Design Sponge featured some of my photos for a Sneak Peek inside architect Nina Gotlieb’s country house, in upstate New York. Nina did an amazing job designing it! The house is full of character and soul. One of my favorite things about the it is that it’s situated away from the main road, so unless you know that the house exists, you would never know that it was there. It’s like a hidden treasure.

Click here to get a Sneak Peek inside the house.

Two of my photos are in the latest Real Simple book ‘easy, delicious meals‘. The dishes ARE indeed delicious, so I thought I’d post the recipes below. Bon appetit!

real simple

easy delicious recipes

Halibut with Lentils and Mustard Sauce

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 30mTotal Time: 40m
Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil1 large onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, chopped1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth1 1/4 cups green lentils, rinsed (1/2 pound)kosher salt and black pepper4 6-ounce pieces halibut fillet1/4 cup Dijon mustard1/4 cup dry white wine1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Directions. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes.. Add the garlic and sweet potato and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the broth and lentils and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the fish with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side.. In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, wine, and tarragon. Drizzle over the fish and lentils.

real simple

easy delicious recipes

Roasted Chicken, Apples, and Leeks

Serves 4Hands-On Time: 10mTotal Time: 55m
Ingredients8 small chicken thighs and drumsticks (about 2 1/2 pounds)4 small crisp apples (such as Empire or Braeburn), quartered2 leeks, halved crosswise and lengthwise6 small sprigs fresh rosemary2 tablespoons olive oilkosher salt and black pepper
Directions1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet (or in a large roasting pan), toss the apples, leeks, rosemary, oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Season the chicken with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and nestle, skin-side up, among the apples and leeks.2. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the apples and leeks are tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

Check out my photo that was used in the Jan 2010 issue of Shape mag! The article is a perfect reminder to finish up any loose ends and start the new year fresh.

Check back for more new work in the new year. For now, take a look at my site for some recent updates www.mihamatei.com

Simple grilled rack of lamb with creamy polenta and sauteed spinach, topped with a lamb jus.

My friends David and Allis asked me to take a photo of them for their annual holiday card and I couldn’t resist! How fun!

I’ve been really looking forward to trying out recipes from Viva Vegan, by Terry Hope Romero (Ten Speed Press). I shot the cover and the book is finally available for preorder from Amazon. The book won’t be out until April 2010, but it will be worth the wait!

Kodak recently asked me to contribute tips on food photography, for their “Tips from the Pros” section, a monthly initiative which is geared towards photo enthusiasts and consumers. Food photography is usually a very a fluid process for me and  I know when a shot feels right, but after giving this assignment some thought, I realized that there are certain rules that I, too, follow. View the article here, as well as others from photographers such as Peter Guttman, Isabel Lawrence photographers, Amy Postle, Michael Crouser, June Harrison and Pep Bonet.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Ashe + Leandro, one of my favorite interior design/architecture teams, on several occasions. I love the unique sense of style that they bring to all of their projects. I would move into every one of the residences that they designed, in a heart beat!

One of my favorite things about shooting interiors is candidly getting the resident pets in the shot. They’re uninhibited, curious and somehow always make their way into the scene. Even a trained cat wouldn’t have mastered such a dynamic moment!

I started working with BluePrint Cleanse, a company that offers a line of cleansing juices. They recently introduced “Juice ‘Til Dinner”, a new program of two course raw food meals per day that accompanies their juice cleanse. They’re fresh, made to order, preservative free foods that help detoxify their body. Zoe, the owner of the company was looking for simple and graphic photos that reflect the BPC brand. I love shoots that are all about the food!

There’s something wonderful about taking photos for packaging. It lends itself to simple, clean photos and it’s always so rewarding to hold the final product in hand. I recently started working with Purely Elizabeth, a line of gluten free baking mixes using nutritious whole grains and superfood seeds (hemp, flax and chia), free of sugar, dairy, wheat and gluten. Liz, the owner of the company, had seen my photos and liked my “pure, fresh, and simple” approach to food photography. When we first started shooting, we tried to have the main ingredients, blueberries, apples and cacao accompany the muffins, but in the end decided to let the muffins speak for themselves and shot them as simple as possible, on a white background. The photos work well with the design and the overall result perfectly embodies the earthy, simple flavors of the product.

Sometimes we forget to really look at the nuances that make this world such an interesting place. There’s so much beauty in the colors of the sea. Here are a couple of photos that incorporate corals, from a recent shoot that I did. 

 Two of my photos are in the Sept/Oct issue of Organic Gardening mag. I love being involved in projects that enrich my life and give my work purpose. I’ve never had a (bright) green thumb, but if my photos can inspire others to garden and lead healthy lives, then I’m happy as can be!

I’m so excited to be able to share updates about my work and whereabouts! I’ve had a busy summer with work, taking care of my son, Medby and lovingly updating my website, and can’t wait for the projects that I have in the works to be up here soon! I am going to be in LA for a few days in October on a work assignment, but will also take some time to relax. I’m looking forward to the amazing California light, as well as seeing old friends! Say ‘hi’ if you’re out there!