to, so when choosing my name I knew it had to have an X in it. The Cannon is a relation to two things... 1. I was a big Cannon baller when I swam 2. There is a not so famous X-MEN named Cannon Ball... well being as I am a woman.. or a Doll with no Balls.. I dropped the Ball, added Doll and hyphened in homage to my X-MEN Making it Cannon Doll-X !

Me: Tell me an interesting story linked to your career in roller derby.

CannonDollX: Thanks to derby I have met this amazing community of people, some who have become great friends and others who are family to me. Which have become a great comfort in the recent events of my life with the passes of my mom. I couldn't have know that playing this great sport would have brought me such joy not just in my heart but my soul.

Me: What do you eat before you prepare for a derby? 

CannonDollX: The day before I eat some either multigrain pasta with a light marinara sauce with chicken mixed in or the same base protein but on jasmine brown rice. I usually avoid a lot of carbs day of a game, but certainly fill up on chicken!

Me: What is the food you are holding in the photograph and why are you eating it?

CannonDollX: Jasmine brown rice, my favorite carb that doesn't make me feel gross when I eat it, I actually feel energized.

Me: What is something interesting that I need to know about you? Tell me anything!

CannonDollX: I am a single mom, who is just as much of a goof ball as I am a dedicated mother and athlete!

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SYE WILLIAMS is a Los Angeles based photographer who shoots boxers, wrestlers, and other professional athletes as well as capturing the underside in LA's gang territories, skid row and crack houses. Sye's work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Esquire, GQ and ESPN magazines. Sye hails originally from Georgia, where his favorite person to shoot at the end of of the day is still his grandmother, Emma Jean Baldwin Miningham, (who is 90). Before working out, he eats quinea and raw fish but when he's not, he'd prefer to eat steak.  

Check out his work, here and his blog here

(I love this story Sye did on wrestlers in the Appalachian Mountains. Check it out here!)

To learn more about David "the dream catcher" Imoesiri's healthy nutritional plan Usana, click here.  

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What I'm obsessed with now. (#369) The Apple Charlotte, at Whitehall!

Ryan Butler likes to dig through old recipe books. It was there he got inspired to come up with a more modern version of the classic apple charlotte. This 19 century dessert was traditionally a way to use up left over bread from the day before, and convert it into a dessert the whole family would eat. It's like a french toast-meets-apple-pudding kind of thing. A simple invention of white bread and apples. A container is lined with day old buttered bread slices, then packed densely with apples and baked. It's usually served with cream or homemade custard. (Charlotte, could possibly be a riff off the old English word Charlyt which means a 'bowl of custard')

Butler takes a modern spin on this old classic by hand-making a coconut chiffon cake from scratch. He dredges that in eggy Royale (akin to a french toast type dip) and then stuffs it with sweet, local, Honeycrisp apples, and bakes it. To serve, he gives you a jug of just enough vanilla bean, star anise and cinnamon custard, to hang yourself, and also a large dollop of salted caramel ice-cream to push you over the edge. This dish is to die for. (Literally.)

You need to run, not walk to this cosy West village haunt where Brian McGrory, and the mainly British/Australian crew will keep you topped up with cocktails, (including the "No. 1", which tastes like a milky, sweet, cup of tea, complete with almond bikkie on top) and other clever Anglo-derived delicacies. (Also be sure to try chef Chris Rendell's 'Aussie' burger, which got nominated from Time Out New York's top 20 contenders as best burger. ) The Honey Crisp Apple Charlotte with cinnamon custard, and salted caramel ice cream at Whitehall serves two. (So bring a friend!)

Ryan Butler kindly agreed to part with his apple charlotte recipe. (See below.) So if you can't get to New York anytime soon, you can make this amazing dessert at home. Thanks so much Ryan!

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HONEY CRISP APPLE CHARLOTTE FROM WHITEHALL Recipe courtesy of Pastry Chef Ryan Butler  

Coconut Chiffon yield (2 half sheet pans) for six charlottes

5 ounces cake flour sifted

3.5 ounces sugar

a pinch of salt

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

2.5 ounces coconut milk

1.2 ounces vegetable oil

3 ounces egg yolks

1 teaspoon water

1 drop vanilla extract

5 ounces egg whites

2.5 ounces sugar

a pinch of cream of tartar

Method combine all ingredients except the second addition of sugar, egg whites and the cream of tartar. In a kitchen aid mixer whip the whites on high speed with the cream of tartar until maximum volume add the sugar mix till shiny fold the meringue into the cake mixture in three parts. Divide the batter between two pans evenly bake in a 350 degree until golden brown

Egg Royale

4 fresh eggs

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar

one pinch of salt

Mix till combined.

Honey Crisp Apple Filling

4 honey crisp apples peel and diced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbs lemon juice

3 ounces butter

a pinch of salt

2 tbs of corn starch

Melt the butter add the sugars stir to combine add the lemon juice and the apples cook for ten minutes or until the apples are tender. Cool.

To assemble the apple charlottes prepare six molds with butter and sugar. Cut strips of the cake to line the molds dip each piece in the egg royale line the charlotte molds then fill with the apple filling top with a final piece of cake and bake for ten minutes at 350 or until golden run a knife along the molds to release the charlottes.

Ryan serves his charlottes with his own homemade cinnamon custard and salted caramel ice-cream, you could could serve it with regular store bought ice-cream (a little dulce de leche might be perfect!) and/or a classic english custard. 

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WHITEHALL 19 Greenwich Ave Between Christopher and W 10th Sts New York 212-675-7261

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Photo by Moya McAllister

Donuts + Fried Chicken = Federal Donuts, Philadephia. (With Recipe!)

The streets are deserted. This is South Philly, not the Italian part, but Pennsport. Way down on South 2nd street, there’s a bit of heaven on earth, but in a blue collar, real, kind of way. They sell hot donuts and fried chicken, all on the same plate, with the most exquisite deep green pickles. The place is called Federal Donuts and, along with the fried chicken and donuts, you can also get real coffee, a custom blend, made the classic drip method and poured into glass science-lab vessels from a fair trade roaster in Kansas.

The donut recipe comes from sous-chef Zach Engel, who spent a long time testing it, to get just the right taste. They’re cake batter donuts (not yeast donuts) so they're denser.  Less airy, but no less delicious. He developed the donut recipe to taste great by itself, unadorned, and it is—but personally I like it better with the sweet stuff on it.

There are 9 donuts in all, 6 fancies... that are either glazed or have toppings, and 3 fried ones made fresh to order. The 3 hot ones are your classic sugared donuts, Appollonia, Indian Cinnamon, and Vanilla Lavander. (What's Appollonia? Turns out it’s a spice blend of bitter cocoa powder and dried orange blossoms from La Boite a Epice.) The glazes and toppings on the fancies change often; on the day I was there, the offerings were Choc-Banana, Pina Colada, Raspberry-Balsamic, Grape-fruit-Brown Sugar, Halva-Pistachio and S'mores. The Choc-Banana had sold out in an hour and half and the most popular ones that day were S'mores, and the Halva-Pistachio. The "fancies" donuts are made fresh in the morning. They can make anywhere between 250 to 1000 in a day. But once they're sold out, they're out.

The fried chicken was created by chef/owner Michael Solomonov, (one of the 5 owners), who was inspired when he fell in love with the Korean Fried Chicken at Cafe Soho in Cheltenham. They’re twice fried (in the Korean method) in a cornflour batter, making for a supremely crunchy crust. The chicken is juicy and well-seasoned with something they cheekily call "OMG", (Onion, Mustard, Garlic). There’s a choice of 2 dry seasonings in shakers you can cover your chicken with: Harissa and Za'atar (a middle eastern seasoning inspired by the other restaurant Mike, and Steven Cook own—Zahav). There are 2 wet glazes that can be smothered on the chicken: Chile-Garlic (a traditional Korean Fried Chicken glaze) and Honey-Ginger. The chicken is served with hot donuts and Asian-style pickles that aren’t made in house but are nonetheless amazing. They are deep emerald green in a brine of Japanese rice vinegar, ginger, sesame and seaweed.  Sweet, salty, acidic and perfect with the crispy richness of the fried chicken.

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FEDERAL DONUTS FRIED CHICKEN, with SAUCE Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Solomonov

Chicken 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 bone-in pieces (two thighs, two drumsticks, each breast cut in half) 2 cups cornstarch 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup water 1 tbsp. kosher salt plus additional Vegetable oil for frying

The night before cooking the chicken, liberally season the pieces with kosher salt and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Refrigerate overnight, loosely covered with parchment paper.

Heat vegetable oil for frying to 300 degrees.  Mix together the cornstarch, flour and 1 tbsp. salt and whisk in the water to make a thin batter.  Dip the chicken pieces in the batter and fry for 10 minutes.  Remove the chicken to a drain rack and increase the oil temperature to 350 degrees.  Fry the chicken for an additional 5 minutes and drain well.

Serve as is or coat liberally in sauce.

Sauce 1/4 cup garlic and chili sauce 1/4 cup soy sauce 3/4 cup kecap manis (an Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce) 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

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Federal Donuts  1219 S.2nd Street, Philadephia. PA http://www.federaldonuts.com/main.html

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON VARNEY

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JASON VARNEY is a food & travel photographer that grew up in the woods, but now calls The City of Brotherly Love home. When he's not taming his Welsh Terrier pup, Jase appreciates stiff drinks & long exposures. He is based in New York, and Philadelphia. Check out his work here. And his blog here.

(Text and Art Direction; Dimity Jones)

A whole Roasted Pig, stuffed with Slow-braised Oxtail.

A whole roasted pig, with an ingenious twist: Grant Cornett's pig is stuffed with Slow-Braised Oxtail (with Kimchi).

Kentucky, Day 7. (What we're eating.)

We're back in Kentucky, finishing up Chef Edward Lee's new cookbook and Spring is definitely here. Crabapple and dogwood blossoms are blooming all around Louisville. We shot the cover today, which was exciting, and the final shot we'll do in studio. Tomorrow we hit the road to see what Kentucky has to offer.

Lunch today was kindly made for us by Kevin Ashworth, who works at 610 Magnolia restaurant kitchen. It was a hearty, but Spring-inspired salad of cooked Israeli couscous tossed in a light curry coconut cream, with cashews, dried apricots, strawberries, and topped fresh pea tendrils from the garden.

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Chef Edward Lee and 610 Magnolia Restaurant. Ed was also most recently on this season’s Top Chef Texas. 

(Pic Dimity Jones) 

Jim Lahey's New Book: "My Pizza"

Old friend, photographer, and contributor to my blog; Squire Fox, shot Jim Lahey's new cookbook My Pizza, which is out, and available now!

This is Squire's second book for Jim, (his first one being My Bread). My Pizza has the recipes from his 9th Avenue pizza joint—Co. (Including his Banoffee Pie!) Think warm, chewy, blistered crust, covered in melting cheese, salty prosciutto. Shitakes. Grape tomatoes and corn, even. The book was shot entirely in Jim's apartment above Sullivan Street bakery, over 7 days last Summer, (10 hours a day).

Squire said he ate every single pizza that came out of the oven, and even though he would swear to himself that tomorrow he would not eat any more pizza, when the first pizza came out that next day, he just couldn't resist. When the shoot was over, days later, he still had cravings for it. Squire loves working with Jim, "he's a true master who is completely passionate about his work." 

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To order Jim Lahey book My Pizza: The Easy No-Knead Way to Make Spectacular Pizza at home, click here.

To see my blog post where I visited the shoot and hung out with Squire and Jim, last Summer, click here. 

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Photographs © Squire Fox

SQUIRE FOX was born into a creative family. He was influenced by his mother, a painter and quintessential southern hostess and father and grandfathers—all furniture craftsmen, who drank bourbon and ate oysters. To check out his work, click here. 

What Charlie Ate; Swedish Pickled Cucumber

Charlie's grandmother Greta was raised on a farm in the south of Sweden called Småland. They grew fruits and vegetables there, and with that lifestyle came the knowledge of canning, preserving and pickling for the winter. This is Greta's pickled cucumber recipe.

INLAGD GURKA (SWEDISH PICKLED CUCUMBER): Fill a Mason Jar with 1 sliced Cucumber. Mix 3 tablespoons of white sugar, 6 tablespoons distilled white vinegar with 5% acidity, and 9 tablespoons of water in separate glass. Once sugar is dissolved, pour over the cucumbers and shake a little. Stir after a couple hours. Refrigerate over night. The cucumbers should be crisp and delicious for lunch or dinner the next day.

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ARI MICHELSON: is a portrait photographer, a father, a husband, and a brother —but really his only goal in life is to be a world renowned skateboarding chef, mastering nothing—but loving everything.

LOUISE KAHN: was born in Gottenberg, Sweden. She is a 00 spy taking refuge in America using sushi and red wine to camouflage herself. She is the mother of Charlie.

CHARLIE SOFIA MICHELSON KAHN: comes from a long line of lox smokers and while she carries the torch of Eric the Red and her Swedish forefathers, she also enjoys the playground and playing with dolls. Charlie also likes to eat, (lots of things!)

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"WHAT CHARLIE ATE" is a regular column on my blog, to see other Charlie postings, check out my recipe index.

TO CHECK OUT ARI'S WORK, CLICK HERE.

Doughnuts, from "Dough" in Bed-Stuy, NY.

Big and spongy, and crispy on the outside, with unusual flavors that can incorporate dried Hibiscus flowers, Chai tea, Earl Grey, the yeast doughnuts at 'Dough' are addictive, innovative and fresh. Some glazed, some stuffed, but with basic flavors too, like lemon, chocolate and orange.

The pastry chef/doughnuts maker behind 'Dough' is Fany Gerson. Fanny was born and raised in Mexico City, and has worked at  such restaurants as Rosa Mexicana, and Eleven Madison Park here in New York, she is also the author of Paletas (authentic recipes for Mexican ice pops, shaved ice and aguas frescas). Fany worked on the 'dough' recipe for several months, testing over 50 recipes till she came up with the one that worked.

Fany also loved the idea of having the warm fresh doughnuts available throughout the day, so rather than make everything overnight and then just sell what you have first thing, anything you buy at 'Dough" has been made at least in the last hour and a half. Warm, doughnuts, made fresh, what's not to love?

I bought the Dulce de leche and the Blood Orange. (Pictured). Enticed by it's deep magenta color, the Blood Orange was a touch too tang-y for me first thing in the morning, (but I could imagine it working great in the afternoon with a cup of tea!) The Dulce though, was heaven in my mouth, (even at 7am). 

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To know more about, Fany Gerson, the chef behind "Dough" click here. To get her book "Paletas" click here. To get her first book "My Sweet Mexico", click here.

(Love "Dough" doughnuts? Let me know what your favorite flavor is!)

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DOUGH 305 Franklin Avenue (Lafayette Avenue) Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205 (347) 533-7544 (Open 7 days, 7am to 5pm)

(Pics Dimity Jones)

Who you calling a Samurai Mama?

From top: (1) Appetizers: Country style Kabocha (Japanese pumpkin and shitake mushrooms simmered in a vegetable dashi broth), Pork Belly Daikon (cooked pork belly with Mirin soy sauce), Tsukemono (assorted homemade pickles). (2) Chef Shige, (3) Ebi Tempura Udon (Udon with shrimp tempura), (4) Kitchen knives, etc. (5) Kinpira (cooked Burdock root, carrots with Sesame Oil and Soy Sauce, (6) Table setting, (7) Udon Sansai (Udon with edible Japanese wild plants and their housemade dashi (broth)). 

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Chef and owner Makoto Suzuki is surprising. At first he's a little wary. Then he arms burst open and gives you an bear-like hug, then he's on the phone, checking in politely with a vendor to make sure everything will be delivered Ok, then his eyes light up as he tells you about his unique Japanese water system. (Kaiki Water), and how passionate he is about making his Dashi (soup broth), from scratch.

But let's get back to the water system, because when you walk into Samurai Mama, on Grand Street in Williamsburg you suspect that there will be sushi, and possibly imported beer, but you do not suspect that the only water you will drink, and the only water that goes into his much coveted Udon soup comes from a filtration system imported from Japan, and is the purest, cleanest water you will ever try in New York.

The restaurant opened in 2010, which as Makoto points out is 150 years from when the Samurai first came to New York. To that end, he's tried to keep the restaurant unaffected by Japanese paraphernalia. There are no typical Japanese screens, no fish tanks, waterfalls or walls that house any embroidered, ceremonial kimono's. The space feels industrial. "Like the first samurai," he says,"they brought nothing with them from Japan, so I wanted to emulate how they would have set up a restaurant 150 years ago, with just themselves." The place is wonderfully low-lit, but if your capable of feeling your way around with some chopsticks you can dig into some of the best Udon around.

It's his handmade dashi and the chemical-free filtered water that make the difference. Each region in Japan has a unique recipe for their Udon. Some prefer a thicker noodle, and each place has a different broth. Makoto's wife Kanako went to udon school, and it's her recipe that they make in the restaurant. She herself is a confessed udon lover. ("She had to have it, every day, so in the end I set up a restaurant to make her happy," says Makoto). Their recipe is part Kushi (the region where his wife is from) and part Eastern Japan (where Makoto is from). His dashi is made by soaking dried shitake mushrooms and konbu (seaweed, imported from Japan) overnight in the Kaiki filtered water. Next day he brings the mixture to 150 degrees (never to the boil, he cautions) with bonita flakes, fish with wing (mackeral) and then they use it the next day. (They never let it sit longer.)

The other secret ingredient on top of the udon is yuzu zest, which they also import from Japan. It gives the soup an indefinable citrus tang. And it's unlike anything I've ever eaten. Try the Udon Sansai which is dashi (broth), noodles, with Japanese edible wild plants (make sure you get a slow-poached egg as well) or pull up a bench at the long beautiful communal table and ask Morgan the manager to recommend something for you, which he will, happily, and it will transport you. But do try the water, regardless, it's worth all the fuss.

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Photo essay by Justin Walker Prop styling by Kaitlyn du Ross

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JUSTIN WALKER is a travel and food photographer based in Brooklyn. A native to Durango, Colorado, he grew up as a bystander to his families adventures; from commercial salmon and halibut fishing in Alaska, to big game hunting on a small ranch in Colorado. 

KAITLYN DU ROSS is Boston bred, Brooklyn made, from the South shore of Boston, Kaitlyn found her way out to Colorado— only to follow her love for the shuffle-and-jive back to the east coast. When she's not jiving, she's styling props.

Makoto Suzuki is the owner of Samurai Mama and also the owner of Bozu.