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Asian-Inspired Lipton Tea Party

February 7, 2016 by Kristin

Gosh, it’s been a long time since I’ve spent an afternoon with my food blogging buds. Between our day gigs, night gigs, family time, friend time, and me time – it’s been quite the challenge to get this handful of busy bees together. Thankfully, our love of food and drink and desire to collaborate our knowledge of photography allowed us to pin a date on the calendar. And a timely shipment of Lipton green teas gave us the perfect theme: an Asian-inspired tea party.

I took the lead on the main dish, while Jessica, Megan, Veronica, and Shef took care of drinks, snacks and desserts. Together, we transformed Jessica’s house into a food blogger’s dream: natural lighting, studio lighting, textured surfaces, pretty plates, garnishes galore. But the best props of all were our food and drink contributions.

Tea Party Menu

Lipton Green Tea Infused Cocktails

{Pure Green Tea & Cranberry Pomegranate Green Tea}

Spiced Peanuts

Bite-Sized Banh Mi

Jicama, Edamame & Corn Salad

Matcha Panna Cotta

Matcha Cake Roll

Lipton’s updated green teas have a light, fresh taste, bright color and delightful aroma that made for such a vibrant addition to our party. We had so much fun testing out each flavor. Naturally, I gravitated towards the pure green tea, but the cranberry pomegranate green tea was a close second.

After a generous amount of time taking the most composed shots, we gathered around the table for some foodie conversation. And when our food was finished, we moved to the living room {green tea cocktails in hand}, circled around a computer, and shared our best tips and tricks for editing food photos. Overall, it was a lovely afternoon among the loveliest of company and I think we’re all in agreement that our next get together is already long overdue.

Check out the full line-up of Lipton Green, Black, and Herbal tea flavors here!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Prop Kitchens & Blogging Illusions

January 6, 2016 by Kristin

I’m a collector of cameras, lenses, lighting, editing software, tripods, dishes, utensils, gadgets, napkins, and backdrops. Years ago, I tossed my all-white dish set and committed to creating a mismatched, Anthropologie-esque dish collection. My top priority when apartment hunting was always finding a place with a space near the kitchen where I could setup a “studio”. I’ve spent numerous nights and weekends writing recipes, researching technique, treasure hunting, and building prop sets. More often than not, while my friends were out and about, I was either knee deep in bricks, subway tiles, wood, stains, paints, and dyes or covered with butter, flour, veggie scraps, and meat guts. It should be noted that I don’t regret a minute of it.

It’s a recent trend for bloggers to come forward and expose how their social media life is an illusion, that they’re on a constant mission to portray a life that is worlds better than the life they’re living. And in a way, this post is following suit.

I have a prop kitchen that is perfectly white and perfectly lit. It’s conveniently located on top of all the accessories necessary to make a styled shot. Shooting only takes minutes because the conditions are right. Editing only takes minutes because, again, the conditions are right. One hundred percent of my photos are edited.

On the prop counter likely sits a meal that I prepared myself, styled myself, that was unbound by a budget and unsponsored by a brand. More often than not, it’s a meal that was created as a result of hunger and inspired by the associated craving. No meals are created just to create. No meals go to waste {I share!}.

I don’t believe using a prop kitchen is a reflection of pretending to have. But I do believe the prop kitchen is a reflection of hard work, dedication, and a creative spirit. I work with brands on occasion because I enjoy being rewarded for working hard, challenging myself with product limitations, and providing readers with products that I want as well. But for the most part, the food, the setup, and the opportunities are funded by a demanding day job that is completely unrelated to FoodFash.

At the end of the day, the only illusion here is downplaying the amount of love and work that goes into maintaining a blog.

A handful of blogger friends have requested that I share what goes into a prop kitchen because it’s a realistic solution for those who are trying to work with a kitchen that may be crowded, under lit, messy, or not-so-pretty. So here it is, a list of items in my prop kitchen for new bloggers and seasoned bloggers, alike, looking for resources and inspiration.

Camera Equipment

Lighting

Table

Storage Baskets

Dishes/Utensils/Linens: Anthropologie, Homegoods, World Market, Thrift Stores

Subway Tiles {applied to a 2×2 piece of plywood using adhesive, no grout, in a running bond pattern}

Stacked Bricks {stacked, without mortar, in a running bond pattern}

Marble “Counter” {look for a piece with minimal marbling}

Slatted Wood “Table” {stained 2 ft. pieces nailed from the bottom to a 2×2 piece of plywood}

Helpful hints: Clearance sections are your friend! And the lumber department at Home Depot will cut wood to size for free.

If you have any additional “how to” questions, please comment below or email me at kristin {at} foodfash {dot} com.

Fennel & Sweet Potato Hash

November 2, 2015 by Kristin

We didn’t spend much time shopping while in Paris. Our time was filled to the brim with touring neighborhoods, visiting museums and landmarks, and eating at the most wonderful restaurants {top 5 list coming soon!}. And since it felt like full-blown winter in Paris {to a Floridian, Texan hybrid}, most of the shops we did pass by had windows filled with gloomy, heavy winter coats.

What I did manage to bring home with me were the boots pictured above {aren’t they amazing?!}, a few bottles of champagne from a Parisian wine shop, a handful of beauty products from the Pharmacie, and a bottle of Herbes de Province seasoning from a nearby grocery store. I highly suggest spending some time at a local grocery store whenever you’re traveling abroad.

I’ve already used the Herbes de Province seasoning twice since coming home. Not only did it work wonderfully in the hash recipe within this post, but it was also so delicious on roasted chicken drumsticks. According to the Internet, Herbes de Province typically includes thyme, savory, and various other dried herbs from the region of Southeast France. The mix I picked up included oregano, savory, rosemary, thyme, and basil.

I wanted to use this mix in a breakfast hash, but after a week of heavy eating in Paris, I wanted a hash a little more nutrient filled than a traditional white potato and onion hash. I picked up sweet potatoes, fennel, bacon, and eggs for this hash, and it was exactly how I had hoped to start my first day at home. Slightly savory, slightly sweet, this recipe is the perfect way to sneak in some veggies at breakfast.

Array

ACL 2015 – Tunes & Eats

October 7, 2015 by Kristin

Weekend 1 of ACL 2015 – ch-ch-check! This was my third ACL in a row with Emily, my college roommate {the blondie pictured above}, and we’ve got our fest process down. Luckily for Em, I learned the hard lesson of over-doing it my first year. I was soooooo excited to live in Austin, the weather was perfect, I was bouncing from stage to stage with two college buddies, I thought after-partying was a good idea, and I thought after-after-partying was an even better idea. Day 2 of the festival was miserable. I stood sickly in the rain as I feigned excitement over Metric, walked a soaking wet walk home, changed into PJs, ordered Chinese food, and gave my wrist band away for the remainder of the fest.

So like I said, things are totally different now. First off, we eat and we eat well! Since I live walking distance to Zilker Park, we were able to stop at one of my neighborhood favorites, Cafe Josie, for a line-less {yet fabulous} lunch. I veered from my usual goat ribs order and went with the redfish tacos and an aperitif. I’m super obsessed with aperitifs lately. So herby and refreshing, they’re my lunch cocktail of choice.

After arriving and splitting a bottle of white wine {they come in reusable water bottles and are most definitely the way to go}, we walked straight to the HomeAway stage to watch Albert Hammond Jr., who was one of the first bands I discovered on Sirius XMU in 2006. I haven’t gotten much into his new albums, but I loved that he played so many tunes from Yours to Keep, like In Transit, 101, and Everyone Gets a Star. It was nostalgia at its finest.

The rest of the day was non-stop. We went straight from Albert Hammond Jr. to Leon Bridges, Brand New, Tame Impala, and Foo Fighters. Although I don’t have a video of Leon Bridges, he’s a must see. A young gentleman from Fort Worth, Leon’s soulfully vintage sound is sure to make you feel good. And gracefully skipping over Brand New, Tame Impala was my favorite of the day. Balancing established hits and tracks from their newest album, Tame Impala’s playlist was ideal for old and new fans, alike. And lastly, Foo Fighters. Playing a decent set, they allowed the older members of the crowd {like me!} to cross things like hearing Everlong live off their bucket list.

After eating well and a tune filled day, my best advice is to go home early {skip that after party}, SLEEP, and do it all again. Oh! And fit in a Juiceland trip when you can.

We kicked off Day 2 with green smoothies, pulled ourselves together, and re-kicked off Day 2 by heading to South Congress and putting our name on the list at South Congress Cafe. My advice for a trip to South Congress Cafe is to never go starving and always have the desire to shop. They’ll take down your number and text when your table is ready, which is likely an hour later. That hour will give you plenty of time to shop the strip {Parts & Labour, Y & I, Maya Star, By George, Allen’s Boots, Uncommon Objects}. I ordered the burger with smoked gouda, crispy prosciutto, and caramelized onion and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Crispy prosciutto was like a heavenlier version of bacon {if you can imagine such a thing}. And the fries were on point!

Day 2’s lineup wasn’t super impressive {to us}, so we took our time heading back to the house and then to the fest. We stayed for most of Alabama Shakes, but when Em noticed there wasn’t much of a crowd gathering in front of the Miller Lite stage, we darted over for a front row TV on the Radio spot. Not much was played from my fav album, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, but Tunde Adebimpe’s powerful voice and indie-rock-before-indie-rock-was-adult-comtemporary dance moves were more than enough to satisfy this old fan.

We ended the music portion of the night on that high note and chose watching the Gators WHOOP Ole Miss at the beer tent over listening to Drake. You gotta love a Texas festival’s appreciation for college football!

Day 3 started off with a mutual favorite, Josephine House. Ever since Em’s first visit, we’ve joked about {and ordered} a bevy of beverages. Before the food arrived, our table was filled with waters, French press coffees, and Jo House Fruit Cups {Old Overholt Rye, muddled lemon, lime, orange, mint, cucumber, house fruit cup blend}. Not wanting to commit to total savory or total sweet, we split the lemon ricotta pancakes {which I’ve uncharacteristically eaten about three times this month because they’re that good} and short rib hash. We left full and ready to take on our last day fest-ing day.

Beginning with Strand of Oaks and The Decemberists, I could only half pay attention because I just wanted it to be Kurt Vile time. I missed seeing Kurt Vile at Fun Fun Fun Fest a few years back and seeing him play was my top priority this year. And he didn’t disappoint. Standing at the shady stage on a sunshiny but breezy day, we got a little Jesus Fever, Pretty Pimpin’, Goldtone, and Wakin on a Pretty Day. At that point, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

And then The Strokes played. It was too dark, too dance-y, and too far away for a video, but wow! I heard a lot of rubbish and forecasted disappointment over The Strokes headlining Weekend 1 and, although I disagreed plenty before, I soap-box-style disagreed afterward. The Strokes have been relevant for almost two decades, were pioneers in making indie rock accessible, and were likely influential to half the bands that play at ACL each year. That, in conjunction with putting on a solid rock ‘n’ roll performance, made them the perfect last taste of my ACL 2015 weekend!

‘Til next year, ACL!

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