Food Gone Wrong

Cookbook and food magazine photography is designed to make the food look enticing, but really, where's the fun in something looking good? Food gone wrong is much more interesting. There are many websites dedicated to scary recipes and odd food combinations.

Explore Frightening Food Online

There are some great internet sites featuring odd food photography or marketing.

The Gallery of Regrettable Foods
J. Lilleks has compiled a series of 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s food advertisements that are charming, corny, and feature forgotten foods like Spry and the reminder that once upon a time 7-Up was used to "freshen up" food, including meats.

Mid-Century Menu
This is a blog by a couple, Ruth and Tom, who cook recipes from mid-century cookbooks. Tuna Pizza is a featured meal. It involves condensed milk. Lots of scary looking food on this site.

Pundo3000
This site is in German, but all you need to know it that a group of German photographers who prepared packaged foods according to the directions on the package and then staged the food as it looked on the packaging. Their dedication to matching the packaging is pretty impressive. And you get to see what Corny Milch Sandwiches look like.

Proper Food Presentation

If you prefer your food to be admired (and eaten), here are some books about how to present food properly:

• Food Styling For Photographers: A Guide To Creating Your Own Appetizing Art by Linda Bellingham, Jean Ann Bybee; with Brad G. Rogers
• The Food Stylist's Handbook by Denise Vivaldo with Cindie Flannigan
• Professional Baking Wayne Gisslen ; photography by J. Gerard Smith ; with a foreword by André J. Cointreau
• Kate's Cake Decorating : Techniques And Tips For Fun And Fancy Cakes Baked With Love Kate Sullivan ; photographs by Gabrielle Revere

Author Bio:

Cynthia R. once made an angel food cake and buttered the pan before baking it...experienced bakers will understand what happened next and all the frosting in the world couldn't help.