Röstis with Salmon & Crème Fraîche
Here is another food post from my last session with AnneSO from Fashion Cooking. She had prepared those amazing röstis in individual platters and covered them with a layer of crème fraîche and a slice of salmon. A true delight, both for the palate and the eyes!
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Clifton Nurseries
Hidden in the heart of Maida Vale, down a small cobblestone alley, the Clifton Nurseries are a true gem for flower and garden lovers. Boasting a very wide panel of plants and flowers, as well as garden furniture and landscape design services, this place offers a haven of peace for weekend strollers. One of its glass verandas hosts a lovely little café – complete with lemon trees and many gorgeous plants – making it the perfect brunch spot, if you manage to get a table! Personally, each time I happen to be in the neighbourhood, I never miss the chance to visit the Nurseries. They are so full of charm, it’s a pleasure to stop by, even if only for five minutes.
Canalway Cavalcade – Maida Vale
Last week, Little Venice hosted its annual Canalway Cavalcade, England’s largest gathering of canal boats, which lasted over three days. Held at the junction of the Regent’s and Grand Union Canals in Maida Vale, the event was attended by hundreds of boats, some of which had travelled from all over the UK. They were all beautifully dressed by their proud owners with flowers, flags, ribbons and all sorts of lucky charms. Fortunately the sun was there too which made for a really great day out.
Brother & Sister
Recently I decided to concentrate on portrait and try to capture different kinds of special relationships. Family obviously is the most important one, and immediately my friend Anne-Laure and her brother Antoine sprung to my mind. They’re both very attractive – and what’s more – they look so much alike it was almost too easy. But the best thing of all was definitely their deep knowing of each other and the amazing complicity they have been building since childhood. To me, this was the greatest evidence of their bond, even more so than shared family features. And according to them, being photographed together was a lovely experience; they chatted, laughed, and simply enjoyed themselves, which took out any self-conscious feeling of facing the camera. This was a really wonderful photo session, and I look forward to doing more of these!
Meringue & Raspberries Sky-High Cake
This amazing sky-high cake was one of the highlights of my last photo session with the lovely AnneSO from Fashion Cooking. Made of three meringue discs layered one on top of each other and separated by a delicious cream, it is topped by plenty of raspberries and a raspberry coulis. This culinary marvel is probably one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen! Now, cake anyone…?
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Nut & basil chicken with rice
Here is a second dish from last week’s photo session with AnneSO: a very tasty version of a diced chicken with rice. For the recipe you will need to check out Fashion Cooking’s website, but I can say that it was very quick and easy to prepare! In two words, a perfect meal option if you’re running out of ideas to prepare chicken. 
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Winter Treats
With winter drawing in, cold weather and shorter days, I find that nothing feels more appealing than indulging in sugary treats. Especially when they are prepared by Fashion Cooking‘s lovely Anne-Sophie. Pancakes with maple syrup, chocolate cake with mirror-like glaze and multi-layered carrot cake are among my favourites.
Luckily, some of these recipes will soon be available in a book gathering Fashion Cooking‘s best hits. I was fortunate enough to contribute by shooting all portraits of Anne-Sophie and most of the food photos – I am really looking forward to see the end result! The book will come out in France early 2013, so there is not much longer to wait now. Keep your eyes peeled for the release!
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking http://www.fashioncooking.fr/
Photographer: Astrid Templier – Lovely Jubbly Photography
Moroccan Back Country
As part of my trip to Fez, I also took a few days to discover the back country around this great city. Meknès, one of the four “imperial cities” of Morocco, is definitely worth a visit. Surrounded by three belts of walls, these fortifications are the longest in the kingdom. Their great protective stance is only broken through by a handful of beautifully adorned doors, opening a majestical way towards the inner city.
A few miles away, the region also boasts an impressive archeological site of Roman ruins called Volubilis. The exceptional state of the excavated walls, house foundations, arches and mosaics is utterly stunning. Perhaps even more impressive are the claims by archeologists that about 60% of the ruins still remain to be found and restored.
About an hour and a half away from Meknès stand the Middle Atlas mountains. Hidden in the forest is a lovely village named Ifrane, which serves as a ski station in the winter. A really great halt for those seeking peace and freshness, Ifrane is set close to an amazing natural reserve with many hiking paths. At the end of my trip, I visited an eco-friendly farm down in the valley, whose owners produce excellent goat cheese, as well as olive oil and honey. A truly great place to stop by and enjoy a nice meal of cheese, bread and other local products!
Moroccan Art de Vivre
Morocco is an amazing country with no less amazing art de vivre: the richness of the architecture, the skillful craftsmanship of the many indoors and outdoors ornaments, the refinement of the interiors, decoration and objects are the mark of a highly sophisticated culture and civilisation. The mauresque and Andalusian influences repeatedly show through monuments, such as the University of Al Karaouine, or palaces-turned-hotels for instance, making for a sense of majesty and simplicity at the same time.
The Medina of Fez
As part of my September trip to Fez, I got to wander a lot in the city’s Medina. According to many, and to the Moroccans themselves, Fez is considered as the most authentic city of the kingdom: this doesn’t mean that there are no tourists – because they are present as anywhere else worth visiting – but it seems that Fez, unlike many other cities, is not trying too hard to flaunt its beauties. Its treasures are well hidden, and one will have to search behing closed doors to discover them. This may be achieved by looking into a few riads, those lovely small palaces built around indoors fountains and gardens, or by casting an eye in one of the small yet richly adorned mosques of the Medina. The colourful markets scattered across the crooked streets and paths are another jewel themselves. Fez definitely is a great place for anyone looking for an exotic change of scenery, and it makes for a very picturesque destination.
Columbia Flower Market
Last week on Columbia Road, the sun was shining so brightly, it was the perfect Sunday for a wander through the flower market… and a roast at the Royal Oak! While waiting for my friends, I managed to catch a few snaps through the window on the first floor. I really had a great view over the market there. There was so much to look at: sunflowers, daffodils, hydrangeas, roses, hyacinths, so many people too! My favourite: a little boy perched on top of his fathers’ shoulders (the last one of this post!)
Feminine, Fresh & So Cute!
…Is how I would describe this new fashion Label: I am talking of L’ATELIER de Camille “bien sûr”, a lovely new brand that just launched its first collection last Thursday.
Just picture this: in the heart of Paris’ 6th arrondissement – so chic Madame! – was held the first-ever private sale in the young creator’s own apartment. Camille‘s clothes are just every girl’s dream: refreshingly simple in cut and style, precious and elegant in the fabrics and details ; add to that a twist of the Parisian charm and a hint of cheekiness – there you go, L’ATELIER de Camille is born, congratulations!
Needless to say, the night was a huge success and sales went quicker that you can say it. But enough said, I’m leaving you with a few pictures, they’ll speak better for themselves.
