Acclaimed food stylist Denise Vivaldo shares the tips and secrets of the trade with cooks and foodies alike who want to become master stylists. It takes a steady hand to arrange the chocolate curls and drizzle the caramel sauce in elaborate designs on top of that sumptuous tiered cake. Whether for food blogs, television, books, magazines, movies, menus, or advertising, food stylists and photographers learn to slice, plate, tweak, and arrange so the dish becomes less a bit of food and more the work of an artisan.

With Denise and coauthor Cindie Flannigan's help, you'll find out how...