For those of you who may have been wondering what happened to cook, shoot eat a food photographer’s journey, the blog it’s been a while. Where have I been? I have been writing a book. I was commissioned to write a book called More Digital Food Photography. The original title Digital Food Photography was written […]
A National Treasure: The Classic American Burger
Can there be a better burger than the good old classic American? Sure, a hamburger can be gussied up to a towering height with bacon, avocado, mushrooms, jalapeno peppers, and toppings ad infinitum, but can the classic hamburger really be improved upon? Sometimes it’s best to stick with the simple and time tested. The most important step in assuring a great burger is using the right ground beef. Ground chuck or a combination of ground chuck and sirloin, 80 % lean, is good. Handle it gently. Don’t compact it. Form 3 patties from each pound of ground beef.
Cook on a medium hot grill or, if using a stove top skillet, sprinkle with salt. Cook for about 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Salt and pepper, of course. Don’t press down with a spatula. A lightly toasted potato roll goes well. A slice of ripe tomato, red onion and leafy lettuce are not amiss. Cheese—a warm melt of cheddar can’t hurt. Pickles, ok, but don’t add more than you can get your mouth around, that is, unless you don’t mind the burger slipping out the other side or requiring the knife and fork treatment. Open an icy cold beer and enjoy!
A Classic Burger Sauce (Double or triple recipe as needed)
2 T mayonnaise
1 T ketchup
½ t sweet pickle relish
1/2 t sugar
½ t white wine vinegar
¼ t black pepper
Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.
Recipe by Phyllis Kirigin <<…>>
Photography by Bill Brady
Look for my new book on food photography titled More Digital Food Photography available May 9th.
Crank up the BBQ-Grilled Ribeye Steak
A great steak from aged grass-fed beef can’t be beat. It doesn’t need a rub massaged into it to mask the flavor. Its own flavor is sublime.
Memories of a Brooklyn Basement-Why I became a food photographer
On March 15th, 1976 I woke up to the sounds of my mother sobbing. Lying in my bed, I knew that my Grandfather, Frank Dellisanti, passed away. What I did not know was that would be the beginning of the end of life as we knew it. For the first 12 years of my […]
Chicken Fried Chicken
Ingredients 30 saltine crackers 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons dry potato flakes 1 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 egg 1/4 cup vegetable oil 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves Directions Place crackers in a large resealable plastic bag; seal bag and crush crackers until they are coarse crumbs. Add flour, […]
Basic lighting for food photography
Lighting food is tricky if you don’t know what you are doing. As a New York City Food Photographer, I have been lighting food for years and there is always something to learn. The simplest way to approach lighting is of course to use natural light. Most photographers who have never photographed food may not know […]