Enthusiasts at everything, experts at nothing.
By day, Nathan and Katryn are professional designers but by night they are amateur brewers, wine makers, photographers, and cooks – Nathan and Katryn are passionate about cooking great food, and drinking it with the perfect beverage.
Our goal is to bring you tasty treats with delicious drinks that pair perfectly together to create the perfect mouth-gasmic experience.
We hope you enjoy our culinary creations! Comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome!
–Nathan and Katryn
I have an idea……. how about you tell us some creative things to do with leftovers? I always have a bunch of leftovers and eat them separately……. would like to hear some things to do when combining them together…….. Just a thought!
Question – Even though you didn’t care for Almaza Beer – can you tell me if you found in the US? We wanted to locate it for a loved one who really enjoyed the beer in Lebanon – thank you
We certainly did find it in the US. I have no idea where you are located but we found Almaza at Norm’s beer and wine in Vienna, VA. http://www.normsbeerandwine.com/
I would just look for specialty beer and wine stores in your area and give them a call. Hope that helps!
Are you Exeter grads? What’s behind the “rampant cuisine” name and lion rampant in your header?
Hey Liz!
Great question! Neither of us are Exeter grads at all. The lion rampant actually takes its inspiration from a piece of philosophy that I once read that says:
“My brothers, why is there a need in the spirit for the lion? Why is not the beast of burden, which renounces and is reverent, enough?
To create new values – that even the lion cannot do; but the creation of freedom for oneself for new creation – that is within the power of the lion. The creation of freedom for oneself and a sacred ‘No’ even to duty – for that, my brothers, the lion is needed. To assume the right to new values – that is the most terrifying assumption for a reverent spirit that would bear much. Verily, to him it is preying, and a matter for a beast of prey. He once loved ‘thou shalt’ as most sacred, that freedom from his love may become his prey: the lion in needed for such prey.”
The idea of using the lion rampant first came when we created our make believe “Rampant Brewing Company” for our home brewed beer and then just naturally progressed into being used for our blog.
Hope this answers the question!
Nathan
I am very interested in how you do your food photo shoots, particularly the lighting and the materials. If you could point me in a certain direction I would greatly appreciate it! – Kale
Hey Kale!
Thanks for the interest! It’s important to note that I am strictly an amateur and haven’t had any formal training as a photographer so take my advice/methods with a grain of salt…
A few weeks ago I got a Nikon D7000 camera and it’s nice, shiny, and new but up until then I had been using a Nikon D50 which served me just fine. At the same time that I bought the D7000 I also bought a light box and several lights to provide the white background that you see in some of the newer shots on the blog (the older shots with a white background were on a white countertop/backsplash). I’m a designer and I like the nice clean background so that folks can focus on the food and not my condo! I also have a camera mounted flash that I use if I don’t feel like setting up the light stands which I have found to work just as well.
I do post-processing on the computer with adobe lightbox and photoshop.
Hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Your grandmom sent me some of your blogs, which were perfect on this dreary day in St. Mary’s County. I read through them, and hopefully I will start to enjoy cooking again, even for one. I look forward to having my name added to your list. Aunt Joan