Oh Joy!

{oh joy eats lunch with} sara forte... 2 Feb 2012

Who  Sara Forte, author of Sprouted Kitchen Blog and Cookbook

Where  Dana Point, California

Time 12pm. Sounds cliche, huh? I'm a frequent snacker, but that seems to be the time I actually sit down and eat something instead of grazing.

What's a typical lunch for you? My lunch is usually a bowl of greens piled with leftovers of whatever roasted vegetables, grains, dip, and what not I have around from recipe testing. I am really not particular, so as long as I've got a ton of greens, a protein, gluten-free grain and some avocado/hummus/vinaigrette to make it taste, I'm a happy girl. If we are making something for the blog, that becomes second lunch for us. I married a hungry man, so there is a lot of eating going on around here! Today it's a roasted tomato soup that we made recently for the blog and has been one of the most popular recipes yet. The ingredient list is short, but by roasting the tomatoes and onions, the soup has a lot of flavor. I'll just throw in some beans or have a piece of toast along side, and lunch is served! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? If we're going to say "dream", I'm going big. I would love a big huge yard with a long table that's open for people to come sit around, touch base about their days, and share food. The lunch would be light and healthy with iced tea and a few treats. Oh, and there would be teleportation, so my blogger friends from all over the country could come sit at the table, too.

Dessert with lunch?  Always. It doesn't have to be much—a handful of chocolaty trail mix, a gingersnap, a spoonful of ice cream over the sink... but something to seal the deal.

Thanks Sara!
— Joanna

{photos by Hugh Forte}

{oh joy eats dessert with} joy the baker... 19 Jan 2012

Who Joy the Baker {also known as Joy Wilson}: blogger, cookbook author, and professional lover of butter

Where Los Angeles, California

Time 10:45 am

What's a typical dessert for you? I love breakfast-like fried eggs and hearty potatoes drenched in hot sauce and ketchup. Love. What makes a good breakfast even better is "Breakfast Dessert". It's three mini pancakes you douse in pure maple syrup and enjoy with sweet, milky coffee just after you finish your eggs and potatoes. Breakfast Dessert might not be mainstream just yet... but I'm trying to bring people into the fold. Today, I've made chocolate chunk buttermilk pancakes with smashed raspberries.

What's your dream dessert? My dream dessert is Coconut Cream Pie with chocolate shavings and hot coffee. I'd eat that day and night.

How often do you treat yourself to dessert?  I'm a baker. I eat dessert every day... sometimes more than once a day. I have a carton of peanut butter cups on my desk right now...that's all I'm sayin'.

Thanks Joy!
— Joanna

{photo of dessert by Joy, photo of Caitlin by Michael Friedman}

{oh joy eats lunch with} maria del mar sacasa... 5 Jan 2012

Who  Maria del Mar Sacasa, food stylist, recipe developer & and writer 

Where  Upper West Side, New York City

Time 12 pm

What's a typical lunch for you? Typical lunches are nonexistant—at shoots, it's delivery or catering. On the run, I subsist on an extra-large bag of peanut M&Ms. If developing recipes—for my blog and namely for my Let them Eat Cake and Dulces columns on Serious Eats—I'll eat cake batter, melted chocolate, whipped cream, etc. and ultimately, the finished dessert after I've photographed it. However, there often are civilized lunches for which I even abandon the kitchen counter and sit down. On these occasions I mostly "MacGyver" leftovers, which is how today's lovely sandwich came to be. For dinner last night, I made garlicky, smoked paprika pork tenderloin with brown sugar-roasted butternut squash and apples spiked with Aleppo pepper and lemon zest. Today, the velvety squash and tart, fleshy apples were tucked between pieces of crusty, olive oil-drizzled bread and layered with baby arugula, butter, and pungent Stilton. 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? Something traditional from home {Nicaragua}, like grilled churrasco, rice, beans, and fried sweet plantains with cheese...made by my mom!

Dessert with lunch?  Yes, there's always room! I usually have whatever I've been baking for my columns— otherwise cookies or pieces of bittersweet chocolate with dried fruit and Maldon salt. 

Thanks Maria!
— Joanna

{photo of lunch by Maria, photo of Maria by her husband Octavio Sacasa}

{oh joy eats dessert with} caitlin van horn... 22 Dec 2011

Who  Caitlin (Coco) Van Horn - graphic designer, photo stylist, and mother hen of Roost

Where Birmingham, Alabama

Time 4:15pm - I tend to eat dessert at the oddest of hours! 

What's a typical dessert for you? Living with a grain, lactose, and processed sugar free diet you would think I wouldn't have the luxury of enjoying desserts, but on the contrary there is always something sweet in our house. My favorite indulgences are baked goods made with almond flour. Muffins, scones, cakes, and quick breads are easy to whip up and satisfying on a cold winter's day. Currently in my pantry, I have spiced ginger muffins, which pair perfectly with a glass of mulled cider. Today it's a vanilla and clove panna cotta made with coconut milk and topped with honeyed persimmon and pomegranate seeds. 

What's your dream/ideal dessert? A picnic in the Cotswolds of England with banbury cakes and scones {grain free of course!}, proper tea, a few sheep and my dearest friends.

How often do you treat yourself to dessert?  I usually bake a sweet morsel for my husband and I once a week...making it a special occasion.

Thanks Caitlin!
— Joanna

{photo of dessert by Caitlin, photo of Caitlin by her husband Jordan}

{oh joy eats dessert with} i heart pies... 22 Nov 2011

Who  Emily and Nicholas Confrancesco, owners of I Heart Pies, a local seasonal pie delivery company in LA

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 6pm

What's a typical dessert for you? Ice cream or mochi! Today it's a caramel brownie and caramel mousse topped with a toasted marshmallow. It's a combination of leftover desserts made for clients and a new caramel mousse pie filling from our test kitchen. If you don't feel like making everything from scratch like we do, you can recreate the caramel brownies by using your favorite brownie mix or recipe. Before baking it, spready a layer of caramel on top of the brownies. Use a knife to run it through the brownies to incorporate the caramel just a bit. You don't want to mix them together, just enough to have a good caramel swirl. Bake until the brownies are done - a toothpick comes out clean. You can recreate the caramel mousse by taking your favorite caramel sauce and folding in whipped cream or buying a really great caramel ice cream. Top the dessert with marshmallows and, if possible, toast with a blowtorch! 

What's your dream/ideal dessert? Reese's Pieces sundae from Friendly's {in that giant fish bowl!}.

How often do you treat yourself to dessert? As a pie company, we treat ourselves to dessert...Way. Too. Often. :)

Thanks Emily and Nicholas!

— Joanna

{photos by Nicholas}

{oh joy eats dessert with} elaine ho... 10 Nov 2011

 

Who  Elaine Ho, founder of Chopstick Diner

Where Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Time Being a traditional person at heart, I only have dessert after a meal!

What's a typical dessert for you? I typically have Asian desserts because they're normally not as rich and sweet as American desserts, making them the perfect palette cleanser. I always have Tau Fu Fa if it's available when I'm out, or I make it myself when I crave it. Today I am having a dessert called Bubur Cha Cha comprising of cooked sweet potatoes, yam/taro, and sago, all simmered in a rich base made from coconut milk and rock sugar. 

What's your dream/ideal dessert? I scream for ice cream! I love a good green tea ice cream which is best out of a tub with my two feet up in front of the telly after a day of hard work.

How often do you treat yourself to dessert?  At least twice a week. I do not like to overindulge myself with sweets, so it needs to feel like a treat.

Thanks Elaine!
— Joanna

{photos by Elaine}

{oh joy eats lunch with} jenny park... 27 Oct 2011

Who  Jenny Park, food stylist and blogger

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 1 pm

What's a typical lunch for you? There really is no "typical" when it comes to being a food stylist that also writes and tests recipes. When I'm on a shoot, we usually grab something quick and easy like salads, pizza, sandwiches, Thai food, etc. But when I'm at home testing recipes, my meals turn into single bites taken throughout the entire day from things like caramel apple cupcakes to uni spaghetti to deep friend ravioli. I eat whatever I test! On a good day, I get to enjoy a banh mi sandwich, one of my favorite sandwiches ever (this one is from Number Nine in Long Beach). I just love the combination of pickled root vegetables, paired with creamy pate, spicy jalapenos, rich, flavorful meats, and fragrant cilantro and stuffed between a light, crispy French baguette. Such a simple, yet unique mixture of ingredients...it's so good! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? Fresh grilled seafood on the beach with some sort of tropical cocktail served in a hollowed-out pineapple. And my feet must in the sand.

Dessert with lunch?  Nah, I don't care too much for sweets... but a small after-lunch cheese plate I could do! 

Thanks Jenny!
— Joanna

{photos by Teri Lyn Fisher}

{oh joy eats lunch with} tara maxey... 13 Oct 2011

Who  Tara Maxey—pastry chef, photographer, blogger & co-owner of Heirloom LA

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 12pm

What's a typical lunch for you? I'm a lucky person. I work every day in a busy kitchen that gets in lush, beautiful, local produce and sources out small farmers who are raising their livestock humanly and without any junk. We use the whole animal, every part, so sometimes our Family Meal {lunch for our staff} includes house made sausages or pig heart pastrami Reubens. We've got a talented kitchen doing lots of exciting things, and I get to taste everything. Today we were testing out pizzas and calzones for our Food Truck, so this became our lunch and let me tell you something...they were carbs well spent! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? Anything made with care and love.

Dessert with lunch?  Dessert all through the day because that's when I make it.

Thanks Tara!

— Joanna

{photo of lunch by Tara, photo of Tara by George Simian}

{oh joy eats lunch with} maria alexandra vettese... 29 Sep 2011

Who  Maria Alexandra Vettese, a freelance Art Director

Where  Portland, Maine

Time 2pm

What's a typical lunch for you? I make all our studio lunches. It's part of my job, and I love it! Today, it's a lettuce mix, some basil, radishes, avocado, and feta. Everything here—with the exception of the avocado—is from the farmer's market right up the street. This is a wonderful time of year for salad!

What's your dream/ideal lunch? I make what I like to call, a "Snack Plate." I just look around at whatever I've got out and about, and I gently slap it all onto a platter. Add some lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper {and usually a good chunk of crusty brown bread}. Perhaps, finish it off with a little white wine or rosé followed by a really good espresso.

Dessert with lunch?  In my real world: No, I save dessert for dinnertime. But in my dream world: Most certainly! I'd likely opt for a small cookie fresh out of the oven or an ice cream come {preferably gelato}.

Thanks Maria!
— Joanna

{photos by Maria}

{oh joy eats lunch with} jennifer causey... 15 Sep 2011

Who  Jennifer Causey, food and lifestyle Photographer

Where  Brooklyn, New York

Time 12:30 pm

What's a typical lunch for you? When I am working on a photo shoot, we usually order food, so it can sometimes be a bit heavy. When I am working from home, I usually make something with whatever I have in the kitchen—I love to cook! I like to get inspired by what is in season at the farmer's market and create some sort of salad with protein, grains, and beans. Today, it's a homemade grilled shrimp salad with butter beans tossed in olive oil and garlic over watercress.

What's your dream/ideal lunch? A picnic lunch outside in early fall with small bites like olives, meats, and cheeses with bread, and maybe some wine...shared with friends.

Dessert with lunch?  I do have a sweet tooth, so I usually have a cookie or a piece {or two!} of dark chocolate.

Thanks Jennifer!
— Joanna

{photos by Jennifer}

{oh joy eats lunch with} teri lyn fisher... 1 Sep 2011

Who  Teri Lyn Fisher, Photographer and Blogger 

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 2 pm

What's a typical lunch for you? It depends. Being a food shooter, I come home with food a lot so I try to use those fresh ingredients pretty quickly. I have to admit though when I'm working I do not like to fuss around with making stuff because it messes up my mojo. So I usually just eat things like sliced tomatoes, cut up figs, handfuls of fruit, and things like that. Sometimes it's a Trader Joe's salad, and sometimes—when it's an awesome day—it's a cheeseburger. Cactus Mexican Food is one of those restaurants I frequent a lot. Especially when I am working from home touching up photos. I love their tacos, and I almost always get fresh squeezed orange and carrot juice. If I'm feeling extra hungry, I go for a side of rice. 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? Definitely cheeseburgers with a side of sweet potato fries or tater tots, on a patio in the shade listening to good music. Oh, and a cocktail!

Dessert with lunch?  Not usually, but if I'm on a shoot and we have cookies, or say, a large bucket of red vines, I can't resist!

Thanks Teri!
— Joanna

{photos by Teri Lyn Fisher}

{oh joy eats lunch with} gabrielle arnold... 18 Aug 2011

Who  Gabrielle Arnold, partner of La Empanada food truck and publisher of Honest Fare 

Where  Winter Park, Florida

Time 12pm today, but it all depends on what time I had for breakfast and what's going on that day! 

What's a typical lunch for you? If I'm cooking for work or the blog, I'll just have some of whatever I'm already making, and it's often not a proper lunch at all! Yesterday, it was a giant bowl of potato salad and some asparagus. And now that we have the empanada food truck, I find myself eating the fillings we're cooking for the empanadas that day. On my own time though, I'll have a salad with some whole grains or an egg. Today, I'm having lunch on my front porch. A couple of hearty slices of pumpernickel bread layered with avocado, a little lemon juice, thinly sliced golden delicious apples, cucumbers, and radishes, all topped with goat cheese and a nice drizzle of olive oil, grey sea salt and cracked black pepper. 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? My dream lunch is a little spread of veggies, cheeses, smoked or pickled fish, olives, bread and some good mustard. As long as I'm anywhere outside, I'm happy.

Dessert with lunch?  Not usually, but a piece of black licorice is always nice! 

Thanks Gabrielle!
— Joanna

{photos by Gabrielle}

{oh joy eats lunch with} kelsey nixon... 4 Aug 2011

Who  Kelsey Nixon, host of Kelsey's Essentials on Cooking Channel 

Where  Upper East Side, New York

Time 2 pm - I always seem to get to lunch later than I'd like, but it usually tastes even better when I'm really hungry. 

What's a typical lunch for you? It seems like these days I'm constantly in recipe development mode to keep up with demand for original recipes on my cooking show. That means if I'm making it, I'm writing the recipe down and trying to photograph it at the same time. Usually my lunch consists of whatever I happen to be testing that day! I test all original recipes in my apartment kitchen first before trying them out in the Food Network/Cooking Channel kitchens. Today I'm working on recipes for an episode called "Weeknight Date Night" and made this delicious Tortellini with Lemon & Dill pasta dish for a quick and easy dinner option at home that still feels impressive for that "special someone" in your life. Some days I'm testing recipes for dessert shows, so on those days I get to eat cake for lunch! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? A picnic in Central Park with friends—complete with watermelon, summer corn salad, sandwiches and ice cold soda pop! 

Dessert with lunch?  Always! Whether it's a piece of chocolate or half of the cupcake that I baked up yesterday, I finish most meals off with something sweet...and refuse to feel guilty about it. 

Thanks Kelsey!
— Joanna

{lunch photo by Kelsey, photo of Kelsey by her husband Robby}

{oh joy eats lunch with} alex palermo... 28 Jul 2011

Who  Alexander Palermo, food entrepreneur & owner of Cube Cafe and Divine Pasta Company

Where  Los Angeles, California

Time 2 pm

What's a typical lunch for you? Maltagliati with fresh basil pesto, haricot vert, fingerlings, and heirloom tomatoes with grilled colossal shrimp from Divine Pasta corporate offices. My typical lunch varies from day to day, but I always try to incorporate organic vegetables picked from our rooftop garden, and fresh pasta.

What's your dream/ideal lunch? My dream lunch inspired what I cooked today - trofie al pesto and scampi e batti from Ristorante Da u Batti in Portofino.

Dessert with lunch?  Typically no, unless I have a piece of fresh fruit. I do cheat on Mondays, when my pastry chef is working downtown at our test kitchen.

Thanks Alex!
— Joanna

{photos by Amy Sheridan}

{oh joy eats lunch with} margaret & joy... 14 Jul 2011

Who  Margaret Elman and Joy Kilpatrick, commercial tabletop directing team, food & still life photographers, and bloggers

Where  New York City

Time 3 pm - we are always shooting or busy working and forgetting to eat until we are absolutely starving!

What's a typical lunch for you? We usually eat a lot of salads and season fare like farmer's market heirloom tomatoes, peaches, fresh basil, kirby cucumbers, fresh mozzarella or buratta, and a good balsamic vinaigrette. Today we are having lobster rolls to celebrate Joy's birthday. We always try to celebrate anything good that happens with lobster! The lobster rolls were delivered from BLT Fish around the corner from our studio on 16th Street. We were too busy to go out for lunch - typical! 

What's your dream/ideal lunch? Lobster rolls at Mary's Fish Camp on Charles and West 4th in the Village, or a nice, long leisurely lunch at ABC Kitchen with a sampling of seasonal menu items - both restaurants do such a consistently amazing job!

Dessert with lunch?  Yes, please! Today was freshly picked, very ripe strawberries from the Union Square farmers market and birthday cake with vanilla butter cream frosting and a super-delicious Valrhona chocolate pudding filling from LuLu Cake Boutique. Usually we'd just do the fruit and maybe a small cookie or bite of chocolate around 4-ish. But today was a special occasion!

Thanks Margaret & Joy!
— Joanna

{lunch photo by Margaret & Joy, photo of Margaret & Joy by Jamin O'Brien}