Tag Archives: photography

16 reasons for Irish eyes to smile

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day! My friend Kerry said Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt was one of his favorite Irish Whiskeys. Given that he grew up very close to the distillery, I reckon he must know what he was talking about. And he does.

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Irish eyes smile when they see Irish legs.

The whiskey is aged separately for 16 years; some in oloroso sherry casks, and some in bourbon casks. Then it is blended together and aged in port wine casks for 7 months. This last step gives it the distinctive reddish hue.  The sweet smell of honey is the first thing you’ll notice, blending with what might be roasted nuts. The fruit of the port is apparent in the initial taste, followed by the honey and a nice spice. It’s smooth and elegant with a drier spicy finish. Highly recommened by Kerry and myself.

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Wherever you go and whatever you do,
May the luck of the Irish be there with you.

Sláinte!

I want a mojito in Old San Juan!

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It’s been cold. (Apparently too cold to do a post since New Years Eve…sorry!) I’m sure everyone is aware that it’s been a cold winter. The polar vortex, or whatever the heck is causing this cold spell, has been all over the news. I feel like this tree.

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I want to be warm, walking down the brilliantly sun-lit blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan with my beautiful wife. We would start towards El Asador on Calle de San Francisco. Along the way we would see a picturesque purple balcony and a few cool cats hanging around. When we arrive, we would sit at a table with a view of the street. The awesome bartender, Daniel, would make us mojitos with Don Q Cristal. They would be super refreshing. Daniel would bring our order of ceviche. It would be excellent and flavorful. We would sit, laugh, and enjoy.

What is your warm thought of the day? Cheers!

Have a jazzy new year!

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I wanted to bring y’all back down South to New Orleans for New Year’s Eve. It seems like a festive way to end the year!

Jackson Square is right in the heart of the French Quarter. A mounted Andrew Jackson rides in the center, surrounded by lush gardens, grand architecture, haunted restaurants, and lively, talented street musicians. As we walked towards the area, we could hear jazz music echoing off the buildings. A small group had gathered to perform for the passing crowds. They were very entertaining!

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After listening (and photographing) a bit, we wandered through the square on our way to dinner. It was a very relaxing area with people scattered about reading on the grass.

Artwork hanging on the fence surrounding Jackson Square.
The Louisiana State Museum building.
Major General Andrew Jackson.
The center of the square. Jackson has been there since 1856.
The beautiful iron fence.
St. Louis Cathederal.
Formerly Plaza D’Armas, it was renamed in 1815

Muriel’s is right on a corner overlooking Jackson Square. It was featured on our ghost tour. They set a place for the resident spirit every night.

Blackened Mississippi Catfish. It was awesome!
The view down St. Ann.
Maple Leaf Duck Salad.
The view down Chartres Street.

Have a safe and happy evening and a fabulous new year! Cheers!

Bánh Mi. The perfect sandwich, part 2.

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Our Christmas Eve dinner was slightly out of the ordinary for our family. We decided to mix it up and serve a sandwich. But what kind of sandwich? Let’s take a stab at the perfect sandwich, I thought….the Bánh Mi. It was a hit, even with the little ones (although they may have skipped a few of the ingredients).

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From the bottom running clockwise, our sandwich consisted of: roast pork loin (marinated in white vinegar, Asian BBQ sauce, chopped ginger, soy sauce), Wegmans Asian BBQ  sauce, bacon, sliced jalapeños, cucumbers (marinated in equal parts white vinegar and sugar), Wegmans ciabatta baguette, Sriracha sauce, pork liver pâté, fresh cilantro. Don’t forget a nice spicy Gewürztraminer to go with it. I still think our house white, from Chateau Ste. Michelle, is excellent.

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This is a must try. In fact, it’s time for leftovers. Enjoy!

Santa wants beer and cookies

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Yes, he does. Specifically this Newcastle Brown Ale and Heather’s chocolate crinkle cookies. I would normally wait until closer to the holiday to do a Christmas post, but the next RAF 20 Minutes and Beer event is calling! And guess who is giving this presentation? Yours truly. I’d give you some details but I don’t have them all planned out yet. Hopefully you can swing by to cheer me on listen and have a beer! My presentation title is… Say No To Stock: Be Original & Let Your Idea Grow. I’ll share my take on stock images vs. creative original photography (which do you think I prefer?). Showing you examples of misused and overused stock images, I’ll try to demonstrate why it’s always better to be original and let your idea grow (so you don’t end up on Santa’s naughty list). Should be fun!

Here are the original photo and the poster. Do you think I would have been able to find a stock photo for my silly idea? Don’t forget to make Heather’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookies. The recipe is down below. Now for that Newcastle (Which is the perfect choice, as they have very original advertising. #nobullocks)….Cheers!

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Chocolate Crinkles:

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour (I use a little less)
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Mix oil, chocolate, and granulated sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350. Roll about one teaspoonful of dough at a time into a ball and roll in confectioners’ sugar. Place 2″ apart on greased baking sheet (I use parchment paper). Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Thanksgiving in a sandwich

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First, let me say…..”Wow, that was good.” Now that I got that out of the way, let me tell you that it’s hard to find a 40 ounce beer in Victor. “What,” you ask? (Thinking I’ve lost it.)

The original purpose of me doing a post today was to wish my friend Joe a happy 40th birthday. He had this great idea:

I am not one for parties.I didn’t have a birthday party at 8, 16, 21 or 30 and I’d rather not have one for my 40th—which is quickly approaching. However I would like to celebrate it in my own way via social media, so here’s the deal, I want to experience my 40th through your eyes.

On November 29th, take a picture of what you see. Maybe it’s the sunrise, November rain on your window, or the snow laden trees, a selfie of you drinking a frosty beverage after scoring great Black Friday Deals or your neighbors’ cropped mailbox that just shows the 40 of their address. Whatever sparks your fancy. Then, after my birthday, I will collect these photos and create one poster that I will frame and hang in my home to commemorate this day.

These pictures will become a social media snapshot of my birthday shown through the perspective of my friends and family all around the country. It will also let me know that you, on my 40th birthday, thought of me, and—sorry Black Friday— that’s better than any store-bought present out there.

So, on my birthday, Friday, November 29th (Yes, the day after Thanksgiving), take a picture and upload it to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or send me an email.

Help me celebrate. Take a picture. Send me the picture.
And make my Black Friday 40th a very special day

Joe

So, instead of 40 ounces of beer, I made him one heck of an awesome sandwich. Admittedly, I ate it (I’m sorry, Joe, but you weren’t here). You should all make one in his honor with your Thanksgiving leftovers. On fresh ciabatta bread, spread a layer of mashed butternut squash. Next is a layer of green beans, which have been stewed in a blend of tomatoes and spices. On top of that, place some stuffing (my sister’s sausage, sage, and roasted-chestnut stuffing). Now comes the turkey (which I seasoned with thyme and citrus). To go for the full carb experience, spread mashed potatoes over the turkey. For a pop of color, top the potatoes with mache rosettes. Drizzle with gravy and whole cranberry relish for a sandwich that can’t be beat!

Cheers to Joe. Happy 40th!

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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Yup, I ate it all. Everything on the plate, and then dessert. It was all delicious…. and for that I am thankful. I’m also thankful for everyone out there who is following along. I hope that you too had a pleasant day filled with family and friends. Cheers!

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Let’s try another animation. You may have to click to view. Now where is that couch?

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More beer is never bad…

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….especially on a Friday afternoon. Let’s skip over the stories that would contradict that statement (just one more!), and go right to the clarification. More beer photos are never bad. Especially when I can use them to help promote the second “20 Minutes and a Beer” event of the fall season, next Monday the 18th.

While there’s no shortcut to creativity nirvana, one can get there by experience, hard work, dedication, and by following some thought provoking non-scientific principles titled “The 12 Creative Rules of Thumb.” Joe Mayernik, former RAF President and Co-Founder/Creative Director of Brandtatorship, will share these 12 principles to live, learn, and be inspired by. The principles will make you rethink, while forging ideas that will help you challenge the creative norm.

Joe is a terrific speaker, and I hope all of you in the Rochester area can stop by the Back Nine Grill. The Facebook event page will give you more information. Joe has a great blog which I suggest you follow as well.

Now for the beer! I couldn’t help but highlight a few local brews: 12 Horse Ale and Fyfe & Drum from Genesee, and Magic Hat’s #9. Cheers!2eat2drink-more beer

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Happy Haunting from the Vieux Carré

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All Hallows Eve will be filled with hauntings, especially in the Vieux Carré, or French Quarter. But…we will be protected with our voodoo doll for protection from evil spirits and phantoms. While we drink sazeracs (and eat candy.)

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I thought a Halloween post would be the perfect way to introduce the Sazerac, a drink that is as much a part of New Orleans as Halloween celebrations are. Its roots can be traced back to a French Quarter apothecary, Antoine Peychaud, in the early 1800s. But the drink was modified to its current recipe in the early 1900s to feature Rye instead of Cognac. It’s extremely flavorful and highly recommended.

Our voodoo doll came from Marie Laveau’s House Of Voodoo on Bourbon Street. It’s a  great little shop with many voodoo dolls, talismans, and charms.

There are many variations on the Sazerac recipe, but I chose to base mine on Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure, an excellent absinthe from Philadelphia Distilling. Start by chilling an old fashioned glass by filling it with ice, then gather your ingredients.

  • 2 oz. rye whiskey. I used Russel’s Reserve small batch.
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
  • Vieux Carré Absinthe Supérieure
  • lemon

In a separate glass, over ice, mix the rye, simple syrup and bitters. Stir until chilled. Dump the ice from the old fashioned glass and give it an absinth rinse. Pour in enough to coat the entire inside of the glass, dumping if there is a lot of excess. Strain other ingredients into glass. Garnish with some lemon peel twisted over the glass. Sip to appease the spirits (and yourself). Á votre santé!

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Typical French Quarter halloween decorations adorning 2 balconies. The top photo is complete with a bubble machine. The bottom photo is complete with an undead Boston Red Sox fan, which is very fitting for today. Congratulations to the World Champions!

The end of October. Uh oh.

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So, it’s rare these days for me to do posts on consecutive days. Not because I don’t want to, just because work has been very busy! (Thank you!) I have lots of things stored up to post, but figured once October was over it wouldn’t make much sense to post an Octoberfest! Some of you may have noticed it appear in my header a few weeks ago. That’s when I did the shots to be used on an event poster for a Rochester Advertising Federation event, “20 minutes and a beer.” It’s a Samuel Adams Octoberfest, which is my go-to favorite. Let this serve as your reminder to go get your favorite before someone else drinks them it’s gone. Cheers!

PS: Look for a Halloween post tomorrow. 3 days in a row!

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