Who Am I Anyway? Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce

19 May 2012
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Making Cherry Tomato Sauce

I am turning into a person I don't know. Look I made a super sweet Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce. I don't mean to say I am not the kind of person who wouldn't love Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce slathered all over the very best 100% semolina pasta. Nope, the person I know as me would love that for lunch.

I am talking about the effort and time that went into this Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce. Not that I don't usually put effort, time and love into my cooking. Am I confusing you?

You see I am writing a cookbook. I am also photographing a cookbook. That's the stage I am at right now. Photographing. So I find myself doing all sorts of crazy things to get the shot. Things I would never have done for my blog before I started writing a cookbook.

Until this spring, every shot that ever appeared on this blog was taken with a point and shoot camera. My philosophy has been, "It's just a blog". Meaning I tended to cook and photograph the real food from my real life. I'd pre-plan the photo, sure. But when it came to shooting whatever I was going to post, I would typically try and get it done in about 5 minutes.

There is always the exception to the rule, but to me the very best blog posts are succinct visually and editorially. Of course there should be a great recipe. Of course. But in a perfect world my posts would be about 750 words and have one (maybe two) photos. If I can't communicate my message using those standards then I feel I'm just being self-indulgent. (like today, oh well I'm not perfect). Now you may feel differently about what makes a good blog post. That's great. You have your message and your style. But this is my blog and my rules. Life is easier if you try to please yourself first.

None of this means I don't aim high. I like to use pretty or at least appropriate props. But really they aren't props. They're my real stuff. For the most part they match my taste and style and look good in my kitchen. Which means I shun what I call "styling". Burlap napkins and rusty spoons have great visual texture. But I would never put one anywhere near my mouth. So why would I put one in a blog pic?

I don't own tweezers. I would never consider using a paintbrush, and everything on the plate is edible because I plan to eat it. After all, it's just a blog. I am not saying I don't want my photos to be good. No, I have high visual standards. I just developed a process that allows me to get the look I am after with very little effort.

Fast forward to the book. The book that turned me into this person I don't know. I got a new Canon 7D. I lay awake at night planning the photo. I seek out very specific props, even if I have to borrow them or, e-gad, buy them. Sometimes the "pies" in my shots sit on the set for hours. Sometimes overnight, waiting for the right moment. Meaning I don't always eat them. I even bought tweezers!

Which brings me to Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce. It came about because I am working on an Heirloom Tomato Tart for my Savory Pies book. It's basically a tomato flan in tart shell. But it's topped with heirloom, cherry-style tomatoes. So when it came time to "style" the photo for the recipe. I went all over town buying the prettiest cherry tomatoes I could find. Then I came home and picked through them one by one to get 3 or 4 to meticulously place on top a single slice of my Heirloom Tomato Tart.

I got the shot, but it took all day and I was exhausted, and starving. But I was not about to eat flan that set in the bright sun all day. Still, I had several pounds of cherry tomatoes littering the counter tops in my kitchen. The book may have changed me. But not so much that I am able to waste (edible) food. I knew I could make a very tasty Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce. So I gathered the also-rans and was getting ready to put them into a saucepan. But then I saw the vintage-orange-enameled-frying-pan sitting on the table, awaiting its moment as the next cookbook photo star. So instead of starting the sauce, I labored over the photo you see above. I used my tweezers to get every tomato in the perfect place. I love the way the orange and red vibrate. I think it's a picture with great vintage-style. But when it came time to make the sauce, I moved the tomatoes to a "real" saucepan. After all this vintage beauty is a prop. A borrowed prop. I would never consider cooking in it. See how much I've changed? GREG

Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce serves 4-6  Sauteed Cherry Tomato Sauce.

  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 large onion peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced
  • 3 clv garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 lb cherry tomatoes, very ripe and sweet
  • 0.25 t crushed red pepper (to taste)
  • 1 c whole basil leaves, loosely poacked
  • 1 pn each kosher salt & black pepper

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet set over high heat. Add the onion and garlic, letting it sizzle a moment. Then lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 1 pound of the cherry tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor bowl Pulse 3-4 times, until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and repeat 2 more times with the remaining tomatoes.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the skillet with the onion. Add the red pepper flakes. Simmer, stirring frequently, until they form a sauce, about 15-20 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with pasta or gnocchi.

Greg Henry writes the food blog Sippity Sup- Serious Fun Food, and contributes the Friday column on entertaining for The Back Burner at Key Ingredient. He’s active in the food blogging community, and a popular speaker at IFBC, Food Buzz Festival and Camp Blogaway. He’s led cooking demonstrations in Panama & Costa Rica, and has traveled as far and wide as Norway to promote culinary travel. He’s been featured in Food & Wine Magazine, Los Angeles Times, More Magazine, The Today Show Online and Saveur’s Best of the Web. Greg also co-hosts The Table Set podcast which can be downloaded on iTunes or at Homefries Podcast Network.

  • Follow Greg on Twitter @SippitySup
  • Follow The Table Set on Twitter @TheTableSet
  • Like Sippity Sup on Facebook
  • Look for Greg's book Savory Pies coming Nov 2012, from Ulysses Press

Comments

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Perfect Timing

The shot looks great but not fussily so. I haven't been cooking much lately because I seem to never be home before 9PM, but this reminds me of something to make on one of those nights, or better, make double on a chill night and have extra sauce for later. Thanks for the recipe, and good luck w/your cookbook!

Kristy (not verified) | Jun 11th, 2012 at 12:04 pm | Reply

It's a gorgeous shot, and by

It's a gorgeous shot, and by telling us you're not keepin' it real is keepin' it real! 

Lentil Breakdown (not verified) | Jun 9th, 2012 at 12:02 pm | Reply

I wanna see....

you carefully placing a caper garnish with your tweezers...please!

Oui, Chef (not verified) | May 22nd, 2012 at 5:20 pm | Reply

I go through phases in my

I go through phases in my photography, though I have never used a point and click for my blog. Sometimes I aim for natural and unstudied, other times I am as fussy as can be. I have not yet let food go bad however! I like to eat too much for that. Very glad you didn't let those lovely cherry tomatoes go to waste. I think you need a tall stiff drink and a nice relaxing day off. P.S. How is one supposed to plate micro cilantro without tweezers?

Trix (not verified) | May 21st, 2012 at 1:41 pm | Reply

As I'm sure you can imagine,

As I'm sure you can imagine, I find self indulgent posts to be the ones most worth reading.   (And writing :) )  Love the pan!  

Sis Boom. (not verified) | May 21st, 2012 at 12:57 pm | Reply

insert smile here

Greg: you crack me up! You are so industrious and professional...yet you manage to stay real and right-now, right-here with us. Love ya!

amelia from z tasty life (not verified) | May 21st, 2012 at 9:31 am | Reply

Mr. Production

Unlike you, I have already been doing some styling tricks on my blog.  I have to in order to just stay close to the work you put out on a constant basis.  Your blog is one of my "mentor blogs" that I don't try to emulate but I aspire to meet the same quality standards.

An example in my latest post - see those perfect grate marks on those quesadilla buns?  I didn't cook them on a normal grill grate.  I did them on a device called GrillGrates that is an aluminum piece with raised ridges (think of a heat sink on amplifiers or computer processors) to get flawless grill marks.  If I wasn't taking pictures, I would have just grilled them normally.

So yeah, I'm a styling floozy*, sue me.  ha ha

 

*Previous word triggered profanity filter....

Chris (not verified) | May 20th, 2012 at 7:36 am | Reply

You'll be fine

You know, Greg, there are days I would just love to give you a big ole hug.  I don't get the tweezers, the vaseline, the spray bottles either unless it's going in a magazine or cookbook.  I eat the food I cook and what people see is what I've already eaten. 

You'll return to normal once the book is out and we've all plonked our money down to buy it.  :)

Maureen (not verified) | May 20th, 2012 at 2:23 am | Reply

LOL

I know exactly what you mean! I only photograph food we're about to eat (although the leftovers have made a next day appearance on occasion)... and only yesterday I caved in to the temptation to take better pictures and shelled out for a 7D. What started out as "just another recipe blog" is fast becoming something of an obsession with me.

Good luck with the book!

Rachael (not verified) | May 20th, 2012 at 1:02 am | Reply

I love simple sauces exactly

I love simple sauces exactly like this one. Your photo drew me in and then the writing made me grin. My posts tend to be succint as well, but every now and then it's fun to indulge in a bit more writing. I'm looking forward to checking out your cookbook! (I'm still giggling over your tweezers. I haven't gone there yet myself, but I can see it happening eventually.)

Mary (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 9:02 pm | Reply

your cookbook and cherry tomatoes.

Greg, I think you really need just one day off to slow down a bit. All will be well - I promise.

Lizthechef (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 8:18 pm | Reply

nice prop!

I love that vintage orange pan! I love reading about food styling and what they do. While I have been known to purchase serving pieces and fabrics for my photos, everything is actually added to "what we eat on". I really don't have props, per se, and take photos really, before eating! 

 

"I even bought tweezers!"  <-- haa! 

 

lookinng forward to the book!

Kristina (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 6:58 pm | Reply

Can't wait for the book!

Can't wait for the book!

Joan Nova (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 4:50 pm | Reply

SO much of your story

SO much of your story resonates with me; though I did pop for a DSLR a while back; my props have come from my kitchen or artifacts that I actually use to decorate my home and after a shoot? Well, it's dinner! So not much fakery allowed and I'm good with that. But I do have tweezers; I've had a set of cooking tweezers forever that were barely used; I can't even remember why I bought them, probably one of those, 'Oh...something different for the kitchen...I must have it' moments. They get used now.

I love the simplicity of this dish; when tomatoes start coming on in the summer and there are more than we know what to do with...this is they dish I will make.

Barbara | Creative Culinary (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 4:01 pm | Reply

It's nice to meet the new

It's nice to meet the new you, and, in case you are worried, the old you still happily shines through in your post, which I enjoyed very much. Congratulations on your book!

Lynda (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 3:50 pm | Reply

This sounds fabulous! I know

This sounds fabulous! I know you're stressed out with the book, but I have no doubt it'll be a huge success! 

Brian (not verified) | May 19th, 2012 at 10:22 am | Reply

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