Radically Retired

Tag: Food Photography

  • Friday Freestyling … One Dish Delish

    Friday Freestyling … One Dish Delish

    Over the past couple of years, I’ve become intrigued by the simplicity of sheet pan meals.

    These easy-to-prepare creations are limited only by what ingredients you have on hand, your imagination and the oven temperature.

    My most recent attempt used farmer sausage, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and onions. While the oven pre-heated to 425° F, I cleaned, chopped, and cut the veg and sliced the sausage. I then just tossed it all into a bag and coated everything with a mixture of olive oil, herbs, and spices. From there, the mixture got spread out on a parchment paper lined, rimmed, baking sheet and baked until veggies were fork tender. (Approximately 1 hour)

    Because carrots are more dense than potatoes, they take a bit longer to bake. Next time, I may cut them into thinner slices to compensate for this.

    All in all, the meal turned out tasty and hubs-approved.

    Because the pan was large and I couldn’t think of appropriate props, the dish was challenging to photograph. I decided that fill the frame was the best option.

  • Four Wins for the Win

    Four Wins for the Win

    Since returning home from Texas and after listening to rave reviews from my sister on Instant Pot Yogurt, I decided to finally give it a try.

    My sister has been making her own IP Yogurt for some time and says she prefers the flavour and texture to store bought.

    I’ve now made my second batch and to say I’m impressed is an understatement.

    From one gallon of skim milk, I get 10 cups of Greek Yogurt (the container with the red lid contains 2 cups). It’s fat free and preservative free, and has the creamy consistency of Fage.

    In addition, I’m saving the whey (in the jar on the left) from straining, to add to smoothies, soups, and baking.

    Not only is the taste and texture better than store bought:

    >The gallon (4 litre) jug of milk I use costs on average $6.50 Cdn ($4.72 USD)

    >The 10 cups (2500 mls) of Greek Yogurt that the recipe makes would cost, on average around $21 CDN ($15 USD)

    So, considering the no preservatives, the usefulness of the whey, the price point, and the better texture and flavour, the lengthy process is a win, win, win,win.

  • Cinco de Mayo 2026

    Cinco de Mayo 2026

    Today, I decided to celebrate Cinco de Mayo all day via my food choices.

    Breakfast was one of my faves – avocado toast with salsa
    Lunch out with my sister in law, who also winters in south Texas – Quesadillas de Pollo. That’s not tequila by the way … it’s just ice water with a lemon in it. In hindsight, I should have requested a lime
    Dinner I prepared for hubs and me – Pork Carnitas with Guacamole, Salsa,
    and Sour Cream

    “More popular in the United States than in Mexico,Cinco de Mayo has become associated with the celebration of Mexican-American culture.” (From Wikipedia)

    Because we live half of our retirement lives in South Texas, in an area with a significant Mexican American population, I feel pulled towards celebrating the culture too. In my world (as a foodie), food is a key element of every culture.

  • Silencing the Tempters

    Silencing the Tempters

    I love imported chocolate, especially Swiss.

    I’m sure that this love of “shocklat” (as my paternal grandfather called it in his Swiss-German accent) is both learned and genetic.

    For Easter this year, in addition to my annual Lindt gold bunny, the Easter Bunny brought me a variety bag of Lindt bite-sized Easter Eggs.

    I enjoyed the bunny bit by bit for a few days after Easter. I weighed every ounce that I ate and counted every calorie.

    Even though they’ve called out to me almost every day from the treat cupboard in our kitchen, I’ve resisted those eggs … on most days.

    Yesterday, I finally silenced them.

  • Foreboding Shadows

    Foreboding Shadows

    Do you like poached eggs? If yes, how do you prepare yours?

    Yesterday morning, as the sun was coming up and peering through our balcony’s big sliding doors, I was looking for something for breakfast to both photograph and enjoy.

    I came across a recipe on Facebook for air fryer poached eggs.

    I love poached eggs and have made them using many different methods but never the air fryer.

    As I looked for a spot on my table to set up for a photo, it didn’t matter what spot I chose, the sun coming in the adjacent balcony doors caused long, dark shadows. I was hungry, so decided to just go with it.

    My air fryer poached eggs were a disappointing fail of epic proportions. After the time given in the recipe, they hadn’t set one bit and were just slimy, unpalatable blobs, mocking me from the ramekins they were supposed to be “cooked to perfection” in.

    I increased the temp a bit and added two minutes. The eggs were slightly more set, but still not edible. I like my poached eggs to have soft yolks but the whites have to be completely set.

    I added three more minutes. Now, the whites weren’t great but just slightly more set, and the yolks were overcooked. The surface was wrinkled and not one bit appetizing in appearance.

    I plated it up anyways, took the photo, and grudgingly ate my brekky.

    Strike that prep method from my list.

  • 3 C’s: Chili, Comfort, Cleanup

    3 C’s: Chili, Comfort, Cleanup

    One of my favourite cold weather comfort foods is chili con carne. People seldom use the full name anymore and have shortened it to chili.

    Although this dish was originally Tex Mex (from the border area of Texas and Mexico), I can recall my mom at home in Canada making her version of it when I was a child. Mom always called it by its full name.

    In researching chili for this post, I was surprised to learn that the dish was introduced to eastern Canada in the early 1900’s. I wondered, given the distance, how that could be? Further reading explained that a group from San Antonio introduced it at a chili stand at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. This explained a lot, because Chicago is much closer and Canadians were very well represented at that fair.

    There are many variations of this hearty meat stew, and I make it a bit differently each time.

    The one in my feature photo has carrots, red bell pepper, button mushrooms, onions, celery, and three bean varieties with the lean ground beef and diced tomatoes. I prepared it in my Instant Pot, as I do all of my soups and stews. Pressure cooking has a way of locking in and enhancing flavours, which is key in one-pot meals.

    We like our chili either over a baked potato, or with a side of toast. Sometimes I garnish it with shredded cheese and/or sour cream.

    If you eat this dish, what sides do you enjoy with it? I’m always looking for new ideas.

    I used the Touch Retouch App to clean up the bowl. As I did this, I recalled cooking competitions on TV, and how the chefs always wipe the edges of the dishes and bowls before serving.

    By doing this task digitally, I was able to finally realize why that’s done.

    Here’s the dish before cleanup.

    Much more appealing with the dishing up smears removed, I think. Do you agree?

  • Chatty Food Plan

    Chatty Food Plan

    For my past several posts, I’ve been writing about my foray into ChatGPT.

    These posts have included notes about ai assistance I’ve received with indoor decor, painting cabinets, landscaping, lesson preparation for a workshop I teach, exercises to boost metabolism, and art work guidance.

    Another area where I’m receiving extraordinary help is in that of a sustainable diet – also intended to boost metabolism.

    After the usual question and answer format, the ChatGPT app developed an eating program specifically for my age, activity level, and health status that is both doable and liveable.

    Regular check ins are a part of it, and the always kind and supportive approach worked into the algorithm is most helpful.

    As I enter week three of the eight week reset developed for me, I’ve lost 2.5 lbs, and 1/2 inch from my waist. These are the measurable victories.

    The things that matter far more to me than rapid results and/or the numbers on the scale are: slow and sustainable results, a healthy higher protein and lower carb eating plan, and my clothing fitting better.

    So far, all three are happening.

  • Bread Knows …

    Bread Knows …

    Yesterday was bread baking day.

    I wasn’t in the best of moods when I started. In fact, you could say I was downright grumpy (another story).

    When I took the first baked loaf out of the pan, my ocd-ish personality wasn’t pleased, and now, even more grumpy.

    I took the photo, sent it to our daughter, and told her about my mood.

    Her reply was, “Oh Mom … bread knows, and it’s manifesting you!”

    With that, I cracked up laughing and got on with my day.

    By the way, the other two loaves came out perfect.

  • A Homely Ceremony

    A Homely Ceremony

    “The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight…

    [Breadmaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world’s sweetest smells… there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of
    meditation in a music-throbbing chapel. that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread.”

    ~ MFK Fisher The Art of Eating

  • “Swiss”mas Eve

    “Swiss”mas Eve

    My Christmas gift to myself this year was a raclette grill.

    A part of my heritage is Swiss and many years ago, I enjoyed a raclette evening at the home of a nurse friend and colleague who had, as a young teen, immigrated with her family to Canada from Switzerland.

    The evening and the meal was so enjoyable that, over the years, it was never far from my mind whenever I was planning to entertain.

    This year, I finally purchased the grill and planned the meal for Christmas Eve with hubs’ brother and his wife.

    It was relaxing and enjoyable. Each person grilled whatever they wanted from the variety of foods available, and the raclette cheese was constantly melting in the little shovels that sit under the grill.

    Missing in my feature photo are the cooked baby potatoes and cooked mini carrots. There was no room on the table for them. The little ramekins on each plate held individual carrot salads.

    The melted raclette cheese was rich and smooth without the long strings like melted mozzarella would have, and was a perfect topping for the potatoes.

    It was a brand new dining experience for everyone but me. It was a brand new food prep experience for me.

    We’ll definitely do this again, and often!