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30 October 2009Justin's Famous Two Bean Chili and Hush Puppies    Happy Halloween people! Before you get the It's not often I divulge some of my favorite and best recipes, but I want to share my chili with the masses. This recipe is an evolved version of my mother's "recipe," but neither of us have ever written this down. It's one of those things we just know how to make. So from time to time I make changes, omit something, or add something, but this is the recipe as I made it most recently. Justin's Famous Two Bean Beef Chili INGREDIENTS 2-3 pounds of 80-90% lean ground beef (you can substitute ground turkey, but you will need to add approximately 3-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil) 1 Large Red Onion, chopped 3 tbsp of fresh garlic, minced 1 cup of diced green onions (2-3 supermarket bunches) 2 cups of fresh cilantro (1-2 supermarket bunches of fresh Cilantro) 1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 cups Goya Black Beans (blue label, from the can) 2 cups Goya Red Kidney Beans (blue label, from the can) 1 28-ounce Hunts Whole Tomatoes can (do not use Contadina!) 2 29-ounce Hunts Tomato Sauce cans (do not use Contadina!) 1 cup of Daisy Sour Cream 1 cup of original RO*TEL-brand diced tomatoes and green chilies 1-4 Serrano peppers, cut into 1/8 wide pieces (substitute less-hot jalapeños; both are optional) SPICES FROM McCORMICK GOURMET 3 tbsp Ground Cumin 6 tbsp Chili Powder 1 tbsp Garlic Powder 4 tbsp Smoked Paprika 2 tsp Ground Cayenne Red Pepper 2 tsp Sea Salt or Kosher Salt (Salt to taste. You can always add but never remove salt from a dish) 1 tbsp Coarse Black Pepper (freshly ground is best; I disagree with reviewer about his opinion of the salt.) TOOLS YOU NEED TO PREPARE THE CHILI A very large 8-12 qt. pots like this one from Calphalon Large pan to brown the beef Total estimated cooking time: 3 hours In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry spices and spread evenly in a large pan bringing the heat up to sweat the spice mix. This will help release moisture in the spices and add a subtle smokiness to the chili—very similar to the process of creating a proper Cajun roux. After about 3 minutes of heating, add beef and brown. Once your meat is brown, but still pink in the middle, remove from heat and drain half of the fat and juices—save some for flavoring. Heat up your stock pot and toss your chopped onions and minced garlic in the pan. After a minute or so, toss in the beef and the remaining juices. Now, in no particular order, add the RO*TEL, canned tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, serrano peppers, and 1 cup of chopped cilantro. For each can of tomatoes/tomato sauce, add one can of water. I just fill the cans up with warm water and add to the pot. Bring the chili to a boil, stirring occasionally. [Now is when you would prepare the hush puppies.] Keep chili boiling uncovered for at least one hour. The objective is to boil the chili down. Let simmer uncovered for an additional hour. Then the chili is ready to serve. You may continue to simmer covered for up to one additional hour, but if it will be longer before you eat it is best to turn the heat off. I usually turn the chili off 20 minutes prior to serving to allow it cool while I prepare the sides. With each bowl of chili, add (in this order) a healthy-sized dollop of sour cream, a big sprinkle of cilantro, lots of cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of diced green onions. Voila! The perfect rib-sticking chili. SPECIAL NOTE: This recipe can be made as far ahead as one day before it will be eaten for the first time. If I know that I don't want to slave in the kitchen with guests, then I will start the chili in the morning and sit on the stove (with the gas turned off) for as many hours as needed before dinner—a trick my mom taught me. But no matter when you decide to make my chili, you will need at least two solid hours of simmering time for all the flavors to come together. Justin's Famous Hush Puppies You didn't seriously think I was going to give this one away. Haha! Maybe if you're lucky I'll put this recipe in your Christmas stocking. But ask anyone who's tasted my hush puppies and you'll hear that my puppies are without equal in the world. They are airy and delicate yet crunchy and substantial. To achieve such hush puppy perfection, all ingredients must be in harmonious balance. -- Check out more photos from this dinner on my Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinschuck/tags/chili/ More recipes to come at JustinsFamous.com (one day). Until then, find my published recipes here. JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Chili, Food, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe 28 October 2009Espresso Marinade for Beef and Venison
Tonight I made a grilled London Broil for friends, and I wanted to do something a different with my marinade. So I threw together some smart ingredients and created a rich, smoky marinade that would translate well for all types of game. The key with this marinade is that whatever you are cooking, it needs to be grilled. Real open flame is what I'm talking about people. But regardless of how you make it, here's the recipe for my marinade:
INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup lime juice (2-4 limes depending on size) 4 tbsp. yellow mustard 2tsp. ground ginger 5 whole cloves of fresh garlic (substitute 3 tbsp minced garlic) 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper 4 tbsp. finely-ground Starbucks Sumatra Coffee or espresso beans (substitute traditional commercial ground coffee—the darker the roast the better) * 1tsp. sugar 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar *No, the coffee/espresso will not make your meat taste like coffee. It burns off and adds a smokiness to the meat that feels natural on your palate, rather than chemical like some sauces. Ahem, Liquid Smoke. Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree on high for 3-5 minutes until smooth. Coffee/espresso grounds may be visible in the mixture if you used pre-ground coffee like Folger's Classic Dark Roast; just make sure all the ingredients are well blended. Pour some marinade into the bottom of whatever pan or dish you will use to marinate your meat. Then place your meat in the pan, smother with marinade and place in the refrigerator, allowing the meat to marinate for at least 4-6 hours prior to cooking. Meat can marinate up to 14 hours, but should not sit much longer. This will marinade about three or four pounds of meat, depending on the cut. It's always a good idea to make more marinade and set some aside to freeze for another time, than to make too little -- Tonight we had a tenderized 3lb. London Broil that marinated for about 4 hours. I threw the meat on an oiled-up white-hot grill on each side for 8 minutes to achieve perfect medium-rare/medium. (I learned a trick a while back to brush the grill with a bit of olive or vegetable oil to keep the meat from sticking and to help achieve those perfect grill marks. For non-marinated meats, a sprinkling of sugar on the meat will achieve the same effect—and no, it won't make your meat taste sweet.) No picture for tonight's dinner. Zero to stomach in 10 minutes. Sorry, but it was really friggin' good! Enjoy! (And please follow me on Twitter!) *I did also discover that I still have not learned how to properly prepare rice. You would think that with all my culinary skills and knowledge of food history that I could prepare this most basic staple. But no, I ruin rice. Someone want to teach me? Now accepting applications. JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Food, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe 26 October 2009Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade
Today I was styling food photography images for Marion's Smart Delights-brand gluten-free goodies for her new packaging that is being designed by my L/A Events partner Andrea's design firm After5 Design. Amazing shots we caught (here are a few sneak peeks).
But I had quite a few lemons leftover that were used for props, so when photo shoots give you lemons, make lemonade. Or Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade. It's really simple. (Recipe below images)       Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade INGREDIENTS 2 cups sugar 8 cups water (1/2 gallon) 3-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice with pulp (10-16 lemons depending on size) 1 lemon sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds Bring 2 cup of water and two cups of sugar to a boil making a simple syrup. In a one-gallon container combine simple syrup, 6 cups of cold water, lemon juice with pulp and stir until well mixed. Add lemon slices and pour over ice. If you want to be real fancy, you can garnish with a mint sprig. This makes for a very tart and very sweet lemonade. Use 2 cups of lemon juice to make for a less tart lemonade. You may also add up to 4 cups of additional cold water to temper the sweetness. Me personally, I like my lemonade intensely tart and sweet, the kind that tickles your cheeks after a heard day of work. Enjoy. JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Food, Justin Schuck Photography, Justin's Famous, Lemonade, photography, Recipe 20 October 2009Philip SpoonerThis is amazing. I'll let Philip speak for himself. From YouTube: "www.EqualityMaine.org - Testimony given for and against Maine's marriage equality bill on April 22, 2009. Nearly 4,000 people attended the hearing, with marriage equality supporters out-numbering the opposition 4 to 1." JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Gay Issues, Gay Marriage, Maine, No on 1 13 October 2009Goth Single LadiesI guess if you liked it than you should have put a [nipple] ring on it. Check out my DanceJam.com profile! JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events 11 October 2009A new website, a new direction Today I am proud to announce that the latest iteration of JustinSchuck.com (ver 6.3) is now online and ready for your happy consumption. With this latest version you will notice the most stark change to the website since Version 1.0: the absence of the Justin Schuck Photography logo. There are now sections for my bio, photography, design, social media and marketing, charity work, and contact information. The JSP logo is also gone from the various social networking websites to reflect a change in the business.  As many of my close friends and a few of my favorite clients know, I have been winding down my business over the last 9 months to allow me to concentrate on my design and marketing projects. The last 18 months have been challenging for the business, and will continue to be so in the near term, but I feel a great sense of pride with the work I have produced. I am working hard to get "caught up" loading content into my Flickr account, as well as tying up as many loose ends as possible. Since 1997 I have had the honor and privilege of working with amazing families, companies and individuals. My work has taken me to New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Athens, Mykonos, Scotland and Dubai. I have been so fortunate that so many people have shared in the experience with me and I look forward to growing in more creative ways going forward. I've taken some time to ask (and answer) some question you may have about the future: What will you do now that you won't be a photographer? I will always be a photographer, just as I will always be a designer. I'm actually really excited that I will have loads more time to focus on my many pet projects that have taken a back seat to my production work. This includes especially my Guerrilla Photo Shoots project. What if I want you and only you to take my photo? Well, I'm not ruling out taking the occasional photo, even for an old client, but in terms of a business, there will be no more Justin Schuck Photography. Anyone wishing to hire me may contact me directly by email. Each inquiry will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Will you shoot my wedding? Absolutely not. No way. No how. Tough toenails. Sorry. Long before I made the decision to shut down Justin Schuck Photography I made a pledge to accept no new wedding clients. I photographed my last wedding on October 3rd 2009 in Boston. So does this mean you're going freelance? No. I have new endeavors and projects in the pipeline that will be my primary focus. What does this mean for Justin Schuck Photography clients? JSP will exist until all outstanding client obligations have been met. This may require additional time to complete certain elements of pre-paid packages. I am working very hard with the limited resources available to accomplish these in a reasonably timely manner under the current circumstances. I have sent emails or letters to my clients recommending photographers whom they can turn to for outstanding imaging services. The four individuals I most recommend are Noah Deveraux (weddings and editorial work; New York-based), Henry Villarama (weddings, commercial, public relations events and individual portraits; Washington DC-based.), Tony Veloz (fashion photography and individual portraits; Washington DC-based) and my friend Michael Dumlao (all of the above except weddings; Washington DC-based). Wait, why are you doing this again? I'm doing this because I love photography so much that I choose to not make work of it. I want to get back to the excitement I used to feel every time I picked up a camera. Some of that has been lost in the last couple of years, not that there haven't been many great moments because there have been great ones. Why is your Facebook fan page still called "Justin Schuck Photography?" Unfortunately Facebook will not let me change the name. The only way to do that would be to make a new fan page and that would take a lot of work. I hope that will be clear. If it turns out that people do not understand the purpose of the page—that is to showcase the photography of Justin Schuck—then I will address that issue if it comes up. What's the status of Justin Schuck and Company, LLC? I will maintain the LLC for the foreseeable future to afford the protection that it provides in all my endeavors. Since I will still be operating JSDS and L/A Events, there is still a place for the company. Soon Justin Schuck Photography will not be a part of the mix. What happens next? We all walk forward. That's all we can do. JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Big News, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Justin Schuck Photography, JustinSchuck.com, News, Newsworthy, Website, Wedding 09 October 2009New photos released on Flickr
I've taken some time to upload a few images from various recent gigs, including the last wedding of my career. Take a look and stay tuned for a big-news update. There's also a picture of me on what I termed my "mandatory union break."
I want to also say that I am so thankful to my clients and I am proud of the work I have produced over the years and I hope you will continue to enjoy viewing my work.          JUSTIN A. SCHUCK - Since 1980 Subscribe to the RSS feed JustinSchuck.com / Blog / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter LinkedIn / Myspace / YouTube / Vimeo Guerrilla Photo Shoots / L/A Events Labels: Flickr, Justin Schuck, Wedding Subscribe to Posts [Atom] 
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