Today we’ve got the third and last recipe we’re sharing from the “Simply the Best” article published in Issue No. 11. This dessert was a staple for photographer Liz Clayman during her childhood summers in Maine. After a day of berry picking, her mom would often make a cobbler with the sun-warmed fruits. Now Liz is continuing the tradition in her Brooklyn home by making her mom’s recipe for friends. Whether for a special occasion or a quick afternoon treat, this cobbler is ideal for the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries that are flooding markets right now.
Berry Cobbler
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
2/3 cup + 1 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
2 cups berries, fresh or frozen (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries all work great)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In an 8-9” cake pan, melt the butter in oven. While the butter is melting, combine all dry ingredients (reserving 1 tablespoon of the sugar) in a medium bowl. Add milk and whisk until smooth. Pour 3/4 of the batter into cake pan on top of melted butter. Place the berries into the batter, top with remaining batter and the reserved tablespoon of sugar. Bake for about an hour, until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.
Liz Clayman is a Brooklyn-based food, lifestyle, and event photographer. A native of Maine, Liz brings both the calm influence of rustic life and the bustle of the city to her work. When she’s not behind her camera, Liz can be found in the kitchen or riding her bike through Brooklyn.
{Photograph by Liz Clayman}
This week we’re sharing another recipe featured in the Simply the Best story from Issue No. 11, in which we asked several photographers about their favorite dishes. This panzanella reminds photographer Melina Hammer of warm days in her mother’s garden as a child. It’s easy to understand why with the handfuls of freshly picked basil and vine-ripened tomatoes. If you have these summer essentials growing in your garden—or have access to them at a farmer’s market or store—this might be the perfect thing to make this weekend. We plan to make it all summer long.
Essential Panzanella
The success of this salad is in the quality of the ingredients. Look for heirloom tomatoes that burst with juice and flavor, as well as great bread and fresh herbs. The combination of these is such a rewarding—and simple—meal you’ll want to eat over and over again.
Ingredients
1 loaf of bread (I used challah, but any country loaf will do)
large handful of shallots
a number of perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes*
good extra virgin olive oil
aged balsamic vinegar
large handful of basil leaves
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
*I like a variety of hues and flavors—like the savory, intensely juicy Cherokee Purples and bright, acidic Green Zebras
Tear loaf of bread into bite-sized pieces. In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, fry bread in olive oil. Peel shallots and cut into large wedges. In a bowl, toss shallots with olive oil, then grill on all sides. Cut tomatoes into bite-sized chunks.
Once all ingredients are ready, combine on a large serving platter, and dress with the balsamic and olive oil, and scatter with a bit of large flake sea salt, cracked pepper, and the basil leaves. Make enough for guests to have seconds, because everyone will ask for more.
Enjoy!
New York-based Melina Hammer‘s love for eating well and cooking led her to focus on food photography, and a bit of lifestyle and travel photography as well. She blogs about her latest culinary adventures at lickingtheplate.com.
{Photograph by Melina Hammer}
For the article Simply the Best in Issue No. 11, we asked several photographers to tell us about their favorite dishes. Today I’m excited to share the recipe behind the mouthwatering image above: Jessica Comingore’s mom’s granola, which was a staple in their household—and continues to provide fond memories for the two. Says Jessica: “Every time I visit, we’ll start our day with a bowl of graole on the patio, catching up on life.” Sounds like an especially nice way to mark this Mother’s Day weekend!
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds or chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup honey
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp maple extract
Preheat oven to 300°F. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, walnuts, milk powder, sunflower seeds, and salt in a 13x9x2-inch metal pan.
Whisk vegetable oil, water, honey, and vanilla and maple extracts in a medium bowl to blend. Add to dry ingredients in pan and stir to coat completely.
Bake until granola is golden and crunchy, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely. Granola can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Jessica Comingore is a Los Angeles-based photographer who got her start in interior design. While managing residential and commercial projects and contributing to a textiles line, Jessica developed and honed her photography skills as well. In 2011, she launched Jessica Comingore Studio. In addition to shooting interiors, Jessica also provides branding and design services.
{Photograph by Jessica Comingore}
When Meg, Alexis, and I were planning last year’s trip to Philadelphia—which you can read all about in Issue No. 10/Winter 2013—we asked about half a dozen locals for suggestions on things to do and places to visit. As a result, our days were jam-packed, and we were basically eating nonstop. (I can’t tell you how many people raved about the salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo! Luckily for those of us who don’t live in/near Philly, Bon Appétit published the recipe a few years ago.)
The images featured in the Issue No. 10 travel story were taken by Courtney Apple, who is not only a wonderful photographer, but was a terrific Philadelphia tour guide. (That’s her below, trying to get just the right angle for a shot of the donuts and fried chicken at Federal Donuts.) While Courtney was the professional photographer for our trip, Meg took a ton of pictures on her iPhone as well. Here are just some of her favorite snapshots around town.
P.S. Did you know that the city’s nickname, The City of Brotherly Love, is rooted in the literal meaning of the word “Philadelphia” in Greek?
{A Couple Cooks’ Peppermint Ice Cream and Hot Cocoa Affogato}
With most of the country experiencing a burst of wintery weather this week, today seems like the perfect opportunity to celebrate one of the season’s best drinks: hot chocolate. Like many classic dishes, people tend to have their own secret recipes that they swear by, but I’m still on the fence. I think this is a good problem to have and I’ve taken searching for a signature version pretty seriously.
Since chocolate is such a versatile base, there are dozens of directions to explore. I’ve been scouring some of my favorite food blogs to come up with a list of versions to try before spring. And with delicious additions from peppermint to peanut butter to brown sugar to coconut to ginger and orange, I’m convinced there will be several winners in the bunch. Maybe a hot chocolate tasting party is in order? Since many of the ingredients are the same, a simple buffet set up and lots of small cups would make for a decadent evening and perfect way to stay warm with friends!
{Above from top left: David Leobovitz’s Le Chocolat Chaud and Belgian Hot Chocolate; Edible Perspective’s Vegan Hot Cocoa Four Ways; Cannelle et Vanille’s Spiced Chocolate Bisque; Martha Stewart’s Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate}
