I'm looking for a food styling or a garde manger or a catering class in Texas (near Houston).
I prefer a short term class.
Classes in public facilities or held privately, either is OK.

By Snuffaluff (Snuffaluff) on Sunday, January 25, 2004 - 09:13 am: Edit

I don't know of any programs that specialize in one area. There could be, i just don't know of them. Talk to the culinary program in your area, i'm sure they can help ya out.

By Kinglear (Kinglear) on Friday, January 30, 2004 - 09:07 pm: Edit

You will probably need to go to New York to take food styling. The only person I know who teaches a class of any quality is Delores Custer. She's been styling for many, many years and teaching as well. She teaches all over the world, but The New School in New York City is where she teaches most often. Food on Film is a conference (usually in Minneapolis) that convenes every two years of food stylists, photographers, art directors, food editors and so forth. Ms. Custer always gives a great workshop there, but the next won't be until 2005. I believe they have a website.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 10:37 am: Edit

i can't believe someone makes money teaching something that would come second nature to many of us.
it's always made me laugh.
whats the line....."one born every min."

By Kinglear (Kinglear) on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 03:11 pm: Edit

Surprisingly Spike, chefs do not make very good food stylists as they tend to think mostly about flavor and the view of the food from a seat at a table in a restaurant. Food styling encompasses a lot more, for example-what is the camera angle, to whom are you selling this product, and what is the main purpose of using the photo (to sell the meat?, the sauce?, the plate itself? or the whole recipe?) It's a lot more than making food look pretty on a plate, it's about marketing a complete message and preserving the food as it sits on the set while lighting is adjusted, among other things.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 01:15 am: Edit

I had no idea.

By Corey (Corey) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 12:12 pm: Edit

yeah, I see big nice beautifull fat burgers in ads, then I get to the place and tell to them give me whats in the ad, and then I am looking at the greasy, flat, squished burger I get. AArrGGGhhhh!

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 09:23 pm: Edit

ask for them unwrapped.
went to a place here in L.A. the other night with a broad, opps, I mean a women. a strong minded smart in her own right women, and coffee and dessert came to 47.00 bucks.
the coffee came in big coffee presses one for each of us.
the dessert, mine, was a molten choc CAKE with a small scoop of choc. ice cream and choc. swan deco. and a spun sugar basket( in the shape of a ramikin ) full of fresh berries.
hers, creme' brulee' with fresh berries(yawn).
but my point being it looked just like the photo in my mind. so,...I guess you get what you pay for. No onions please.

By Kinglear (Kinglear) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 09:23 pm: Edit

When photos for menu boards at fast food restaurants are shot, we always use the company's real product. However, camera angle, lighting and careful composition always yields a photo of the ideal burger, chicken sandwich or whatever. What happens at the unit level-how the food is prepared and presented and the attention to detail is completely out of our hands. So... unfortunately, you get what you get.

By Chefspike (Chefspike) on Monday, February 02, 2004 - 09:28 pm: Edit

see!, see! the "it's not our fault" line starts.
Camera! Lights!! Mark!! Scene 1, Take 1... Quiet on the set !! Action!!
just fooling with ya.............

By Chefhdan (Chefhdan) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 06:30 am: Edit

YEP,
and the transformer robot toys my son wants will really fly, talk, and protect the world from evil-dooers.....(uh oh was that a Bush-ism???)

By Corey (Corey) on Tuesday, February 03, 2004 - 08:10 pm: Edit

well, they can fly, err, if you toss them just right...

By Kinglear (Kinglear) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 09:00 am: Edit

Chouchou-I talked to Delores Custer yesterday and she will be teaching a a food styling course at the Mississippi Women's College on April 12. She mentioned that many people who attend the class are not enrolled in the college, but come to take the course. I know it's not Houston, but at least it's closer to you than New York. I'm not sure how many days it covers, but you can call the College and get additional info-maybe through the continuing education department.
Upon rereading your initial post, maybe food styling is not really what you are looking for. You may, instead, be looking for training in beautiful food presentation for a food service operation. Food styling is a freelance media production job and really has little application to food service. Unless you live in LA or NYC (possibly Minneapolis) it would be almost impossible to make any kind of living doing it.

By Chenejaunechef (Chenejaunechef) on Sunday, November 20, 2005 - 04:47 pm: Edit

you might check out the Culinary Institute of Alain and Marie LeNotre, its near the loop im pretty sure, they have 6-9 week courses, or something like 9 months, for all styles of french cuisine, so im sure that one course specialises in that or has a large portion of it devoted to garde manger, i did a short course there one time for fun with my friends and the teachers and facility are great

http://www.google.com/url?sa=U&start=1&q=http://www.lenotre-alain-marie.com/&e=9797