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We photographed these delicious macaroons in Pantone 501 C from neighborhood patisserie Bottega Louie for a colorful package design product.

Photo © JW

While in  Zambia, I was lucky enough to stumble upon this amazing pile of wild mushrooms in Pantone 1595.
Photo © JW

Fruit and veggies can be so beautiful. I am a proud mother to my own fruit and veggie patch, where I have strawberries, blackberries, beets, carrots, and tomatoes. Summer goodness. Love it!





* Image sources:
1. Sweet Paul / 2. Project Wedding / 3. Donna Hay / 4. Sweet Paul / 5. Martha Stewart

This recipe called for the flesh of 2 vanilla beans, but not the bean pods.  The pods still contain flavor, so I put them in a jar and filled it with vodka to make homemade vanilla extract.  The marmalade recipe is below, and is pictured with Martha Stewarts recipe for "no-knead" bread.  

Vanilla & Orange Marmalade
3 lbs Oranges
4 Cups Water
3 Lemons
2 Vanilla Beans (flesh only)
1/4 Cup Bourbon
4 Cups Sugar
Pinch of Salt

1. Place several small plates or saucers in the freezer.

2. Wash the citrus well under warm running water. Cut the lemons and orange in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/8-inch segments, lengthwise like half moons. Pluck out any exposed membrane and remove the seeds.

3. Place the citrus and water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the peels are very soft and fully cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Add the vanilla, bourbon, and sugar to the pot, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let the marmalade simmer until set. It should take about 20 to 30 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes to see if it is set by spooning a little onto a chilled plate from the freezer. If it looks like jam and not runny syrup, it’s ready. (If you want to use a candy thermometer, you are looking for 222 degrees.) Add a pinch of salt to taste.

5. Allow marmalade to cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a month.

Adapted from recipes found at NY Times & Design Sponge

Our client Robyn O'Brien gave a fantastically motivating speech at the recent TEDx conference in Austin on the food industry and its effect on the collective health of our people, country and economy.  

Last weekend some friends, my husband and I packed in the car and went wine tasting in Santa Ynez. This has become a regular trip for us as it is only about 2 hours from Los Angeles, and the small family run wineries are producing some brilliant wines. 

We headed from LA to the little town of Los Olivos for a quick stop at Panino to grab sandwiches.   Then we drove to our first stop, The Ballard Inn to taste some super small production wine.  On this occasion the tasting room was closed, so instead we headed to Lincourt where we were impressed by the reasonable price tags on most bottles.  

From there, we stopped by the Carhartt wine pickup party and ate our sandwiches with an amazing glass of Syrah that proved to be a crowd pleaser.  

Our final wine stop was Beckmen Vineyards where we all loved the Cuvee Le Bec offering.  

Dinner is always had at Full of Life Flatbread. Although it is not a true Flatbread experience (Full of Life is a franchise gone rogue),  it is a good substitute when you are far from the Mad River Valley. On this occasion we enjoyed a black trumpet mushroom flatbread.  It was delicious.  

We have stayed in the valley on other occasions,  but this time, we headed back home to our own welcoming beds.  

If growing your own is not your thing, check out the amazing Silver Lake farms CSA, Cookbook Green Grocer in Echo Park, and don't forget your beautiful market basket from Kauffman Mercantile. 

1. Cookbook / 2. Basket / 3. Farm Shop / 4. Blanch

My weekends have turned into days split between the garden, kitchen and farmers markets.  The produce is so beautiful, and drives me to tend, collect, cook and preserve the beautiful bounty Souther California produces. A few products and images to inspire your inner Martha.

1. From Seed to Skillet by Jimmy Williams & Susan Heeger / 2.Watering Can / 3. Gardening Gloves / 4. Shovel

I love all of the food photography that we are seeing online these days.  The images are rich and inspiring and offer a voyeuristic glimpse of the photographers life through the simple ritual of eating.  Food in general has been celebrated and documented by artists for centuries, and I am particularly intrigued by the food images that are in the chiaroscuro style of Italian and Dutch masters. 

Caravaggio and Dijck painted every detail perfectly. With a camera the detail in inherent,  but these photographers are capturing a softness that mimics the touch of a brush. 

Above images from What Kate Ate

Above Images from Kevin Best

The above image is a screen shot from Sam Taylor Wood's 2001 time laps still life video titled "The Art of Dying".  This is one of my most favorite video works I have had the pleasure of seeing in person at the Montreal Museum of Art.  

We love the diverse complexity ofLouise Fili's branding and food package design.  Her work is detailed, intricate, and overwhelmingly inspiring.  Below are some of our favorite works.