photo on left: Ashley Rodriguez, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

I am super pleased to share the newest chapter of my Be My Guest series today. I’ve been following Ashley from Not Without Salt for years now and admire her work immensely. I asked Ashley when I first started the series last year if she would like to participate. She agreed to join me here on the blog if I gave her a bit of time since she was working on her first cookbook. Her cookbook will be ready just in time for Christmas and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Ashley’s style of photography is different than many blogs I follow – she uses simple backgrounds and gets really close to her food – the mood she instills is inviting and her stories capture my attention. In addition to some of my favourite recipes, such as this tomato pesto, she also shares beautiful travel photos on her blog. Last and definitely not least, she was also the Saveur Best Food Blog winner in 2013.

photo on left: Ashley Rodriguez, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Today Ashley wanted to share her salted chocolate chip cookies recipe. It’s her signature recipe and it’s so popular that I’ve seen it pop up on Twitter and Instagram because her foodie friends are raving about them. I made them just in time for a big BBQ at our house – they were the perfect finish to our evening. This recipe is great, easy to make and yields a ton of cookies. Thank you Ashley for joining me on the blog today!

photo on left: Ashley Rodriguez, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Ashley Rodriguez, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Ashley Rodriguez, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Cookie + Kate, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Today I’m back with a new installment of Be My Guest – the first one for 2014! I am really excited that Kathryne from the blog Cookie and Kate joined me on the blog today. I can’t remember how I found Kathryne’s blog, it might have been through Heidi, but I’ve been following her ever since. Kathryne has clean and bright photos that I really like and all her recipes are vegetarian, so she’s a great source when looking for meatless whole foods. I’ve also loved some of her resource posts, such as how to start a food blog or food photography tips. Plus, for some weird reason I’m fascinated by the fact that she lives in Kansas…I’ve never met anyone from Kansas and I’ve never been there, but maybe Dorothy plays some part in it?

photos on left: Cookie + Kate, photos on right: Giulia Doyle

But now, let’s get to the recipe! Shaved Fennel Salad with Parmesan and Orange Zest from Melissa Clark’s cookbook, Cook This Now. I don’t often use fennel and I like how this comes together easily. Kathryn mentioned that not having a mandolin left her with thicker slices of fennel than she was hoping for. I used my very basic mandolin and still didn’t get my fennel as thin and feathery as I think the recipe is intended to be. However, I am truly terrified of my mandolin and might not have been using it to it’s full potential. But even with slightly thicker slices, this recipe is easy and tasty.

I let my fennel sit with the dressing a bit, which reduced the anise flavour a little more. We also had some leftovers, which I then combined with shaved cabbage and carrots, which made a great additional salad. Serving this with orange slices like Kathryn shows in her photos would add some extra bulk and colour to the salad. The recipe in the book also offers alternatives, such as leaving off the cheese or adding thinly sliced dates – you can be creative!

Thank you so much Kathryne for joining me on the blog today!

photo on left: Cookie + Kate, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

photo left: Joy Uyeno , photo right: Giulia Doyle

It’s time for another installment of Be My Guest. This time I have the honour of welcoming Joy from the lifestyle blog Frock Files. Originally from Hawaii, but now living in New England, Joy is an all-round talented blogger that excels at sharing small bits of happiness with her readers – be it fashion, food, crafts or inspirational thoughts. Joy also works as a freelance stylists and photographer. While I’ve never met Joy in person, she gives off the vibe of being the nicest person, and if email communication is an indicator, then she really is. I look forward to meeting in person one day.

photo left: Joy Uyeno , photo right: Giulia Doyle

It being the holiday season, Joy chose these Chocolate Chip Filled Melting Moments:
As the holidays approach, I’m always on the lookout for simple recipes to give as gifts. These meltaways are perfect: impressive to look at (and eat!) but easy to whip up.

I have to agree, they were simple to make and a big hit at our house. The high amount of corn starch called for in the recipe surprised me at first. But after a bit of research I realized that it’s often used to get the fine and crumbly texture of a shortbread or sablé cookie, which is also the reason this recipe calls for cake flour.

photo left: Joy Uyeno , photo right: Giulia Doyle

Thank you Joy for joining me today – this recipe is a perfect edible gift for all the parties you might be invited to. Or make a batch or two for the teachers, school bus drivers and your helpful neighbour!

photo on left: Julia Cawley, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

I am super pleased to share the newest installment of ‘Be My Guest’. Today’s guests are Liz and Jewels. Not only are they my first European guests, they are also the bloggers behind the blog that inspired this feature.

Liz is a designer and cookbook author in Germany and Jewels is a German photographer based in the US. They launched their blog to stay in touch and share wonderful recipes. Each week they challenge each other to a recipe and share it on their blog.

Liz and Jewels are also contributors to Decor8, Liz is the author of 3 cookbooks, which Jewels photographed, and they are hosts of successful food styling and photography workshops in New York and Münster. Quite a list of successes, right?

photo on left: Lisa Nieschlag, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

So today the cook-off is between the three of us and showcases an amazing Sachertorte – you know, that wonderfully dense Austrian chocolate cake with apricot jam and chocolate ganache icing?

It’s my birthday tomorrow, so Liz and Jewels kindly chose to bake me a birthday cake – isn’t that sweet? And they picked an amazing one – simple to make, very tasty and tastes great a few days after baking, which is the best treat a few days after celebrating.

This cake takes me right back to a European Cafe. It was great to go back to a traditional cake recipe, but to still make it in layers the way I like it. I always forget how easily a beautiful shiny ganache comes together and that a cake can be iced much faster that way than with frosting. I’ll be doing it more often now.

Thank you Liz and Jewels for joining me today and for sending me virtual birthday cakes with candles!

Photo top left: Julia Cawley, photo top right: Lisa Nieschlag, bottom photo: Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Christelle, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Welcome to the next installment of Be My Guest! Today we have Christelle is Flabbergasting – my first Canadian guest! I met Christelle last year at Aran’s workshop in Montreal. Christelle is actually French and moved to Montreal about four years ago. She’s an art director by trade and freelances as a food photographer and food stylist. Not only does she run her beautiful food blog in her limited spare time, she also has a weekly food column in La Presse and does some amazing travel (which she documents beautifully with her photography).

photo on left: Christelle, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Today we are sharing Lentil ‘Meatballs’ with Lemon Pesto, courtesy of the Sprouted Kitchen. Christelle fell in love with Sarah’s cookbook and among many recipes she bookmarked, this was the first one she tried. It turned out beautifully, so I had to try it as well. I have Sarah’s cookbook and was very pleased to try another recipe – tasty meatless options are not on our regular rotation, so I welcome recipes that take me out of my usual cooking routine.

photo on left: Christelle, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

I made a double batch of these because I had a lot of lentils. I needed to add a bit more breadcrumbs in order for mine to stick – but these lentil ‘meatballs’ are wonderful. They are great warm, great cold and amazing on a bed of greens with crunchy cucumbers. The pesto is a little more tart than my usual and complements the flavours beautifully. Thank you Christelle for joining me today – this recipe was another winner in my books.

photo by Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Aran Goyoaga, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

I am super excited to share my next installment of Be my Guest. Today the lovely Aran, from Cannelle et Vanille is visiting the blog. Aran is not only a super talented food photographer and chef, she is also the author of the successful gluten-free cookbook Small Plates and Sweet Treats. She teaches photography and food styling at different workshops in the US, Canada and Europe, which she documents on her amazing blog. I met Aran last summer and she is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met – so talented and so happy to teach and share. I am so pleased she agreed to share her Yogurt Pops recipe, which you can also find on page 270 of her book.

photo on left: Aran Goyoaga, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

Aran’s style of photography is mostly light, bright and airy, with playful sprigs of ingredients, amazing light and floral patterns. Although I try to go into these posts with as little comparison as possible, I knew her photos would be reflective of her signature style and I also knew that an icy cold treat like this would have me hard pressed not to shoot my own photos in a light and airy fashion.

Aran chose this recipe because it’s July and we all could use a little icy treat. She also likes to make these yogurt pops with her kids, as they are relatively easy to assemble. Every recipe that Aran shares has an elegant twist, something that elevates it from the ordinary to something special and unusual. This recipe calls for Cardamom. Cardamom was available in two varieties at my regular grocery store. Don’t omit it – it takes these yogurt pops to the next level – the added smokiness is amazing – it adds depth and a bit of a surprise to the cool treat.

photo on left: Aran Goyoaga, photo on right: Giulia Doyle

I followed Aran’s recipe and added a couple of stray blackberries I had lying around. I also made mine in basic Popsicle molds because I don’t own shot glasses. I had enough of the berry puree left over at the end, so I decided not to make the berry consommé the recipe calls for. You can see it in the last image that Aran provided – the clear jewel tone is amazing!

This recipe was perfect – a fun cooking activity with the kids that resulted in a great summer treat. Thank you Aran for joining me today!

photo: Giulia Doyle

photo on left: Giulia Doyle, photo on right: Heidi Larsen

I am excited to share my second installment of Be My Guest . Today’s guest is Heidi from FoodieCrush. Heidi is incredibly talented – she doesn’t only keep up with an enormous amount of food posts each week, she also publishes FoodieCrush magazine, where she shares her love for food bloggers, their photos and their recipes. What I admire about Heidi is her talent and dedication to scour the web to find and highlight food bloggers all over the world. She does this every week and I’m not sure how she does all of that work and manages to cook and photograph all of her own food as well. Her own work is always bright, clean and cheerful – she makes the food her star – and if you like cheese, you should visit her blog regularly!

photo on left: Giulia Doyle, photo on right: Heidi Larsen

This week we’re venturing into beverage territory and Heidi suggested making this Bloody Beer, otherwise known as Michelada. Here’s her story:

One of my favorite times to enjoy a Bloody Beer is for brunch on a hot, sunny morning while house boating on the amazing Lake Powell.

Lake Powell is a cult favorite among Utahns. It’s like nature’s Disneyland and is a must do if you’re a water enthusiast, fisherman or simply crave water adventure. Straddling the borders of Utah and Arizona, Lake Powell has more coastline than the entire west coast, thanks to its meandering canyons and tributaries alongside the most amazing natural rock formations like Rainbow Bridge.

With temperatures that rise into the 100’s during the height of summer, ice-filled coolers loaded with beer are an essential ingredient for a successful trip. Nothing tastes better than a cold beer on the water to wet the whistle.

My friend Krista introduced me to the concept of a bloody beer after a few days of house boating in Lake Powell. While our lakeside versions were simply tomato juice and beer, the addition of the makings for a bloody mary makes for a tasty adaptation for breakfast or pre-lunch sipping for any summertime lazy day.

photo on left: Giulia Doyle, photo on right: Heidi Larsen

I find photographing drinks incredibly hard – I’m never quite sure what angle is best, how to treat the background, how far away to move…so this was the perfect challenge. This drink made me think of outdoors and summer, so I set up on the deck. We’ve had challenging weather lately, it was raining minutes before I took the photos. A little hard to get into the Michelada spirit, especially when referring to Heidi’s story above. But I think it all turned out OK. Did I like the drink? I thought it was quite pleasant. I really like tomato juice, but I’m not sure if I prefer a Bloody Mary, or if the proportions are a little too acidic for me. I think next time I’ll add more tomato, or switch to a V8 for less acidity. My husband liked it a lot though, but he made sure to add a little more spice. Both Heidi and I adapted the original recipe from Food52 and you can see our adaptations in the recipe below. Thank you Heidi for joining me today!

photo: Giulia Doyle

Photo on left: Giulia Doyle, Photo on right: William Brinson

I’m super giddy to share this post with you today! It’s a new regular feature, and I am ecstatic that House of Brinson joined me to kick-off this series. In this new feature, called ‘Be my Guest’ I invite photographers and food bloggers to join me on the blog. Every six weeks the ‘guest’ will choose the recipe and both of us will cook and photograph it. Both of us will probably have a slightly different take on the food and our images will be different. I’m running this series to challenge me to try new recipes and to improve my photography and styling skills.

I was so pleased when Susan and William agreed to join me. I admire their work immensely, and once they agreed I started to freak out. William and Susan are pros, this is what they do for a living. William has had his photographs featured in national magazines – what the heck was I thinking? But I did it! I decided to plow on through – I wrote down the type of image I was going for, the props I was going to use and then I made sure to photograph it before I got William’s photo – I didn’t want to be influenced by their take on things.

Photo on left: Giulia Doyle, Photo on right: William Brinson

Susan and William chose a great Shrimp and Grits recipe – something William says he often ate in his Southern home. I had never made it, so I was excited to try something different. It’s a great recipe. It’s flavourful, pretty simple to make and very filling. You can see adjustments we both made on it in the notes section below.

This collaboration has been a great experience and I already learned some key things from William critiquing my photo. It’s taking me outside of my comfort zone and pushing me to new levels – there’s always so much to learn. I hope you enjoy this regular feature. My next guest is all lined-up to cook with me in a couple of weeks!

* This feature is inspired by Liz and Jewels. Original Recipe: Tyler Florence for the FoodNetwork