Posted in food, food photography, Magazine Shoot, Oregon, portland, recipes, tagged Magazine Shoot, Mix Magazine, Recipes on April 4, 2013 | 2 Comments »
All images © Dina Avila 2013
Recipe post coming soon, but I thought I’d share a few tear sheets (including my second cover!) from my most recent shoot with Mix Magazine. And, yes, those tarts were as good as they look!
The recipes can be found here: Mix Magazine April Issue
Posted in food photography, Magazine Shoot, Oregon, portland, restaurants, tagged Comfort Foods, fresh pasta, Mix Magazine, Pasta recipes, restaurants on March 4, 2013 | 13 Comments »
One of these days I’ll cook and share a recipe for you (I promise!), but for now I thought I’d share some recent work I did for Portland’s very own Mix Magazine‘s March issue. It was my first time shooting for Mix and there were four of us working in my tiny kitchen studio, including the editor, the great Danielle Centoni, who cheerfully slaved away over steaming pots of pasta at my stove. It was a friggin’ blast. It was a delicious shoot (much nibbling on fresh pasta) that extended to my having the honor of photographing all of the chefs (who contributed the recipes) in their native environments. As we know, I absolutely love shooting portraits and the five chefs I photographed did not disappoint.
To hold you over, recipe-wise, here is the link to the online version of the Comfort Foods article complete with recipes for your cooking pleasure.
Cheers!
Posted in food photography, Magazine Shoot, Oregon, restaurants, tagged 24th and Meatballs, Basa Basa, Portland Monthly, Slow Burger, The Ocean, Uno Mas on January 28, 2013 | 2 Comments »
I have a gloriously busy schedule of back-to-back magazine shoots this week so, in lieu of a recipe, I thought I’d share my most recently published shoot with Portland Monthly. Be sure to pick up a copy as it’s a great article. The Ocean, on the corner of NE 24th and Glisan is a little gem practically right around the corner from where we live (yes, we frequent it. a lot) and I was thrilled to be able photograph it. If you live in Portland and you haven’t been, I suggest you go soon. And trust me. You CAN eat a dozen Uno Mas tacos…
Cheers!
Posted in food, food photography, Magazine Shoot, recipes, Seasonal Eating, Soups, tagged champagne vinegar, dinner, fennel bulbs, Fennel Potato Soup, Fennel Soup, food, Saveur, vegetarian, Winter Soup, yukon gold potatoes on January 14, 2013 | 4 Comments »
All images © Dina Avila 2013
I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this recipe with you. I found it while sifting through soup recipes at Saveur.com and it stopped my in my tracks. I absolutely love fennel. Adore it. But I’ve never made fennel soup and the recipe kind of took my by surprise. It’s original version has all of seven ingredients-including salt and pepper. I, of course, tweaked it here and there and, I have to admit, this soup kind of blew me away. The fennel simmers for a long time and you would think it would develop a concentrated licorice-y flavor. It does not. In fact, it stays bright and green tasting even when cooked to virtual mush. Granted I added a splash of Champagne vinegar and a dash of tarragon towards the end of cooking to facilitate that brightness, but I think the soup would be perfect if the original recipe was followed to a T.
Adam and I stirred it pieces of freshly roasted chicken and it took this soup to a new level. It became what chicken soup aspires to be. Perfect when it’s barely 29° just on the other side of the windows.
Speaking of roasted chicken, I usually make my roasted chicken according to my recipe that you can find here, but decided to rub the skin in slightly melted butter (along with salt, pepper and dried thyme) rather than olive oil. What a difference! It may very well have been the most delectable crispy chicken skin I’ve ever had. So good that I had difficulty resisting peeling bits of skin off to nibble on before serving.
Cheers!
Adapted from Saveur.com
Ingredients:
3 medium fennel bulbs
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered.
About a teaspoon of dried tarragon
A pinch or two red pepper flakes, to taste
A splash or two Champagne vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
~
Trim and quarter your fennel reserving about two tablespoons of the fronds.
Remove the core and cut the fennel into medium-sized chunks.
Warm the butter and olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat.
Add the fennel, shallots and one cul of the stock.
Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Until the fennel is soft and becoming translucent.
Turn the heat up a notch and add the potatoes.
Pour in the remaining 3 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes and stir the tarragon, Champagne vinegar and red pepper flakes.
Let simmer for another 10 minutes until the potatoes are very soft.
Season with salt and pepper.
Gently mash the vegetables with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Until the soup is creamy but still a bit chunky.
Add water or stock if the soup is too thick for your taste.
Remove the pot from the heat and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving so the flavors can develop.
Serve warm with a few fresh fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Some slivers of fresh pecorino romano would be a great addition.
Posted in food photography, Magazine Shoot, people, portland, portraits, tagged Cocktails, Kyle Webster, Portland Monthly, St. Jack on October 20, 2012 | 2 Comments »
This shot is my favorite of the lot
All images © Dina Avila
I promise you an epic recipe(s!) post tomorrow, but for now, allow me to treat your weary eyes to a bit of eye candy. Meet Kyle Webster, bartender extraordinaire at St. Jack here in Portland. These images are from a recent shoot I did with Portland Monthly Magazine for their November issue. If you’re looking for an exquisite cocktail crafted by a true gentleman and a stand-up fellow, then take my advice and visit Kyle. Look but don’t touch ladies and gents. Recently married to the incredibly talented and gorgeous Chef Naomi Pomeroy of Beast, Kyle is blissfully taken.
Cheers!
P.S. Yes, I realize this totally reads like a gossip column…;)
Posted in food, food photography, Magazine Shoot, Oregon, portland, tagged Bollywood Theater, Magazine Shoot, Portland Monthly on June 23, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Hi folks! Yes! I’m back and I will soon be sharing some of our Hawaii photos and stories…as well as some (non-Hawaii) recipes. But for now, I thought I’d share a tear sheet from my first shoot with Portland Monthly Magazine. Woo hoo! The June issue is still on the shelf (if you might want to pick up a copy) and keep your eyes peeled on the Savor section in the upcoming July issue. Yep :)
Also, thanks to all of you who left kind words and well wishes on my last post for our wedding! Can’t wait to share pictures with you all!
Cheers!
Leek Soup is a culinary photography blog with a touch of people and travel peppered in. Based in Portland, Oregon, it documents a passion for food and the explorations of Dina Avila, a professional food and food culture photographer.
If interested in contacting me please click email icon link below or email me at: dina@dinaavila.com
All images are copyrighted © Dina Avila 2010-2013, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.
