There’s really not much left I can say about citrus. Particularly, how I feel about citrus. I’ve talked about it for years via my annual citrus round-up, and if I had my way I’d probably write a whole damn cookbook on citrus fruit. I totally would.

I think I’ve run out of words to describe the fruits of the Rutaceae family; I’ve used all the zippy and zings, tangy and tarts to last a lifetime. Besides, do you really need me to tell you what a lemon tastes like? Um, no. I’m pretty sure just about everyone knows what they taste like and how indispensible they are to cooking.  In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a cuisine that doesn’t include citrus in one way or another.

To me, it’s that citric acid that makes food come alive, but it also doesn’t need to knock you over, either. It can add balance to a dish, cause a chemical reaction, preserve, intensify and enchance, and it’s also an equal opportunity ingredient, happy in both sweet and savory dishes. To me it’s one of life’s absolutely perfect things.

So how have we been enjoying these beauties at our place? In so many ways. I thought it’d be fun to put together a few suggestions for all those lemons and limes that are their peak right now. Oh, and grapefruit and tangerines. And kumquats and tangelos. And, and…

MARGARITAS, ANYONE?

As luck would have it, one plentiful lime tree stands smack dab in the middle of our new yard. We moved just in time to become intoxicated by the lime flower blossoms (and if you’ve ever need proof as to whether miracles exist, lean in and smell that tiny mighty flower). The blossoms gave way to fruit, so much fruit! It seems like I couldn’t give the limes away fast enough, but being the resourceful guy that I am, I opted for a giant batch of margaritas. You can keep your neon-gree fake mixes, thankyouverymuch. A real margarita could not be easier, nor more satisfying. It goes like this: lime juice, a fantastic tequila, simple syrup or any orange-flavored liqueur like triple sec or Cointreau. I’ve been known to skip the last ingredient, which is just fine if you ask me.

FRIED LEMONS AND POTATO CHIPS

We recently finished an assignment for Food & Wine Magazine, and one tempura recipe included in the shot list used tempura-battered lemon slices. We were all so collectively bowled over by what happens to a battered and deep-fried lemon – it’s more amazing than you’d think! Incorporating that premise into snacktime yielded these chips with fried lemon slices tucked throughout.  You’ll want beer to enjoy with these things (they’re simply dipped in tapioca flour and fried), and if you need more zing, simply spring with an equal blend of lemon or lime zest and salt. Easy.

PALOMA

Oh my sweet Paloma, you are a beautiful thing, aren’t you? You make me wish I lived on a grapefruit plantation. And while this Mexican cocktail is usually served with Mexican grapefruit soda and tequila, I’m going straight to the source by mixing fresh grapefruit juice, sparkling water, along with plenty of simple syrup and crushed ice. And good tequila. Fly away, Paloma!

Update: About a day after this post went live a box of Texas Rio Star Grapefruit arrived on my doorstep. Can I tell you how amazing they are? I plan on remaking a batch of Palomas with the sweet juice of these grapefruits, which I learned are only grown in Texas. Thanks for sending, Kymberly, and hugs to everyone back in Texas!

SWEET CHILI LIME SAUCE

Oh, this is cheating. Ok, let’s not be so harsh. This is doctoring.  Which I’m not opposed to doing if it’s easy, delicious, and let me bring more flavor to the party. In this case, a few teaspoons of fresh lime juice and garlic added to bottled sweet chilI sauce makes an excellent dipping sauce for grilled shrimp and squid. OH AND LOOK, THESE THINGS ARE ON STICKS! I wonder what gave me that idea. I really do.

Oh, and don’t forget squeezes of fresh lime before serving!

STEAK & NUOC MAM

You may know the Vietnamese condiment made from fish sauce, sugar, chiles and lime juice as the umami-rich dipping sauce of spring rolls, bánh xèo and bánh bèo, among other things. But this FREAKING MAGIC SAUCE (yes, emphasis mine) makes an appearance at our house all the time. ALL THE TIME. Especially when meat like slow roasted pork, flank steak or grilled chicken are on the menu. I use Andrea’s recipe all the time, which can be found here.

But I don’t usually stop there. I’ll add tiny amounts to a bowl of beans, sprinkle it over pasta, and even add it to my guacamole. It’s my fave.

CITRUS CURD

Juice + eggs + sugar + butter + heat = curd. And it’s fantastic on just about everything. Cakes, scones, cakes, you name it. In this case Adam made these beautiful little citrus curd meringue tarts and well, they disappeared. INTO MY MOUTH. A very easy little shell was blind baked and cooled, then filled with lemon curd and topped with meringue.  A quick torch to brown the peaks of meringue came next, and then some blackberries finished it off. Tart, sweet, buttery, berry, oh lord these things didn’t stand a chance.

CANDIED KUMQUATS

Oh really, this cannot be easier. All you need is time and a few ingredients. And thanks to Pim for the inspiration for this: simmer covered kumquats in water and sugar and a little vanilla bean and a dash of salt for about 2 hours, then uncover and reduce so that you’re left with an amazing citrus syrup. That is all. Seriously. The fruit turn soft and delicious, losing any bitterness they may have had from the long soak. Enjoy the kumquats on dark chocolate cake, on a cheesecake, or along with the syrup over vanilla ice cream.

Alrighty my friends, what’s your favorite thing to do with citrus? I’d love to know! I’m thinking 2014 already!

Hey, he’s eating corn. It’s relevant. And even if it wasn’t, you can’t help but falling in love with this cute little prickly fella. I LOVE HIM.

Thank you, West Elm, for including me in your 4 Questions series. Let’s eat some pie!

Can you believe it’s that time again? That’s correct, I’m thrilled to announce the Scharffen Berger Chocolate Adventure Contest which launched this week! And if you’re up for the adventure, Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker and TuttiFoodie.com invite you to enter the fabulous, 6^th annual Chocolate Adventure Contest.  So go ahead: invent, create, explore the boundaries of your own culinary imagination. This year the contest accepts entries in one category—Sandwich Cookies—for  the chance to win a $25,000 grand prize.

Sandwich cookies. As in HEAVEN. And I say heaven because again this year I’ll be tasting all the delicious entries alongside my fellow judges early next year.  And I happen to love sandwich cookies (alfajores, anyone?).

To be eligible, combine any Scharffen Berger chocolate with one or more of 12 select “adventure ingredients” (yerbe mate, coconut cream, tapioca flour, corn meal, pine nuts, sweet potato and other ingredients native to cacao-belt countries) in an original recipe. Whether whoopie pie, macaron, s’mores, ice cream sandwich, alfajores or any other sandwich cookie—you can enter up to 10 recipes total.  More information at www.chocolateadventurecontest.com.

So get those creative, cookie-minds started, folks! The $25,000 prize is nothing to laugh at, and you can enter up to 10 recipes.

I want to thank Lisa at TuttiFoodie and the folks at Scharffen Berger for including me again. And Alice Medrich. Because I love her. Oh heck, and Chef Elizabeth Falkner. And Angie from Bakearella. And John. Ok, I’ll stop now.

Get busy!

Well, what do ya know…I wrote another book! I’ll spare you the details about sweating my butt off, missed deadlines, really creative strings of swearwords, and all those other things that happen when you are working on something you love. Keyword: WORK. But now, this? This is the best part. This is the part that it’s out of my hands, soon to be in yours (I hope!), and the part where I light that candle and pray to the gods that it’s well-received. Because when you put your heart into something like writing a book you just want people to respond appropriately, and in this case I want them to find it useful, engaging, and approachable. I really do.

But enough of my author’s song & dance. I want you to see a really quick sneak preview of my book. It’s not every day Bon Appetit snags the first peak at one’s book, and I couldn’t be happier about it. HELLO? Anyway, check it out.

My second book, Focus On Food Photography For Bloggers, is available for pre-order on Amazon. It hits the street September 15th and I’m sure I’ll be doing a giveaway. Because I love you! Seriously. For real.

Hi everyone and happy Monday! It’s back to the grind for me after a glorious quasi-weekend off! Ok, when you run your own business you don’t really ever have an actual day off, but after a few hours of resetting the studio and cleaning up we did manage to sneak away here.

It really is the happiest place on earth. Plus it’s nice to walk around, enjoy some rides, and bask in some fantastic sunshine. Although, and I’m not making this up, I overheard a young child say to his mother “I just want to feel loved!”  I have no idea what that was about, however. Ok, so maybe it’s not the happiest place on earth.

We’ve been working on some cookbook as well as some Food Network & Cooking Channel projects, and you’d be correct in thinking that we’re having the world’s best time. I have to pinch myself sometimes. Especially when I think about the team that I get to work with. They’re all pretty fantastic. And the icing on the cake is getting to work with stylist Dani Fisher. You all know I’m so mad about her. When she asked if I’d work with her on a Design*Sponge In The Kitchen With feature I jumped at the chance. Mostly because Grace is a friend, and the column’s editor Kristina is my long-lost sister. I do think we were separated at birth sometimes.

But back to Dani’s recipe.

Her recipe for Dark Chocolate Matzah is like crack. You have a piece, then you need another. And while the coconut was my favorite, I’m pretty sure you’ll dig the orange version, too. You’ll have to head over to Design*Sponge for the recipe and the entire photos. Please make it. You will not regret it.

We also managed to sneak in a day of personal work, and even just thinking about me + Dani + Adam C. Pearson makes me giggle like a child. Talk about fun! Since we’re on the Passover theme here, we photographed a beautiful meal and I want to thank Dani for letting me share it here.

And yes, it was delicious. We ate it, all in the name of photography.  You’ll see what I mean.

Thanks to Adam Pearson for beautiful food styling and Dani Fisher for prop styling. And thank you Kristina!

Yesterday morning’s beach run was the first time my feet have hit the pavement in running shoes in over a month. I’m looking forward to having some time to start my day with a walk or run as well as time to get back into the kitchen and cook. And yes, this is some Instagram humor.

Where do I even start?

1. Work has been a grueling, exhausting and simultaneously recharging endeavor as of late. We’ve been shooting since January 1st it seems, and the results of a very fantastic project will soon see the light of day. It was quite possibly one of the most fun I’ve had working, 12 hour shoot days notwithstanding.

2. I’ve just submitted the manuscript and images for my second book, something I’ll tell you much more about as its release date gets closer. And you always hear this, but writing a book brings the following thoughts and words to mind: exhausting, tired, beat, thrilled, having given birth, discombobulated, focused, thrill-a-minute, nervous, pensive, reflective, eye strain, wristguard, relieved. And we haven’t even begun the editing process.  Stacey, thank you more than I can say.

3. In the near future I will be on assignment in the middle of this place (see my oh-so-accurate map).  And while I was down under just 12 weeks ago, this adventure promises some very delicious and interesting moments. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.

4. Speaking of assignments, we photographed a campaign for the Southeast’s Publix Markets last year that is now out in their stores. Their creative team was a dream. Literally, a dream.

5. While I’m still dreaming, let’s talk about a burger I had last weekend at Roy Choi’s Sunny Spot in Venice. Fantastic interiors that reminded me of the Bahamas, smart cocktails and fun menu design, but their burger? Oh lord their burger. I must return. P.S. Happy birthday again, Aaron!

6.  Next week begins the Cookbook Madness, but I mean madness lovingly as we being photography work on Recipe Girl’s cookbook. After that we start on Gaby’s cookbook, and no doubt the studio will be filled with delicious food, tables and tables of props and new surfaces, as well as a battle between 80’s Pandora (me) and Adam’s Belle & Sebastian playlist. And if you haven’t stopped by, yes, we’ve expanded our studio space by double.

7.  Workshops will be happening. Very soon. Early registration will go to those on my workshop list but I will certainly make sure to let you know about it, too. And with the new additional space we’ll have room for even more creativity and shooting. And an extra kitchen, too.

8. I am loving Wayfare Magazine. Loving. I’m going to nag them until I can work with them. I’ll let you know how that goes.

9. If there’s no rain this Saturday (which might cause postponement), I’ll be speaking with authors and writers Jeanne Kelley, Amy Scattergood, Jenn Garbee and Joseph Shuldiner at LitFest Pasadena. The panel, Cookbooks In The Age Of Epicurious, promises to be extremely informative. I’m really looking forward to spending time with such fantastic folks.

10. Life gets crazy and we all try to do too much. Take a break and give someone a hug and tell them that you love and need them.

I was recently reading one of my favorite blogs called Kitchen Corners from the lovely Damaris Santos Palmer, and yes, she’s as equally wonderful in person as you’d expect from reading her blog. Her recent A Day In The Life post captivated me and I wholeheartedly enjoyed seeing what her day was like.

When I give talks or have students at my workshop there are a few questions that always surface, and a very common one is “What is a typical day for you like?” My immediate response is “Depends on which day you’re talking about. Pick one: Blogger, Photographer, Troublemaker, Traveler.” Of course I know they want to know what being a photographer is like so I thought I’d take Demaris’ lead and create A Day In The Life for myself. To share with you. Because it’s remarkably normal. I mean, as normal as it can be.

4:17am
Everyone freaks the fudge out when they find out I’m an early riser. As if something is wrong with me. Ok, now that I think about it they’re probably right, but then again you’re probably not the one dozing off at 8:48pm, are you? This is important to share because it has been a tenet of my career. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to be awake and yes, early in life. It just is. Now fix me some coffee.

P.S. I don’t use an alarm clock.

4:18am
It’s a sad day at the Pearson-Armendariz household if coffee isn’t made within 60 seconds of Wakey Wakey Times. After becoming addicted to the convenience of these machines while traveling through Europe, we’ve opted for Nespresso and DeLonghi machines both at home and at the studio. FULL DISCLAIMER: I am at about 84% adoration with these machines but they cannot ever replace actual beans and fresh grinding and brewing, whichever method you prefer. I realize this. No hate mail, please.

4:40am
I do believe friends in New York and other parts of the world appreciate the fact that I’m up early answering emails and tending to my correspondence. I’ll spend an hour or so reading the news, responding to emails, and trudging through my RSS feeder which is packed to the gills with fashion, food, design, magazine, and photography sites. Afterwards I’ll head over to catch up on the news.

6am
See that red sign? I like to pretend it says “Ice Cream Recipe By David Lebovitz.” Or “Extra Servings Of Korean Scallion Pancake” or “Assorted Donut Sampling”. Folks, the only way I can make myself exercise is by thinking of the dangling carrot (cooked in duck fat, natch) at the other end of the stick. It’s the only way I can stay in this business and not be 300 lbs. If I want to indulge I must burn. It’s that simple. There’s no other way around it. And for the record, all the fat fried deliciousness in the world is a treat, not a staple. That’s what fresh food and fruits and vegetables are for. Don’t get it twisted.

6:02am
My dear friend Aida Mollenkamp appears on the television which is all the inspiration I need to exercise longer and harder. One day I can be a gorgeous thin white woman, too. I hope.

6:53am
Nope, I’m still brown.

7:01am
You would think a gaggle of clients at your studio hovering and nitpicking over their product would be the most stressful part of my day. You’d think wrong. Ladies and gentleman, you ain’t seen NOTHING YET…

I give you MOXIE THE ALWAYS HUNGRY CHIHUAHUA!

Without fail, this chunky ball of lovin’ fur rises from her den, plops herself next to me and gives me a gaze that still chills me when I think about it. It’s all-encompassing, the weight of it alone can crush a human if not dealt with promptly. This is no exaggeration, either, you can feel her staring you down to your insides, ripping pieces of your flesh away until her painful stare causes you to stop what you’re doing and feed her, damnit!

And she won’t stop until you do. Nothing can stop her. Nothing.

Well, except a bowl of dog food.

Peace is restored in the home after she eats, and she’s back to being My Sweet Little Girl. We take a few minutes to cuddle because nothing makes me happier than animals.

7:30am
Breakfast is always something quick and easy. Some almond butter, ricecakes and a few tangerines and I’m all set. Around this time the other animals eat too, clearly not as demanding as Moxie.

7:50am
And it’s off to work! I absolutely adore my Pelican case and it goes everywhere with me. I’ve done the soft camera bag thing before but this hard case is much easier to deal with. Plus it’s doubled as a seat or desktop in crowded airports.

7:56am
More coffee.

8:15am
Today’s special guest, the California Avocado Commission, is one of my oldest and most favoritestistist clients. No, really. I love them. And over the years it’s allowed me to meet some amazing local growers, too. I love working with them because a) I love California and b) I love avocados. It’s a perfect fit. Anyway, these are props for the shoot that have been selected during a pre-production meeting a few days before the shoot. We are ready to hit the ground running!

8:30am
I actually iron my clothes at the studio before anyone arrives.That’s right, I look a hot wrinkled mess as I leave but I come home pressed-n-perfect.

9:15am
Today I’m working with the lovely Cindie Flannigan of Food Fanatics. They are my go-to stylists when it comes to avocados. And that other Food Stylist I happen to be married to? He becomes my brilliant and talented Prop Stylist. Everyone works together and I couldn’t be a happier man.

10:16am
Today I’m running two sets: one natural light and the other strobed for product shots. I really do believe food looks best naturally lit, and when you’re working with a product like California avocados it’s best to let them do their thang. I don’t need a million snoots and mirrors to bring out their best features. But when it comes time for single shots that will be clipped out and placed somewhere else, I’ll use a strobe to control the light as much as possible, giving the product a crisp, sharp outline. Oh, that’s Adam in the foreground snapping a shot of props for reference.

11am
WHAT? There was a little hat on the prop table? How? When? Why? And more importantly, WHY AM I NOT WEARING IT? Whew. Much better now. Cue the Tin Pan Alley classics, please! Show at noon.

1:56pm
Adam prepares another set. And Rowenta, I just can’t be subtle about this any longer. I just can’t. WE LOVE YOUR IRONS AND OWN FOUR DG5030s AND WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL ME SO I CAN TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE THEM AND MAYBE GET A T-SHIRT OR PREFERRED CUSTOMER STATUS? WHAT DOES A MAN HAVE TO DO TO GET YOUR DAMN ATTENTION???

2:04pm
As per my contract (and etiquette, of course) I can’t share any final images until the client says so and they have appeared on the street. You’ll have to use your imagination here but let’s just say it was a beautiful, perfectly ripe, creamy California avocado.

2:22pm
Now on the other set, I’m focusing and composing.

2:45pm
When you photograph real food you get to “taste” it after you’ve got the shot. And what’s more delicious than mashed avocados on toast? My coat is going to be so shiny!

3:15pm
Cindie styles and I point! Then Cindie puts food on my head. Just another day.

3:22pm
While the clients regroup, my team and I take an RGB. No, that’s not RGB as in “Red Green-Blue” but Ryan Gosling Break. I believe every person should take these breaks because no man can ever look as excellent as he does at the airport. You bettah recognize.

3:40pm
Contrary to popular belief I do not drink while working. The prop stylist called for a glass of white wine in the background, I’m only helping out. But just you wait.

4:00pm
I make copies of the job several times a day, on several different drives, too. I believe redundant backups are important. One stays at the studio, one comes home, and 2 are shipped off-site. One even goes into outer space. Just kidding. I mean, about outer space.

4:15pm
Every client gets personalized attention. And what else does each client get? A dance from yours truly. Here I re-enact “I Don’t Want My Pizza Burning” dance from what is quite possibly the strangest clip on Youtube.

4:45pm
We’re still on the short end of daylight, and when you use natural light your options are cut short. But that doesn’t mean you can stop working, not at all! The last few shots required some additional light. I didn’t want to move my strobe set and decided on using an LED video light to illuminate my set. You can use any light source you want as long as you understand its properties and how to harness it the way you want. In this case the soft light was bounced off of foamcore onto my set, giving me soft light just like daylight. It wasn’t as bright as I wanted so I re-adjusted my ISO, filled in some shadows with more foamcore and kept shooting.

6:05pm
We’re done shooting for the day and make our way back home. “Someone” has a shopping and prop problem, no? In all fairness these are all things for the next shoot. It’s not unusual to schedule jobs back to back and getting stuff online really does save time.

6:12pm
It’s time to feed the wild beasts again. This is Cholula, named after the hotsauce, ready to attack my face. (I’m kidding, she’s one of the sweetest and most sensitive dogs I’ve ever met and if you know her you’ll agree.)

6:30pm
Dogs are fed, now it’s our turn. We head over to a local restaurant for sushi, edamame, and a glass of wine. However, our server says “We’re running low on wine glasses, can I bring it to you in a rocks glass?” I answer yes because I thought I didn’t care and I always try to be a nice patron. But then the more I thought about it I realized “WAIT: if you’re running low get more, and why must I be your rationed guest?” Oh, me and my first world problems, I tell you.

7:30pm
I usually edit images after a shoot, but the client needs to review all the images and make their selections before I begin to finalize the project. That means I get to curl up with the ipad (that sounds so wrong) and read the latest Donna Hay magazine and finish Chop Suey: A Cultural History of Chinese Food in the United States by Andrew Coe. I loved this book.

8:45pm
I’m in bed now, watching a bit of TV before getting some end-of-day licks from one very hyper dog named Bindi. I’ve tried to resist her aggressive displays of affection, but with this dog it’s next to impossible. I just let her do her thing before falling asleep but really, I can’t think of anything better, can you?

9:40pm
I’m asleep and deep in Dreamland. I’d like to tell you it’s a space where dreams come true and wacky stuff happens, but you’ve just spent a day with me and probably think it can’t get any sillier. I agree.

P.S. I want to thank my clients for being open to letting me share. I shoot a variety of projects with big clients that you will never hear about because I believe in discretion. I do not need to share every single thing I do!

P.S.S. I love you, Aida.

Regular physical activities, such as walking and jogging, undertaken in my “colorful” neighborhood yield interesting vistas, moments and scenes. Case in point: A jar of Sandwich Spread carrying a double-ply bologna sandwich resting on the sidewalk.  Waiting. And for whom? Why abandon a sandwich? Was a packet of spread or mayo insufficient? I suppose I shall never know. Luckily my iphone is never far.

Yes, “colorful” can mean hood.

Apologies to Best Foods. Or not.

Earlier this month, food writer and blogger Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie’s Kitchen lost her husband suddenly from a heart attack. Many of you may already know that the food blogging community came together for Jennifer and her daughters by sharing Peanut Butter Pie through a series of blog posts. It was one of her husband Mikey’s favorite things. Now I hope we can all come together again and support Jennifer and her daughters in this very difficult time, both emotionally and financially.

A fund has been started so that we may all easily donate directly to Jennifer. Called #afundforjennie, it’s being organized, maintained and facilitated by Shauna James Ahern of Gluten Free Girl and Maggy Keet of Three Many Cooks. Maggy has been working tirelessly to launch Bloggers Without Borders, a non-profit organization of bloggers for bloggers. Bloggers Without Borders is now collecting money for Jennie’s family and have made it super easy to donate.

There will also be various auctions held by bloggers to raise money, check back for details on that. I speak for Shauna and the entire blogging community when I say your generosity, thoughts and prayers are appreciated more than anyone could ever say. Now let’s help out Jennie’s family and please tell someone you love how important they are to you.