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I found a very interesting site tonight geared toward Food Stylists. Here is an excerpt.
OOEY GOOEY STYLING
Presenter: Rick Ellis, food stylist and food historian, New York City
Rick Ellis of New York notes that the current trend for portraying food is to try to create and "capture the romance, or more appropriately the romancing of food. Showing food melting, oozing, folding, dripping, pulling—all help to create images people want to eat," he adds.
Beginning with melting cheese, he advised doing cheese melts just before shooting. This prevents the product from setting or congealing. He used a modified steamer with a narrow nozzle to create the melt. "A little heat goes a long way, and gentle heat is best," he noted. Less heat is usually more and you can always give the melt another small blast just before shooting, he added.
When using processed cheese slices, be sure to bevel the edges to create a thicker appearance. Dip the cheese slice in hot water, shake off the excess and place where you need it. Use your fingertips to press down edges for a perfect grilled cheese or melt effect.
For an oozy cheese filling, use the Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese cheese packets for a great melty yellow cheese effect—use on nachos or even in a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s easily thinned with corn syrup (light Karo) or hot water. A good substitute for a white cheese filling (like mozzarella) is canned vanilla frosting thinned with corn syrup. If it’s too white, color it down with a drop or two of Kitchen Bouquet (or other sauce browning agent) and yellow food color.
Moving on to sauces, he discussed using a basic white sauce (béchamel) as a great substitute for everything from hollandaise or cheese sauce, to beurre blanc or a stock reduction. Thin the cooked white sauce to a desired consistency, strain, add coloring and be sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap while the sauce cools to prevent a skin from forming.
To keep chocolate warm while waiting for a shot, it was noted that a heating pad could be used. Good quality chocolate, melted and cooled, works well for thin pours. Use for glazing desserts or as a chocolate pour for live film. It should not be stirred once it cools, to prevent air bubbles. Jarred chocolate sauce, thinned with corn syrup, is a good substitute.
For pancake syrup, either freeze maple or pancake syrup in squeeze bottles to thicken it to a consistency that will hold after it’s squeezed out. Do not freeze light syrups because water in the product creates ice crystals and it will freeze hard. Honey can also be used, depending on the desired color. Dark and light corn syrup (Karo) can be mixed together, as well, to create a photo syrup that is the color needed. Let the mixture sit overnight to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface.
Another syrup technique is cooking it to "soft ball" stage for a very stable product that holds well on pancakes (see La Technique in this issue for specific directions). Spraying the surface of pancakes with Scotchguard or clear Krylon helps prevent syrup from soaking in if the set-up must stand for long periods of time.
Finally, Ellis described how to make the perfect drip of sauce off the side of a dessert or other foods. Using a small piece of soft wax shaped like a teardrop, he demonstrated how to place it where he wanted the drip. He carefully coated the wax teardrop with the desired sauce—and voilà!—the most beautiful, glistening drop of raspberry sauce "dripped" off the top of a slice of cheesecake as he closed his session.
For more information on Food Styling you can visit the sites listed below:
www.foodesigns.com
www.foodphotography.com
www.thestylingstore.com
www.foodonfilm.com
www.trengovestudio.com
For books on Food Styling/Food Photography
Lighting: For Food & Drink Photography by Steve Bavister
Food Photography and Styling: How to Prepare, Light and Photograph Delectable Food & Drinks by John F Carafoli
Cake Styling: Presenting and Photographing Your Cakes by Nicolas Lodge
Jodi
PS.
If this is in the wrong category please move it to the appropriate one. I was unable to classify my post.
Silly me.

OOEY GOOEY STYLING
Presenter: Rick Ellis, food stylist and food historian, New York City
Rick Ellis of New York notes that the current trend for portraying food is to try to create and "capture the romance, or more appropriately the romancing of food. Showing food melting, oozing, folding, dripping, pulling—all help to create images people want to eat," he adds.
Beginning with melting cheese, he advised doing cheese melts just before shooting. This prevents the product from setting or congealing. He used a modified steamer with a narrow nozzle to create the melt. "A little heat goes a long way, and gentle heat is best," he noted. Less heat is usually more and you can always give the melt another small blast just before shooting, he added.
When using processed cheese slices, be sure to bevel the edges to create a thicker appearance. Dip the cheese slice in hot water, shake off the excess and place where you need it. Use your fingertips to press down edges for a perfect grilled cheese or melt effect.
For an oozy cheese filling, use the Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese cheese packets for a great melty yellow cheese effect—use on nachos or even in a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s easily thinned with corn syrup (light Karo) or hot water. A good substitute for a white cheese filling (like mozzarella) is canned vanilla frosting thinned with corn syrup. If it’s too white, color it down with a drop or two of Kitchen Bouquet (or other sauce browning agent) and yellow food color.
Moving on to sauces, he discussed using a basic white sauce (béchamel) as a great substitute for everything from hollandaise or cheese sauce, to beurre blanc or a stock reduction. Thin the cooked white sauce to a desired consistency, strain, add coloring and be sure to cover the surface with plastic wrap while the sauce cools to prevent a skin from forming.
To keep chocolate warm while waiting for a shot, it was noted that a heating pad could be used. Good quality chocolate, melted and cooled, works well for thin pours. Use for glazing desserts or as a chocolate pour for live film. It should not be stirred once it cools, to prevent air bubbles. Jarred chocolate sauce, thinned with corn syrup, is a good substitute.
For pancake syrup, either freeze maple or pancake syrup in squeeze bottles to thicken it to a consistency that will hold after it’s squeezed out. Do not freeze light syrups because water in the product creates ice crystals and it will freeze hard. Honey can also be used, depending on the desired color. Dark and light corn syrup (Karo) can be mixed together, as well, to create a photo syrup that is the color needed. Let the mixture sit overnight to allow air bubbles to rise to the surface.
Another syrup technique is cooking it to "soft ball" stage for a very stable product that holds well on pancakes (see La Technique in this issue for specific directions). Spraying the surface of pancakes with Scotchguard or clear Krylon helps prevent syrup from soaking in if the set-up must stand for long periods of time.
Finally, Ellis described how to make the perfect drip of sauce off the side of a dessert or other foods. Using a small piece of soft wax shaped like a teardrop, he demonstrated how to place it where he wanted the drip. He carefully coated the wax teardrop with the desired sauce—and voilà!—the most beautiful, glistening drop of raspberry sauce "dripped" off the top of a slice of cheesecake as he closed his session.
For more information on Food Styling you can visit the sites listed below:
www.foodesigns.com
www.foodphotography.com
www.thestylingstore.com
www.foodonfilm.com
www.trengovestudio.com
For books on Food Styling/Food Photography
Lighting: For Food & Drink Photography by Steve Bavister
Food Photography and Styling: How to Prepare, Light and Photograph Delectable Food & Drinks by John F Carafoli
Cake Styling: Presenting and Photographing Your Cakes by Nicolas Lodge
Jodi
PS.
If this is in the wrong category please move it to the appropriate one. I was unable to classify my post.
