Tonight was Erin's night and she wanted to cook chili. Not sure what provoked that but why the hell not. I left it up to Erin to shop, prep and cook while I read ('United States of Arugula', for those that are interested.). It was nice! Here's Erin's shopping list:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced,
1 28oz can diced tomatos
1 15 oz can kidney beans
1 15oz can pinto beans
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pack chili seasoning mix
2 ears of corn, cut in half
Shredded cheddar
1. Bring medium pot to a boil and cook the ears of corn. Once cooked through (10-12 min or so), remove from pot and cut off the corn kernels.
2. Bring a medium skillet to medium-high heat. Cook ground beef. Once cooked, place on paper towel to pat dry of grease.
3.In a large stock pot, combine all canned ingredients, seasoning, onion, beef and corn. Bring to a medium heat for several minutes then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
That's it! We served this with a simple cornbread. There's plenty for 6-8 guests or left overs for a week.
Photo Insight:
A you can see I'm still learning this whole food photography thing. This chili photo is technically bad. Here's why:
1. It's back lit. This causes the subject to be way too dark with no appealing detail in the food. Side lighting the subject typically works best. Natural light is also more appealing to the eye. I'm going to start using a flash and maybe light bouncers.
2. The heat melted the cheese which now has a glossy look. It other words: unappetizing
3. The props are distracting. Checkered blue, black and red flower pattern, white and blacks stripes, etc. You get the idea.
4. The leading lines of the place mat take you out of the picture and not to the subject.
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