Thanks to food stylist Adam Pearson and photographer Matt Armendariz who just returned from doing a workshop at Club Med in Ixtapa, Mexico, we were able to produce absolutely stunning images of cookbook author Andrea Nguyen’s stellar recipe for Poached Vegetable and Tofu Wontons in Spicy Oil. After receiving Andrea’s fantastic cookbook Asian Dumplings last fall (a must have for anyone who loves dumplings of any types), I thought I’d invite Andrea to share a recipe that would fit In the Kitchen With readers’ interests. She was even willing to make one just for us, so based on your comments and requests on the column, I asked Andrea for a vegan dumpling, and she delivered! Don’t be intimidated by the length of the recipe– Andrea has been very explicit so that you have no troubles producing a great final product. If at first you don’t get the “nurse’s cap” fold right, don’t despair! It gets easier after the first few!

{If you’re curious about food styling and photography using real food (no gimmicks!), a workshop with Matt is coming up in March at their studio in Long Beach.}

About Andrea: Andrea Nguyen is a celebrated food writer and teacher with a unique ability to interpret traditional Asian cooking styles for modern cooks. Her work appears in the Los Angeles Times, Tastingtable.com, and Saveur, where she is also a contributing editor. Andrea’s first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (Ten Speed Press 2006), was nominated for three James Beard and IACP cookbook awards. Her new book, Asian Dumplings, was released by Ten Speed Press in August 2009 and recently named as one of NPR’s 10 Best Cookbooks of 2009. Andrea lives in Santa Cruz, California, where she publishes Vietworldkitchen.com and Asiandumplingtips.com.

CLICK HERE for the full recipe (and more lovely images) after the jump!

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Whenever I think of a perfect pumpkin, I think of Precious Ramotswe from the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency who loved to eat pumpkin stew so much. Last autumn, my produce guy, Mauro, sold me a whole pumpkin he swore was perfect (rather than my usual portion of a pumpkin). When I got home, I cut it open and finally understood how Mma Ramotswe felt. It was the best pumpkin I’ve ever smelled or tasted. I made Lena Corwin’s pumpkin bread, Julie Morelli’s roasted pumpkin salad, and a version of Amy Ruppel’s Roasted Butternut Squash, Onion and Garlic soup. Next time I will be able to add writer/photographer Jennie Love’s Perfect Pumpkin Risotto. I usually do one with gorgonzola and pumpkin or taleggio and pumpkin, but the spices in Jennie’s version intrigue me. Hopefully you’ll be able to try it now. -Kristina

Jennie Love lives in Philadelphia where she is passionately involved in the burgeoning local food scene there. She is a freelance writer/photographer and a professional horticulturalist keenly interested in growing local cut flowers as much a food. In 2007, she started the popular food blog, Straight from the Farm, to document her involvement in the urban agriculture movement in Philadelphia. She now grows her own food in containers on her large deck and in a community garden allotment. She’s also created a quirky gardening blog, Straight from the Garden, and has a photography portfolio avail-able online right here. Jennie lives with her co-conspirator, Dave, and their three gray tabby cats in a delightful Philadelphia row house next door to a vintage trolley-car-turned-ice-cream-shop.

CLICK HERE for the full “Perfect Pumpkin Risotto” recipe after the jump!

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This recipe for Zucchini and Mushroom pies, by Bill from The Pie Truck, was prepared thanks to the fantastic work of food stylist Adam C. Pearson and photographer Matt Armendariz in their Long Beach studio. I really loved the time I spent learning in their studio because it has a million and one props to choose from when making and styling food to be photographed. For these images, I chose a vintage mini muffin tin that produced the perfect sized little pies. The empty muffin hole you see was home to a perfectly formed pie which was nicknamed The Hero. The Hero was set aside on his own little plate (kind of like his own little trailer) and for the duration of the shoot, only Adam was allowed to handle The Hero. The Hero is -not- the pie we cut into to take the pictures. The Hero is the uncut one you see. He remained in tact until after the shoot. Then I ate him. He tasted as flaky and good as he looks in the images!

The Pie Truck served its patrons in the Bay Area until 19 December when Bill and his friends and customers unfortunately bid it farewell. (You can read the Pie Truck’s story here). Fortunately, we have a recipe for one of the fantastic pies which were available from the truck. For those of you who knew the Pie Truck, this will let you keep the memory alive. For those of you who never had the chance to taste a pie, here’s what you missed!

*We are devastated at the earthquake crisis in Haiti and unfolding number of losses. One of the greatest needs in Haiti now is for meals ready to eat (MREs). There are a number of charitable organizations, NGOs, international NGOs, private companies and individuals who are mobilizing resources to assist. No matter how small, any contribution can help save a life.*

CLICK HERE for the full recipe for Zucchini & Mushroom pie after the jump!

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I really have to thank food-stylist Adam Pearson and photographer Matt Armendariz for the one-on-one workshop in December. Today’s recipe for Fennel, Blood Orange, and Black Olive salad by A-list event producer David Stark was one of the recipes we produced. David sent over his recipe for fennel and orange salad at the tail end of the blood orange season in early 2009. Unfortunately, we couldn’t pull his recipe together then with the right ingredients. As it turns out, the season had not yet started when we set out to photograph this, so we shot it with pink grapefruit, which is a great pairing with fennel, as well, should you choose to make this any other time of the year (as long as fennel is in season!).

A lot of work goes into producing the posts you see each Friday on the In the Kitchen With column, whether it is the author’s hard work or someone else’s hard work, like Matt and Adam. If you love props and all things beautiful, or are simply curious about what it takes to pull an image together, Matt and Adam offer workshops in their Long Beach studio and other locations around the world.
The classes are taught in conjunction with Food Fanatics, a food styling team located in Los Angeles California. [Find out more about the classes here and register here.]

About David: After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the Rhode Island School of Design and master’s from the School of Visual Arts, David Stark honed his talents as an artist during his thirteen years as co-owner and creative director of event planning firm Avi Adler to emerge as the recent founder, president and creative director of his own event planning and design company, David Stark Design & Production.

CLICK HERE for the full recipe (and more about David) after the jump!

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Yesterday the extraordinary photographer and stylist Karen Mordechai from Sunday Suppers went all out to share an amazingly butternut squash and pomegranate galette recipe with us and today she’s back with a delicious recipe for Olive Oil Loaf Cake + Citrus Rosemary Compote. If you haven’t decided on your holiday dinner yet, these two dishes together would make for an elegant and tasty meal. Thank you again to Karen and Sunday Suppers for sharing amazing sweet and savory recipes with us this week!

Best wishes for the holidays for everyone -holidays past, present, and future – and a happy entry into 2010! See you in early January! -Kristina

Credits: Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai for Sunday Suppers, Amazing intern/helper in the kitchen/hand model Lizzy Sall

CLICK HERE for the full recipe after the jump!

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I’m already in full swing with the holiday season although I haven’t yet decided what to have for Christmas. However, we’re sure many of you have already thought about what you’re going to make, and have either started to make it, started the shopping or have already made it! For those of you who find yourself in my situation, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give you a savory and a sweet option to try out over the holidays for your friends and family.

The extraordinary photographer and stylist Karen Mordechai from Sunday Suppers really went all out to make two amazingly beautiful dishes for us and really…I’m speechless! Today she’ll be sharing an amazing Butternut Squash + Pomegranate Galette and tomorrow we’ll follow this savory treat up with a delicious sweet Olive Oil Loaf Cake + Citrus Rosemary Compote. Keep reading to find out how you can have a cooking-dining experience at Sunday Suppers with Karen! -Kristina

Credits Styling + Photography by Karen Mordechai for Sunday Suppers. Amazing intern/helper in the kitchen/hand model Lizzy Sall

CLICK HERE for the full recipe, beautiful images and more about Sunday Suppers after the jump!

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A couple of months ago, Julie Morelli of Letterform, Inc. graphic design studio sent over an introduction I couldn’t refuse. The founding mission of this column was to great tasting, easy to make, beautifully photographed recipes from designers each Friday. With her Roasted Squash over Arugula with Goat Cheese and Hazelnuts salad and her letterpress printed foodie greeting cards, I don’t think there’s a better combination! If you add to it the seasonality of the dish, the holidays in the US, and her great smile and sense of humor, her recipe is a match made in heaven. -Kristina

About Julie: In between running the graphic design business (Letterform, Inc) she owns with her fiance, Andy, and printing her very own line of foodie greeting cards (Nourishing Notes), Julie is consumed by food… or consuming food. She spends any spare time perfecting family recipes, reading through a stack of vintage Gourmet magazines she scored at a flea market, and working on the latest batch of home brewed beer with Andy. Born and raised in Michigan, Julie and Andy are currently residing in Chicago – living a midwest city life with many road trips to the countryside gathering up seasonal produce right from the source.

CLICK HERE for the full recipe after the jump!

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This week’s recipe for Mint Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar comes from freelance food journalist Alex Van Buren. Though strawberry season may have passed for some of you, they’re readily available in most grocery stores and the mint panna cotta is lovely all on its own. (If you like, try substituting persimmons — or something else fantastic that you can share with us on the column!) -Kristina

About Alex: Alex Van Buren, a Brooklyn-based freelance journalist, editor and recipe tester, is a former staff food writer for Time Out New York and research editor for Martha Stewart Living. She has written for Gourmet.com, Salon.com, In Style, Martha Stewart Weddings, Everyday Food and Edible Manhattan, among other publications. She is the co-author of the new-this-year book Clean Plates N.Y.C, and about a million years ago she edited pop culture titles for Da Capo Press. Alex is working on starting a food-related nonprofit in her spare time.

[Photos by Jennifer Causey]

CLICK HERE for the full post and recipe after the jump!

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So you’ve looked at Joy’s recipe and are ready to indulge your sweet tooth- so this week’s cookbooks are all about baking. It’s what I do the most of at home; my refrigerator is full of wrapped sections of cake (quarters for a tube pan, halves for a loaf) labeled with the type of desert and the book it came from. My husband has a very easy time every few days just going and pulling out what he’d like to have for breakfast or with his tea. The past few weeks, the second freezer drawer has enjoyed goodies from these three books below- I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did! -Kristina

Baking Unplugged by Nicole Rees (Wiley). Baking Unplugged is the hands down winner in my spot recipe testing. The recipes are good, easy, and practical. The simple philosophy behind the book is that you can make great desserts without any electrical equipment (except an oven, of course). The preliminary chapters at the beginning review tools, ingredients, methods, and how to read a recipe. The books chapters are then divided into types of baked goods, with no dearth of explanation of technique. The book is clear and concise, easy to understand. I wish I had had this book when I started out baking. This is a book for anyone who wants to get back to basics in the kitchen, someone who has a small kitchen with only a few tools, someone who is lazy and doesn’t feel like plugging in the equipment. It’s a perfect book for beginners– I am a firm believer in the ‘learn in the manual way’ in order to excel in the automated world. I really really like this book. One last important note– there are no photos at all in the book. But please don’t let this discourage you.

All Cakes Considered by Melissa Gray (Chronicle Books). For one year, the author (a producer at National Public Radio’s program All Things Considered) brought in a cake to work every Monday, and this book is the result. It is a fantastically entertaining book. The recipes are a mix between previously published recipes, and the author’s own (bequeathed by friends and family, or tweaked and ‘co-opted’ for personal use from other sources), so of course they have been tested and retested. What I love about the book is the author’s voice, the way the instructions are written, the stories, all of the written text. What I do not like about the book– you need a 10″ tube pan to make the majority of the recipes, or you need shortening. If you live in a place where it’s difficult to find either (especially the latter), you’re out of luck. Comb the internet to find a shortening alternative. If you can get over those two things (I’m still smarting), then this book is a winner. There’s even a chapter on non-cakes (cookies etc)!

The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox (Clarkson Potter). [TOP IMAGE ABOVE] I was so looking forward to this book, a collection of recipes which are a bit less common than you’d normally find in American baking books– recipes like like Lamington cupcakes, pine nut tart with rosemary cream, nut and cherry nougat. As a whole, the collection of recipes is elegant- definitely a notch above average. You’d make a great statement if you served one of these recipes to your friends. And although I had a bit of difficulty with the Ultimate Chocolate Brownies (The cooking time didn’t work out for me?), my shortcoming has been like a challenge to me, which has made me want to come back and try more recipes in the book, maybe toward Christmas when I usually try to bake up five to ten different baked goods and give little boxes of mixed goodies to friends as gifts (You always want unique things people haven’t tried before in those gift boxes). For people who like to experiment with different flavors and adapt recipes for different types of desserts, you’ll appreciate the notes after each recipe which offer tips on how to do just that! In sharp contrast with Baking Unplugged, there are plenty of pictures in this book of the final recipes up close, so you can compare and see how your efforts measure up! While the recipes are generally quite easy to execute, this is definitely the type of book for the person who believes that a tiny bit more effort can produce great desserts.

Joy is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter since she moved to San Diego from Philadelphia. She has been sharing her new sunny lifestyle with her followers, in between launch parties (her own!), quick food adventures, and of course updates to her Oh Joy! blog. Joy brought us a fab recipe for little pizzas in the early days of the In the Kitchen With column. This week she’s back for a sweet recipe for one of her recent cravings in Southern California — Frozen yogurt and mochi! Even if it’s not warm and sunny where you are, I hope you’ll try this or be inspired to go find some frozen yogurt where you live. It’s never too cold for frozen yogurt is it? -Kristina

About Joy: Joy Deangdeelert Cho is a graphic designer and blogger who has worked with numerous fashion clients in New York before launching her own business, Oh Joy!, in 2006. She now designs textiles, packaging, and branding for clients in the fashion and food industries, sells her stationery line nationwide, and authors the popular Oh Joy blog. She recently launched a new food blog, Happy Lady Eats, chronicling her foodie adventures. Originally from Philadelphia, Joy now lives in San Diego, CA.

CLICK HERE for the full recipe after the jump!

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