Food styling: art of beautiful cookbooks, TV, blogs & more

Ever wonder how food porn is shot?  Wonder no more.

Food stylists make dishes - some real, some not so real - ready for their cameos.   

From the plates and utensils you use, to the arrangement of the food (hint: work in layers), there is method to the madness: make the food the star or hero, in the parlance of food stylists.

Styled food looks good enough to eat, but you might not want to dig in since it's probably been handled enough to render it unsafe for consumption.  

For the DIYer, there are plenty of videos and books on food styling, including Food Styling for Photographers: A Guide to Creating Your Own Appetizing Art by Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee and Brad G. Rogers.  Includes recipes for food styling success as well as a list of must-haves for your food styling tool kit.

Fake Ice Cream Recipe 

from Food Styling for Photographers

Supplies

1. 3 small frosting tubs; Strawberry, Chocolate, French Vanilla.
2. 3 standard issue powdered sugar.
3. Wood skewers.
4. Cones

Process

1. Start with frosting in the processor and pulse a couple time.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and pulse as you go until it gets to a point it is no longer sticky.
3. Put it in a plastic bag and knead it to a ball.
4. Use and ice cream scoop inside of the bag to develop the scoop.