In this, the “Rough Cut” issue, our third edition of Gather Journal, we focus our attention on film, specifically, summer movies. We pay homage to the oeuvres of two directors admired for their distinctive, albeit very different, visual approaches; we recall memories of summer camp food, both personal and fictional; we re-imagine famous cinematic food scenes; and we laud the everlasting power of the movie soundtrack. In movie-speak a rough cut is not the final product we see on screen, and we chose those words as the beacon for the issue because neither is this a comprehensive or authoritative survey of film. Just a snapshot—a rough cut—of the movies that have humored us and turned us on, made us squeeze our eyes shut in terror and keep them wide open in curious anticipation, filled us with joy and sadness. And the recipes created to evoke them are, like those films, meant to be something you return to again and again.
Often summer’s heat can be more deeply felt on the city streets—where the impenetrable haze rises in steaming wisps from the sidewalk and settles like a heavy blanket between the buildings. That legendary urban swelter has, on screen, ignited tempers, passion, lunacy, and, yes, even, spontaneous dancing. Here, it inspires a duo of potent cocktails, an icy tomato granita, a Champagne-drenched onion dip, and a gorgeously greasy marriage of egg and cheese. Each intended to spark the palate and, just like the best previews, leave you anticipating what is to come.
The beach is summer’s most iconic visual expression— the rolling dunes of glimmering mineral-flecked sand, the gently lapping ocean water in a Pantone range of blues and greens, the lush waxy vegetation skirting its edges. A paradise, but, as the beachy movies we selected show, also a release, a hazard, and a circumstantial home. We celebrated the beach’s essence with plump, head-on coconut shrimp, petite fish tacos, beer-batter dipped conch fritters, pork belly doused in a tropical (banana) ketchup, and a mash-up of two classic fish dishes: cioppino and shrimp cocktail.
The allure of the open road may be as old as the road itself. It has been beckoning seekers for countless decades, with the promise of adventure, romance, thrills, and, perhaps most of all, freedom. And in this chapter’s summer movies, the road is itself a character; a star, at that. Its wild
and wondrous spirit infused into a picnic-ready platter of fried chicken legs and deviled eggs, skewered heart kebabs, sausage and cactus salad, a kaleidoscopic array of grilled vegetables nestled in silky labne, and a perfectly bloody burger. Every bite, a joyride.
There is no season more apropos of a passionate (and passing) affair than summer—when it’s hot outside, so too are we for each other. But just as quickly as summer elapses, so can that once burning desire. Summertime’s ephemeral lust has long been celebrated on screen, and here, whether innocent or intense or downright messy, it inspired something sweet. Minty gin-soaked watermelon balls, a honeyed pistachio-strewn ice cream sandwich, a splendid clutter of summer berries, and a ch ch ch ch ch Cherry Bombe—all of them, brief, beautiful encounters.
Dark humor. False accusations. Perfect crimes and not so perfect crimes. Double crossing. Complex relationships and passionate affairs. Deception and danger. Guilt and innocence. Mistaken identity. Sexual tension. Twists of fate. Murder, intrigue, and a devastatingly beautiful blonde. Just some of the recurring themes that have earned Alfred Hitchcock the moniker, the Master of Suspense. He was. So much so, that he once admitted: “I’m frightened of my own movies. I never go see them. I don’t know how people can bear to watch.” But Hitchcock’s means of translating terror on the big screen was a thing of elegance nothing like modern-day horror’s perpetual bloodbaths. It was that signature chilling approach that informed our slashed black-and-blueberry pie, eerily luminous milkshake, candy-stripe beet salad, hacked black chicken, and strozzapreti with potatoes and capers.
If Hitchcock is the master of suspense, then Wes Anderson is the master of quirk. And his aesthetic, love it or hate it, is something instantly recognizable. There is that saturated color palette and the meticulously curated sets, the precision framing and Futura font, the dreamy slow mo scenes and the bizarre family dynamics, the soundtrack of ’60s nuggets and Bill Murray. Our mango lassi and Indian spiced nuts, petite grilled quail, lavish fruits de mer platter, butterscotch pudding, and egg and tomato white bread sandwiches all honor that tidily stylish sense of nostalgia that has become Anderson’s trademark.
Contributors
Grant Cornett
Photographer Cornett lives by a lake in upstate New York with his two great loves: a beautiful painter and a standard poodle. He has shot for Esquire, The New Yorker, Gastronomica and Coca Cola, among others. You can get a glimpse of his life’s goings on at thelivest1.com. See his work at grantcornett.com.
Celia Ellenberg
Currently the senior beauty editor at Style.com, Ellenberg has held staff positions at Nylon, T: The New York Times Style Magazine and Jane. The Brooklyn-based writer and editor also contributes to New York, Lula and Canada’s Fashion magazine.
Gentl and Hyers
Partners in photography and life, Andrea Gentl and Martin Hyers met while students at the Parsons School of Design. Focused on food, travel, interiors and portraits, clients include Condé Nast Traveler, Bergdorf Goodman, and Grey Goose and they’ve picked up a number of SPD awards. Gentl also shoots and writes the blog hungryghostfoodandtravel.com. See the couple’s work at gentlandhyers.com.
Randy Grskovic
The Toronto-based collage artist and curator is the former owner of experimental galleries The Age of Info(rmation), Cutty Contemporary, and Good Luck. Nowadays he shows and curates exhibitions in galleries across Canada. See his work at randygrkovic.com
Beth Hoeckel
The Baltimore-born artist, earned a degree from the prestigious The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied painting, printmaking and photography; her medium of choice nowadays is mixed media painting and collage. Hoeckel has also lent her talents to a number of bands (album art) and magazines, like Bust, GOOD, Lucky Peach and Rookie, where she is the staff illustrator. See her work at bethhoeckel.com.
Johnny Miller
Originally from Lawrence, Kansas, Miller came to New York to study photography at Parsons; after graduation he went on to assist Mary Ellen Mark. Nowadays Miller’s clients include Target, Chase, Martha Stewart, Dwell Studio, Field + Stream and Williams- Sonoma, and his work is part of the permanent collection at The New York Historical Society. Miller is also the co-author of Coney Island (Trans Photographic Press). See his work at johnny miller.com.
Keirnan Monaghan
The Brooklyn-based, New York City-raised photographer decided on his chosen craft early on. As a young boy, Monaghan could be found late at night at the bodega on the corner of 35th and Third Ave perusing the magazines on display. It was while paging through copies of Hit Parader and Circus that he first considered his passion for photography. See his work at keirnanmonaghan.com
Jenny Mörtsell
The Stockholm native has been drawing since she was a child; she and her sister would create illustrated horse comic books to sell at the local supermarket. Mörtsell studied printmaking and graphic design, and was headed for a career in fashion magazines when she re-discovered her love of drawing. Now a full-time New York-based illustrator, her work has appeared in Nylon and Flaunt. See her work at jennysportfolio.com.
Marcus Nilsson
Born in Malmö, Sweden, Nilsson moved to New York for art school. After working as a chef, he decided to pursue a degree in photography. Since 2006, when Nilsson first combined his passions, making food his subject, his client list has grown to include Bon Appétit, Departures, New York, Travel + Leisure, Swallow, and The New York Times Magazine. When he’s not shooting the avid wine collector enjoys throwing dinner parties in his East Williamsburg digs. See his work at marcusnilsson.com.
Maggie Ruggiero
Gather’s co-recipe editor and food stylist entered the gastronomical world after selling her East Village bar and using the proceeds to attend culinary school. She logged time in the kitchens of a number of the city’s most esteemed restaurants before shifting her focus to food styling and recipe development. Simply put, she lives to style food for print and video and cook. Those potatoes modeled with a foot in the Hitchcock chapter? They were later baked and served to unsuspecting friends. See her work at maggieruggiero.com.
Molly Shuster
Gather’s co-recipe editor Shuster started off her career in publishing at Harper Collins before changing courses completely to attend the Institute of Culinary Education. Since earning her degree she has worked as a freelance food stylist and recipe developer, dividing her time between New York and Boston. See her work at mollyshuster.com.
Susan Spungen
The longtime New York- based food stylist’s work can be appreciated in both print— she is a regular contributor to Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, O and More magazine—and on screen: she is responsible for the dishes in major movies like Julie & Julia and Eat, Pray, Love. Spungen is also an accomplished cookbook author; her third effort, What’s a Hostess to Do? is out in May 2013 from Artisan. See her work at susanspungen.com
Martyn Thompson
The Australia-born, New York- based image maker started out creating avant-garde, glam rock-influenced clothes before deciding to document them instead. Thompson worked as a fashion photographer in Paris, then moved to London and into the world of interiors. He is a founder of “the Tree”, a New York art collective, has exhibited extensively, and contributes to Architectural Digest, W, The New York Times Magazine and British Vogue. His most recent book on beautiful spaces is Interiors (Hardie Grant). See his work (and sign up for his newsletter) at martynthompsonstudio.com/blog.
Theo Vamvounakis
Canada-born, Brooklyn- based Vamvounakis studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology before embarking on a career as a prop stylist. Her clients include American Express, Anthropologie, West Elm, Estée Lauder and Bon Appétit.
