Food styling is making food for commercials and commercial photography.  This includes: Making the food that goes on the cover of a package Making the food that actors are eating on a film Making delicious looking images for a magazine.  While most of the time people assume that all of the food is fake, this isn’t always the case. There are some applications where fake food is necessary, you can read all about fake food styling in my previous blog post. Food styling is an art form. I like to think of it as a form of sculpture and the food is the medium. I get a lot of ..read more

I’ve partnered with blogger Alice Tenise to write some recipes that go along with her wine picks for her series Wine Wednesdays. We found some excellent wines and ingredients all from Trader Joe’s. Here’s our main course that pairs perfectly with Cecilia Beretta Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut Superiore. We know it’s a mouthful, but it’s fantastic and at $15 it’s a steal! Easy Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto by: Diana Jeffra Serves: 4-6 Time: 35-40 minutes Wine Pairing: Cecilia Beretta Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut Superiore   Notes: This dish is a perfect fall comf ..read more

I’ve partnered with blogger Alice Tenise to write some recipes that go along with her wine picks for her series Wine Wednesdays. We found some excellent wines and ingredients all from Trader Joe’s. Here’s our first collaboration. Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad Wine Pairing: Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir Carneros 2018 by: Diana Jeffra Serves: 6-8 Time: 45 minutes   This salad has a lot of good things going on. It’s sweet, spicy, crunchy, and perfect for fall. Not to mention there’s minimal chopping needed. As a short cut use Trader Joe’s precut sweet potato ribbons, so the on ..read more

Often when I'm asked what I do for work and I tell people that I'm a food stylist their immediate reaction is, oh you make fake food. While this is true in some cases, using fake food depends is not the norm and it depends on what type of food styling you're doing.   There are various kinds of food styling there's product packaging, recipes, lifestyle, commercial, TV, and film. Fake food can be advantageous in each one of these types of food styling. However because of laws like truth in advertising, food stylists need to be aware of what they are allowed to do and not do. This pertains t ..read more

I’ve partnered with blogger Alice Tenise to write some recipes that go along with her wine picks for her Wine Wednesdays series. Here’s our Trader Joe’s Fall inspired dessert recipe that pairs really well with NV Porto Morgado Porto Tawny. Here’s Alicia’s description about the pairing: Port and Pumpkin dessert is the ultimate pairing: you’re going to want a sweeter wine to bring out all of the flavors of this dish. This wine has nice cherry custard notes, and it will pair well with the sweetness of the Pumpkin Waffle Bread Pudding. You can also pair a Tawny Port with your pumpkin pie during T ..read more

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto Recipe I’ve partnered with blogger Alice Tenise to write some recipes that go along with her wine picks for her series Wine Wednesdays. We found some excellent wines and ingredients all from Trader Joe’s. Here’s our main course that pairs perfectly with Cecilia Beretta Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut Superiore. We know it’s a mouthful, but it’s fantastic and at $15 it’s a steal! Butternut Squash and Mushroom Risotto by: Diana Jeffra Serves: 4-6 Time: 35-40 minutes Wine Pairing: Cecilia Beretta Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Brut Superiore   ..read more

I’ve partnered with blogger Alice Tenise to write some recipes that go along with her wine picks for her series Wine Wednesdays. We found some excellent wines and ingredients all from Trader Joe’s. Here’s our first collaboration. Warm Sweet Potato and Kale Salad Wine Pairing: Trader Joe’s Platinum Reserve Pinot Noir Carneros 2018 by: Diana Jeffra Serves: 6-8 Time: 45 minutes   This salad has a lot of good things going on. It’s sweet, spicy, crunchy, and perfect for fall. Not to mention there’s minimal chopping needed. As a short cut use Trader Joe’s precut sweet potato ribbons, so the on ..read more

    Hey there! Just so you know… Disclaimer: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and I will earn a commission if you purchase through those links. The products I discuss are products that I’ve personally used or ones that I find worth mentioning. One of the most important things a Professional Food Stylist must have is a good kit. Later on I’ll dive into the tools that go into these kits, but I figured the best way to start is with the bags themselves.  I first started out with a few Rubbermaid Commercial Bus Tubs:   They’re quite handy and I stil ..read more

   Because food styling is such a niche job, so is the training to be one.  Traditionally, there was no training, even when I started back in 2013. But now because of social media, food styling has become more popular and there’s more information available than ever before.  Professional Food Stylists that have been in the industry for decades have started to share and educate the public about how the professionals do it.  And yes, there’s a really great book called The Food Stylist Handbook with a corresponding Facebook group that are invaluable resources, along with ..read more

    I get this question a lot, especially at holiday parties or gatherings where I’m the new guy...  “So where do you work?”  I typically answer simply. “I’m self employed.” They lean in, or look at me with the sideways head tilt like a German Shepherd puppy. They’re actually interested, so they try to dig deeper… “So what do you do?”  That’s when I drop the smoke bomb of confusion. “I’m a professional food stylist.” When I started back in 2013, it was really hard for me to even explain food styling. Most people mistook me for a professional food photographer, or thou ..read more