As a native New Yorker, it comes as no surprise to me that New York is the state that consumes the most soft pretzels. But what was a surprise to me was the ritualistic significance of the soft pretzel. For instance, over a millennia ago, an Italian monk formed leftover dough in a way that […]
Chef Homaro Cantu
The culinary world is saddened by the loss of Homaru Cantu of Chicago’s Michelin rated Moto. While I didn’t know Chef Cantu well, our two day photo shoot for a special Intel project has always stood out to me. Given the length of time of the shoot, a rare event occurred between photographer and subject…we
Food Book Fair in Brooklyn
The Food Book Fair takes place in Brooklyn, NY this weekend and serves to “celebrate the intersections of food, culture and food systems and the writing that brings them to life.” For the fourth consecutive year, the FBF will be hosted at the Wyeth Hotel. This Williamsburg event has an exciting line up of participants
Spring Has Sprung!
Spring has often been depicted with cute, big-eared bunnies. From Easter to fertility and crop cycles, the bunny has been representing this time of year for centuries. Below is an outtake from a rabbit (logomorph) shoot I did and each photo was cuter than the next. This is one of the sweetest photographs of these […]
2015 James Beard Nominees
James Beard was inarguably a pioneer foodie, who in 1954 was anointed the “Dean of American Cookery” by the New York Times. In 1955 he established the James Beard Cookie School, and was host to the very first cooking show on NBC in 1964. Although Mr. Beard died in 1985, his legacy lives on. Known
Food Mirroring the Runway
Ever since I saw fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty at the Met back in 2011, I have had a new appreciation for how Mr. McQueen thought about design and fashion; but I never thought it would extend to the plate. From left: Jacques Brinon/Associated Press; Courtesy of Maybourne Hotel Group Chef Mourad Khiat […]
Eat Your Noodles Day
In honor of today’s Eat Your Noodles Day, the infographic of the month is titled Noodle Types of Asia. This design is meant to loosely resemble an Asia shrine, but with enough symmetry to keep the content organized and easily readable. A nice touch in describing the various noodles is a detailed line for a […]
Takashi Sugimoto
Next month, Takashi Sugimoto, visionary, founder and president of the internationally renowned Tokyo-based design firm Super Potato will be visiting the Bay Area. Takashi Sugimoto of Super Potato Photo by Chin Mui Yoon/The Star Sugimoto will be headlining a pre-conference discussion on design at the 17th Worlds of Flavor Conference at The Culinary […]
America’s Fascination with Menus
It seems that Americans can’t get enough of their restaurant menus. I’ve already written a couple of posts about how we go to great lengths to preserve them, Vintage San Francisco Menus and New York Public Library Archive Project. But, a study by a Stanford computational linguist goes a step further in analyzing word choice […]
Oscar-worthy Photography
Every now and then, a discovery is made that rocks the art industry. Recently, such a discovery was made in the realm of photography, as you’ve likely heard by now. A formerly unknown nanny has emerged as an icon in street photography: Vivian Maier was a quiet, secretive and unassuming woman who largely lived her […]
Valentine's Day by the Numbers
History.com and Column Five recently paired up to deliver an accounting of Valentine’s Day by the Numbers. Approximately 62% of adults say they celebrate Valentine’s Day. Read below to discover the history of the most romantic day of the year, and find out just how much sparkling wine, chocolate and candy Americans purchase in its […]
Additive Manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing, popularly called 3D printing, is a trend that is predicted to only get more widespread. I first wrote about the new technology back in July. Since then, it’s become even more popular with some chefs. In fact, it’s not surprising that paradigm breaker and molecular-gastronomy pioneer Ferran Adrià has experimented with the technology. […]
Artist Mark Lovejoy
This is Colossal recently spotlighted an artist’s work that I found an immediate connection to…in some ways it reminded me of my terra cibus series. Artist Mark Lovejoy took something that he looked at each and every day, and reimagined it in a way we’ve never seen before. © Mark Lovejoy The images […]
Caren Alpert--New Agent in 2015
Happy 2015! In this new year, I'm thrilled to announce representation by Poppy Creative. For all new business, please contact: 415-517-2558 © Caren Alpert Photography Food stylist : Andrea LucichProp styling: Carol Hacker You can read a news release here. Links: http://www.poppycreativeagency.com/ http://www.poppycreativeagency.com/Caren-Alpert/New-Work/1/caption/ http://carenalpert.com/
FOG Design + Art 2015
Using the ubiquitous “fog” that blankets San Francisco throughout the year as a backdrop, FOG Design+Art 2015, opening tomorrow, spotlights contemporary design and art that shifts and reveals itself through multiple forms and dimensions. Fort Mason Festival Pavilion ©Joseph Driste There are many local and national galleries showcasing their work; you can review the complete […]
Food Crystal Ball
Who wouldn’t want to know the future? Well, MSLGROUP’s Food and Beverage marketing team crunched the data and looked into the ether to foretell 2015’s new trends in edibles!
For example, the Scoville Scale becomes increasingly popular as peppers are added to more recipes, even candy! Ghost pepper…haven’t heard of it? You will in 2015!
Or, perhaps you’ve heard about the success and popularity Starz’s Outlander TV series has brought to the historic drink Mead. The newest craft beverage craze will be a throw back to the ancient mix of fermented honey and water.
And, one of the trends predicted is the continued upward trajectory of 3D printing in food! I’ve been watching the popularity of this Jetsons-like machine and even wrote about it in July. Can’t wait to see where this will go…will we end up with instantly created food in all our homes?
You can read about more trends below:
Don't Touch My Brittle!
Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous 2015. As well as the wisdom to know when to resist temptations during this indulgent season. © Caren Alpert Photography Creative Director: Pamela Nudel Prop Stylist: Rob Oxenham Food Stylist: Vicki Woollard
Art in a Whiskey Glass
While most of my exploration in the realm of how food, art and science meet has been with 3D foods, I’ve never given much thought to the amazing liquids out there. The way that drinkables dry on the bottom of a glass is actually a fascinating area of hard research…the shape of the particles left can determine the shape left behind. For instance, those pesky coffee lines at the bottom of our mugs are quite unique in that the water drying at the edges is replenished from the center of the droplet, and the fluid flow carries particles to the edge—forming the dark ring.
In the case of whiskey, especially aged whiskey, the rings left behind have been photographed by Phoenix photographer Ernie Button, and are captivating and otherworldly.
While the science behind these images reminds me of my own terracibusseries, Ernie does a great job of exploring another facet of what most people leave behind on the dinner table (or in this case, at the bar).
You can read more at these links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/science/art-in-a-whisky-glass-neatly-explained.html
http://erniebutton.com/?portfolio=vanishing-spirits-the-dried-remains-of-singlemalt-scotch
Chocolate
As the weather chills and the temperatures plunge, it’s the perfect time to indulge in a nightly ritual of hot chocolate. And while this indulgent confection satisfies our sweet-tooth now, it’s actually been satisfying humans for over 4,000 years! In fact, chocolate has been so valued historically, that it actually has been used as legal […]
Inhalable Chocolate?
When you think of chocolate, the rich treat that jumpstarts your salivary glands, it’s often visualized something like this: © Caren Alpert Photography However, what if you could actually trick your senses and experience chocolate like this: Well, brace yourself…the technology has arrived. Let your thighs thank you forever! You see, the smarty-pants at Molecule-R […]