One of Nick’s sisters lives in an Amish town. Every time we visit, I’m convinced we need to move away from the city, give up modern technology, and live the life of the Amish.

Then I remember I’m a blogger and 75% of my job requires a super fast internet connection, electricity and all things non-Amish. But still, with every horse drawn carriage I see hitched to a pole at the corner market, every yard we pass with clothes drying in the wind, and every hard working family I notice working out in their garden, I get a little twinge of wistfulness for a simpler life….

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Oh friends, I am so itching for spring to get here, aren’t you? It’s starting to stay lighter, longer in the evening, the last couple of mornings birds have been chirping outside my window, and asparagus is starting to show up in our supermarkets again! I absolutely  love that with the springtime season comes asparagus season! It’s one of my favorite vegetables.

Now, I may be jumping the gun on spring a little this year. The asparagus at the store is still pretty wimpy…not like the big, hearty stalks that will be here in the next month or two…but still. I just can’t resist it!…

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My oldest brother, Mike, is 22 years older than me. I’ve never thought a whole lot about that, until recently. He was married by the time I was born and began his own family just a few years after my birth. Sure, it was kind of odd growing up with a nephew just a couple years younger than me and a brother around the same age as some of my friends parents, but it is all I knew so I didn’t think much about it….

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This giveaway is now closed.

I wanted to bake something special for this post today, as a friends success is something to celebrate. But, I didn’t… I’ve been so busy with freelance work these past two weeks that my kitchen is feeling a bit neglected. I figured, even though I wasn’t able to bake something, I could still pass on the word to you all about the most wonderful food photography book I have devoured to date… Plate to Pixel by Helene Dujardin (aka Tartelette)….

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Food photography can be tricky. Sometimes, you have to try different angles to get the right shot. A photographer is always willing to do whatever it takes to make a photo interesting, even if that means taking a taste of the food… I like to call that “styling”.

In the name of creating something truly interesting, sometimes you may have to take several tastes.

And what if after all that hard work, you don’t get the shot you were looking for? You’ll just have to start over. Darn. Such a sacrifice, but all in the name of a trying to get that perfect shot!

My friend Julianne has been spoiling us with this cheesecake for several years now. It is an absolute favorite… I don’t even attempt to make it anymore because I know I just can’t make it as good as she does!

Recipe: Philadelphia Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake from Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Julianne makes a traditional graham cracker butter crust instead of the ginger snap crust the original recipe calls for.

• 25 nabisco ginger snaps, crushed ( 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Planters pecans
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 32 ounces Philadelphia Cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. PREHEAT oven to 325°F.
2. Mix ginger snaps crumbs,pecans and butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.
3. BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup of sugar and the vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each additional just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups of batter; place in small bowl.
4. Stir remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, the pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for a marble effect.
5. BAKE 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

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I have long admired Ilva’s food photography (and her regular photography as well). She is extremely talented and her photos are absolutely breathtaking. I hope you will take the short jaunt over to her beautiful blog and take a look for yourself!

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I really wish there were more opportunities like this out there for focused, concentrated study on something that many of us are so passionate about – beautiful food photography and food styling. If you are in the San Francisco area and have any desire to increase your exposure and better yourself as a food photographer, an intimate workshop like this one is just the way to do it. For more information about the Sara Remington Food Photography workshop, you can visit the information page over on Eventbrite. Even if you can’t attend, you should go check to the website to check out Sara’s photographs. They are incredible!

On to the recipe. We are on such an artichoke kick lately, thanks to the CSA/Organic Food Delivery we have coming to our house. I had forgotten how tasty fresh artichokes were, and now I’m addicted! Elise over at Simply Recipes has some great instructions for how to cook and eat an artichoke. I personally just like the leaves dipped in melted garlic butter, but this Honey Mustard Dip is also a delicious winner!

Honey Mustard Dip for Artichokes (from the Artichoke Advisory Board of CA)

• ¼   cup prepared mustard
• 2   tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2   tablespoons soy sauce
• 2   tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

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