About kcline

Food Stylist, Food Photographer, Recipe Developer, Burger Goddess, Geek, Freak & sometimes a Goober.

Recent posts

• Comment on kcline's answer…

  0 0 Try my suggestion of Irish Cream with a little top of Irish Whiskey to give a little punch as well. It's reallllllly good :) Packs a nice punch with a smooth finish :) The Coconut Rum version is also tasty. I have soaked some dried pineapple in the same rum overnight, then gave it a rough chop and made a little ball of rum soaked pineapple for the middle of the rum ball. CRAZY good :) kcline commented about 1 year ago

• Follow Following 1

  Rum Balls with Different Alcohol

  2 0 I have had great success with Grand Marnier, Coconut Rum and Irish Cream with Whisky in the past. For a couple of them I added in some extras... With the Grand Marnier I added in some extra orange zest. Coconut Rum I added in some unsweeted decimated coconut (really teeny flaked coconut) The best thing to do is test a little batch of the cake with which ever flavor of alcohol that you are planning on using. If it tastes good, then roll with it :) kcline answered in Alcohol about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• Follow Following 1

  When did you first decide to become a food photographer?

  1 0 This is an exceprt from a post I did on the morning that I found out that Gourmet Magazine was no more. It really explains how the spark turned into a flame for me: "My life as a food photographer and food stylist, well I think it was just fate, some luck and a whole lot of passion for food. I’ve always loved cooking and entertaining, for me there is no greater satisfaction than feeding loved ones and seeing the bliss of something delicious that I prepared swathing over their palettes, or hearing the “yum, ohh mmm” sounds coming from them. That is the greatest reward for me as a cook. I put love, attention and my passion for food into everything I cook and I love it when those things are conveyed to the plate successfully. It was on one occasion that I had a large dinner party at my house where I had served a hazelnut dusted ahi tuna steak wrapped in prosciutto that my friends sat looking at their plates in awe. I insisted that everyone dig in but my guests insisted that the food was too pretty to eat and said that I needed to take a picture before they ate. So I dug out my old Polaroid camera and snapped a quick picture. For dessert we had Gourmet Magazine’s Apple Pie 1993, before serving it up I decided to try my hand at staging a shot in the kitchen before bringing out the slices to be devoured. I had alot to learn and my curiosity in the world of Food Photography & Food Styling was sparked, or better still… it was ignited. Over time, off and on, I tried my hand at documenting my own personal culinary journey. This was in the days long before blogging existed so my documentation ended up in several 3-ring binders and photos in ziploc bags inside the binders, most of what I shot was a quick snap on Polaroid or using my old Canon 35mm film camera. I didn’t have the luxury of fancy lighting, so I learned to make due with available light. I learned that props were a key in creating a great mood to an image, because let’s face it who wants to look at a bunch of food photos on the same bunch of hexagon black plates circa 1990? So the collection of new dishes began." So there you have it. As to why? Honestly, it's my passion.  It was my passion before I even realized it was my passion.  I love food and I have always been a creative type.  So when the two of those things collided, my path was chosen for me and I just decided to take the chance and happily skip on down that path.   For a chuckle: This apple pie is one of my earliest set ups for the sole purpose of taking a photo... taken around 1993. And just to put things in perspective... this is the result of over 15 years of trial and error and applying what I have learned along the way: kcline answered in The Magical World of Kelly Cline about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

• Comment on Fnarf's answer…

  3 0 Best. Answer. Ever. kcline commented about 1 year ago

• Follow Following 1

  What went wrong with my Pad Thai experiement?

  1 0 Looking over the ingredients, it's possible that the various pre-made condiment items tended to clash with one another. You've got yourself a dipping sauce, peanut butter, sambal and then some tamarind paste in there - and that's where I am betting your problem lies. To get a little base Pad Thai started you'll need a few things (some you already named off so you're doing pretty good already) -Tamarind for the sour -Fish Sauce for the savory saltiness -Light Brown Sugar (or ideally Palm Sugar - you can get that at Uwajimaya) for the sweet -Dried Chili for the heat I also like to add a little Lime, Garlic and a teeny weeny hit of white vinegar. Additional add-ins I like: When I can get my hands on Japanese Preserved Turnips, sometimes called Pickled Turnips aka Senmaizuke - those add in a wonderful crisp little salty bite, however you will want to chop them very fine and use a light hand. And Dried Shrimp, you can pick up powdered Dried Shrimp or just get whole ones and grind them in a mortar and pestle - NOT in a food processor, as a food processor will not get it powdery enough (unless you have a Robot Coupe - and if you do I will both hate and envy you). It kicks up that briny back end that the Fish Sauce lends. All your fresh ingredients would be lovely additions to any Pad Thai... it's the sauce base that I think is probably where it went awry. Here is a link to the Thai Table website.  This recipe is a good jumping off point for a Pad Thai sauce base that is very good. http://www.thaitable.com/Thai/recipes/Pad_Thai.htm If you are after that peanut rich flavor, skip the peanut butter and fry in Peanut Oil instead.  It has a really high smoke point and it will leave a faint aroma of peanut which you can enhance with crushed peanuts on top. btw... love the idea of using ramps!  Very creative! kcline answered in The Magical World of Kelly Cline about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1

  do you have any recipes for knotweed?

  1 0 I don't have any recipes per se, other than some procedure to share on this particular plant. So I'll share those procedures here with you. Knotweed is a pretty amazing vegetable/weed - you will want to use the stalks. Easiest way to enjoy them is to peel the outer layer off with a regular old vegetable peeler, then cut them into slices about 1/8" in thickness and steam them until they are tender. Their flavor is sour, very bright, with a little note of rhubarb and citrus peel. Last year I made a cold knotweed, apple and prawn salad using this method and then dressing it with a sweet vinaigrette with chopped tarragon and finely diced shallot, top it off with a nice pile of steamed prawns and dig in. You could also take the steaming a step further, after you steam it add some stock, a pinch of sugar and a touch of cream and puree it until smooth. Use it as a puree to settle a nice piece of grilled chicken or even a little minted Spring Lamb. You can also chop it up and use it as a sour element in Chutneys and Jams. It works exceedingly well with any really sweet fruits like Mango. It also lends a nice little tang to Strawberry Jam. To incorporate into a Chutney or Jam recipe I would suggest a ratio of 1 part Knotweed to 8 parts Fruit. You can also cut them into very teeny julienne or matchsticks, steam them until tender and add it to a stir fry. It works really well with pork, chicken and seafood. Think of it as a flavor element. Something that is going to add a bit of sour bite and some bright notes to what you are cooking. As a solo ingredient the closest thing I can think of to compare it to would be Rhubarb. Same sort of dry sour that Rhubarb has but better. kcline answered in The Magical World of Kelly Cline about 1 year ago Answer and comment »

• Follow Following 1

  What is this tool?

  0 0 It looks like a fancy Chef's Tasting Spoon, one that folds up and fits in to the pocket. I have a Tasting Spoon that does not fold up but it is the exact same size and shape as this. kcline answered in Cooking Tips & Tricks about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 6 more answers »

• Follow Following 1

  Just moved to the 15th Ave area in Capitol Hill. Food/Restaurant recommendations?

  2 3 Loads of good spots, marjorie would be up at the top of the list. Their burrata is pretty amazing with a generous heap of chiffonade so thin it could be green angel's hair. kcline answered in Eating Out about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 9 more answers »

• Comment on kcline's answer…

  0 0 Yeah, I am really disappointed in the 24-105's chromatic aberration issues. It takes a lot of tweaking in post to correct sometimes. The 50mm 1.4 and even the 1.8 (which is even cheaper) are great little lenses. In a controlled studio situation, quickness is not so much an issue, nor are filters. Honestly the only filters that I use are UV filters to protect the glass and on the very rare occasion I will use a circular polarizer - for which I purchase a "step-up ring" and buy the next size up from the size of my lens so that you don't get shadows or vignetting. I only really use a CP filter for shooting landscapes and nature (which I do love to do... if I weren't shooting food I'd be shooting landscape and nature) or for shooting liquids/glass when I really want the ultimate control over reflection density. kcline commented about 1 year ago

• Follow Following 1

  My parents are going to New Orleans soon--any suggestions for restaurants?

  1 0 I will second Brennan's. Also Red Fish Grill. kcline answered in Eating Out about 1 year ago Answer, comment & read 3 more answers »

• See all of my 0 Questions , 8 Answers and 4 Comments