Noma's Saturday Night Projects

I have so much more to share about my trip to Noma earlier this summer, but I wanted to start with one of my favorite parts, their Saturday Night Projects. After a meal that I will truly never forget, we were lucky enough to be invited back to observe the kitchen's Saturday Night Projects. On most Saturday nights at Noma after a long week, a few of the chefs prepare a dish to put up for discussion and critique by their fellow chefs. The result is Saturday Night projects, a way for the chefs of Noma to exhibit and challenge their own creativity. Watching these chefs work was nothing short of incredible, and I feel so fortunate that I got to be there to experience it and take a few photos.

Louisville, Kentucky

A few months ago we took a quick trip to Louisville, KY for a friend's wedding. We had less than a day to explore the city before all of the wedding festivities started, but we made the best of it with a few good meals and a little bit of sightseeing.

Where to visit:

21C Museum Hotel - The property itself is really pretty, and the museum (located in the hotel) features 21st century art.

Woodford Reserve - There are so many distilleries to visit on the whiskey trail, but this one was great.

Proof on Main - Get the hot fried chicken.

Atlantic Number 5 - A good stop for coffee and a light breakfast or lunch.

Yew Dell Gardens - The wedding was held here, but they were so beautiful that I'd go regardless!

Drink Good, Do Good

This post was created in partnership with Naked Juice. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Today I wanted to share a little bit more about a cause that really means a lot to me. I am lucky enough to live in an area with plenty of grocery stores and markets around, but that isn't the reality for nearly 300,000 other people who live in the same city as me. It's staggering to think that this lack of access to healthy foods and produce is prevalent so close to home, but food deserts are a reality all across the U.S.

It's easy to take for granted (I know I do) how simple it is for a lot of us to access healthy food which is why I am really honored and excited to spread more awareness about these food deserts. I've teamed up with Naked Juice and Wholesome Wave on their #drinkgooddogood campaign. For every photo you post with a fruit or veggie, 10 pounds (that's a LOT) of produce gets donated to Wholesome Wave, a non-profit dedicated to eradicating food deserts in communities across the U.S. It's amazing that we can make such an impact nowadays just by using social media and sharing photos. Just snap a photo, and tag a friend to do the same (the Gather Tumblr has lots of fun inspiration). Let's make this happen together.

In honor of #drinkgooddogood, I thought I'd share one of my favorite, super-simple summertime recipes that incorporates a lot of fresh and healthy ingredients. This salad uses lots of great summer produce so it's perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!

Summer Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette 

Salad: -2-3 hand fulls of lettuce -8-10 strawberries (sliced) -2 tbsp. grated sharp cheddar -1/2 cup of crushed pecans

Dressing: -2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar -1/3 cup olive oil -1 tablespoon honey -Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1) Chop your lettuce into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl.

2) Cut your strawberries into small flat slices, lengthwise. Optional: add in some slice cherry tomatoes or pears depending on the season.

3) Grate your choice of sharp cheddar cheese.

4) For the dressing, place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until well incorporated, making sure no honey is sticking to the bottom. 5) Place a portion of the salad mixture onto a plate and drizzle with the honey-balsamic vinaigrette. Finish by topping with the cheese of your choice. Simple and easy!

Madewell x Spotify

Hello! I'm excited to announce that I'll be working with Madewell and Spotify to host a listening party in DC on Thursday, May 21 from 6-8pm! Madewell is one of my favorite brands ever, and I'm really excited and honored that they asked me to host the event. There will be lots of snacks, drinks, and treats available for all! I'd love to see you there if you can make it. We'll be at the Georgetown Madewell location at 1237 Wisconsin Ave. Hope to see you there! [imagerow images="http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/11267409_1592289491050195_1503308726_n.jpg,http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/11313277_1152507311442858_1425956572_n.jpg"]

HELLO TO SPRING

I think I say this every spring, but that winter was brutal. The arrival of spring has been a welcomed event, and I don't know that I've ever appreciated all of the blooms and greenery so much. Lately, I've been a little bit swamped as I've taken on a new role as Travel Editor of The Everygirl. Luckily, I have a few trips coming up that will be a nice, relaxing break. The big, big trip though, is to Copenhagen this July to eat at Noma (!!!!!!!!!). Words cant describe my excitement. In the meantime, I've been trying to enjoy the warm weather as much as possible.

Asheville, NC

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Back in December (yes, it's been that long) we had a quick stopover in Asheville on our drive back home from Florida. I've never really heard anyone say anything but wonderful things about the city so it was nice to stop in even though we only had a day there. Jonathan's brother and his wife live there so it was good to see some family and take in a new place. These photos are from a quick drive we did through the mountains one morning.

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Trouvé Magazine Shoot

Amanda Marko, the super talented Editor of Trouvé Magazine invited me to shoot a fun little wrapping party right before the holidays for Camille Styles. A group of Amanda's close friends spent the afternoon snacking, wrapping and taking things a bit easy right before the craziness of the holidays. I also got to learn a bit more about Trouvé's signature wax stamp and what goes into making it. All in all, it was such a fun time shooting Amanda's home and event. It's incredible how much goes into the creation and distribution of a magazine, and how much Amanda does on her own.

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200 Miles

[imagerow images="http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_5517.jpg,http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/IMG_5494.jpg"] This December I got a chance to work on a personal photo project that I've been planning for a long time now in Northwest Florida. The project is still coming together but I wanted to share a few favorites so far.

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ORLANDO

[imagerow images="http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_4552.jpg,http://reemadesai.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/IMG_4557.jpg"] Here's two from a quick trip to Florida I took earlier this month. I was there to shoot a friend's wedding, but had some extra time to see one of my favorite dogs. Next month I'll be back for the holidays and to shoot a personal project that I've been planning for a little while. More on that soon!

Field and Foundry | Baltimore

Last weekend I shot the second Field and Foundry event in Baltimore, MD. I'm so happy I get to share these dinners with the incredible ladies who put on the event. More photos to come soon!