Author Archives: Everything But The...

Carpaccio of Radish with Avocado and Grapefruit

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I could easily call this a salad of radish, avocado and grapefruit but I’m feeling kind of fancy today. Carpaccio sounds exotic and sexy and all the things I, myself, am not. A girl can dream.

This dish is also symmetrical. I like symmetrical. People that know me know that I like everything in very precise order and symmetry, to me, is very pleasing. For examples…my closet is organized by color. My spice cabinet is (now) in complete working order with matching jars and labels to boot. Yesterday, on a whim, I reorganized my shoe collection by color, heel size and toe shape. I like Walnut’s collar and leash to match his fur.

In other words. I’m crazy.

But you’ve gotta give me points for trying. I mean, this dish is gorgeous. And delicious. And I’m eating it in concentric circles right now.

Like I said. Crazy.

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Reading for Breakfast

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Well, I’m not reading for breakfast, really. I’m reading at breakfast. Pardon my grammar.

I’m studying, actually. And it’s been a looooong time since I’ve done any of that. I kind of forgot how mind-numbing and boring studying is. Or, rather, I purposefully cleared out that part of my brain to make way for all the other things clogging it up (Walnut, starting a company, baking, blogging, etc.)

I’m studying for my Food Safety Certification so I can package all of our products into their fabulous little boxes. Yay!

There’s some easy ones on the test, like this:

People can become ill from:

  1. Bacteria
  2. Viruses
  3. Parasites
  4. All of the above

Duh, easy one! (answer is d, people, stop scratching your head).

Then there’s some really hard ones like:

Chemical sanitizers are most effective at temperatures from:

  1. 50 to 75 degrees F
  2. 75 to 120 degrees F
  3. 140 to 170 degrees F
  4. 200 to 212 degrees F

This one takes a little thinking, because your first thought is a seemingly obvious answer of 50-75 degrees F: at or below room temperature. But the answer is 75-120 degrees F! Doesn’t that seem like a really high temp to store sanitizers?

Thus, some studying to do! Wish me luck!

Food Styling and Packaging Sneak Peak

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I love to eat. And I eat with my eyes first. And I eat a lot with my eyes. If the sheer number of food blogs I read every day is any indication, I am verging on obsessed. So, my goal is to communicate my cooking to you in the form of gorgeous pictures that hopefully make you drool. That’s where food styling comes in. And I’m still learning. And I think I will always be learning this unique art. It’s not easy. Honey doesn’t ooze and drip like you want it to in a hot kitchen. Sturdy breads tend to crumble under even the lightest care. The souffle falls. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

So, here’s one of my more recent attempts at food styling – all about the picture and making it as gorgeous as possible. This is a sneak peak of our Everything But The…Bananas Banana Bread packaging and I think we’ll be able to nail it soon. It’s an exciting time here at Cherryvale Farms and we can’t wait to show you more as the line develops. Now, I have to go….we’re working on dips today!