My Spanish Stew Recipe in At Home In Arkansas

Some time ago I was contacted by Chip Jones, Editor-in-Chief at At Home In Arkansas, to do a recipe for the magazine.  It would be featured in the Jan-Feb issue and they wanted it to be seasonal and a stew dish.  I tried a few options but decided that for something that would photograph well, be easy to prepare, and delicious that I would choose my recipe for Spanish stew.  This recipe was one we loved growing up and that Mom always prepared so well.  I made the change of adding carrots to it and cooked it in a Dutch oven instead of a crock-pot but this dish is pure Mom.  We all have memories associated with food and certain dishes take us right back to a certain place and time, or a special person.  I have never been fond of pretense and simple dishes done well speak more to me than something with 100 ingredients that is more about showing off than nourishing your soul.  I feel that same way about most things whether it is what you wear, how you decorate your home, or how you live your life. 

So once the recipe was selected it was time for the day of the shoot.  I was super excited that my neighbor and local photographer Nancy Nolan would be shooting the dish at her studio.  When I got there it was time to get the stew on the stove and piping hot.  In no time the whole place was filled with the aromas of the stew.  Now the shoot was not a rush job at all as we took our time to make it right and in the process we worked up an appetite so the stew was a welcome treat.

I enjoyed watching Nancy work...getting the camera and everything all set up.

We went through a variety of props before settling on the right bowl.

I was in heaven since Nancy's studio also has a very nice kitchen to work in!  The light is magical.

Nancy working on giving a preview of the finished image.

I hope that you will pick up a copy of At Home In Arkansas and check out the recipe and all the other wonderful pieces they have!  You can also check out a digital edition on their site and on their blog.  Can you tell I want to make sure you check out my recipe?  LOL  I am even going to not put it here so you can see it in all its At Home glory.  They know how to do it right don't they?  Thank you Nancy Nolan for making my stew look so good and thank you Chip Jones for your friendship and always being there. 

All of these images are courtesy of Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography/Brian's Style Guide and are protected by copyright law. None of these images may be used, edited, reproduced, transferred, published or distributed in any form or by any means whatsoever without prior written permission.