Category Archives: Food Photography

American steakhouse dinner menu takes the cake, proving meat and potatoes never go out of style 🥩 + 🥔

October 28, 2015 by Food Polka

Earlier this month, I received the unfortunate news that the creative chef startup that first recruited me back in 2013 is shutting down its operations in Southern California. Their business model didn’t quite align with LA’s sprawling geography, so they’ve decided to focus exclusively on New York City, where they’ve been seeing much more success. I have to admit, I genuinely enjoyed working with them. Not only did they match me with a variety of fantastic gigs that connected me […]

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Categories: American Cuisine, Apetizer, California Cuisine, Culinary Writing, Dessert, Dinner, Food Photography, German Cuisine, Mexican, Polish Cuisine, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie • Tags: art director, birthday dinner menu, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, dinner party, family dinner menu, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, home dinner party, long beach chef, los angeles food service, personal chef, personal chef LA, privet chef long beach, steakhouse dinner

Lightly Salty, Naturally Fermented Dill Pickles 🫙🥒

September 3, 2015 by Food Polka

Growing up in Poland, I fell in love with homemade sour pickles – especially ones that were naturally fermented. The pickles sold in America are cucumbers preserved in vinegar. My idea of a pickle is a cucumber that’s been naturally fermented in a brine solution. The most common place to find them in the U.S. is at Jewish delis or overpriced foodie spots, but these places usually only give you one, or even just half of a pickle, so I’m […]

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Categories: Apetizer, Black Pepper, Cabbage, Cucumbers, Culinary Writing, Dill, Dinner, Editorial, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, German Cuisine, Herbs, Lunch, Pickles, Polish Cuisine, Privet Chef Events, Resourceful Cooking, Salad, Salt, Snack, Spices, Thai Chili, Vegan, Vegeterian, Yellow mustard seeds • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, dill pickles, fermented cucumbers, fermented food, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food polka, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, home fermented cucumbers, home food fermentation, home made pickles, home preserves, jemwiecjestem.com, jewish deli style pickles, marta fowlie, marta smolczewska, personal chef LA, Polish Carnival, Polish chef, Polish cuisine, polish cuisine is us, polish pickles, published by Marta Fowlie, sauerkraut and pickles

All butcher blocks and cutting boards were “pretty ugly” before they became beautiful

July 18, 2015 by Food Polka

This post is basically a photo-reportage from my last month visit at Brooklyn Butcher Blocks in Brooklyn, NY. I first run into the BBB products when I was working as a chef and I was right away impressed with the stunning look and construction of their dark brickwork carving board. So, I’ve started following them on Facebook. In the spring I was hanging out at the Artisanal LA trade show and sure enough there was the BBB booth. So, I’ve […]

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Categories: Culinary Writing, Editorial, Food Photography, Home Design, Kitchen Organization, Photoreportage, Published by Marta Fowlie • Tags: art director, butcher blocks, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, culinary writing, cutting boards, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, photoreportage

The springtime dinner ala Food Polka

June 10, 2015 by Food Polka

What the springtime in Poland taste like? It tastes like a new vegetable garden. It tastes like tiny, creamy new potatoes boiled with the skin on, tossed in fresh butter or buttermilk, and topped with fried, runny yolk egg. It tastes like fresh, chopped dill. It tastes like miniature, pale but the sweetest baby carrots and fresh green peas. This is the only time of the year when you can get all these flavors and combine them into one dinner […]

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Categories: Breakfast, Butter, Carrots, Communism, Culinary Writing, Dill, Dinner, Eggs, Food Photography, Food Styling, Green Pea, Lunch, Marta Fowlie, Marta Smolczewska, Polish Cuisine, Potatoes, Published by Marta Fowlie, Vegetarian, Vegeterian, Yogurt • Tags: art director, baby potatoes recipe, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, healthy breakfast, kuchnia polska w USA, memory of communism in poland, personal chef LA, polisg spiring dinner, polish food, polish immigrants, Polish immigrants in US, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie, recipe develoer los angeles, Recipe Development, springtime dinner

Tomatillo, Jalapeno, Lime, Cilantro Make a God Damn Good Handmade Gift Jam

May 30, 2015 by Food Polka

Last March my mother reminded me about my grandma’s 90th birthday in April. She thought I perhaps should send her a special card or a little gift. So, since I am the biggest fan of handmade gifts, I decided to make something special for her. And… since I am into food I instantly thought that maybe I could make a cool preserve that could be put in a jar and shipped to Poland. I don’t think my grandma’s pallet is […]

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Categories: American Cuisine, Breakfast, California Cuisine, Cilantro, Condiments, Dessert, Food Photography, Food Styling, Honey, Jelapeno, Lime, Published by Marta Fowlie, Sauce, Snack, Tomatillos, Vegan, Vegetarian, Vegeterian • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, easy breakfast, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, hand made gift, healthy breakfast, personal chef LA, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie, socal preserve, souther california flavors

The Perfect Soft-Boiled Egg Recipe + Breakfast Memory 🥚🍀

May 22, 2015 by Food Polka

When I was a little kid, growing up in communist Poland, we didn’t have Cheerios for breakfast. Cornflakes were hardly ever available. We usually ate open-face sandwiches of some kind. Sometimes we had oatmeal or semolina with hot milk, which I hated. Eggs were on the menu as well. Usually scrambled or soft-boiled. The soft-boiled egg is the most sentimental memory of my childhood breakfast. Perhaps because its eating involved using a special, little egg holder cup. In that time […]

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Categories: Breakfast, Butter, Communism, Culinary Writing, Eggs, Food Photography, Food Styling, Marta Fowlie, Marta Smolczewska, Polish Cuisine, Published by Marta Fowlie, Vegetarian, Vegeterian • Tags: art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, easy breakfast, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, healthy breakfast, kuchnia polska w USA, memorial day, memory of communism in poland, personal chef LA, polish immigrants, Polish immigrants in US, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie, quick breakfast, soft boiled egg

Everybody Pesto! Pumpkin-Arugula Pesto 🎃

May 18, 2015 by Food Polka

I’m sure you’ve tried pesto before. That classic Italian sauce made with basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan is delicious, isn’t it? But did you know that you can easily make it at home in about 5 minutes? Well, you can, and so can this version of pesto, which may not be as classic as the Italian prototype but is just as delicious. This new pesto recipe is made with arugula, pumpkin seeds, and Asiago cheese. While the ingredients may differ […]

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Categories: Apetizer, Arugula, Asiago cheese, California Cuisine, Dinner, Food Photography, Food Styling, Garlic, Lemon, Lunch, Olive Oil, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie, Pumpkin seeds, Recipe Development, Resourceful Cooking, Snack, Vegeterian • Tags: art director, arugula pesto, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, different pesto, easy sauce, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food photography, food styling, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, personal chef LA, pesto, published by Marta Fowlie, quick sauce, sauce for red meat

velentines day.pomegrantate chocolate recipe, food polka

Pomegrante chocolates for Happy Mother’s Day and any other occasion

May 10, 2015 by Food Polka

Dark chocolate is full of sophisticated flavor. Personally, the darker the better. I love dark chocolate with a cocoa content of over 70% combined with fresh fruits. They bring its taste to a completely new level. I particularly love dark chocolate with pomegranate. The unforgettable sensation of juicy, refreshing, sweet, and sour pomegranate seeds bursting in the middle of bittersweet, dense chocolate is my favorite. These two different flavors and textures are a sweet craving revelation. When we add some fresh, […]

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Categories: Chocolate, Coffee, Culinary Writing, Dark Chocolate, Dessert, Food Photography, Food Styling, Marta Fowlie, Marta Smolczewska, Mother's Day, Pomegranate, Privet Chef Events, Published by Marta Fowlie, Recipe Development, Spices, Vegetarian • Tags: aphrodisiac food, aphrodisiac ingredients based dessert, art director, creative director, creative food stylist los angeles, cute dessert idea, cute gift idea, edible gift, food photographer, food photographer los angeles, food photography, food styling, food styling los angeles, food stylist, food stylist los angeles, mother's day, personal chef LA, privet chef in LA, published by Marta Fowlie

Rise and shine. Try this 5 minutes strawberry filled breakfast recipe

April 22, 2015 by Food Polka

Short on time and breakfast ideas? Put down the oatmeal and get it twisted with this quick and easy strawberry breakfast recipe. Lock pure health, nutrition, and deliciousness in your favorite breakfast bowl in less than 5 minutes. Brew some coffee. And… if you are lucky like myself garnish it with two four-leaf clovers. Quick strawberry-oatmeal breakfast Shopping List: Now follow these steps: To read this in Polish, click here: “Sezon truskawkowy wita was i zaprasza na szybkie śniadanie”