Film to Fork: How This Filmmaker Also Creates Beauty on the Plate
Photography by Joseph Minasi
We are in love with your digital cookbook, which is brimming with beautiful recipes & photography! Can you share your “aha!” moment when the lightbulb went off and you decided to create it?
Well, to be honest it was because of the craziness of 2020. My film studio came to a halt and we could no longer film the dozens of luxury weddings and film shoots for the year. I needed to find something else to do so I spent that time away from the camera and moved to the kitchen. One night I sat at my computer, imported a few photos from my phone of a couple dishes I made, and started writing. I’m not even sure I set out with the idea of a cookbook – it just sort of happened. I then reached out to amazing companies such as Kvaroy Arctic about collaborating, and here we are now!
The story of you arranging your blueberries over your pancakes as a child before eating it was so fun and it certainly points to how you have an affinity for the visual arts – whether it’s cinema or plating a dish. As the title of your book is Film to Fork, what intersections do you see between the film world and the culinary world?
The most important aspect of food (besides taste of course) is the way it looks. Having been behind a camera for most of my life, the visual presentation of food came very easy for me. I deal with composition, texture, and color all of the time with film. Just add great ingredients and the knowledge to put it all together, and you have an amazing dish. Just as a good film would do, I want my food to excite and inspire the person enjoying it.
We hope that more people fall in love with seafoods, especially because of their low carbon footprint (compared to other proteins) and impressive nutritional benefits. What is your earliest memory of trying and enjoying seafood?
Oh this might not have been my first memory of enjoying seafood, but it’s definitely the most important to me. It was back in Connecticut where I grew up. I was probably around 13 or 14, and my dad took me to the local sushi bar. Even though sushi had been popular in the U.S. since around the 60s, to me this was something completely new and exciting (not to mention how cool I felt because I don’t think anyone else my age at school was eating sushi yet!). I remember my dad ordering some sort of live clam, and it was still moving in the shell! Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled about that part...but watching the sushi chefs slice and arrange the beautiful raw fish was absolutely mesmerizing and inspiring. I actually then taught myself how to make sushi at home for dinner parties that my parents would throw! I might even say that was the moment I really fell in love with food. You’ll notice in my new cookbook a lot of tartares, crudos, and sashimi using fresh seafood such as Kvaroy Arctic Salmon!
All of your recipes look stunning, as well as absolutely delicious! If you had to recommend one of the Kvaroy Arctic salmon recipes for a cook who is just starting out, which would it be? And which recipe would be fun for those who are more experienced in the kitchen?
First of all, thank you! I would say my Salmon Sashimi with Fresh Yuzu Ponzu and Jalapeno would be a good introductory dish for someone starting out. It allows you to appreciate the freshness or delicateness of the salmon while working on your knife skills and flavor profiles. It’s always been a go-to item I order at sushi bars and to be able to make it at home is a real treat! I use my own Yuzu-Ponzu Sauce with fresh Yuzu fruit to really make it shine. I would then say my Miso-Glazed Salmon with Mushroom Variations would be perfect for a more experienced cook. It takes some time to make the amazing mirin and miso marinade, and you’ve got to get the mushrooms and salmon cooked perfectly. I always go for a medium-rare when working with fresh salmon, and it only takes a minute of your attention away from the pan for it to overcook.
We love that you diagrammed the various cuts of salmon in your book! What is your favorite cut and why?
The loin is my absolute favorite! It has that perfect balance between fat and flesh and is perfect for sushi and sashimi. I use the loin in a couple of my dishes and it works wonders in my Spicy Salmon Poke Bowl! The top loin is a very close second as it cooks up beautifully. It’s buttery and smooth with a crisp, fresh taste!
It’s awesome that you included one of our salmon hot dogs in your recipes – the cucumber relish and avocado crema you pair with it sounds incredible. What were your thoughts on the salmon hot dog as you tried it for the first time? (We know it’s a brand new way to try salmon for many! )
Okay, I’m not going to lie – I was a bit nervous! Only because you grow up becoming so used to what a typical hot dog tastes like and the idea of that now being fish was tough to wrap my mind around, but honestly, it was amazing! I cannot wait to have all my friends try it because it really was delicious. I love that it can be topped with fresh ingredients such as avocado and cilantro. You can make it so different from a regular hot dog and even more satisfying knowing it’s packed with a ton of Omega-3s! I can’t wait to develop more recipes using them!
Thank you for sharing about our farm in the book! As our family has been raising salmon in the Arctic Circle for three generations, we have a lot of pride in our fish and where it comes from. Do you have a burning question for us in terms of how we raise our salmon that we can answer?
This might be a silly question, but how do you know when a fish is ready to be caught? Is it based on size or color? It must be harder than picking a carrot or an apple!
The fish are harvested at a size we know works well for our retail and chef partners in the United States. Also, once the fish reach a certain size they start eating more and growing less, so the idea is to harvest them before they reach that point so the resources for feed aren't wasted.
Finally, as a chef & cinephile, what is your favorite food scene in a film or TV show?
It’s funny you asked this question because I actually just watched my favorite “food flick” the other night! In the movie Chef, I love the scene where Jon Favreau’s character leaves the restaurant where he isn’t allowed to cook the food he wants to. He goes home to cook the menu he had planned while everyone back at the restaurant eats the same old boring menu. Needless to say, his menu was sensational. Honestly that’s exactly what I would do! If I had a restaurant (and I hope to one day), I would never want someone else telling me what food to cook. Cooking is an expression of personality and creativity. I cook food that excites me and the food that I know will excite those enjoying it.
Enjoy this FREE recipe from my newest cookbook ‘Film to Fork’ - now available for download on Etsy!
