Battman, Bachour, the Bowery, and Baoburg

I’ve been told that I need to update my blog more often.

The next 6 months will be very busy. I will be shooting photos with about 250 chefs so I hope to come back with some interesting stories.

Here are some of my most recent activities:

I spent two weeks in Cancun working with Antonio Bachour on a new book in partnership with Palace Resorts. It was such a culture shock watching the Mexican workers. They are extremely hard working, very fast and seemingly always smiling – all for $4.00 a day. They couldn’t believe that my rent is $160.00 a day. The commissary was constantly being cleaned and a lot of hand work. There is no shortage of labor and the employees are happy to have a job. While there I met Chef Joan Roca from Spain.  Along with his 2 brothers they operate El Celler de Can Roca  which has been picked as either the #1 or #2 Best Restaurant in the World for 5 years straight.  Chef Roca is known for his unique approach to molecular gastronomy and for his very clever plating.

The Master Chefs of France organization had their annual meeting in New York over 3 days. I’m not sure exactly was going on because it was all in French. Lot’s of food at different venues,; The Union Club, Consulat général de France à New York, a boat around the harbor, a warehouse in Red Hook Brooklyn, and the final lunch at Restaurant Daniel. The group photo that I picked was from a 10’ ladder and where Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller where taking selfies while all the other chefs where looking at the camera. It wouldn’t have been the same without that moment.

I started shooting a new eBook with a group of chefs calling themselves the Asian Food Mafia. They represent Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food. I was amazed at the range of restaurants that they worked at before opening their own ethnic places. Restaurants like Nobu, Daniel and Per Se. The food was not your typical Asian food, and the book will be out in a couple of months.

We did an interview with Sota Atsumi, a Japanese chef doing a guest chef stint at the Chef’s Club and who is getting ready to open a new restaurant in Paris. There are some photos of his dishes and of his Sous Chef, Riko Kobayashi.

I stopped by L’atelier de Joel Robuchon to see Chefs Christophe Bellanco and Pastry Chef Salvatore Martone (who I will be doing a book with of his incredible dessert creations).
Rob Valencia, Exec Chef at Great Performances just got my Crossing Borders Book.

Crazy Nicolas Abello, exec chef at the Michelin Star restaurant L’appart is working on a dish for the next Great Gathering of Chefs book.

Dumonet in Brooklyn, Jean-Louis is the Chef /partner and a good friend of mine so I went by to take some photos for him.

More stops for phood for new books at Marseille with Andy D’Amico, Baoburg with Baobao, Bowery Hotel with Carlo Bigi, Tao with Ralph Scamardell, Aureole with Charlie Palmer & Christophe Engel, Char House with Eric Quan, East Wind Snack Shop with Chris Cheung, Bricoalge with Lien & Ed Lin, and El Toro Blanco with Ivy Stark.

That’s it! There is a lot more but I quit for today.