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We had breakfast at “egg” and then went to PS1 today and saw the 1969 and Between Spaces show with Alexis. Our favorite work was the swimming pool that you can step into by Leandro Erlich. I’m gonna try and squeeze in the MOMA contemporary photography show that closes tomorrow.

More importantly we came home via the Irish markets on McLean Ave, where we were inspired to make our own Battenburg cake. We followed this recipe here.

A chili cheese wedge california with chili cheese fries and hubba water. Possibly the greatest lunch on the planet.

I’ve been cooking a lot more recently and we’ve both enjoyed this recipe from Alton Brown.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces garlic-flavored croutons
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and broken
• 3 whole cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 18 ounces ground chuck
• 18 ounces ground sirloin
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg

For the glaze:

• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Heat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a food processor bowl, combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and thyme. Pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture. Place this mixture into a large bowl. Combine the onion, carrot, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor bowl. Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed. Combine the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin, and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture. Season the meat mixture with the kosher salt. Add the egg and combine thoroughly, but avoid squeezing the meat.

Pack this mixture into a 10-inch loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf. Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf. Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.

Combine the catsup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey. Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Meatloaf uncooked (and further proof that I shouldn’t be a food photographer)

Food photography is a special skill that’s full of all sorts of tricks. Ones that I’m trying to learn, and hoping that photoshop can amend. I’ve been asked by my brother for an image of a cracked egg with the shells included for some packaging design he’s working on. Here is my first attempt with an egg that’s edible, but not as fresh as it probably should be for it’s big moment in the spotlight. I’m hoping a fresher egg would render more definition in the edge of the egg whites.

My grandfather knew how to eat amazing things like icecream covered in heavy cream. This sausage sandwich was my favorite thing thing he used to make me when I was maliciously abandoned by my unloving parents on their incredible houseboat surrounded by rusty shipwrecks for me to explore. You’ve got to fry the sausages (bought at your local Irish butcher – American ones don’t work) butter the bread and cover it in HP or Daddy’s Sauce. The final trick is to cut it into quarters and remove the crusts (which I haven’t done because you end up with half your breakfast gone).

It may not look like amazing food, but it was. I’ve walked past it so many times and never had the time to eat anything. It was the best pulled pork I’ve ever had, but possibly not the best meal to eat before a long night of shooting!

It is our 2nd wedding anniversary today. I will forever be immortalised in the NY Post as being the groom who was holding the flowers in his wedding photo. If only we could relive this day every anniversary, it was so much fun having all our close friends around and partying. We have dinner booked at the “Craft Steak” which I am SUPER excited about. It’s becoming a bit of a tradition that we celebrate our anniversary at a steak house. Last year I had just got back from India and we went to “Peter Luger” to decimate a sacred beast. Tonight I’m definitely getting the Wagyu Tartar appetizer.

I went back to my undergraduate college, SUNY Purchase, and the place had changed a lot!!! Thankfully Jo-Jo Wlash was still selling his “Italian Stallion” opposite campus.

We went up to Arthur Ave today to get some tasty Italian treats at this famous Pork shop ‘Calabria.’ It’s an easy sell when you have sausages hanging from the ceiling and big plates of salami and cheese samples out.

I ended up buying a whole bunch of fish from another store, which I’ve no idea what I’m going to do with. I’ll keep you posted on that. We missed buying any awesome figurines though.

I met Amanda today in Union Square to grab some groceries for dinner. I’d gone in earlier to shoot a little and try to find a new book by the Dalai Lama and replace an old and cracked Nalgene with what I hope to be a vast improvement, a Klean Kantene. I couldn’t find either one, but I did find Joe Ades’ daughter Ruth Ades Laurent (whose husband’s family runs La Ripaille Restaurant in the West Village) selling his infamous peelers from Switzerland in Union Square. She had his iconic salesman British accent and had almost exactly the same sales pitch… all is well with the world again! (I own one of these peelers and I have to tell you it is the best peeler I’ve ever used)

Then we walked through Whole Foods looking for something nice for dinner and also for one of those water bottles, when I stumbled upon the staff break room. The employee furthest back saw my camera and wanted a picture, and it gave me a chance to document how nice their break rooms are!

These are both from a few days ago. The first was from Betsey Johnson which was a zoo, and somewhat like going on the big ride at Disney World, every corner produced another line to wait in before you could see the presentation.

This next image is from Organic by John Patrick, where they had a make shift farmers market in the corner and I ate some of the best cheese I’ve ever eaten (Amazingreallive.com)

Momofuku – NY – David Chang

Le Bernadine – NY – Eric Rippert

Craft – NY – Tom Colicchio

Spago – LA – Wolfgang Puck

Au Pied de Cochon – Montreal – Martin Picard

El Bulli – Spain – Ferran Adria

Guy Savoy – Paris – Guy Savoy

Restaurant Gordon Ramsey – London – Gordon Ramsey

January 22nd – 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm $20 (Lecture & Tasting )

Founded in 1979, Neal’s Yard Dairy has steadily become London’s premiere artisanal cheese purveyor. Favoring a traditional approach to small, independent British cheesemakers, their premises are packed with cheeses whose names evoke the countryside, such as Shropshire Blue, Lincolnshire Poacher, and Sussex Golden Cross. Join Head Cheesemonger Paul Price and special Neal’s Yard Dairy guests as they walk you through the superlative selections they have made possible on our shores (and in our stores).