As you know, I’m doing all the cooking, writing and photographing for the Steamy Kitchen cookbook.
Today, I’m taking a photo of Grilled Pineapple with Chocolate Coconut Rum Sauce for the book, and I thought I’d let you take a peek into one of the most idiotic things I have to do in order to get the most perfect shot for the book.
A couple of things make shooting this dish difficult:
- I’m the only one at home today (otherwise I would have had one of the kids push the shutter button)
- It involves me holding sharp skewers with one hand and the remote shutter release in the other.
- DId I mention it includes hot, gooey chocolate sauce?
- And am I crazy enough to videotape myself taking a photo of myself holding the skewers so that you can make fun of me?
Absolutely.
🙂
So, I concluded that things would be so much easier if I had a food fluffer. (And yeah, I know what a fluffer is) But a FOOD fluffer would be there to drizzle the chocolate sauce on the pineapple, sprinkle the coconut flakes, nudge each skewer in place.
After just a couple minutes in the muggy Florida weather, the coconut was looking a little limp.
Simply put, I really wished that I had someone to fluff my coconuts today.
Then, I could have concentrated on cooking and photographing!
Ok, here’s the video…Just don’t laugh too hard!
A note to my testers
Sorry for the delay…I’m not quite ready yet, as I want to make sure that I had at least 1/3 of the recipes ready before we even begin testing. I’ll let you know asap when I’m ready!
Yum! I want some! I’m so glad you are putting effort into taking these pictures because for me a cookbook with out pictures is like…coffee with no caramel and whipcream…okay bad simile. Any who…whens the date of release?
That recipe looks delicious. Strangely enough I’ve been grilling pineapple on the BBQ recently, and adding a rum sauce to the finished pud. (A recipe from Ainsley Harriott). I LOVE the look of your much naughtier version with chocolate and coconut – can’t wait to try that one!
(I read your message above about the testing…thought I’d missed something but this explains it. Good luck with everything Jaden…)
I totally live in the Tampa area and I lovelovelove your blog if you honestly need assistance photographing food I’ll help you on the spot! :DDD
Your food photography + blog is beautiful, very impressive video – so calm during pict taking! Half my stuff is melting or curling over if I shoot on the deck where the lighting is perfect but the heat gets to the best of it.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, totally enjoy your work!
Looks delicious, love the cute smile and freckles!
Those look yummy!
Jaden, I can’t tell you enough how much I’m enjoying your posts documenting the cookbook writing/photographing process. This video definitely adds to the fun. Looking forward to more videos in the future!
Oh, btw, your house/pool look almost exactly like my fiance’s parents’ house/pool in Tampa. 🙂
Still can’t get over your lovely complexion and million-dollar smile, Mrs Steamy. Fluff your coconut? Oo-er, be careful what you wish for.
You are finally hiring? Hahaha..Sounds like a job for me…who definitely has experience fluffing food (being a flogger,oh, that’s food blogger). Oh, hop over for a look at some lovely BBQ Pork!
I literally just spit water out on my keyboard! ::runs to get a towel:: You are too funny. Looking forward to the test recipes.
I quit fluffing a while ago but i would consider doing a comeback as a food fluffer. It was nice to watch the ‘behind the scene’ of steamy kitchen! And i don’t mean anything dirty by that. 🙂
Aww Jaden! The things you do…
I wish I had a grill to grill pineapples 🙁
Anywho, my blog is still the same old one. I’m thinking of starting a new one once I get to New York on Thursday (I’m moving there for 2 years to teach elementary school!). When is THE book coming out? Don’t answer that. I’m sure it says somewhere on your blog. I’ll go look for that now 🙂
P.S. Your house is so nice!
It was fun to see what you have to go through to get your gorgeous pics. Nice job!
Jaden, if I lived closer I’d definitely be your food fluffer!
you could pay me by letting me bring my food over so I could “borrow” your light boxes.
My lighting stinks.
Oh what I would do for a room with actual light in it to take photos. Note to self. Demolish dingy shoe box known as Chez KP and rebuild post haste.
I think the one with you and the pineapple is … hot! ;-P
I want your house!
Food Fluffer !?!?!?! How did my guidance counselor miss that one?
I’ll fluff your pineapple sticks any day! (In a totaly non-rude context anyway)
Hell, I’d love to just be tester!
If you need an extra tester let me know.
Good luck with the book.
rofl, fluff your coconuts
Looks like you did a great job even without a fluffer. I meant to make a joke about juicy pineapples and coconuts, but it would seem I haven’t had enough coffee yet. Alas, I’ll be inappropriate another day. 😉 Can’t wait to see the final results with the cookbook.
Also, the site looks a lot better (no more red)!
Fluff….Your….Coconuts….
Wow.
Uh…As Jayne Cobb would say…”I’ll be in my bunk.”
TBG
all the best for your cookbook! i’m excited abt that.
grilled pineapple is amazing…dipped in chocolate. oooo.
pineapple… grilled… ooooh… AND with chocolate?!?!? oooooooooooooooh! *drools*
… i wanna know what a fluffer IS!!!
Hey, the red background is gone! Thank you; much more readable now.
And, as always, eminently edible.
Does your husband know you’re trolling the Internet for fluffers?
It looks like all your hard work paid off! The photo looks delicious.
Thanks for the laughs. 🙂
Oh, and I love the new design. Very pretty!
Lol! The things we do for that “perfect shot”! I always seem to be alone when I need to take a tricky photo of something. I’m getting to be quite a contortionist.
I’ll fluff for you anytime. But, you have to feed me chocolate rum sauce! 😉
It looks super yummy. But hmm… would the coconut be limp if you toasted it first? teehee… fluff
i don’t want to fluff, but i do want to make and eat those pineapple sticks…:D
i think i’d try the timer – and run…but i’d have to make a dummy to focus on so i could knock it out of the way and pose with the skewers – and drip all over the floor 🙂
p.s. LOVE the crop on this shot!
Hi Jaden! I just had to come home tonight and watch this again, except this time with sound lol. I’ve decided I need to find a babysitter (or at least multiple summer camps!) for the kids this summer so that I can be your full-time food fluffer! Seriously, your class tonight was amazing and all I can say is MORE MORE MORE! (please!). I love how effortlessly you combine food, photography and writing…all things I love. It’s inspiring to see how other artists work and you’re a great and giving teacher…thanks Jaden!
hi steamy! looks like you’re really into it- fluffer or no fluffer, your photogs are great!
Just love it that you used FLUFFER again. You naughty kitten you! Seriously, food photography can be so dang tough. Do you have a college nearby? What about hiring an intern or something? A college boy fluffer? OH BOY!
Wow, that’s a lot of work for the shot! Thanks for letting us “watch” it as it happened! They look really good to me!
that is so cool yet lots of work! way to go!
Anytime you want anything fluffed, let me know! It gives me an excuse to fly to Florida and give me a break from my crazy house in CA!
dude i will catch teh next flight. say when 🙂
Wow, you do it all! Are you serious that you can’t find a volunteer to come fluff food when you’ve got such great looking food to trade in payment??
Food fluffers are essential! The quality of my pictures go way down when my food fluffer/stylist isn’t around. Doesn’t shooting tethered make you wish for a 40D and a Canon WFT-E3A wireless file transmitter? But they are so expensive… the wireless transmitter that is.
lol, that was nice entertainment Jaden. The things we do to get a few decent shots ! like all your gear babe. This is all the pro stuff :p
Good Luck with da book !
Hi Jaden. Did you try using the timer on the camera? it gives you 10 sec. to drizzle, set or fluff whatever you want 😀
it’s great :)))))
my english is not good enough to understand what you really mean by food fluffer but I’d like to be the one who drizzles the chocolate upon that georgeous pinapple sticks :op and to taste it ok …
Food fluffer. Well Id rather fluff food than something else.Im hungry after looking at those grilled Pineapple sticks!
Oh, that is so interesting! You are really busting your ass for this book. Hope it comes back to you ($$).
And I can’t believe you said fluffer. HAHAHAHA