Shooting Australian lamb for a Meat & Livestock Australia cookbook fills four days on my calendar. DC design firm Levine & Associates is designing this consumer cookbook, and did one for the business-to-business (B2B) market that I shot last year. The B2B book required relatively formal recipe presentations suitable for the higher-end restaurant market, while this publication targets home cooks, allowing us to style food and props in a more rustic fashion.

The recipes in this new book circle the globe. Above is Brazilian-Style Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Chimichurri.

Moving from South America to India, here’s a shot of Lamb Biryani with Raita.

These are Lamb, Mushroom and Beer Pot Pies.

Lisa strategically places water droplets on the meat in Lamb Burritos with a Roasted Corn Salsa. Expert moisture application can be a significant factor in presenting fresh-looking, appealing ingredients.

From over my shoulder, my assistant Isaac captures me at the camera, waiting to shoot until the moment when the client agrees that Lisa has the most appetizing amount of moisture on their meat.

Later, I wander into the kitchen, just off the set. I love the glistening succulence of these onions on the stove, so I shoot this one just for me!