frosting Candy bar cupcakes (chocolate cupcakes with Snickers, salted caramel peanut butter frosting)

models: Jordana and Gustavo Blum!

I know some of you are anxious to see the Alinea photos, but I’m coming down with something and don’t quite have the energy to edit all the Alinea photos tonight. Apologies! I’ve decided to ask my husband, who has been (and continues to be) a huge fan of Grant Achatz to write the Alinea post, and it will come sometime at the end of this week. (All I’ll say is this: Alinea was an incredible meal. It blew my mind. Alinea was so much more than just delicious food.)

In the meantime, I have a few cooking process photos to show you. I shot four photos for The Newlywed Kitchen with the guidance of the amazing , a wedding photographer-turned food photographer Clare Barboza. Not only is Clare incredibly talented, but she is one kickass lady with the best laugh ever! I had a wonderful time with her and my two lovely models today, Jordana and Gustavo, beautiful newlyweds who got married just two months ago.

This will be the Chapter opener photo for the Pasta section

When Jordana and Gustavo left, Clare and I went to a coffee shop for sandwiches and drinks, and she showed me how to edit the photos. These images were cropped slightly, and some of the “blown out” (whiter than white) bits were recovered.

I’d like to thank the two wonderful photographers, Lara Ferroni and Clare Barboza, for helping me with these Cooking Process photos. I wouldn’t have been able to get these images without their time, their advice, and their fancy camera equipment! And I’d also like to thank my models, Jordana, Gustavo, and Tamara, for taking time off work to pose for me. I’d also like to thank my wonderful neighbors who donated their kitchens for the shoot today–I feel very fortunate to live on such a friendly street.

Tomorrow, I am going to a book club meeting. This month, we read Julia Child’s My Life in France. Do you have a favorite Julia recipe? I’d love to know in the comments!