King Download

Its always amazing how small the world becomes through the internet. I have been following chef, food writer and photographer Aran Goyoaga for years on her famed blog, Cannelle et Vanille. The way she works with food is amazing to me. If youve seen her blog or recipes, you know the way she expresses them is like stepping into a little miniature dreamland with her unusual uses of vegetation, color and compostion. It was such a treat to learn from her and be in the kitchen with her and to be able to spend days shooting and creating. Angela Ritchie, of Ace Camps, did an incredible job putting this event together. I will never see food the same again. Seriously, I have been in a culinary slump for a while, and this voyage totally refreshed ideas and combinations I never thought of. It also helped being surrounded by other chefs, farmers and foodies. I think I asked my new friend Jodi, (a New York natural foods chef) about cooking every single day. I have so many new healthy and raw ideas to try and since Ive been home Ive been experimenting in a whole new way. I also met a few other bloggers of all kinds that I had already been stalking that I had no idea were going to be in Whistler and I made some fresh new friends that I just adore.

I will have several weeks worth of beautiful food, adventures and amazing people from my travels in Canada so enjoy the first installation today, which was our first day in the kitchen with Aran. 

*Aran has a book coming out in October, and many of the recipes featured in the next few weeks can be found there. Or you can look some of them up on her blog. 

Featured in this shoot: Raw Striped-Beet Ravioli, Gaspacho, Fig, Apple and Hazelnut Salad with Greek Yogurt Vinaigrette, and the beginnings of a mascarpone cream that will be topped on some roasted nectarines later in the week. 

Enjoy!