IT’S OUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR!!
Christmas to us is synonymous with amazing food and time spent with people we love, so there was no chance that we weren’t linking up with one of our favorite foodies in the region for December Sav Magazine, food photographer and blogger Joey Calcavecchia, AKA @the_roamingfoodie. This month we’re doing a full photography collaboration, deep diving into the life of one of the region’s most trusted and coveted foodies and sharing some insight into my own food photography with my photography business Bella Editorial.
You’ve most likely seen Joey’s photos on your Instagram feed as they’re pretty impossible to miss: bright, colorful, gooey and totally mouthwatering. He’s garnered a bit of a cult following who look to him for the best restaurants throughout New England. We first met because we’re both photographers who love to shoot food, but happen to shoot in very different styles, so we knew for the longest time we had to do something together to showcase those different styles. I figured why not do just that: spend half the day following The Roaming Foodie in his natural habitat, then spend the other half in Savasha’s neck of the woods (minus the song writing). The result was a whollleee lot of content for you guys lol! You’re going to see what spending the day with three food obsessed Italians looks like: a couple of restaurants, a couple of holiday recipes, a food review, some insight into Joey’s life and career, and my own food photography which I’ve never showed to the Savasha crew before!
Photos/Video by: Isabella Marie, Alexa Renatta (@savasha_)
Creative Direction: Isabella Marie
Edited by: Isabella Marie
Featuring: Joey Calcavecchia (@the_roamingfoodie), Alexa Renatta, Isabella Marie (@savasha_; @bella.editorial)
HOW THE ROAMING FOODIE GOT STARTED
“Being Italian I’ve been surrounded by food my whole life, so naturally it’s important to me. I grew up always cooking food and working in restaurants when I was younger. I always loved watching Phantom Gourmet and Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, which further fueled my passion for what I do now.”
– Joey Calcavecchia
THE ROAMING FOODIE’S STYLE IN ONE WORD:
INDULGENT
Photos by: Joey Calcavecchia (@the_roamingfoodie)
HOW BELLA EDITORIAL
& SAVASHA
GOT STARTED
A lot of you guys already know we started getting into photography because of Savasha! Alexa and I needed some better pictures for cover art and such and we never felt like anyone truly understood our vision (typical artists lol!!!) and it just became an addiction and eventually another business for me. I’m someone who has to learn things to their core, so it was kind of a rabbit hole of learning about lighting/editing/shooting and even some video work. You guys also know I LOVE to bake, so naturally I started to get into food photography and styling as well! I love shooting more of an editorial style even with food because everything in life to me is seen through the lens of fashion and glam!!
ISABELLA’S STYLE IN ONE (OR 3) WORDS:
WHIMSICAL-ILLUSION EDITORIAL
Photos by: Isabella Marie (@bella.editorial; @savasha_)
THE ROAMING FOODIE’S FAVORITE PART OF THE JOB
My favorite part of the job is meeting new people and learning about different restaurants. My least favorite part is getting carried away trying different foods and eating way too much, lol!
– Joey Calcavecchia
Photos by: Isabella Marie, Alexa Renatta (@bella.editorial; @savasha_)
BELLA EDITORIAL’S FAVORITE PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
I love how photography, much like music, gives you total freedom. I kind of live in my own little world, so bringing that world to life as well as documenting what’s happening in a moment in time is the best feeling for me! Everything and everyone, even food, has a little whim in them, so I LOVE bringing that out in my work and encouraging people to be their innermost self in whichever way they feel. I also love making food look intricate and almost like there’s a story to tell with it – it sounds weird, but I really do think every plate of food has a unique personality (okay wow maybe I really am just crazy lol). Joey joked that he was wondering if he was going to have to take his shirt off for these pictures because everyone I shoot is usually half naked, including myself lol, but to be honest I love that I can encourage people to just let loose – if you want to totally strip and jump around on camera, do it. If I want to live my childhood dreams by having desserts floating around me (yes, that was something I legitimately used to wish for daily as a child), then fuck it I’m going to make it happen! Life is one big canvas to me and photography as well as music allow me to paint it however I want.
Photos by: Isabella Marie (@bella.editorial; @savasha_)
COLLABORATION IS KEY:
One of the reasons this collaboration was so special to us is because although a lot of people assume people who work in creative industries to be very open and collaborative, you’d be shocked at how territorial and competitive most creative people can be. Alexa and I have never felt that anyone is our competition in music, photography, or anything else, and we don’t mean that in an arrogant way. What we mean is, we know what we do is true to ourselves; we know the time and effort we put into our work and we feel confident in that work. No matter how many people work in the same industry as us, no one will ever be able to “steal” fans or clients or anything from us simply because they do the same thing and vice versa because if you are being true to your work, no one will ever be better or worse than you and you will never be better or worse than anyone else either. All three of us actually feel that way, which is why we were so excited to smash mine and Joey’s different photography styles together for this! Lots of photographers might think it’s crazy to feature another photographer on your own blog, but Joey and I respect each other’s talent and creativity. Yes, we’re both photographers, but we’re not competitors; we’re friends who can learn a lot from each other and who had a lot of fun spending the day showing each other what we do. We believe that the more people begin to recognize that and break down their walls, the more amazing the art and content in the end!
A VERY SICILIAN CHRISTMAS
We knew from the first time we talked to Joey that we’d get along amazing, mostly because one of the first things we talked about was that we’re all Italian (more specifically, Sicilian). There’s always kind of an understanding between Italians, we all have a similar attitude towards life and a lot of similar life stories. I know the two main things people associate with Italians are family and food, and that’s not totally inaccurate, especially at the holidays! Passing down recipes, cooking together, singing, dancing, sitting down with family at a huge table with so much food it can’t even fit on your plate are some of our favorite holiday memories and traditions. As adults, finding time to just chill with your family is obviously far more difficult, so the holidays offer an excuse to just stop and relax and reset for a few days. We were all talking about how nowadays, not only are a lot of family values and traditions disappearing, but a lot of people actually encourage others to not value a strong family unit, no matter who or what you consider family, and that’s really sad to us. In a world that moves a million miles a minute, having people to come home to, someone to call, someone to just laugh with in your PJs, and people to carry on traditions with is one of the most cherished parts of our lives. Call us old-fashioned, but we love our big crazy Italian families lol! Do you guys have family traditions you still uphold today or are there new traditions you’d like to start?
“Italian tradition to me means family. I spend a lot of time with my family and they are very important to my life and have shaped who I am today. Also, being Italian to me is very important there is something about community that is apart of the Italian heritage. We all love food and have a certain attitude in the world.”
– Joey Calcavecchia
CAREER HIGHLIGHT
My career highlight thus far was being featured on the television show Dining Playbook twice. Especially for Tuscan Kitchen.
– Joey Calcavecchia
INSPIRATION
I am inspired by meeting new people and checking out local restaurants. I’m always looking for a new spot to try. It always excites me when I’m going to a new restaurant. Doing the research is always exciting, too.
THE FUTURE
The Immediate future is hopefully getting to 30k very soon! I also want to create a website for my food photography to get my name out there more professionally.
My ultimate dream would be living in Miami, working with restaurants creating highly engaging content, and potentially have a travel food show where I’d highlight all the places I’ve gone to.
– Joey Calcavecchia (@the_roamingfoodie)
SAVASHA X ROAMING FOODIE HOLIDAY FOOD REVIEW
We needed a full blooded Italian who isn’t afraid to tell us how he feels to test my Italian desserts!!!! These cookies are kind of hit or miss for a lot of people, some people love them, some people hate them, so we wanted to see what the pro foodie himself thought of these!!!!
SAVASHA
HOLIDAY RECIPES
You guys are always asking, so we’re finally delivering!! Here’s a few of our holiday recipes – they’re all of Italian origin, so be mindful the flavors might be a bit floral and foreign tasting, but they’re flavors definitely worth trying!
Photos by: Isabella Marie (@bella.editorial; @savasha_)
SAVASHA’S AMARETTI COOKIES
– 3 egg whites
– 3 cups fine almond flour (Bob’s Red Mills is my favorite)
– 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
– 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
– 1/2 tsp almond extract
– 3 – 5 TBS Amaretto liqueur (I use Disonnaro, and always 5+ TBS, it’s Christmas and momma didn’t raise no bitch)
– 2 TBS each powdered + granulated sugar (for dusting)
1. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the eggs to stiff peaks, but be careful not to overbeat them dry.
2. Fold in the almond flour, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until incorporated.
3. Stir in the Amaretto until the dough is thick and sticky and can be formed into little balls.
4. Place granulated + powdered sugar in separate bowls.
5. Roll dough into ball about the size of a bottle cap. Roll the ball in granulated sugar, then coat in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press slightly until edges of dough ball crack a little.
6. Place cookies in a 325F oven for 12-15 minutes, until edges are set but not too hard.
7. Let them cool for .4 seconds then devour them all!!!!!
SAVASHA CANNOLI FILLING
This recipe probably seems pretty loose regarding the ingredients and measurements and that’s because it is. People think baking is so specific and some desserts are definitely a science, but cannoli are kind of a blank canvas, everything I do is to taste and to the texture I want that day. This recipe includes the slightly whipped filling, so if you prefer a heavier more traditional filling, just skip the whipped cream. I do make cannoli shells, but figured most people would purchase them ahead of time as frying is kind of a chore, so I didn’t include my shell recipe… yet!
– 15 oz full fat ricotta, drained (I drain mine in a cheese cloth for about 30-60 mins)
– 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 C sifted powdered sugar, more or less to taste (I’m not a huge sugar person so feel free to use more if it’s too ricotta-y lol)
– 1 1/2 tsp good vanilla (I feel like Ina Garten saying that but seriously you need good vanilla lol)
– 1/4 – 1/2 C mascarpone cheese (OPTIONAL, I sometimes use it to smooth and thicken mixture)
– 1/4 C whipping cream
– zest of 1/4 orange
– pinch of cinnamon
– ground pistachios, shaved chocolate, any add-ons
– 1/4 cup powdered sugar to dust cannoli with
1. Drain ricotta in a cheese cloth over a deep bowl for about 30-60 minutes.
2. Add ricotta to a stand mixer, sift in powdered sugar, and whip using a flat beater (can use a hand mixer or mix by hand, I just like the texture from whipping ricotta and sugar with a flat beater) until sugar is incorporated.
3. If texture is too grainy or thin for your liking, add mascarpone cheese and whip into mixture until incorporated.
4. Add orange zest, vanilla extract, and cinnamon and whip on slow/medium speed until incorporated.
5. Transfer filling to another bowl to free up the mixer or using a hand mixer, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
6. Fold whipped cream into ricotta mixture, careful as to not deflate the cream.
7. Using a piping bag with a round tip (2A), pipe filling into cannoli shell starting from the middle and working outward on one side, moving piping hand in an in-and-out motion to create cute little blobs. Or don’t waste the effort since when I covered my cannoli with chocolate and pistachio you couldn’t see the cute ass piping anyways.
8. Shave chocolate or crushed pistachios or any topping you want to the exposed cannoli filling, sift powdered sugar on top of cannoli and then eat 1000 of them like I do!
SAVASHA’S GLUTEN FREE ANISETTE COOKIES (my normal recipe, just replaced with GF flours!)
– 2 cups Bob’s Red Mills 1 to 1 GF flour
– 1/2 cup cornstarch
– 1 1/2 TBS baking powder
– 1 tsp vanilla extract
– 2-3 tsp anise extract
– 3 eggs
– 1 stick (8 TBS) butter at room temperature
– 1/2 tsp salt
– 1/2 – 3/4 cup granulated sugar
– 1-3 TBS milk (can be non dairy), to get consistency right
GLAZE:
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 1 tsp anise extract
– 1-3 TBS milk to get consistency right (I add one TBS at a time, then add 1/2 tsp at a time)
– nonpareils (rainbow or any color you like!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 f
2. In a mixer, mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and sugar until combined.
3. Add butter cut into 8 pieces, milk, and anise and vanilla extracts, mixing after you add each ingredient. The dough should have a thick but soft consistency.
4. Scoop the dough using a 4 cm ice cream scoop or a tablespoon onto a parchment lined baking sheet, rolling dough into balls.
5. Bake for about 9-11 minutes, just until the bottoms are about to get golden brown, if they get brown they’re overcooked and you have anisette toast lol!
7. For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, anise extract, and milk until you get a thick and slowly drippy consistency. Once cookies are cooled out of the oven, dip the top into glaze and sprinkle immediately with nonpareils!
FOLLOW MY PHOTOGRAPHY! ⤵️
@bella.editorial
FOLLOW THE ROAMING FOODIE’S PHOTOGRAPHY! ⤵️
@the_roamingfoodie