sizzle&STEM

21/09/2023

Best place to be in Sifnos

26/05/2023

Best croissant 🥐... for sure!

Pretty cool pic too!

If you have followed my food pics you know that one of my favs to shoot is Colette Bakery. And now Boston.com says Colette has the best croissants in Boston, no surprise there.

https://www.boston.com/community/readers-say/the-best-places-to-get-a-croissant-in-greater-boston/

The pic on the story is from yours truly at sizzle&STEM. OK no photo credit, but still really cool.

If you are a local, check out Colette Bakery in either Medford or Melrose. Best Bakery evah'

Over 100 readers recommended locations where you can get the baked good. Read our complete guide to 39 local spots.

27/01/2023

How much cute can you handle?

Lucky enough to do a photo shoot this week at Meadow Mist Farm. (I love my job!)

Yes, it is pretty cold out, but if you need to warm your heart visit with some one-day-old lamb. In spite of my frozen fingers and my camera battery dying cuz of the cold, I would not be happier doing anything else.

The shoot was filled with smiles, chasing the little ones around the barn and photo ops galore. So far the new residents are all lamb ewe (3 female, 2 are twins). We are trying to name them so comment in the photos if you have any suggestions.

If you want to learn about Meadow Mist Farm check out the website.

www.meadowmistfarm.com

Hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them.

Support local family farms!
Photos by sizzle&STEM

29/09/2022

They're back!!!

The Bill McGoldrick's Acoustic Duo made it back to Aloft Hotels Lexington tonight. If you have watched my posts for anytime at all you know that Lynn and I are big fans. Tonight we were blessed with the voice of Lauren Elizabeth Scudder, who simply crushed it, as usual.

Bonus tonight, reunion with Stephanie and Kate, long time Aloft buddies. So good that life continues to move toward normal, whatever the hell that is.

As long as there is great music and friends, its all good.

06/09/2022

A little rain 🌧️ ain't gonna stop us.

Yes, it was an ugly day here in Lexington, but even with the wet weather, The Lexington Farmers Market marches on.

Hit the polling place to do the voting thing then stopped by to see Alex and the hardy folks at the market.

Stopped to see Drew at Drew's Stews and More grabbed some "Ye Olde Corne Chowdah (can't get too much corn 🌽 in late summer... yum)

Next, more outstanding swordfish from Liberty Fish . Love their fish 🐟 sooo much. Got some last week so now I am obsessed.

Speaking of obsession, said Hi at Bread Obsession. Incredible sourdough 🥖 and more.

Lastly very photogenic melons at Kelly Farms.

So many more vendors to see, but next time maybe in the sun 🌞. One thing is for sure, nothing stops the dedicated folks at the market!

For more food fun 👉 sizzle&STEM

25/07/2022

HHB plaques in 15 seconds.

Fun with Capcut and Canva editing.

"We are not kidding when we say Half Helmet Brand football 🏈 award plaques are custom made... by hand. (that's right, that's Kevin assembling a plaque)

Plaques that stand out from the pack. Just like your team.

We say... See the difference. Make a smile 😄 that last forever.

https://halfhelmetbrand.com/learn-more/"
For more fun see link in profile

21/07/2022

So sweet to hear...
.. that my favorite bakery 🥖🥐🍪 is expanding.

Yes, Colette Bakery is opening another location. C'est magnifique! 🎊💐🎉

Nathalie and her team are opening a new location in Melrose at 465 Main St. In honor of that news, I thought I would post some drool worthy "best of" from shoots in the past.

If you are a local and have not experienced the wonder of this bakery you now have 2 choice locations to get your fix.

Check out more great pastries and bread at https://colettebakery.com/

CONGRATULATIONS Colette!

For more food fun follow us @ sizzle&STEM

16/07/2022

Back in the studio... Yea!

Been a bit since I got into the studio to do some brand shots. OK... I know it's just jars of jam... but still fun. And you get to lick yummy jam off your fingers during the shoot.

For more food fun check out sizzle&STEM

01/06/2022

Now it’s Official, summer in Lexington is here!

If you have been following my feed you know that I am a big fan of farmers markets. Of course, my fave is the Lexington Farmers Market. Farmers markets have been the source of lots of fun and photo 📸 opportunities. This year promises to be better than ever. Oh, and did I mention great food!

Got to check-in with old friends at Drew's Stews and More, and House Bear Brewing. And of course, Alex and the crew were running everything with their usual precision. We even got a visit from the William Diamond Jr. Fife and Drum Corps.

River Rock Farm has a great selection of all natural and pasture raised dry aged beef. Got some English cut short ribs from them at the Small Yet Mighty Winter Market. Yum. So good to see them again.

New to me this year, the friendly folks at Grateful Tastes and a selection of local honey🍯and maple syrup. Big smiles 😀 and a big array of things to try.

Loved hearing about “made with love♥️” Lux Lifestyle Boutique's handmade, small-batch, self-care bath 🛀 products. Intended to be both therapeutic and transformative the line also includes gentle skincare kits, silver hair moisturizers, body butters, muscle rollers, and body oils.

Gumption Elixir Company brings us to long ago🗓️, back when drug store soda fountain dispensed health-promoting tonics mixed with soda water, in time becoming refreshing treats of their own (think Dr. Pepper and Coca Cola). These elixirs are all-natural beverage syrups based on the roots and herbs traditionally recognized in herbal healing. And I am told you can craft cocktails 🍹with them too!

My last stop for the day was Drink Yamacu. a West African Fusion food and ginger drink company. Drink selections like ginger carrot 🥕and ginger pineapple 🍍 and food specialties Chicken Yassa and Peanut 🥜 Butter Stew will have Lynn and me exploring new tastes.

Didn’t get to every tent yet but that is what I like about the markets. New foods and products to explore 👀… and new people to meet! If you are near Lexington MA, come on by. If not, find your local farmer's market and make some discoveries of your own.

For more fun follow us

13/05/2022

More fun with social media advertising.

This time for Half Helmet Brand!

12/05/2022

Having an eggscellent time...

In the category of lovin' wha' cha' doin' ❤️ ... creating social media ads for my favorite clients is sooo much fun.

This is a FB ad I got to do this week for Meadow Mist Farm. Lauren and John have a magical farm. Very easy to be inspired.

And Lynn and I love the fresh eggs 🥚🥚🥚

The following is the text that accompanied the video:

"Eggs from organically grown hens. So yummy and good for you!

If optimal health and sustainable farm practices are important to you, shop at Meadow Mist Farm. Our eggs... and all of our products... are great tasting and great for you.

Our chickens are fed organic sprouts and certified organic feed from VT. Great food for the chickens means healthy eggs for you. The result is big, beautiful eggs that people appreciate for their size, taste, and quality. Give them a try and taste the difference.

You can get Meadow Mist by the dozen, or through our egg CSA.

Click on the link below to subscribe to our site. New subscribers receive a BUY 1/GET 1 dozen eggs coupon. We are confident that once you try our eggs you'll be convinced these are the eggs for you.

https://www.meadowmistfarm.com/eggs

See You at the Farm!
Farmer Lauren
You can see more at 👉 sizzle&STEM

10/04/2022

Who knew I'd be crafting ads for football?

Well that's exactly what I am doing now. Go figure... and loving every minute of it.

Here is the latest campaign for a favorite client Half Helmet Brand.

Awesome product, awesome people to work with!

03/04/2022

Great engagement party meal by . Absolutely fantastic.

A great way to celebrate Chris and Heather's engagement. Thanks to and for being such great hosts!
For more food fun follow link in bio

15/03/2022

Spring is coming...

OK the weather is still iffy here, but nice enough to look at some pics from Spring past.

Fun doing a spring preview for Meadow Mist Farms

www.meadow-mist.com


More food fun at sizzle&STEM

07/03/2022

Learned more about french bread 🥖 this week.

Pain d'epi is like a regular french baguette but crafted to look like a staff of wheat 🌾. This is a great example of boulangerie craft, in this case with added whole grains. Beautiful... and delicious 😋.

Had some fun in the studio playing with stop motion. Hope you all like!
For more food fun follow us at sizzle&STEM

17/02/2022

So small things are big things.

If you are a food photographer getting published in a widely seen venue is well... a big thing. Well personally anyway.

Colette Bakery was a gateway for my business. To be published with their Eater Boston listing makes it even sweeter!

Oh, and Lynn is obsessed with their yummies, so there's that.

If you want to see the actual article, check it out here:
https://boston.eater.com/maps/best-bread-bakeries-boston
For more food fun check us out 👉 sizzle&STEM

11/12/2021

Newest sizzle&STEM digital media work (you may figure out that there is a relation 🤔)

This one included product photos, video creation and post processing, FB and Insta setup, Amazon Store design, and possible FB advertising.

It's a good product. Has done well on word of mouth. Let's see what some marketing can add.

Check it out and follow if that is your thing

05/10/2021

FoodTrucksIn at Polar Park!

If you like to eat, drink craft beer, and do it all while standing in the infield of a professional baseball
field, the FoodTrucksIn Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival was the place to be this weekend. Event
organizer and good friend Eric Weiner invited us to check out the inaugural event at Polar Park in
Worchester MA. So glad he did.

Polar Park is the brand new home of the Worchester Red Sox (that would be the WooSox to you). The
Woo Sox are the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. So maybe you can’t stand at second base at
Fenway but the infield at Polar is pretty darn close. We had a great time eating, drinking and listening to
live music from The Nightly’s.

With 25 food trucks and 30 craft breweries there was something for everyone. We loved Bonetown
Burgers and BBQ, Friskie Fries, Gonzalez Food Truck and of course, The Sausage Guy. Also, sampled a
whole bunch of different beers and “Merican Mules”.

And yes that is a monster tv screen playing the Sox game live!

Big shout out to sponsor Trulieve . Had a great conversation with their representatives and got
to take home some merch.

If you are a New England person, love food trucks and craft beer, you need to follow .
They run several events throughout the year. Hope to see you at one soon!

For more food fun follow link 🔗 in profile 👉

05/10/2021

FoodTrucksIn at Polar Park!

If you like to eat, drink craft beer, and do it all while standing in the infield of a professional baseball
field, the FoodTrucksIn Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival was the place to be this weekend. Event
organizer and good friend Eric Weiner invited us to check out the inaugural event at Polar Park in
Worchester MA. So glad he did.

Polar Park is the brand new home of the Worchester Red Sox (that would be the WooSox to you). The
Woo Sox are the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. So maybe you can’t stand at second base at
Fenway but the infield at Polar is pretty darn close. We had a great time eating, drinking and listening to
live music from The Nightly’s.

With 25 food trucks and 30 craft breweries there was something for everyone. We loved Bonetown
Burgers and BBQ, Friskie Fries, Gonzalez Food Truck and of course, The Sausage Guy. Also, sampled a
whole bunch of different beers and “Merican Mules”.

And yes that is a monster tv screen playing the Sox game live!

Big shout out to sponsor Trulieve . Had a great conversation with their representatives and got
to take home some merch.

If you are a New England person, love food trucks and craft beer, you need to follow .
They run several events throughout the year. Hope to see you at one soon!

For more food fun follow link in profile

04/10/2021

FoodTrucksIn at Polar Park!

If you like to eat, drink craft beer, and do it all while standing in the infield of a professional baseball
field, the FoodTrucksIn Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival was the place to be this weekend. Event
organizer and good friend Eric Weiner invited us to check out the inaugural event at Polar Park in
Worchester MA. So glad he did.

Polar Park is the brand new home of the Worchester Red Sox (that would be the WooSox to you). The
Woo Sox are the Triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. So maybe you can’t stand at second base at
Fenway but the infield at Polar is pretty darn close. We had a great time eating, drinking and listening to
live music from The Nightly’s.

With 25 food trucks and 30 craft breweries there was something for everyone. We loved Bonetown
Burgers and BBQ, Friskie Fries, Gonzalez Food Truck and of course, The Sausage Guy. Also, sampled a
whole bunch of different beers and “Merican Mules”.

And yes that is a monster tv screen playing the Sox game live!

Big shout out to sponsor Trulieve . Had a great conversation with their representatives and got
to take home some merch.

If you are a New England person, love food trucks and craft beer, you need to follow .
They run several events throughout the year. Hope to see you at one soon!

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook 👉

25/09/2021

"Tant de pâtisserie!" (So much pastry!)

Pretty sure you know where all this came from. If you guessed Colette Bakery you would be correct. Nathalie and the team have been creating some new marvels... and bringing back some classics. Shown here are: Paris Brest (choux pastry and à praline flavored cream). Banoffee Tart (fresh banana, caramel, chocolate ganache with a dome of cream sprinkled with bitter cocoa powder), Passion Fruit Flower (made with egg, white chocolate ganache, and fresh lime fruit purée) and the classic Lemon Lime Tart.

For this shoot actually had to completely empty the studio refrigerator to fit it all in. And yes we ate each kind, but neighbors and Lynn's co-workers also got yummy treats! And there is still some in the fridge (oh my).

Just a reminder, shop small, shop local!

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook 👉

07/09/2021

Proud to announce newest client Half Helmet Brand. Kevin Healy, CEO, has created a beautiful handmade product that will keep memories alive for young athletes.

sizzle&STEM is going all-in with this brand, photography to website design, email campaigns to social media management, and of course advertising. We are having a great time working with Kevin and graphics rock star Ron Mauceri Design. Teamwork counts!

https://halfhelmetbrand.com/

Also on FB and Insta: Half Helmet Brand

Custom made 3D helmet plaques for senior gifts and fundraising recognition. Create joy for high school athletes, and the parents, sponsors and coaches that support them

06/09/2021

Oceanside Labor Day

Another thing we have learned during COVID is the you can travel to your own backyard and feel like you are in a whole new place. Got to head out for a few days in Newport RI. Only an hour and a half away and we haven't been for years, so wedding anniversary, sea side, no airplane, Marriott points.... yes please.

As you might expect lots of eating and drinking, ocean view for all of that a big criteria. Also, shopping, sailing, and dogs, many dogs. And the weather even mostly cooperated. Go figure.

Met some amazing hospitality workings doing their best under less than spectacular staffing levels. People like Jarrod at Giusto Newport , and Rick at Clark Cooke House and all the folks Castle Hill Inn, The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar , Marina Cafe and Pub, Sardellas, The Vanderbilt Inn, and all the others. And of course, Newport Marriott. You guys rock!

For more food fun follow link 🔗 in bio 👉

30/08/2021

"A sharp knife cuts the quickest and hurts the least." - Katharine Hepburn

I learned a long time ago that the only knives to fear are ones that are dull and poorly maintained. I cherish a good knife and so when I walked into and saw the wall of knives, I knew I was in a happy place. Tanisha, self proclaimed "Knife Maiden" said hello, and showed me a few really nice pieces of Japanese steel... and then a Chinese cleaver said "Hey, over here".

Nicely made and reasonably priced a Mercer Culinary cleaver was soon to be mine (Yes, I know you are surprised that I already do not own a Chinese cleaver, but I do now.)

Also, you know I am a sucker for props so a cute little ceramic fish also made it to the counter. While checking out I learned from owner Jennifer, that like most small shops, it's been a struggle but she was very happy to share that they would be moving 3 doors down to 40 Charles St and bigger digs. I will definitely be checking that out soon.

Check them out: www.blackstonesboston.com

A great knife is a thing of joy... and a great knife purveyor is a wonderful thing to find.

For more food fun follow us on Facebook and Instagram

28/08/2021

"You need an entire life just to know about tomatoes." - Ferran Adria

I've learned many things about tomatoes over the years. I've learned they are a fruit, not a vegetable. I've learned that their flavor changes, not in a good way and irreversibly, if you refrigerate them. I've learned that locally grown, summer tomatoes are the best, hands down, no contest and if you slow roast them you can intensify that flavor and extend their life. Learn how to do that on my website:

https://sizzleandstem.com/slow-roasted-tomatoes/

Latest learning... Meadow Mist Farm tomatoes 🍅 are the best that summer has to offer. Avoiding the use of any type of insecticide, herbicide or fungicide, and relying instead on crop rotation, on-site composting, cover cropping to build soil health yields some insanely good tomatoes. Meadow Mist has many tomato varieties including cherry and "San Marzano" style plum tomatoes. I got some of each. They are amazing. If you are a local it's really worth the trip.

If you stop by tell Lauren and John we said Hi!

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook ➡️

22/08/2021

New Client, Old Friend

As I expand the reach of sizzle&STEM from food photography to brand, social media and web development, the best possible thing is to be working with friends. Living Legends is a line of CBD wellness products brought to life by childhood friend and now CEO Mike Macaluso. Formuated by Mike and world renowned cosmetic chemist Vince Spinnato (Chanel, Estee Lauder, Whole Foods, Aveda), Living Legends health and wellness products are trusted by professional and amateur athletes alike.

I am thrilled to be working with Mike and to be lifting their photography, social media, and website to the next level. And getting to work with a friend of over 40 years... how cool is that?

Check out Living Legends at www.livinglegendscbd.com or on social media Living Legends CBD

Watch for new and exciting clients in the sizzle&STEM portfolio by following us on Instagram and Facebook 👉

11/08/2021

I bet you thought they were French

From Wikipedia: "A croissant 🥐 is a buttery, flaky, viennoiserie pastry of Austrian origin, but mostly associated with France."

"Croissants are named for its historical crescent shape and, like other viennoiserie, are made of layered yeast-leavened dough. The dough is layered with butter, rolled and folded several times in succession, then rolled into a thin sheet, in a technique called laminating. The process results in a layered, flaky texture, similar to a puff pastry."

Well, no matter their origin, we love taking photos of, and then eating, the croissant from Colette Bakery. The folks at Colette are taking a well deserved vacation right now, (how civilized!), so we may have to wait to get more of these wonders. I guess the photos will just have to do for now.

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook 👉

25/07/2021

Peace, love, great soup, fab fare!

For a while now I have been sharing my photos of Drew's Stews yummy creations. So you can imagine how happy I am to see Drew and his team opening their new storefront location this week in Reading MA at 489 Main St. Dropped by last week to shoot some exterior shots. Love the bright and fun look. If you like the cleverness of Drew's creations, you'll love his new brick and mortar location. Congrats and best wishes on this milestone!

Drew's Stews tagline is "Hot Soup is Cool" but also know that his cold soups like Muchacho Ado About Gazpacho and Ricki Don't Lose That Cucumber Soup (pictured) might make you say "Cool soup is Hot!".

If you live nearby definitely stop by to check them out. Tell them sizzle&STEM said Hi.

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook 👉

17/07/2021

Is it a video...
.. Or just a bunch of photos stitched together?

Either way had a ball shooting and then editing together a set of process shots I did for Urban Spice World Biryani. We absolutely love this product. Simple to make, and simply delicious. We will be making more of this even without a camera 😍

For more food fun follow us on Instagram and Facebook