Food Fun

It was one of those early ending, Wii-playing, lazy Saturday nights (Motzai Shabbat) and everyone was hungry. So, I got my baking apron on (no, I don’t actually have one) and flipped through a cookbook until I found something yummy: cheese mushroom and pepper calzones. Yum!

I was SO busy cooking that I thought to myself, I’m not the world’s best cook and neither do I cook very well, but I love eating my creations. That is, if they turn out okay. ;)

I almost got my camera covered in cheese when I tried taking pictures of my masterpiece. This is how I made the cheese mushroom and pepper calzones; I took two halves and stacked them on top of each other. It is so easy to make!

Another important tip in food photography! Be creative on how you position your foreground (your main idea in the picture) and make sure that your background compliments or contrasts with your object. Use a background such as paper or cardboard, without taking away any attention from the object.

You can also experiment with different textures from fabric, wood, or metal. Flash would be a good idea for this type of photography, since you want to illuminate the picture and focus on the center. Have fun :)

Here is the recipe so you can make it at home:

 Mushroom Calzones

Serves 2
Ingredients:

8 Ounces Pizza Dough
1½ Cups Sliced Assorted Mushrooms (I used Button and Portabello)
1 Garlic Clove, finely minced
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme Leaves
2 Pinches Red Chili Flakes
¼ Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
Half a cup of ricotta cheese

3 OZ cream cheese (not whipped)

1 Cup Marinara Sauce
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a skillet, heat one tablespoon of olive oil with the butter. Add in garlic and sauté for one minute. Toss in mushrooms, chili flakes and thyme leaves and sauté until the mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Allow the mixture to cool.

On a floured surface, roll out the pizza dough to a circular shape and until it reaches ½ inch thickness. Fill one-half side of the dough with the mushrooms mixture and cheeses, leaving an inch or so border around the edge. Carefully fold the dough over itself. Roll the edges up and press to seal. Sprinkle a baking sheet with cornmeal and slide the calzone on top. Brush the calzone with olive oil and lightly sprinkle kosher salt on top. Bake the calzone for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm with marinara sauce to dip.

Fun Fact: Cheese is the most stolen food in the world! Recent studies show that 4% of cheese went missing from store shelves.

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