I’m excited to announce the release of Delicious by Design, a favorite recent project.
Written and designed by Rob Sugar, principal and creative director of AURAS Design, Delicious by Design is a collection of 50 recipes with many full-page photographs. As Rob describes it, “These are not fancy recipes. They don’t use exotic ingredients or difficult techniques, but they are loaded with flavors that are both unexpected and pleasurable—and they are fun to make and serve.”
I loved shooting all the great recipes, and Lisa Cherkasky did her usual fantastic work in styling them. Rob’s direction was simple: Capture that moment when the dish looks the most compelling; when your eyes say to your mouth, ‘You’ve got to try this!’ Lisa and I had a lot of fun going for it in every shot. We especially enjoyed the freedom to use eclectic props throughout this book. For example, for the “Onglet Salad” (above), we used an inverted colander for a bowl.
Please visit www.aurascookbook.com, where you can learn more about the book and even download a PDF sample, including 14 recipes.
We would love for you to join us at the launch party to celebrate the book release—and AURAS’ 30-year anniversary—on Thursday, November 17th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, at AURAS Design studios, 8435 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
To attend the party, please email Andrew at chapman@auras.com or call him at 301.587.4300 by November 14.
Hope to see you then.
Meanwhile, to whet your appetite for Delicious by Design, here’s the photo and recipe from the book for Rob Sugar’s “Ultimate Meatloaf.” Enjoy!
Ultimate Meatloaf
Serves 8
4 lbs freshly ground chuck
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large onion, diced fine
1 stalk celery, diced fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 Tbs smoked paprika
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 cup tomato juice
10 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 pack unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 egg
2 Tbs salt
1/2 Tbs mustard
Glaze
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup apple juice
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
Preheat oven to 375°. In a 10-inch skillet heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and celery, and sauté until onions begin to brown. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to mixture; stir until liquid evaporates. Stir in tomato juice, scraping any browned bits from pan, and cook until liquid is nearly gone. Take off heat and cool.
Whisk together chicken stock and egg. Sprinkle gelatin over mixture and fold in. Let sit 5 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, break up meat into pieces. Pour cooled vegetable mixture into bowl and combine. Sprinkle crushed saltines over meat mixture. Add stock‑egg mixture, salt, and mustard. Knead until all the elements are thoroughly combined. The meatloaf will be sticky.
Using a baking sheet that has a fitted rack, cover both sheet and rack with foil. Puncture foil on rack multiple times to let liquids pass through. Form meat mixture into three loaves, each about 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Press a groove down the top center of each, allowing loaf to flatten slightly. Place in oven and cook for 1 hour or until thermometer reads 150°.
While meatloaf cooks, prepare glaze. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until glaze reduces to 3/4 cup and thickens, about 15 minutes.
When meatloaf reaches 150°, change oven from bake to broil. Coat loaves with glaze and broil until bubbling, then add a second coating. Watch carefully that glaze doesn’t burn. When coating caramelizes, remove from oven. Let loaves rest for 10 minutes and serve.
