Tips

flour= all-purpose white flour (I’m a big fan of King Arthur)
sugar= granulated white sugar
evoo= extra virgin olive oil
oil (in baking)= vegetable oil

*I always use large eggs.
*I use light brown sugar unless the recipe specifically calls for dark brown sugar.
*margarine and butter are interchangeable for most recipes (but go for the butter).
*I usually use 1% milk and will likely specify otherwise.
*cream cheese can be replaced with neufchatel. (I do this all the time.)
*I try to go fair trade/organic as much as possible, especially when it comes to vanilla, chocolate and coffee! Please do the same! Check out this link provided by the lovely Marye over at Baking Delights for sources of Fair Trade Cocoa. Also, please read the articles she has written on chocolate and coffee.  Also you can easily make vanilla extract at home with an organic F-T bean and some booze.
*I do sometimes substitute whole wheat flour for white flour… but when you do this you need to proportion 1/3-1/2 whole wheat still keeping 2/3-1/2 white. Otherwise your recipes could end up dense and flat. (See comments below).

In Baking:
*chocolate chips are usually semi-sweet, unless otherwise specified. I don’t often use chocolate chips anymore… I’d prefer to chop up some higher quality stuff and have chocolate chunks, and the darker the better!
*Use unsalted butter when baking.  The salt in salted butter will not only alter the taste of your final product, it is often in the butter in the first place to hide a lesser quality cream.
*oil can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce. (I don’t often do this but it’s better for you.) Not reccomended for brownies.
*Most quick-breads/muffins can be made into muffins/quick-breads simply by using a different pan and adjusting baking time.
*If your oven is constantly trying to ruin you (as mine is), I suggest investing in an oven thermometer.
*Soft cookies will stay moist longer if stored with a piece of bread.

*On Using Organic/F-T Sugar:
The sugar I buy has rather large granules and is brownish in color. If I am going to bake with it, I run it through my blender first. This creates a smaller granule and a fluffier cookie. (After running it through the blender, it will turn white and resemble the granulated sugar many of us are used to.)

*I sometimes label things vegetarian that may not, at first, appear to be vegetarian. These are foods that I try to provide with a vegetarian variation, often as simple as just leaving out the meat. I promise I am not trying to mislead or annoy you!

I’ve been asked for some food photo tips, here’s what I have to say:
*Use natural light if possible.
*Simple is good. I know we all want to create beautiful immaculate sets for our subjects, but that can sometimes distract from your focus. Also, the more complicated your setting, the more difficult it may be to capture a successful image.
*Macro (You know, that little flower button) isn’t always best.
*Be sure your shots are in focus (use a tripod if you have one, or a sturdy surface).
*Go easy on the Photoshop, just a little color correction (if any) should be all you need.
*Sometimes it is easier to photograph your food after it has been in the fridge for a night. It’s neater and you can control the amount of stuff oozing everywhere, unless ooze is what you’re going for.
*Don’t be afraid to manipulate your existing light (you don’t need fancy photo equipment to do this). In our previous home, I only had one window in my kitchen… I could often be found using the back of a very shiny cookie sheet to bounce the light to the opposite side of my subject (food!). Also, day-light balanced CFLs can be incredibly helpful in low-light situations.
*“Shoot from the Hip”-  This means to take photos from a perspective that is not your usual perspective (your height, standing directly in front of the subject, looking down at it).  You do not need to literally shoot from the hip (it’s good to look through the lens!), just  try it from another angle.
*In the beginning, it may be helpful to just take A Lot of photos.  Maybe even take note of specific conditions along with each photo (this is what you have to do in your first semester of photo school).  Then, you can compare the notes to each photo to find out what is working and what isn’t.  This process is a little time consuming but it can certainly be enlightening as well!

Many of the photos on my blog are for sale and can be found here.
Contact Me for further information.