Portlandia Party

My sister and I are incredibly close, we're partners in crime, roomies and best friends.  Last week she moved to Portland. I had to send her off in style so I threw a little going away bash for her and couldn't resist the opportunity to mock the Portland clichés with a Portlandia themed party. Everyone had to wear plaid.

Beard banner and a woodland centerpiece. I served Shepherd's Pie and made cupcakes with birds on top.

Put a bird on it!

Bicycle stamps on the plates.

The cocktail recipe and mis-matched vintage glasses for Portland Punch.

Guests wore beards, they ate, drank and made merry and then they beat the crap our of a pinata (not very Portland but fun all the same).

Bye Dannie! 

Thanks to Amy for helping me with all the crafts and for taking these photos.  

Mac & Cheese

Sunday night craving for mac and cheese.

I make a béchamel sauce, then add some Boursin, sharp cheddar and jack until I reach my desired cheesiness. Top with a bit more cheese, some sliced tomatoes and a little basil. Bake until bubbly and serve with peas.

Summer Salads

I love making lots of different salads to keep around for noshing and grazing.
This is a quinoa salad I made with some roasted butternut squash, goat cheese, thyme and green onion in a sherry vinaigrette, a beet salad with a cumin vinaigrette and a chicken salad with apples and walnuts in a mayo and lemon dressing.

I've also been rocking this sheer, drapey, burgundy beauty quite a bit recently.

• Dress : H&M
• Shoes : Forever21
• Cuff : Max & Chloe

Zucchini Fritters

My girlfriend Shauna has turned into quite the gardener and last time I was at her house she sent me off with bags of giant vegetables. Faced with a foot long squash and an outdoor temperature that deemed ratatouille an unattractive option, I got creative.

I grated the zucchini (about 10 of the regular size) and drained off any water. I mixed in 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, a teaspoon of cayenne and a little fresh thyme. I fried the fritters in hot oil until they were golden and the eggs set. I drizzled a little lemon and garlic aioli over them and topped them off with a fresh caprese salad (heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper and good olive oil).

Risotto with Clams and Fennel

There are only a few ways to make it through the Arizona summer. One of those involves getting the hell out of Arizona, which I'll be doing in July. Until then, my method of choice is to just stay home and cook something that reminds me of the beach.

Sauté a large shallot, 2 garlic cloves, a small fennel bulb and s+p in butter and olive oil until soft. Add 12 oz of arborio rice and continue to sauté until the edge of the rice is translucent (about 3 minutes). Add a cup of dry white wine and reduce. Gradually add 4 cups of fish stock a little at a time, letting the rice absorb the stock. When the rice is nice and al dente, add fresh clams, peas and zest from a lemon, cover and let steam until the clams are open and cooked. Stir in handfuls of tarragon and fennel fronds, a good squeeze of lemon juice, a tablespoon of creme fraiche and parmesan if desired. Taste for seasoning. Serve drizzled with good olive oil and a chilled glass of wine.

Shoots and Meals

The two main components of my life, photos shoots and meals. I'm not complaining, quite the opposite in fact. I love mulling over the day's shoot ideas while I'm sipping my morning coffee, and I'm inevitably planning my next meal while I'm styling props or location scouting.

One of the simplest and tastiest breakfasts; broiled tomatoes until they're nice and charred, piled on toast covered with lashings of butter, and topped off with a smidge of HP sauce.

I really can't complain about my job when I'm on locations like this (photo by Michael McNamara)

Sake steamed halibut and summer squash with quinoa and a cucumber and jalapeno salad. Made with veggies from Shauna's garden.

(I steam the fish and squash in a foil packet in the oven with a little sesame oil, a splash of good soy, some sake and ginger. The cucumber and jalapeno is in a rice vinegar and agave dressing with plenty of fresh cilantro).

Chicken Tacos

Here's a little something for the weekend.

Cover chicken breast in dry rub of salt, cayenne pepper, cumin seed, coriander seed and a little sugar. Grill until you have a nice char on the outside but it's moist inside, let rest.
In the meantime, heat some vinegar sugar and salt (I add a little thyme and bay leaf) until the sugar has dissolved. Add some sliced red onions, jalapeno and carrots and let sit.
Grill some corn tortillas, top with chicken, pickled salad and drizzle with some lime creme fraiche.

Add to that a little drinky that my sister made and you have a great start to the weekend: muddle lots of mint and cucumber, strain into a shaker, add ice, lime juice and tequila to taste. Shake and serve with cucumber slices and mint to garnish. Feel free to add a splash of french lemonade if you need to make them less 'adult'.

Kitchen Inspiration

A couple of the dishes I've been rustling up in the kitchen this week....

Inspired by a photo shoot I did yesterday I went home and made some tapas for my friends; fresh anchovies in lemon, toasted bread smeared with garlic and tomatoes and these piquillo peppers stuffed with crab (lump crab meat with parsley, tarragon, mint, shallot, red chile, créme fraîche, lemon juice, s+p).

I saw this Sicilian halibut recipe during one of my regular cooking channel marathons and couldn't resist trying it.

An easy weeknight supper using up lots of veggies from the farmers market; pasta with roasted onions, carrots, beets, peppers, garlic and thyme stirred into a thick tomato sauce with some anchovies, red chile and olives.

Skirt Steak with Black Olive Aïoli

I found some baby artichokes at the farmer's market this weekend and thought I'd rustle up one of my favorite spring recipes. The black olive aïoli is intensely salty (divine) and goes well with chunky fish and shrimp too, but on this perfect Sunday I decided to stick to a classic (and cheap) steak. I fired up the barbecue, knocked back a couple of cocktails and tucked into this savory treat all while listening to a little Mike Snow.

I marinated the steak in olive oil, chiles de arbol, rosemary, thyme, pepper and lemon zest.

The baby artichokes were sauteed and mixed into a crispy potato hash with roasted garlic, thyme, shallots and loads of salt.
Full recipe here.

Bangers & Mash

Every so often I get a hankering for some food from the homeland. My shepherd's pie and roast dinner's are perfect for a chilly Sunday afternoon but we only get about 3 of those a year, so I'm dedicated to creating lighter versions of the food I grew up with. Submitting to my craving for bangers and mash this week (it was 90 degrees every day) forced me to substitute smashed new potatoes with sauteed leeks for the regular stogy mash, and a red wine reduction for the usually rich gravy. A side of roasted purple and yellow carrots and some perfectly porky sausages from Schreiner's kept it spring-a-licious.

Roasted Chicken and Farmers Market Veggies

I love working with fresh local produce, keeping it simple and letting the natural flavor shine through. This is a dead easy weeknight meal but good enough to share with friends.

Roasted chicken pieces in olive oil, lemon juice, tarragon, s+p.

Roasted veggies (new potatoes, carrots, red onion, kale and tomatoes) with garlic, olive oil, oregano sprigs, s+p.

Topped with watercress and olive salad (dressed in a little lemon juice and olive oil) and a herb crème fraiche (basil, tarragon, parsley, chives, lemon zest, s+p).

Sunday Supper

I had a couple of friends over for dinner and drinks on the patio last night. I love Sunday's spent in the kitchen, music on, windows open.
I rustled up a messy shrimp dish (there's nothing better than getting stuck into a big bowl of prawns covered in a garlic-y tomato sauce then licking your fingers clean), a big green goddess salad and panna cotta for desert. I decided to go with a more mellifluous appetizer, in the form of a light and floral cocktail (the best way to start a meal in my opinion).

My twist on a gin fizz: 1 1/2 oz. gin, 1 1/2 oz. St. Germain, 3/4 oz. lemon juice, 3/4 oz. egg white, 1/2 oz. club soda. Shake over ice and serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon and lemon zest.

Prawns in yellow tomato confit, garlic and chile recipe here.

Creme fraiche panna cotta with rhubarb compote here and here.

Fish Tacos

This is one of my easiest go-to meals after a busy day at work. Just grill some mahi-mahi with a little salt, pepper, lemon zest and chili. Heat up some corn tortillas and spread with aioli (mayo, lemon juice, grated garlic, salt and pepper, sometimes I add fresh chili). Top with the fish, some arugula, lots of cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
I made an avocado salad to go with it; sliced avocados tossed in a little olive oil, orange and lemon juice, fresh chopped mint and cilantro and tons of salt. Super tasty and healthy and great with a glass of citrusy sauvignon blanc.

Moroccan Chicken

The only time I use recipes is when I'm entertaining, there's no room for cock ups or experimentation when you're feeding 8 or so hungry friends. But I do always put my twist on a recipe or at least tweak it to suit my palate.

I had my parents and some friends over for a cosy Sunday lunch and decided on this recipe, opting for chicken instead of game hen. I spatchcocked the chicken and smothered it in the spice rub the night before to marinade. I also used quinoa instead of the traditional couscous for a bit more bite. Everyone was so hungry we all dug in before I managed to get a good photo, so you'll just have to believe me when I tell you how impressive it looked piled high in the pan.

I can't take credit for the deserts (mum is the pastry chef in the family).

Gotta love my cowhide place mats from Ikea.

Fish with Avocado and Grapefruit

Here's a light and healthy weeknight meal I knocked up the other day. I was inspired by a hamachi dish at Nobuo at Teeter House, one of my favorite restaurants here in Phoenix. I don't feel safe making sushi at home (we live in the desert and the prospects of getting really fresh fish are pretty slim in my mind), so I decided to try a cooked version of the dish instead.

I steamed the fish (any white fish, I used tilapia) in foil with a drizzle of ponzu, a splash of sake and some chopped ginger and garlic.
I then topped it with slices of grapefruit, avocado, sorrel, spring onion, lime olive oil, ponzu and some of the juice from the grapefruit and served it with some simple new potatoes with a little butter and dill.