How exactly did you get into food styling? What sparked your interest?
Aaron Spelling came to one of my parties. I was a chef in Hollywood then. He put me to work on several of his TV shows. I had also seen food stylists working at a local magazine and thought, “I could do that.” I would copy their cover shots by practicing.

Where did you train for this kind of work? Who would you count as your mentors?
I had several mentors. Maggie Waldron ran Ketchum in San Francisco told me to stick with it because I had a little talent for it. She gave me the confidence to go on. Kit Snedaker, a local newspaper editor, also inspired me. “Kid, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving,” she said. My training was in the trenches.

Are there a lot of food stylists in the US? How hard was it to get noticed and land a project?
I don’t know how many stylists there are in the US. In LA, there are about 20 but only five of us get most of the work. I have styled and contributed to about 30 cookbooks; many of them have been on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Each great project generates another one.

How do you define food styling? Does one need to be a chef to be an effective food stylist?
Food styling is preparing media food or food that looks good for the camera, be it still or video work. Being a chef made me understand how food reacts under the lights and camera direction. Food stylists are food salesmen. We create appeal visually.

Tell us about some of the toughest projects you’ve worked on so far.
The hardest projects come from the clients since the food doesn’t talk and the clients do. I’ve worked for a lot of celebrities. They are often demanding and spoiled and that makes for a long day.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of being a food stylist?
The advantage is that I love it—and after 25 years, I can still say that. The disadvantage? Most of my clothes have food stains!

What does it take to be a food stylist?
Experience, guts, and confidence—like most jobs you want to do well in life. I’ve always believed in following the adventure and trying to make the most out of every day. Food styling is going global and thus there will be more opportunities for food stylists. The interest in food will continue to grow. Food and eating together is the glue our planet needs to fill in the cracks.

What’s next for Denise Vivaldo?
I have three more books coming out. I’ve written four books of my own. I love the creative process of starting with an idea and building a cookbook. I’ve been asked to consider several TV concepts for a  show for me. None have appealed enough for me to make that kind of commitment. It would have to be fun. I’m grateful for each day in my career as I learned early in life to enjoy the ride.

Next page: Learn how to apply food styling techniques at home.

Now It's Your Turn
What can a home cook learn from a professional food stylist? Try these handy tips from Denise.

 

Use simple plates for food presentation
Think of white as a canvas. A busy patterned plate will look messy, not pretty. That’s why many of the top restaurants you visit stick to white, as it lets you appreciate the food more. The fancier the plate, the more the attention is taken away from the dish itself.

Think about contrasting colors when cooking
That beef stew needs bright orange carrots or roasted red tomatoes as a side dish. Bland-colored fried calamares can be made more visually interesting with splashes of yellow from lemon wedges on the side. Or try a drizzle of sour cream on tomato soup.

 

Develop different textures
Think about offering your guests a layered experience. If you’re serving creamy soup, for example, garnish it with crispy croutons. Other ideas: Top a dish of ice cream with crunchy, roasted nuts; sprinkle herbs on a pool of sauce; or dust confectioners’ sugar on lemon bars.

Light candles at dinner
Everything looks better in candlelight! No need to spend much on this easy upgrade. Simple candlesticks or votives will do. In fact, avoid scented candles so they don’t interfere with the smell—and taste—of the food.