blog posts

Lambie Lambie Bo Bambie

I can tell you this: strami is a beautiful thing, created through brining and smoking, two brilliant meat transforming techniques. Good lamb/pastrami has the power to elevate one's faith in humankind. Velvety, fatty, spiced, smoked and sliced. A slippery slope for the cheese melt. Sliver, slice, slab, slob. Lamb slam!

May You Put Your Christmas to Bed with a Late Evening Sandwich

I wish you all, all, all, those I know, those I know a little, those I do not know, those I would like to know, those who are unknowable, a Christmas that is a respite from the sturm and drang of life as a human in 2015, from life as a human in the 21st century, a day when wonder overwhelms, awe precedes all else, and your heart feels so big and s0 heavy that your legs must work extra hard to carry it.

Shameless Self Promotion Number 140 Degrees F

It's always a blast to create photos for the Food Network with the well-oiled machine of Sara Levine Rosenblum, Renee Comet, Audrey Weppler, Carolyn Robb Schimley and Steve Redfearn. We work hard and produce a lot of pictures. And we have a lot of fun along the way.

The Bubba Mike Sandwich

"There's a guy," she told me, "who eats it three times a week." She paused. "For lunch."

Thanks Be to Be Working

A story ran in The Washington Post Express featuring restaurants open on Thanksgiving and catering to the "non-traditional" diner, Founding Farmers among them. The photo above was created for the Founding Farmers Cookbook by Renee Comet, me, Audrey Weppler, Jennifer Motruk Loy and Carolyn Robb Schimley.

Crown Me

Occasionally, on the checkerboard that is my career, I get crowned and am briefly a king, before being jumped again by the unpredictability of being a food stylist.

Eye Spy Pie

Up ahead. Say right around October 1, 2013. Warren Brown's bold new book - with pie-styling by me - will be in stores this fall and you can pre-order it here. It's gonna be gorgeous.

It Certainly Does, Ollie.

"Respected chef-restaurateur Bob Kinkead once told me that dinner should be “a circus on the plate.” Well, that’s not quite my style — and professional food styling has been my meal ticket for 27 years. Restaurant service has lots more helping hands than when you entertain at home, I reckon. But I like to bring composed plates to the table, even for casual meals. It’s a luxury when a host says, “Let me fix you a plate.” I don’t have to worry about how much — or little — to take. A buffet’s not for me."

Shameless Self Promotion Number "I'll Take the 2.2 Pounder"

Nutella is the Audrey Hepburn of clients - classy in any context, smooth but not unctuous, European and effortlessly chic, sweet with depth. Color me swirly-happy to be a Nutella stylist-of-choice for now.

My Brilliant Idea

The client asked for a meringue top. Scooping the meringue, rather than spooning or piping or spreading, came to me. A small bolt of lightning for a job that is built on detail. The result gave me a huge kick.

Very Nice Piece in the Local Rag

Food stylist Lisa Cherkasky, whose clients have included Cakelove’s Warren Brown, the National Museum of the American Indian and The Washington Post, dishes on her tools of the trade. — Kris Coronado

Shameless Self Promotion Number 3500

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of industry and to the republic for which it stands that I am a good provider, one person, under pressure to start where I am, use what I have and do what I can, indivisible I swear, with the light at the end of the tunnel being liberty, and justice being attended to as best as possible under the circumstances, for all in my household of two.

Taking It for Granita

Styling icy stuff sometimes makes me nervous and I resist using the real thing. Do I want to take on risk for aesthetics? Yes. And no. I know a granita has a limited set time, but will the photographer, art director and client adjust their pace to catch my icy creation on "film" while it is fresh and pretty? Maybe. Maybe not.

Addycadabara

The Baltimore Addys were awarded recently and some of the work which received golds included my foodstyling. I wouldn't mind being credited in the program, so I must remember to speak up next year. It's taken me 25 years to take note of these awards at all, so this is a step in the right direction. I'm on my way. Honored.

Simple Fix 2

A salad is an arrangement, similar to a flower arrangement. Balanced and asymmetrical, poised and random, casual and pleasingly neat. There.

Simple Fix

Looks nice, right? Chicken fills the biscuit with a little overhang. Guess what? I only had one piece of chicken - salvaged from a purchased breakfast sandwich from a fast-food joint - and it was a little too small for our biscuit.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Eddie's of Roland Park delivers. Like in the old days. Picture this: You are a lady of a certain age, your family is on their way over for Passover dinner, your apartment is in Roland Park, and you are out of eggs. What do you do? Call Eddie's! Okay, so it might set you back $8 for one egg, small price for such service. The delivery guy will even unpack that egg for you and set it gently on the seder plate. Small price for such comfort.

The 3-Minute Interview

Time it took to be interviewed : 10 minutes. Time it takes to read the interview: less than 1 minute. Value of reading the interview: priceless because it is free!

Kojo knows

'Say Cheese!': Food Photography: A conversation on with Kojo Nnamdi, Lisa Cherkasky and Rachel Tepper on WAMU.