PANCAKES: An Interview with Food Stylist Victoria Granof
April’s login page makes us hungry long past 11AM. Food stylist Victoria Granof gives us an inside look at how she made breakfast so stylish.
What are a few details and processes that go into food styling that we’d never guess?
My process begins with composition, color, texture, etc. – the basic principles of design – and then I bring the food into it. I bet you didn’t know that we had to spray Scotchgard on the pancakes so the syrup didn’t soak in. And that there were marbles in the eggs to keep them fluffy.
Everyone was talking about this breakfast scene – while you were working, did you think it would create such a buzz?
I hoped it would be well-received, but I’m pleasantly surprised that it was such a hit.
Who doesn’t love breakfast food? What was your initial thought when you heard the idea?
I thought it would be a fun job, and appeal to everyone – pancakes are the great equalizer!
Pancakes, eggs, bacon, and home fries – were other breakfast options considered?
We considered sausages (too phallic), fruit (ho hum), and I think waffles might have been bandied about at one point.
Is this your favorite breakfast?
Bacon and eggs are my favorite, for sure.
How many attempts did it take to get that syrup logo just right?
It was captured in many, many parts and then put together.
Where/when was this taken? I’m picturing an old-school diner really early in the morning – is that the case? What do you hope people would envision for the scene?
It was taken in a studio at mid-day. Glad you pictured the old-school diner – we did our job! That’s exactly what we hoped people would envision, and in no particular city or time.
All right, who did the cooking?
I did!
How long did the shoot take?
About 4 hours.
Any stand-out moments during the shoot?
My favorite on-set moment was finding the Virgin Mary’s image in one of the pancakes. Kidding!
