Monday, June 21, 2010

Anna Pump Profile for the Homegrown Book

Yesterday, I completed the first part of the profile for chef and cookbook author, Anna Pump.

http://www.annapump.com

What an elegant and generous professional she is!
She is famous for her bakery, Loaves and Fishes - and with her daughter, The Bridgehampton Inn.
Her three best selling cookbooks, have inspired legions of cooks from my garden design client, Maria Steinberg (who loves her and has all her cookbooks in her cookbook "library.") to Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa and Food Network TV host.

I thoroughly enjoyed learning of Anna's childhood in Germany, near the Danish border; growing up on the farm, her early years in the Hamptons and taking classes with James Beard.

She is a classic!

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Master Chef Profiles and Photography & Food Update

Completed writing profile for Chef Matt Connors.  I have a sense that his “charmed life” implies a steadfast commitment to his culinary craft and the pursuit of excellence. You can check out his creative genius and his wife Annie’s warm hospitality at The Lake House in Bayshore, Long Island.  You can drive or hop on the train to arrive at this magical, idyllic setting, complete with swans gliding by as you dine on the porch.


I am writing the profile for Chef Bryan Naylor of Ono Restaurant at The South Hampton Inn.  What an adventuresome food life he’s experienced! Aim to complete his exciting gastronomic saga today.

Am also busy planning the summer photo shoots to the restaurants when we will photograph the chefs in their kitchen preparing one of the four recipes they’ll provide for the book.  We also photograph them in their inspired garden – whether the garden is at the restaurant or their home or one of their farms…


This is also when I take my photographs and sketch their gardens for what will become a water color rendering of the garden for the book.


I like the garden as art element - and the link to the culinary art.  
Gardens inspire artists of every kind - but I started with the culinary artist, naturally, as they use the bounty of the garden in their artist pursuits.

I was planning to share the photography schedule with photographer Jennifer Calais Smith and Food Stylist, Patty White.  
And like a garden sprite, I got a text from Patty late last night asking to meet next week for lunch.  I haven't spoken to Patty in a bit so she must have food and garden karma waving about her, beckoning us back to Long Island and the Hamptons!

I have grouped the restaurants by area such as The North Fork, East End, South Shore, and while I’ve been advised by local expert, Peter Garnham (thank you, again, darling) that there is technically no such place that is “the Hamptons”  -- the rest of the world doesn’t know this ^:^ and so I will continue to refer to East Hampton and South Hampton, etc. as 
“The Hamptons.”  Why it’s practically a brand name!

Need to get in touch with Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa….