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Capture: Better Food Photography

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  • David Hood, in reply to Lilith __,

    Generally, for creating voids I fold up some cardboard and use a layer baking paper to stop the dough sticking to it. Since the cooking temperature is well under Fahrenheit 451, this works pretty well. I thought I'd leave a few dough balls out of the body and have a support column while cooking. So a similar idea to yours.

    I wonder if a small steel bowl inverted under the body (making it hollow) would solve the cooking time problem.

    This actually reminds me of something on my "will get around to it if the right potluck event comes up"- I thought I might sometime do a "something in a cage" bread sculpture by baking the two parts separately, doing the cage by inverting a square cake tin, and putting strips of firm dough over the outside to form the cage structure (with something to stop the dough sticking to the tin). I reckon this should create a breadstick cage, that I could put over the solider bread figure baked separately.

    Dunedin • Since May 2007 • 1445 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    A birthday weekend here so having a go at photographing various yummy things involved. You are right that it is a lot harder than you think.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Hilary Stace,

    The tapas at the Havana Bar are superb (and suit all dietary requirements) and they use an interesting assortment of dishes including old Temuka ware. There is also a door disguised as a bookcase in this restaurant, which is in two old cottages sandwiched between two high rises in an obscure side street. Out-of- towners, I think it is The place to go to in Wellington at the moment (but don't think they take bookings). Just checking whether we got anything worthy of posting here.

    Wgtn • Since Jun 2008 • 3229 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Hilary Stace,

    Havana is a taonga

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela,

    Attachment

    Chestnuts in a bag.MMMMMM

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    Havana is a taonga

    Indeed, Although I confess I've never been there at a time when one might eat.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Gudrun Gisela,

    Did you know they float?

    That'd be the ugniberries. Why so they do. You got a recipe to go with that?

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to David Hood,

    I reckon this should create a breadstick cage, that I could put over the solider bread figure baked separately.

    How fabulous.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Islander, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Any covert bread/oatcake/potato-cake/ damper/scone-making freaks out there? Who do not eschew breadmakers for the daily stuff?

    David H obviously...

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Gudrun Gisela,

    Love the smell of them roasting in their barrels of charcoal on street carts in the autumn. Trouble is I find the flavour and texture don't quite live up to the olfactory hype. Still, they're one of many reasons why autumn is the best season in Beijing.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Ditto Chris!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    Make jelly or jam with them.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela, in reply to Islander,

    I would have posted a shot of my rather humongous tomato but it got eaten before i could. Must be more vigilant next year.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Geoff Lealand,

    Our passion fruit is sending out confusing messages. The skin remains green but the pulp is ripe. Is this a particular variety?

    On something completely different, I think we need a new cinema thread (Craig?). Went to The Hunger Games today and I was impressed. Really superior to the current slate of empty-calories mainstream movies. The film society has also been offering some treasures, such as Asphalt Jungle and Wake In Fright.

    Screen & Media Studies, U… • Since Oct 2007 • 2562 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Islander,

    Any covert bread/oatcake/potato-cake/ damper/scone-making freaks out there?

    Me. I can make a good oatcake, and a simple bread known as kinder bread in our house as it was made every Monday at our children's kindergarten. The secret is in the flour: Zentrofan-ground biodynamic wholewheat from Millmore Downs at Scargill. The Zentrofan mill produces a very finely ground flour that is not heated by the grinding process so it retains more nutrients than even conventional stone-ground wholewheat flour.

    The Millmore Downs flour is so fine I use it for most everything bar meringues/pavs. Sponges are robust and airy, not heavy.

    Scones: I do not inflict my scones on anyone.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Gudrun Gisela,

    Chestnuts in a bag.MMMMMM

    I wish I knew how to get them out of their shells: I have a favourite poozling chestnut tree but each year I try and fail to cook them. I'm set on making the cabbage stuffed with a chestnut filling that husband number one used to make when he cooked at Dux de Lux years ago.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Laura Vincent, in reply to Islander,

    Any covert bread/oatcake/potato-cake/ damper/scone-making freaks out there? Who do not eschew breadmakers for the daily stuff?

    Me. Although not covert. The very opposite. Love kneading dough. Used to make damper over the campfire every summer. Still perfecting scones, but so far the trick seems to be more butter than usual at every step of the way. And cream of tartar...

    Wellington • Since Mar 2011 • 7 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Hebe,

    I think I'm experiencing my first attack of flour jealousy.

    My wife is talking about buying a decently sized (by China standards) oven. Our current oven is so tiny it can make two slices of toast or maybe roast an undersized minnow. But if we do get this new oven I'm going to bake, and if I'm going to bake I'm going to want wholemeal flour, among other things not commonly seen in your average suburban Chinese supermarket. I'll have to scour the Carrefours, Tescos, Jenny Lous, perhaps even Walmarts, or other places with Westerner-oriented product lines, or even find out if the old Friendship Supermarket at the north end of Sanlitun by the Shiny Horse River is still open, and I strongly suspect I'll wind up settling for whatever wholemeal flour I can find.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Could you import it from Scargill? Extravagant possibly, but I would find it difficult to do without that flour.
    http://www.milmoredowns.co.nz/

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Hebe,

    Oh, wow, thanks, but...:

    Orders of more than 150 kg can be sent by freight

    I doubt couriering flour 11,000-odd kilometres would be affordable, and in any case, the phrase nationwide crops up a lot without any mention of what those of us outside NZ should do. Looks like I'd have to open a bakery to bring it down to affordably extravagant.

    I will make a note of that for our eventual return to NZ, though. One thing I like about my in laws being farmers is knowing exactly who grows our food and being able to ask them how it is grown.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Hebe, in reply to Chris Waugh,

    Food miles would be a dificult sell here ;-)

    You are indeed fortunate to have those farm connections.

    Christchurch • Since May 2011 • 2899 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to Islander,

    Any covert bread/oatcake/potato-cake/ damper/scone-making freaks out there?

    Love potato cakes!! And I find if cooking them for others that they look at them sceptically then taste one and load up their plate. Made with just a little curry powder – tasty, easy and filling.

    I used to make potato and pumpkin “baking powder bread” (ie. no yeast) all the time with barley and rice flour. I liked them a lot, and at times made all kinds of additions and substitutions depending on what I had. As long as a few eggs went in, and you let the loaves cool fully before trying to slice, they held together surprisingly well. They were substantial…some would find them stodgy!

    I wish I was good at scones, my efforts in that department are only moderately good. There was a memorable occasion when I made lemonade/cream scones for my future mother-in-law (now ex-) that against all probability failed to rise even a little bit! She was very polite about them. I seem to recall I threw the leftovers to the ducks, and the scaup had to chase them underwater because they sank like stones.

    Another stodgy thing I rather like in winter is a scone-base pizza with a thick crust and a thick layer of cooked veges and cheese on top. I have been informed that this is more “vegetable scone pie” than anything I’m allowed to call “pizza”, but it really is delicious.

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Gudrun Gisela, in reply to Hebe,

    Just give them a small cut of say 1cm along one side before you roast them and they tend to slowly open up. after they are done you shell them quite easy. Use a super sharp knife.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2011 • 891 posts Report Reply

  • Chris Waugh, in reply to Lilith __,

    hmmm.... thinking about it, I don't think I've ever tried scones. If we get this new oven, I will. And if they fail to rise, I'll sell them to my mate who keeps a big stick in his car in case somebody crashes in to him, I'm sure he'd appreciate having a bag of little shotputs to throw at the many dodgy drivers one has to deal with over here.

    Another stodgy thing I rather like in winter

    After so many years in places where winter days range from minus 5 to minus 10-ish at dawn to maybe 1 or 2 in the middle of the day if you're lucky, I feel quite comfortable in asserting that 'stodgy' is a seasonal synonym for 'bloody good'.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 2401 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    When David met Jackson...
    apologies for leavening proceedings...

    This ain't Hardcore...

    Our passion fruit is sending out confusing messages. The skin remains green but the pulp is ripe. Is this a particular variety?

    that'll be Huntascollectas Seymourii

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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