Food Stylist's Handbook, The [Hardcover]

Denise Vivaldo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010

Acclaimed food stylist Denise Vivaldo shares the tips and secrets of the trade with cooks who want to become master stylists. It takes a steady hand to arrange the chocolate curls and drizzle the caramel sauce in elaborate designs on top of that sumptuous tiered cake. Whether for food blogs, television, books, magazines, movies, menus, or advertising, food stylists and photographers learn to slice, plate, tweak, and arrange so the dish becomes less a bit of food and more the work of an artisan.

Find out:

• How to get started
• What equipment you'll need
• How to find clients
• Insider tips and tricks
• What you don't know about cooking shows!

Denise Vivaldo has been a food stylist in Los Angeles for twenty-five years. Originally a professionally trained chef catering in Hollywood, Vivaldo was discovered by Aaron Spelling and put to work on his television shows building food presentations for the camera. Her company, Food Fanatics, styles food for cookbooks, packaging, television, and film. The Food Stylist's Handbook is her sixth book.

(20111209)

Editorial Reviews

Review

In this weighty manual by Denise Vivaldo, longtime Los Angeles food stylist and food -styling business owner, aims to educate prospective food stylists about the industry. The book mostly focuses on the business aspects of the industry, such as what is expected at a styling job for a magazine image versus a television cooking show.

Vivaldo teaches readers how to write a press release, business plan, and contract of work. One hundred pages of the book do contain food-styling instructions. Bacon, for example, should be arranged across a wire rack or weaved on a wooden skewer before cooking to achieve a crispy, curled look. Salads should be arranged leaf by leaf. Make coffee appear hot by spooning detergent bubbles into the cup, and always make your own "ice cream" with a recipe of shortening, powered sugar, and corn starch. Although the styling section is interesting, the tricks used to make a food look appetizing are useless if the stylist does not know how to prepare the food item in the first place. Therefore, this book is best for a person who is already has a high competency in culinary arts.

(Megan Just Sacramento Book Review )

From the Inside Flap

the food stylist's handbook

Denise Vivaldo

"What a successful food stylist does is help produce a photo that sells a dream, brand, product, sandwich, plate, lifestyle, chef, or restaurant. We style everything and anything connected to food. Think of it this way: every picture tells and sells a story."

The secret world of food styling comes into focus in this handbook for chefs, artists, and food lovers who want to make the transition to food styling. Learn how to turn banal food into ambrosia before the camera's eye. Master the tricks of the trade to keep food looking fresh and mouth-wateringly delicious, even after hours on the set.

Denise Vivaldo has been a food stylist in Los Angeles for twenty-five years. Originally a professionally trained chef catering in Hollywood, Vivaldo was discovered by Aaron Spelling and put to work on his television shows building food presentations for the camera. Her company, Food Fanatics, styles food for cookbooks, packaging, television, and film. Vivaldo won the 2010 IACP Award of Excellence for food styling. The Food Stylist's Handbook is her sixth book.

A former art director and graphic designer, Cindie Flannigan manages marketing and communications for Food Fanatics, develops and tests recipes, and styles food for film and print. She teaches food styling classes and workshops in Los Angeles through the Culinary Entrepreneurship Program, along with plating and presentation seminars through the St. Joseph Center in Venice, California.

Front cover photograph by Jon Edwards, courtesy of Bristol Farms.

Back cover photographs: left top and bottom by Jon Edwards, courtesy of Elizabeth Tenhouten; right top by and courtesy of Heather Winters; right bottom by and courtesy of Jon Edwards.

Jacket Design by Debra McQuiston

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Gibbs Smith (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423606035
• ISBN-13: 978-1423606031
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,017 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)