Tiffany Rieder: A food stylist makes the food look attractive in the finished photograph or final shot. They also present food at its best, arranging it artfully, and maintains its appearance throughout the shoot. You must find a way to be creative within the boundaries you are given. A food stylist must be able to cook any recipe and must have a few tricks up their sleeve for achieving the look required. You must also be able to come up with solutions on the spot when you run into trouble. If you have trouble with many people advising and watching you while you, work then food styling is not for you.
AP: How did you initially get into food styling – is there a school for that, or did it develop through real-life experience?
TR: I worked in restaurants for several years and decided to go back to school to learn French Classical Cooking. There I met a teacher/Chef who was also a food stylist. I offered to work on a film she was doing for free. I did a lot of heavy lifting and dishes at first, but eventually I found myself going from Cook to Assistant Food Stylist, to Food Stylist. There is no school that I am aware of in Montreal. You need a professional cooking background and then hands on experience. Offering yourself for free is a good way to break in.
Food Styling & Real Life
AP: On your blog, Food Styling & Real Life, you mention that you’re also a recipe developer as well. What goes into recipe developing – is it all about trial and error?
TR: After having read so many recipes it becomes easier to recognize if a recipe will have problems or not. Usually when I write a recipe the goal is to insert as much of the client’s product into the recipe as possible and still have it work. It’s mostly about proper measurements and cooking times. That’s why I have my blog. It allows me to develop what I want when I want. I only present recipes that are great on my blog - many of which I have had for years.
AP: What’s one recipe you can share with Bitchin' Kitchen followers that you developed yourself?
TR: A few years ago I decided to marinate pork chops in a mojito marinade. I had some quality rum from Cuba and fresh mint growing in the backyard. It was delicious! I was proud of myself for thinking of it but then I stumbled upon many, many mojito marinades online and I wished that I had blogged about it because no one will ever believe me! I imagine the idea was popping into heads everywhere at around the same time seeing as mojitos were big at the time. You literally marinate your meat for a few hours or overnight in a mojito or two, minus the tonic water. You salt the meat right before cooking. There is a traditional mojito recipe on Wikipedia (of course).
AP: Is there a particular dish or food that tastes good but is almost impossible to make look good?
TR: Brown dip, especially if it’s chunky. A dip must stand alone and there is only so much you can do to transform it. That’s were decorative vegetables and micro greens come in.
AP: As a mom, does food styling help with getting young fussy eaters to at least try a vegetable or two?TR: Not really. My son will eat anything and my daughter won’t no matter how pretty it looks. I’ve learned to not take it personally. I did recently make fruit spears for the kids that included strawberries which my daughter hates, but she ate them happily because they were presented differently.
My son does appreciate a creatively made up plate to give him credit. Fussy eaters need to see the same food up to 20 times before they will eat it…you don’t need to be a food stylist to get that going. For vegetables they have the best chance of getting in your child if they are served before the meal when kids are hungry with a yummy dip. It works well with grownups too.
Diavoli Fritte with Onion and Dill Dip - Bitchin' Kitchen
AP: There’s nothing better than a pretty dish. What is your favorite meal to style?
TR: A dish with a lot of complementary colors is best. I tend to see color first and arrange that before anything else. Yellows and greens in a dish always present well. Of course the food itself must look its best - meats that are tender but crisp, vegetables cooked al dente etc…
AP: You’ve worked in TV and Film. How was styling for Bitchin’ Kitchen different from styling for Barney’s Version?
TR: Being a Food Stylist on a big budget film is about managing a team and is less about hands on cooking. There is a lot of delegating, planning, sub-contracting and research. Ultimately, you are [the person] responsible and it’s a lot of pressure. I was the only one working with Bitchin’ Kitchen behind the scenes, so I was able to concentrate on the dish - the cooking is what I really love most.
AP: Out of all the Bitchin’ Kitchen dishes you’ve prepped – what has been the most enjoyable to make?
TR: Hmm…killing the crab was pretty fun… not! It’s hard to say…perhaps the pain perdu because it was just soooo good. Making caramel is always exciting and dangerous.
AP: Here at Bitchin’ Kitchen, we love food. With your ability to create good-looking meals, how is that you don’t weight 3000 lbs?
TR: I may not be 3000 lbs but I could stand to lose a few. Being around food all the time is challenging. Fortunately the food I prepare for the set is not my personal smorgasbord or the crew’s! But to answer your question I run and try not to eat anything that isn’t delicious.
AP: What would you say is the number one mistake people make when presenting a meal?
TR: That is a hard one as I haven’t really seen any big mistakes! I live in Quebec and Quebecers know how to handle food. I have seen a friend put whipped cream on top of a too hot pumpkin pie…But I think too much scotch was to blame. A drunken cook is not a good presenter. To actually answer your question too much beige on a plate is bad news. I once had a dish in a restaurant that had pasta, potato and rice on the plate…a carb overload visual nightmare.
AP: Besides your blog, what are you working on presently – any future projects we should look out for?
TR: Right now I am looking forward to a vacation.