Succotash in the Sukkah

Sukkot is my new favorite holiday. During this week-long Jewish harvest holiday we built a sukkah in our backyard in Brooklyn and invited friends over to eat in it with us nearly every night. We decorated the sukkah with gords and pumpkins and dried corn. According to tradition, the sukkah had 3 walls and a "see-through" roof, which we made out of burlap.

The sukkah is reminiscent of the type of fragile dwellings in which the ancient Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of wandering in the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Throughout the holiday the sukkah becomes the living area of the house, and all meals are eaten in it.

We had different a autumn inspired menu each night and friends brought dishes to share as well. We had quinoa, squash, roasted sweet potatoes, pie, butternut soup, pumpkin bread and my favorite- Andrea's clever dish, Succotash, a lovely veggie stew type medley served in a whole bell pepper.

Happy Fall!







all photos by Vanessa Bahmani

In Remembrance: Irving Penn

I am so very sad to hear of the passing of my favorite photographer of all time, Irving Penn. Please read the announcement of his death in the Times today.

Irving Penn, one of the 20th century’s most prolific and influential photographers of fashion and the famous, whose signature blend of classical elegance and cool minimalism was recognizable to magazine readers and museumgoers worldwide, died Wednesday morning at his home in Manhattan. He was 92.

Click HERE for a slideshow of some of his work.




all photos above by Irving Penn

Edible Brooklyn, Fall Issue

I love shooting for Edible Brooklyn and meeting all kinds of fun foodie people. In the most recent issue, check out 2 stories I shot...one about a couple who sells "brew kits" to make your own beer at home, and a "Brooklyn Fridge" story about a rocker married to a Zagat editor and his eclectic Prospect Park West kitchen.

Rachel Fine Exhibit

I am so pleased to have been included in a group show at the Red Bull Space in Soho this past weekend. It was a CD release party for the amazing musician Rachel Fine. There are 11 songs on her new CD, so she chose 11 photographers to each do a photoshoot in response to one of her songs. Here are some of my images of the artist in response to the song "Regret". I did a google image search for the word regret and projected those images onto Rachel.

Cleo & Lemon Tart

If you've never seen Agnes Varda's Cleo from 5-7, please do! It's a lovely french film from 1962 that takes places in Paris and inspired this still life photo I took. I used a film still from my favorite cafe scene as the backdrop and for fun I added a lemon tart from the french pastry shop on my corner.

Bacon & Eggs in Princeton

Jack and I had the most wonderful 9 course meal at elements in Princeton, NJ a couple weekends ago that came with an incredible wine pairing. What a treat! The restaurant specializes in "Interpretive American Cuisine". They have two lovely "Chef's Tables" in the back that face the kitchen and when seated there, you opt for a tasting menu experience that is different for each guest every night. We were given a list of ingredients on a beautifully printed earthy looking menu and asked if there was anything we were opposed to. When we said no, the chefs hit the ground running! As a new meat eater, I tried about a million things I'd never had before. 48 hour sous-vide short ribs, sashimi and cured pork were among my favorites.

Chef's Table looks into the kitchen:





Perhaps my favorite was the "Bacon & Eggs" (above). They have a special tool that perfectly cuts the top off the egg shell so they can then fill it. (It's very hard to not crack the shell as you eat it!) There's a bit of brioche inside the egg shell at the bottom, and then some sort of egg cream on top of that. It's served with a mini version of french toast and topped with bacon. MMMmmm!

Another favorite: the charcuterie plate:



The menu was innovative, surprising and intricately plated. The wine pairings were delicious, the service- impeccable and friendly. We will certainly be back and will recommend it highly to friends.

Chef: Scott Anderson
Dishes above prepared by Sous Chef Joe Sparatta

all photos by erin gleeson

New Edible Brooklyn Issue

Check out the latest Issue of Edible Brooklyn. My photo of Bonnie's Grill is used in the "Namesakes" article.

You can find hard copies at THESE locations