The 71th Las Floristas Headdress Ball

"Night at Carnivale", Worn by Maggie Simms, Las Floristas Headdress Ball, May 1, 2009

"Moon Festival", Worn by Candice Nantais, Las Floristas Headdress Ball, May 1, 2009

“Freeway U.S.A.” worn by Mrs. T. Bentley, Las Floristas Headdress Ball May 5, 1962

Grand march of Las Floristas Headdress Ball, May 1, 1965

On May 1, The Ladies of Las Floristas host "An Affair to Remember 2009", The 71st Las Floristas Headdress Ball. This wonderful volunteer group is dedicated to helping physically challenged children and adolescents lead more productive lives. The annual black tie dinner and floral headdress fashion show will be held at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Las Floristas is affiliated with Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabiliation Center and The USC Keck School of Medicine.

This year I have the privilege and honor of being one of the Las Floristas headdress judges!

Bravo to 2009 Las Floristas President, Susan Dilday, Ball Chairman, Barbara Gaylord and all the participants for a stunning "Affair to Remember".

Lillian Molieri wears “The Princess of Scheherazade,” Las Floristas Headdress Ball, May 1952.

Historical photos courtesy of Los Angeles Public Library.

Food Shelf Life + Expiration Guide

Ever been concerned if those eggs, raw apples, canned tomatoes or exotic cooking oils are still fresh and safe to eat even after the expiration date?

Do you keep it or toss it?   There is a new guide,  Still Tasty to assist with those questions.    

Tasting Table -Cool Food/Drink E-News

I'm enjoying the new Tasting Table e-newsletter.    The information is hip, relevant and user friendly.  It's a cool tool for the novice foodie to the ultra-uber culinary profession like me!    Zagat is not where it's at!     I subscribe to Los Angeles and Everywhere editions.    Their story is below.

Tasting Table is a free daily email that delivers the best of food and drink culture to adventurous eaters everywhere. Each weekday, we send our subscribers one delicious idea about dining, wine, cocktails, cooking or restaurant personalities. We feed you only first-hand recommendations that we have tested thoroughly ourselves—one bite at a time.

In our local editions in New York and Los Angeles, we'll alert you to a must-try dish at a forgotten restaurant, a hot new bar that deserves its buzz, under-appreciated cook shops and neighborhood food purveyors who may otherwise go unnoticed.

Our new national edition, Tasting Table Everywhere, will keep you informed about the most interesting dining trends, the latest food luminaries and the best new wines, spirits and cocktails around the country. We'll also direct you to essential new websites, kitchen tools and ingredients. And since you like to travel, we'll cover that, too, with weekly updates about where to eat on the road and how to plan your next food-driven vacation.

Food Styling & Photography Conference June 2009

E.K. Waller Photography®

Take a look at the upcoming International Conference on Food Styling & Photography held at Boston University, June 2009.

I'll be one of the "seasoned" speakers presenting a powerpoint visual program about how my appetite appealing career in food styling has evolved over the past 30 years. Master classes (hand-on), seminars, cocktails, plenty of eating, networking with stylists and photographers specializing in print food (advertising, editorial, cookbook) images from 15+ countries should be really interesting and educational. (photo: property of Food For Film Stylist®)

Exciting Las Vegas Uncork'd Culinary Event May 2009

Check out this fabulous Las Vegas Dining and no-whining (lots of wine/beer) 4-day event called Vegas Uncork'd. Starting May 7-10, 2009 sponsored by Bon Appetit Magazine in my favorite food city of Las Vegas, Nevada is where all the foremost celebrity chefs convene for cocktails, wine & cuisine seminars, stylish dining, and my favorite Friday night "Grand Tasting" under a gigantic marquee tent poolside at Caesar's Palace. There is even a chefs blackjack tournament at the gorgeous Encore Resort and a celebrity chef cook-off battle!

I attended last year and ate my fill with world-class chefs Joel Robuchon, Guy Savoy, Herbert Keller, Paul Bartolotta and the list goes on. It's a great value for the ticket price and all the famous strip restaurants are featured. Definitely no skimpy portions either. It's cool, so go!

Welcome to Food For Film Stylists®

Greetings and welcome to my blog.

“We eat with our eyes,” says Los Angeles-based Food Stylist and Food Network Challenge Judge, Alice Hart. She is the Paris-trained chef, artist and uber-professional behind Food for Film Stylists®. Her culinary philosophy takes on an extra dimension when cooking for yet a third critical eye—the camera lens. To watch her in action, whipping, dipping, stirring, whirring, folding and molding anything conceivably edible into appetizing visions literally too good to eat, one quickly sees her thirty years of experience and her “Grande Diplomate” credentials from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris at work. 

As an illusionist, there is none better. Hart’s techniques in making a product appear hot, cool, wet, moist, crunchy or crispy in front of a still or moving camera are legendary. By creating this instant appetite appeal for a stellar client list including Nestle Foods, Coca Cola, Miller Beer, Starbucks Coffee and Haagen-Dazs, Hart keeps them coming back for more.  

As good as her artistry and cooking skills are, Hart’s clients also know she will bring the job in on budget, before the pie is out of the oven. She simply has an eye for it, and a heart. 

You can also check me out on my website  foodforfilm.com 

I will be writing about food styling, restaurant reviews (my favorite food town is Las Vegas), celebrity chefs, cool culinary events, including the TV Food Network Challenge shows that I appear on as a professional judge.   I'm also an American Rose Society Horticultural Judge and Consulting Rosarian so gardening will be included.