Behind-the-scenes secrets of food commercials

by Piper Weiss, Shine Staff, on Mon Oct 10, 2011 3:43pm PDT
Here's a look at some of the smoke and mirrors used by industry insiders to make food better looking in print and on camera.

It's not easy to get that perfectly frothy head on a pint of beer.
Sometimes you need a little help from silicone gel mixed with powder and water.

There's just something about a steaming hot plate of food.
So directors rely on a clothing steaming machine, just out of view, to provide that oven-fresh effect.


A little shoe polish never hurt.

The brown buffer stain you use to shine your loafers also makes raw meat look "just-out-of-the-roaster succulent," says Kamps.

Ice cubes will never look this good
That's because they're usually made from acrylic or plastic, for the express purpose of portraying un-meltable ice on camera. A single cube can cost up to $500.


Sometimes it's really motor oil,
according to Haje Jan Kamps, a photo editor who exposed food stylist tricks for the website Pixiq.



Ice cream isn't always what it seems.
“We used lard and Karo syrup for an ice cream client,” David Deahl, a tabletop director, told the Times. “The lights we have melt the product so quickly that it’s impossible to make ice cream look like ice cream. So we got permission from our client to fake it.”


And how do they keep pasta from slipping off that fork?
Glue. It's that simple. The white Elmer's stuff is particularly useful for fixing pies and for standing in as cereal milk too.

Food trends men hate

by Sarah B. Weir, Yahoo! blogger, on Mon Oct 10, 2011 1:24pm PDT

Tableside guacamole

“They charge you 20 bucks for the show. Whatever happened to happened to regular guac, which was the same thing, only made in the kitchen and cost less than 10 dollars?”

--Ken, systems analyst

Tofu

“Tofu just doesn’t make sense. The texture is vile, and there is no flavor. Weirdest of all is that it’s odorless — that’s a big thing with food, it needs to have a smell."

--Titus, student

Vegan

No meat, no fish, no milk, no cheese, no eggs. “Where’s dinner?”

--Ed, film producer

Fancy rolls such as brioche or sourdough with hamburgers

“Too much bread and you lose the meat.”

--Paul, teacher

Sliders

Men may prefer classic, thin burger buns, but don’t make that bun too small.

“If a chef can’t come up with a better idea than sliders, it's time to get a new job. Leave the nickname for those greasy little White Castle burgers that can be tasty late at night when you are in the mood.”

--Jack, restaurant owner

Raw food

“It's food for squirrels, not for humans.”

--Pablo, investment banker

Sushi with brown rice

Sushi is already a little dainty and/or gross for some men, and now some restaurants are taking it up a notch.

“People have dietary restrictions and personal preferences, but brown rice can be such a status statement: ‘I’m not going to eat those two little teaspoons of white rice with my sushi because brown rice is so much healthier (and so am I).’ Really? Just eat the two teaspoons of white rice and live a little.”

--Gary, writer

Endless menu descriptions

“I really don’t need to know that the pork I’m considering ordering once ate organic grass on a free range portion of Ma and Pa Kettle’s farm. The quality of the dish should speak for itself.”

--Connor, hospitality industry ex-pat

Cupcakes

As cute and yummy as they are to the ladies, cupcakes are not so popular among the XY chromosome set.

“The ratio of frosting to cake is all off. And you look like a little girl eating them.”

--Richard, lawyer

Macarons (French macaroons)

“If eating cupcakes didn’t make me look ridiculous enough, how am I supposed to walk around eating a macaron? I know — let’s go shopping and while you are in the changing room, I’ll hold your purse. At least that’s more masculine then a macaron.”

--Joe, salon owner


More at:http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/food-trends-men-hate-2579995/

Outrageously Expensive Fast Food

Are you ready for this?


Created by: Domenico Crolla
Location: U.K.
Price: $4,200

Pizza is a popular fast food that can stretch a few dollars into a satisfying, if greasy, meal. Domenico Crolla, one of the U.K.'s foremost creators of Italian cuisine, operates a restaurant called Bella Napoli that specializes in gourmet pizzas going far beyond the average $2 slice.

In 2006, Crolla created the most expensive pizza on record. Dubbed the "Pizza Royale 007," its toppings included cognac-marinated lobster, champagne-soaked caviar, venison and edible flakes of 24-carat gold. Crolla estimated that the pie was worth approximately $3,700, but it fetched $4,200 on an eBay auction from lawyer Maurizio Morelli.




Created by: Frank Tujague
Location: The Westin New York at Times Square, New York City
Price: $1,000

Few foods are as heavily identified with New York City as the bagel. Other cities have their own variations on it, all profitably sold and happily consumed. However, no other U.S. city has ever come close to capturing that certain je ne sais quoi particular to the New York bagel.

Although the bagel is readily available at any time of day or night to anyone with a dollar to spend, Frank Tujague, executive chef at the Westin New York at Times Square, Â decided to deviate from its standard business model in 2007. He fashioned the world's most expensive bagel by topping it with white truffle cream cheese, goji berry jelly and gold leaves. The price for this creation was $1,000 and all proceeds from its sale were donated to the Les Amis d'Escoffier Scholarship, a charity benefiting impoverished culinary students.