I think it was two or three years ago when I started drooling over design sponge on a regular basis…every day to be exact….going through every page, from furniture and house renovations, to flower arrangements, to delicious recipes(of course!)… thinking how great it would be to join this company of amazingly creative people...one day.
So you can only imagine how stunned I was, when Kristina Gill from “In the kitchen with” on the very one Design Sponge, asked me to pitch in some recipe ideas. It had to be something original and something that photographed well....so after going through vast collection of my favorite family recipes, I decided( or Kristina decided) to go with an updated version of ricotta dumplings my grandma used to make….delicious, easy, original for sure, but…..turned out to be…so…so not photogenic…
While ingredients photographed well, the dumplings themselves, yummy but rather plain looking, were really challenging to style and photograph. I don’t even know where to begin to describe all the things that were going wrong but, I think the hardest one, was getting over the rejection of my first set of photos. The dried lavender I used to" beautify" the dish, did exactly opposite, it didn’t catch on light and ended up looking rather like dirt or fruit flies than appetizing lavender petals….so I had to modify the recipe, find fresh lavender and redo all the photos. And as it turns out fresh lavender is not that easy to come by either...after running from one store to another, I finally desperately knocked some strangers' doors with scissors in my hands and asked, if I could "borrow" a little lavender growing on their front porch. Luckily for me, they agreed.
In the end it was really fun experience, I enjoyed every minute of it, even scraping all this cheese and flour off my camera wasn't so bad either. Thank you Grace and Kristina for having me on your beautiful blog!
Please see the whole story and Orange Ricotta Dumplings recipe here, and tell me what you think???
Beautiful! I love your styling and photos, so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIt's fun hearing the back story for your Design Sponge piece. Some things are just not easy to photograph. Good you persevered... the photos are beautiful and your grandma's recipe sounds really good.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on Design Sponge! Thanks for stopping by - I love your blog, and will be back.
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are just beautiful, and I must try these dumplings. BTW, I, too, love the movie "The Lives of Others."
ReplyDeleteLeft a comment on design sponge as well...Stunning photos!
ReplyDeleteM. congrats! I think "Lavender Story" is even better than "Ricotta story". It was very funny to read this: "...I finally desperately knocked some strangers' doors with scissors in my hands..." I think you should write crime stories :-) Crumpets and cakes is my favourite blog!
ReplyDeleteYour dumplings look fantastic! And, congratulations on being featured on Design Sponge!
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderful!! I love your blog and your delicious photos. So cool that you got to do a post another blog I love. Design sponge is amazing. Nice job!!
ReplyDeleteI can see why you were asked to feature on Design Sponge - your photos are just gorgeous. And the recipes aren't bad, either :)
ReplyDeleteAll that running around with scissors in hand was worth it! Your photos are beautiful! And what a unique dish. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you guys for dropping by :)
ReplyDeleteLOL, I've been there. I think your photos are lovely and the dish sounds absolutely delicious.
ReplyDelete*kisses* HH
I hope you weren't running with the scissors! The styling on these photos is gorgeous, and the dumplings sound amazing too! Ricotta dumplings sounds like a perfect decadent breakfast.
ReplyDelete:)
I was kind of running with scissors....crazy me
ReplyDelete:)
I think they look great, some sexy styling going on there...
ReplyDeleteFirst I loved the lemons picture from your header. Now I was probably living under a rock because I didn't know about design sponge. (very embarrassing). Your pictures looks lovely. Lavender sugar sounds delicious.
ReplyDeletewow! congrats! i Love them too! such beautiful pictures you take!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures! Very well done. Those dumplings look delicious!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteooh love your aerial photos! the pictures of the lavender flowers are gorgeous! looks like i need to start making design sponge!
ReplyDeleteWow. Your photos and presentations are stunning. Thanks for visiting my blog and taking the time to comment as well.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Monika on being featured on Design Sponge! I love your photographs and I think the ricotta dumplings are very photogenic in your hands! This recipe sounds very tempting.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting my blog!
What a stunning presentation! It is always such a pleasure to visit here. Words, pictures and recipes are near perfect. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeletei've loved design sponge for years. congratulations. photos look fabulous AND food looks delicous as always. rock on, girl...
ReplyDeleteJumping back in here to thank you for the individual serving idea. That's why a gal need friends :-). Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeletehey! congratulations on this! what a treat. i'll be picking up the ingredients to give these a go in the coming days.
ReplyDeletehope the "dark and gloomy" weather has lifted a bit. i happen to know you had a lovely monday afternoon and tuesday in sf because my little boy was there with his gram for a 36 hour whirlwind tour. it was very hard to think about him being so far away, but calder and his gram had a fabulous time and were happy to have some sun to go along with their adventures through the city. next time i'll go for sure! i love sf.
Your photographs are "delicious". I hopped over to design sponge and saw your recipe. I always love recipes with lavender!
ReplyDeleteMagda
Congratulations! I really love that 2nd photo.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on design sponge. Absolutely beautiful!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Monika. Quite an honor. And thank you for your kind comment on Native Food & Wine. You have a lovely blog here. Your recipe sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos, lovely colours. I'm hopeless at styling and you have got it right!
ReplyDeleteM, beautiful photos and your feature look so at home on Designer Sponge!
ReplyDeleteLovely blog and post. Your photos are beautiful, and congrats on Design Sponge!
ReplyDeletethank you guys! :)
ReplyDeleteAh, those beautiful and carefully arranged photos make Your ricotta dumplings even more desirable :) Your food photography shows natural sense of style, which one can’t simply learn – it’s got to be in You from the beginning :) Great work!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous recipe, I wold love them too for breakfast! Lovely photography.
ReplyDelete