The Tweezer Times

By Lisa Golden Schroeder and Mary Holloway

Okay, so we’re exaggerating a bit here, but the point is we like this clear sticky stuff to help us style our food.

For those of you who haven’t used it, clear gel (also known as clear jel, piping or decorating gel, modified food starch or agar agar) is a food grade cooked starch or gelatin substance that can be used to thicken sauces or puréed foods, to maintain a glossy, moist look, and to create a barrier from air on cut surfaces of food, etc. Its applications for food styling are endless, and because gels are edible, you can use them even if your client prefers “natural” styling. My favorite example for this is using clear gel to repair cracked piecrusts, versus using another styling favorite, Vaseline (petroleum jelly), which is not acceptable to many clients.

Clear gel comes in several different forms and each is handled a little differently. We spoke to Dr. Julie Jones, a food technologist and professor at St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She explained the process of modifying food starches so they become very stable food thickeners. We won’t bore you with the food science (go to www.foodstarch.com for more technical information), but it helps to think of instant and cooked packaged puddings. Instant puddings have a modified food starch (based on corn, and chemically treated to make the starch very stable—in other words it won’t break down easily) added that has been “gelatinized” (cooked to evaporate the water, then dried to granule form). The starch in the pudding is now instant; just add liquid to rehydrate the starch and you’re ready to go.

Cooked puddings contain modified food starch that has not been gelatinized, so sugar is added to keep the starch granules separate (to avoid lumps when cooking), and the pudding is cooked with the liquid until the starch gels.

Clear gel powders come in instant and cooked varieties. The instant gel requires no addition of sugar to rehydrate it, it can be stirred into sauces to help thicken them and bind excess water (i.e. spaghetti sauces that bleed). Cooked clear gel requires some sugar to be added to avoid lumping (but don’t add too much, as sugar can decrease the starches thickening power), and then the gel is cooked until thick. It can take some experimentation depending on the kind of clear gel powder you can find.

For a really handy option, we like decorating or piping gel. It comes already prepared in tubs; its traditional use is in cake and cookie decorating and comes in colored forms, too. A large tub of piping gel will keep for several months, unrefrigerated. Commercial piping gel is made from agar agar, a gelatin derived from seaweed. This gel can be stirred into sauces to help thicken and bind them or to maintain a glossy surface. Following are more uses for clear gels, and no doubt you will have a few more ideas of your own.

MARY’S RULE #1: Always make up a supply of gel for a shoot - even when you don’t know that you might need it…because you might need it! (Isn’t this always a basic rule for all food styling—be prepared?)

*Mix a small amount of prepared gel in water to brush on sliced vegetables and sliced meats to maintain a fresh look.

*Use gel in pie fillings: this is the most common real-life use for clear gel, as a stable thickener for baked pie or pastry fillings. It will keep fruit fillings looking glossy, bright, and fresh—stir into fresh berries, sliced peaches, etc.

*Stir into cooked converted rice to keep the grains moist, but not oily. It allows the rice grains to hold lightly to each other. The grains can be moved as needed, without the grains lumping up.

*With shreds of cheese in the palm of your hand, thinly coat both sides of each shred. Place on foam plate (also lightly coated with gel.) Place individual shreds on styled food. Steam, if a melt is desired. This can be done ahead for pizza shoots—keep the cheese refrigerated until needed.

*Dilute gel to a medium-thin consistency and toss with pasta to keep pasta moist but not greasy.

*Add prepared gel to cheese sauce to keep sauce “spoonable” and glossy. This is particularly good for something like macaroni and cheese.

*Add gel to a white sauce - great for using on scalloped potatoes with a cream sauce, Alfredo pasta sauce, etc.

*Use when styling frozen convenience entrées—gel can enhance the sheen of sauces or re-create the look of a smooth, warm sauce when the sauce is actually at room temperature.

*Use gel to help adhere crumbs to breaded foods, or to repair broken or cracked piecrusts.

*Use to “crumb” sliced cakes or repair holes in baked goods by adding a touch of gel and added crumbs if needed to fill holes or give a more textured appearance.

*Stir instant clear gel into tomato or pasta sauces. It will bind up excess liquid that usually separates from sauces and pools on the plate.

*Stir into yogurt or puddings if you need them to mound nicely on a spoon for a lift shot.

I buy powdered Mira Clear Gel in 1# plastic bags from Glen’s Bulk Foods of Hutchinson, Kansas. Glen’s Foods is a bulk foods store frequented by the Mennonites of the area (telephone: 620-662-2875). They will fill orders by mail order and the gel is very inexpensive. I make up the gel, using about 2 rounded tablespoons per cup of water and cooking it in the microwave until bubbling and thick. It can then be thinned with hot water to desired consistency. It sometimes gets watery when kept in the refrigerator longer than a few days and will grow mold if left at room temperature for several days, so I make up a fresh supply every 2 to 3 days.

OTHER SOURCES

*www.sweetc.com (Sweet Celebrations; prepared clear piping gel from baking supplies)

*www.thestylingstore.com (they carry instant Clearjel powder + other thickeners)

*www.sugarcraft.com (Sugar Craft; prepared clear piping gel in a small tub)

*www.barryfarm.com (Barry Farm; instant Clearjel powder)

*www.foodstarch.com (National Starch & Chemical Company; order a sample of powdered Clearjel)

*www.kitchengifts.com (Kitchen Collectables; piping gel in tub)

*Local bakery suppliers or distributors

*Check out craft stores that carry cake decorating materials (especially for prepared piping gel)

DECORATING OR PIPING GEL
Try making this easy version of gel…

2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin (Knox)
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups (500 ml) light corn syrup (Karo)

1. Soak gelatin in water. Heat over low heat until clear and dissolved. Do NOT boil.
2. Stir in corn syrup and cook just until simmering, but not boiling.
3. Cool completely. Store refrigerated for up to 2 months.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mary Holloway, a veteran food stylist in Orlando, Florida. She has styled for magazines, cookbooks, and major food companies for nearly 30 years. She’s also written, produced, and distributed 20 educational videos on ethnic foods and cooking equipment.

After our last weekend workshop in San Diego (with photo stylist Susan Linnet Cox of Photo Styling Workshops and food photographer Greg Bertolini (search our Talent Profiles to learn more about Greg) , I asked our students what they got out of our time together. Here are a few bits and pieces they shared with us…

From Lisa Monahan, a budding food photographer from Ann Arbor, Michigan (she and her husband own a fish market/restaurant as well):

“I learned so much from Greg! But here are 3 tips that stand out”…
1. Try using a colored gel on a bare bulb for reflections on glass, also different colored gels can be used at the same time.
2. Don’t be concerned about buying the latest, greatest piece of equipment- save your money! You’ll know when you have outgrown what you have.
3. Building a tent over your set for nice diffusion can be done with conduit and elbows from Home Depot and then draping a large scrim or fabric over it.

From stylist Cindy Epstein, who stepped away from the business for a while and is trying to brush up her skills…

“The most important things the workshop gave me were: a sense of self confidence in my skills, inspiration, and a terrific a feeling of comradery and synergy among my peers. I walked into the weekend with wavering confidence in my styling skills with the hope that the class would help me make a career decision about my next steps, and the message was loud and clear. Go for it!! I walked away with a real sense of self confidence. The validation I got from you was just phenomenal! I’ve still got my head in the clouds!” (Editor’s note: we concur with Cindy about having confidence in yourself. If you can’t believe in what you can do, no one else will either. The sangria shot below was shot by another student, Carl Kravats, who collaborated with Cindy after the class.)

From stylist/food writer Mary Margaret Pack, who is trying to bump up the amount of food styling she does as part of her writing assignments:

“It was an opportunity to re-acquaint myself with basic techniques and methods—as well as learn plenty of new ones—particularly since I don’t get to practice what I learn as often as I’d like.” Here are some favorite tips:

1. Reinforcement that serious and thoughtful food handling and preparation trumps “tricks” every time.

2. Using Rain-X as a moisture-beading agent;

3. Using a chamois to clean glass and china surfaces;

4. Putting salt in beer (carefulllly!) when the head begins to diminish;

5. The myriad uses of piping gel (Editor’s note: clear piping gel is available through cake decorating/supply houses. We’ll post an article soon about the many handy ways it can be used in styling…)

6. Using dental tools for fine work.

7. Great idea about including a photo in e-mails to clients and colleagues, within the larger context of follow-up and creating/maintaining professional relationships.

8. The fact that a mini-steamer exists; how to prep and drape fabric…(Editor’s note: we’ve found a hand-held version of the larger Jiffi garment steamer…search online for the best deals.)

9. How skills developed in other professions can apply to food styling. Example: chemistry with clients, knowing how to read and set boundaries, and discretion are all extremely important in both private cheffing and food styling.

10. It was a revelation to hear from Greg that food stylists don’t contact him enough. Definitely an “ah-ha” moment for me!

11. The importance of consistency in self-marketing efforts…timing, branding, etc.

“I could probably go on, but I hope this is the kind of thing you’re looking for. I did neglect to mention what a nice lagniappe the subscription to Tweezer Times™ is. Thank you for that along with everything else.”

Thank to all our students who made the weekend as inspirational for the instructors as we hope we did for you…Lisa Golden Schroeder

We’re glad you asked us about this–cakes aren’t easy!

Q. I’ve got a layer cake shoot and need to style wedges of frosted cake standing upright on dessert plates. The client is the cake mix manufacturer, and they’ve given me just a few boxes of each flavor for the shoot! What should I do to make the most of what I have to work with?

A. (This is the follow-up from the stylist…)
I am glad that I spent Saturday baking the layers at the studio because the photographer then dropped a stand-in wedge into the layout and we could determine the size before the shoot day.

Here are some other things that helped:

I sprayed the cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour (or use cocoa) on the pans. I also placed greased and floured wax paper liners in the bottom of each pan, for easier cake release. I generally used one box of cake mix per 10-inch pan, lowered the heat to 325?F, and lengthened the baking time. I also wrapped the cake pans with wet paper towels pinned together around the outside of the pans so that the layers rose uniformly (or try the commercial cake pan strips you can buy at a cookware store.)

I used 10-inch pans so that there was plenty of cake from which to trim the wedges.

I loosely wrap the baked layers, placed them on cardboard cake rounds, and stored them in bakery boxes in the refrigerator for two days so they firmed up (you can freeze cake layers ahead, too.)

If a wedge is to be shown, cut the layers in half cross-wise to get them to fit between dowels so that then you can cut to the proper height with a thin serrated knife. Once I had the height, I cut out the wedges and made smaller wedges as my “in betweens.”

Put the layers together with the “in-betweens” and skewer everything together..

I laid the wedge down and piped in the in-between frosting (Betty Crocker Ready-to-Spread Frosting, stirred and thinned with a small amount of clear corn syrup or Karo).
Then I smoothed the piping with a small dental tool.

I stood the wedge up and positioned it on the hero plate and checked the position on camera. Then frosted the back side first and top last. Went back and smoothed or corrected areas with spit and dental tool. The art director actually asked that I mess up some areas to make it look more real because I had gotten the frosting very smooth in between the layers.

All in all, the day went well and the agency and client were very happy. You were so right that having a fair amount of angst (and advance prep) can help ensure a successful shoot. I realize that cake styling is definitely one of those areas that requires a lot of practice!

(Editor’s Note: Ice cream and other frozen desserts always present problems that need to be solved. This description of a recent ice cream shoot really illustrates this—many of the conventional methods recommended for working with ice cream just did not apply to this particular product. We thank Dallas stylist Kristine Ackerman for sharing her experience and hope you find it helpful the next time you need to “figure” out the best approach to a difficult shoot—sometimes conventional methods just don’t work.)

The Job
The mission for this job was to create a single scoop of ice cream to be used in a new label design for a fairly new ice cream product. There were 11 different flavors to shoot. The client wanted a fairly natural looking scoop, not highly styled. The designer wanted a certain shape and size scoop with the “ruffle” in a certain spot to work within his design. Of course all the flavors were a different color, many a different texture, and several had particulates that had to show in a representative amount. The ice cream was also sugar-free: another challenge! The photographer, of course, had to make them all look good.

We started with every scoop shape and size we could find. I scooped fake ice cream and real vanilla ice cream (set on labeled tiles) to help visually make a determination of what we could all agree upon. The client knew one type of scoop he was comfortable using (the one with the antifreeze in the handle) and very insistent upon using, so he helped me scoop ice cream that was much too hard, while I made to “ruffle” to place the scoop on. We set up a little assembly line.

Problems
The ice cream was really too cold to scoop any other way—it kept breaking the other scoops. This type of scoop produced no “ruffle”. And the actual scoop of ice cream was too small for the print layout. But we did eventually scoop seven of the products in this way—they weren’t bad. Another significant problem with these scoops was that when the liquid in the handle heats up from your hand it inevitably tends to melt the ice cream on the surface, ruining the natural texture on the surface (these scoops are really most appropriate in ice cream dipping shops, where the ice cream is scooped at its harder holding temperature). This is not the look the designer wanted.

On the second day, I knew the size we wanted and bought three to four of each scoop type. The metal disher in a standard ice cream scoop or foodservice portion scoop would create the look we wanted for this product. We kept the release intact as it gave just the correct amount of texture. It also produced the correct amount of overfill to produce a “ruffle” when pressed down on the tile before release. We used rubber or silicon brushes to reposition or move the “ruffle “ because it did not melt the ice cream and kept the surface rough. If the scoop was imperfect we tossed it. If it was good, we hit it with a shot of canned air (by turning the can upside down) to freeze it. It went straight to set.

The set included a sheet of dry ice under the paper backdrop the photographer was using. He and the designer rotated and shot as much as was necessary. We continued the “scoop and shoot” method the entire day and finished all 11 plus two extra shots (in a cup). We did re-shoot the first day’s scoops to match “the look” everyone was happy with—it took some problem solving, but we did it!

EQUIPMENT

• 1 freezer (any kind) to hold product at -10 to -20 degrees;
• 1 freezer to temper the product…bring to -2 to 0 to +2 degrees;
• It depends on the fat, overrun, additions, flavors
• 1 scooping chest or small freezer to be rigged as scooping chest
• Needs to be a comfortable height for stylist to scoop with leverage, but have inside chest
• Dry ice–minimum of 50# of sheets per 3 hours of prep/shoot time
• Squares of floor tile…we used 12” square self-adhesive floor tiles cut into 6”x 6”, we used the reverse side as the peel off paper was slightly rough and a neutral color.
• After cutting, store squares in freezer, rinse or wipe between uses

TABLES

• Need at least 2 long tables raised to comfortable level

COLD SURFACE

• 1 half sheet pan on work surface, with towel placed underneath
• Large sheet of brown-paper-wrapped dry ice (maybe 15 x15) placed on top of sheet pan
• 1 half sheet pan invert and place on top of dry ice secure with duct tape.
• Create same cold surface on set

EQUIPMENT AREA

• Next to scooping chest…a surface covered with paper towels to set things on as needed-keep silicone spray, canned air (use upside down to freeze) palate knives, tooth picks, skewers, silicon or rubber-bristled brushes, instant read thermometers (all purpose show cold temps) here
• Bowls, 2, (stainless steel) on a towel-lined tray

One with chopped or smashed dry ice to place the scoops
The other with same dry ice for small tools - tweezers, picks, spatulas…

• Stacks of paper towels, torn into squares
• Bowl of cold water with dash of dish soap

After a recent job styling big (as in 2-inch-thick rib-eyes) for a steak house, we thought you would appreciate a review course in working with large pieces of meat! We had to not only pan-fry to a golden, crisp color, but we also had to slice into the steaks–meaning they needed to be cooked to the appropriate doneness (as dictated by lighting and client preference)…We’ve long thought that choosing, preparing, and styling meat for the camera is really tough. The business of buying meat, the differences in vocabulary when calling for a cut of meat, and finding the quality you want can be challenging at best. Following is advice for purchasing and preparing steaks (beef), chops (pork and veal), and cutlets (boneless cuts)—these are easily identifiable in a photo and are often the cuts of choice on a plate featuring a “trinity” meal (meat, starch, vegetable).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ©LBF Photo for The Progressive Farmer  Selecting What You Need

• Get to know who the best meat vendors are in your area—especially if they have trained butchers on staff. It could be an up-scale grocery store or an actual meat market.

• Develop a relationship with a meat cutter, who will be able to help you with a phone call.

• Be knowledgeable about cuts of meat, so you can speak the same language with a meat cutter. Have approved charts for reference of retail meat cuts for beef and pork (contact the National Livestock & Meat Board or the National Cattleman’s Beef Association, both in Chicago).

• Use fresh, never frozen meat. If you can, choose meat unwrapped in a meat case, rather than over-wrapped in a self-service case.

• Choose beef that is bright red, without any grayish or brown spots, and even marbling of fat. Look for pork or veal chops that are a clear, pale pink and have a nice shape (center-cut loin pork chops have the most identifiable shape) and have an even trim of fat.

• Beef steaks come from the short-loin, sirloin, or round of the beef (along the back, so the meat is most tender). T-bone or porterhouse steaks should have good T-shaped bones.

• Other steaks might be the top loin (strip) steak, tenderloin steak (use a center cut), rib-eye steak, and top round (London Broil-style).

• Have butcher package steaks or chops in a single layer in flat Styrofoam trays.

• Meat can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

The amount you need to buy depends on the job. Obviously, if it’s film or if talent will be taking bites, or you’ll be cutting into the meat, you’ll need lots more. If it’s just a still shot, plan on about four (4) times the amount you’ll actually be showing (if you’re showing one steak, have at least 4 steaks to cook). It’s better to ere on the high side, if the budget allows, in case the meat cooks in a strange way. You’ll than have a stand-in, and three (3) more steaks to chose a hero.At the Studio

• Trim meat as needed (although a thin edge of fat is good to help hold the steaks shape); pin any parts that might come apart during cooking with T-pins (you may also glue meat if desired—for most steaks and chops this isn’t necessary). Clean out top of bones (T-bone, center-cut pork chop).

Most steaks and chops are best pan-fried. Test cooking times on a stand-in (use an instant read thermometer to determine internal temperature), taking note of size and thickness of all the pieces of meat you’ll be cooking (for example, a 1-inch-thick T-bone will take approximately 12 to 16 minutes to reach medium-rare). It’s important to know the exact cooking time, because you’ll need consistency of doneness for cutting into a steak. When we worked with the 2-inch-thick steaks we needed to pan-fry to color, then finish baking them in a 350 degree F oven (moderate oven) until the desired doneness for cutting into (and the lighting required the meat to still look rare inside so it wouldn’t look overcooked). You don’t want to insert a thermometer into a piece of hero meat, so you need to rely on the established cooking time. Top round steaks are best broiled—again, test timing for doneness on a stand-in.

• Doneness: Rare (14o degrees F/60 degrees C), Medium Rare (145 degrees F/63 degrees C), Medium (160 degrees F/71 degrees C)

Use a heavy, nonstick skillet. Heat a small amount of oil over medium heat until very hot. Place the best side of the steak in the skillet first for best color, then turn and cook second side.Carefully brown sides so that the fat won’t buckle or split. You can finish browning fat with a mini torch later. If you won’t be cutting into the steak, cook just to color. HOLD IN AN OIL BATH (a 13×9-inch baking dish or other shallow pan filled with vegetable oil). Unless you are cooking just one or two steaks (i.e. for an editorial shoot), then you can hold them at room temperature covered with plastic wrap.

• If a more golden brown coloring is needed, use a very diluted solution of Kitchen Bouquet brushed lightly where necessary (or use some soy sauce or bottled teriyaki glaze). Or you can use some Maillose, a commercial browning agent that is heat activated. Brush or spray diluted Maillose (2:1 ratio, water to Maillose) lightly on surface of meat. Use a paint stripper or heat gun to activate browning. Brush meat lightly with oil.

If you will be cutting into the meat, cook until desired doneness. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature before cutting.If you want grilled meat, you can cook steaks or chops on a stovetop grill or grid, which will give irregular and realistic browning. You may also use an electric circular grill starter (some stylists modify these by hammering the metal loop so a thinner grill mark can be made), a broiler heating element, or metal skewers heated on the stovetop.

• To make grill marks, be sure whatever tool you use is VERY hot, or it will stick to the meat and tear it. A cast-iron grill pan or heavy grill plate (look at restaurant supply houses or commercial cookware sources) is really good for creating natural grill marks. The lighter-weight aluminum grill pans can also work well and are easier to carry to the studio. Experiment to find what you like. Having a variety of methods for making grill marks (metal skewers, an electric grill starter, grill pans, etc.) is important, as you may not know ahead of time the “look” you’ll need to simulate. Lightly oil or spray the meat with nonstick cooking spray before making grill marks. Be realistic about how meat looks on the grill—avoid marks that are too close together, uneven, too dark, or too perfect (notice that food that has some shape, like a chicken breast, don’t grill evenly with marks that fully run across the grilled surface).

• Use a mini torch (Snap-On Tools is a terrific source) to finish browning fat or to create irregular browning on steaks. On camera, you can use a heat gun or torch to bring up a sizzle on the surface of the meat.

• If the meat is cut into, brush lightly with a mixure of water/oil, water/clear gel, or water/corn syrup.

• If the meat doesn’t look rare enough when cut, brush with a little raw blood (get from a butcher or from a tray of raw meat).

To prevent juices from running on the plate (if this is not desirable–or you may need to pipe more juices strategically on the plate with an eye-dropper or pipette), put a paper towel “diaper” under meat (or thick cotton pads that are used for make-up application).