BEHIND THE SCENES
Two cameras, three lights, one stepladder… even a teenager—it takes a lot of equipment and teamwork to pull off a successful food photo shoot in Lynchburg Living.
Photographer Ashlee Glen, her daughter Tyne and editor Shelley Basinger descended upon Central Virginia Community College’s culinary department in March. Program director Mena Hughes was highly organized and prepared most of the three dishes ahead of time. Ashlee took action shots as Mena assembled each plate.
Ashlee also took the extra step of carrying each dish to the atrium nearby to shoot the dishes in natural light. She learned even her trusty stepladder wasn’t quite high enough so she braved a bar stool to get the perfect angle.
See how the photo shoot turned out in our Taste department on page 78 as well as our This City department on page 35.
BEHIND THE COVER
The cover of the Food Issue was a team effort: Art Director Chris Meligonis made the pie and the accompanying crust words on top, as well as styled the shoot. Angela Blue, wearing a bright summer dress, held the pie while Dave Uhrin took photos in direct sun.
Black & Blueberry Pie
Recipe from the Kitchen of Mena Hughes, Program Director of Central Virginia Community College’s Culinary Department
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter,
cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups blackberries
2 cups blueberries
3 tablespoons Minute Tapioca pearls
1 egg, lightly beaten
Directions
For the dough: In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and the butter. Pulse until the butter forms pea-sized crumbles. Pour in 1/4 cup ice cold water and pulse briefly until dough begins to clump. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, kneed until it just comes together, and mold into a ball. Half the dough and shape each half into a half-inch thick disc. Wrap each disc separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (You could also purchase pie dough discs from the grocery store. You will need 2, one for the bottom and one for the top.)
For the filling: In a large bowl, toss the blackberries and blueberries with the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tapioca pearls until evenly combined. Let stand for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll one dough disc into a 14-inch circle and fit it into a 10-inch glass pie dish. Stir the berries to redistribute the juices and the sugar, then scrape into the pie dish. Roll the second dough discs into a 12-inch circle and place over the berries. Trim, seal, and crimp the edges of the dough and cut four slits in the top. Brush the dough all over with the beaten egg.
Place the pie on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and bake until the crust begins to turn light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue baking until the berries are bubbling and the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let the pie cool before serving. Serve with ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!