What do you usually eat for lunch? Having been born and raised in the Czech Republic, I've always had hot lunches. Soup, main dish and dessert were compulsory every day for lunch when I used to spend summer holidays at my grandparent's summer house. In the Czech Republic we always eat a hot lunch. Dumplings, pork meat and creamy sauce or gravy are the most common items on lunch menus. No sandwiches or salads for us. This is certainly one thing I don't miss about my homeland. Just imagine getting back to the office after such lunch washed down with a half pint of beer! I used to have hard time keeping my eyes open. :)
I still like having a hot lunch, but I keep my lunches light and healthy. A nice comfort soup is my ideal lunch. Soups are also very easy and quick to prepare, so I don't have to spend long hours in the kitchen during the day when I need to get work done. And what's your ideal lunch?
Before I share the recipe for red lentil soup which I made yesterday for lunch, I want to show you some pictures from my recent photo shoot for the Palladium magazine.
I was obviously delighted to be working with the magazine for the third time, but this time it was different. I was asked to shoot products on top of the regular food shots. I couldn't say no even though product photography was a step out of my comfort zone. Although I like challenges, it doesn't mean I'm not scared. But I think that if we want to success and reach our goals we have to learn new things, gain more experience and work hard. If we only keep doing things we already do well, we can't get any better and it's difficult to make our dreams come true. For that we have to take risk and step out of our comfort zone from time to time. So here we go, my product photography debut.
27 magazine pages filled with my photos filled my heart with joy. Here are some of my favourite pages. The entire magazine is available online.
Red lentil soup
Serves 4
2tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500ml chicken stock
1000ml water
1 cup red lentils
2 carrots, sliced
1 1/2 tsp red paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh parsley to serve
Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan, add the onion, celery and thyme. Cook on medium heat, stirring often for 5 minutes, to soften the vegetable without browning. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and water and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, carrots and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh parsley.
