Project 52: Made with Love-Rigatoni Bolognese
My new favorite thing: food photography! I’ve always loved cookbooks and looking at gorgeous images of food. I’m a major foodie. Not necessarily in that I love all kinds of interesting and new age dishes, in that I just plain love good food. Thankfully I have a mother who also loves food and who is a wonderful cook, and a husband who will eat (and like) just about anything. We don’t go out to eat much, partially because it’s so expensive, but also because I love to try new recipes.
Enter my new “fancy camera”. So, in the past couple of weeks, I’ve learned that photography is ALL about light. Outdoor light is usually better than indoor light, and morning/evening light is better than middle of the day light. Therefore, I whipped up this (my sister in-laws) Rigatoni Bolognese at 9:15 this morning. You know you have the photography bug when you find yourself cooking dinner before breakfast just to get a shot of the meal in good light.
This recipe is a copycat of one of my brothers favorite pasta dishes at Palomino in Seattle. It’s quite spicy so a few months back I served it to Mr. Zoom, lover of all things hot and spicy, for dinner. He was hooked, and now it’s one of his favorite meals. So, just after he left for work, I made this Rigatoni Bolognese (with an extra heap of love) for our dinner tonight.
Sarah’s Rigatoni Bolognese
- 1.5 lbs rigatoni pasta
- 1 lb spicy Italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
- 1 T minced garlic
- 2 t dried oregano
- 2 lbs whole tomatoes, drained
- 1/3 cup jarred or fresh roasted red peppers, diced
- 1 T minced parsley
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Parmesano-Reggiano, for topping
Cook and drain pasta according to package directions. Remove sausage from packaging, leaving in bite-sized chunks, and brown over medium heat until just medium rare. Add garlic and oregano, stirring until fragrant. Drain tomatoes and chop into bite-sized pieces. Add tomatoes and roasted peppers to sausage mixture and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until sauce has thickened and flavors have blended. Add heavy cream and reduce for 2-3 minutes. Add pasta and stir to coat, heating for another 2 minutes. Serve smothered (really smothered) with grated parmesano-reggiano cheese and parsley. Makes 4-6 healthy servings.
Sweet Shot Tuesday: What Gives you Joy?
I have a new favorite coffee shop: Jubala Village Coffee! Tonight I decided to head out of the house for a couple hours with my computer and my camera to work on learning photoshop distraction free. I never realized how challenging it would be to carve out some alone time with babies around. I realize now that before the kids were born, I was alone all the time! In the car, in the bathroom, while shopping; there was so much time to be quiet with my thoughts. Now with one baby in my arms practically all day long, I realize that I am constantly thinking and doing for them. What a nice treat it has been to take some time to engage my mind in grown up things tonight!
Here’s a picture I snapped while sipping my coffee tonight. Jubala has this insanely big chalkboard wall across from their coffee bar filled with colorful words. What brings me joy? My family. Even as I sit here enjoying my two hours of peace, I look forward to tomorrow with my crazy boys, my crazy dog, and a husband that keeps me calm.
January Goals
On any given day I have about a zillion things floating around in my brain that I’d like to get done. This week, for example, I wanted to paint our master bedroom, read a new fiction book about the history of antibiotics, reorganize the pantry, make a winter wreath for the front door, complete a shutter speed tutorial with my camera, and map out a half-marathon training plan for this spring. Not a single one of those things got accomplished.
I am probably the world’s most incredible idea-generator. I am also probably the world’s worst follow-througher. Thankfully, I married the world’s most detail-oriented software engineer and together we make the world’s most perfectly paired team. I dream these ridiculously giant ideas, and he makes them happen. I’m a lucky, lucky girl. So, in an attempt to personally accomplish some set tasks this month, I thought I’d jot down some measurable goals.
- Take a photo every single day
- Complete this tutorial on shutter-speed
- Read A Fierce Radiance; a novel about the history of penicillin
- Continue to work on my running endurance, building up to at least one six mile run this month
- Choose spring/summer half marathon, and write training plan
- Include a photo with every post this month
Voila! One goal on the way to being accomplished. Here’s a shot I grabbed today while Mr. Zoom was cleaning carseats in the driveway.
Note: All photos I’ve posted have been SOOC (straight out of the camera). I am working (desperately) to learn Photoshop and hope to post lovely edited photos in the next couple months!
52 Week Project: Week 1
As part of my learning exercises, I’ve decided to participate in a couple of photography projects I found floating around the web. This 52 week project is just that; 52 weeks of photographs all centered around a weekly theme. I’ll be posting my photos to the project website, as well as this blog, and hope to get lots of feedback, comments, and advice. I can’t wait to see how my photography develops this year.
Week 1: Resolution
One of my resolutions this year is to learn how to use my new DSLR (and perhaps get some film and use this old one). As my boys grow, I’m realizing how important it is to capture the memories we’re working so hard, literally, to make. The days are flying by and years from now I want to remember all the silly smiles, crocodile tears, and ferocious activity that are our every days.
Where’s the Zoom?
As I tore open the paper on the medium sized box with my name on the label this past Christmas, I was shocked and excited to see that Santa had brought me my very own “fancy camera”.
I’ve been swooning over beautiful photographs since I began searching for my wedding photographer, and in the past couple of years I’ve become somewhat obsessed with the art. We were blessed with two beautiful boys over the last two years, and as a result, my obsession has grown and branched to family photography. Though we have (several) point and shoot cameras lying around the house, I never seem to have the ambition to pick them up and capture the crazy moments of our lives. My photos never seemed as polished or artistic as those I poured over online. When our oldest started walking and running, any attempt at capturing his movement resulted in blurred pictures not worthy of framing.
Imagine my excitement as I opened my new toy. Santa had arranged to have a few lenses for me to practice with from a good photographer friend, and I promptly attached the 50mm to my camera body, looked through the viewfinder, snapped my first picture, and said “hey, where’s the zoom on this thing?”
Here starts my journey into the world of DSLR photography. I don’t intend to become a professional or win any awards. I’m just hoping I can learn how to make this thing work!
