Ep 4. A Picture Worth Eating

Valerie's Home Cooking season 6 episode 4, entitled "A Picture Worth Eating", centers around the joy of taking photos of food. Valerie Bertinelli, the host of the show, finds that the right lighting and composition can make a dish look almost too beautiful to eat. Valerie believes that good food photography leads to better cooking because when you are able to appreciate the beauty of a dish, you are more likely to enjoy the flavors and textures.

In this episode, Valerie is joined by her good friend and fellow food enthusiast, Gail Simmons. Gail is a food writer and judge on Top Chef, and she has an appreciation for beautiful food photography. Together, Valerie and Gail cook several dishes and photograph them in different settings to explore how the environment affects the look of the food.

First up is Valerie's roasted eggplant dip. She pairs it with a platter of colorful vegetables and sets them outside on her patio to take advantage of the natural light. She and Gail play around with different angles and backgrounds to find the perfect shot. While they are taking photos, Valerie reveals that she used to take pictures of all her meals and send them to her mom, who was always so proud of her cooking.

Next, Valerie and Gail make a classic spaghetti and meatballs dish. They use Gail's grandmother's recipe and add a twist by using turkey instead of beef. They set up the dish on a rustic wooden table with a red and white checkered tablecloth, evoking an Italian trattoria vibe. Valerie shows Gail how to adjust the lighting to enhance the shape and texture of the pasta and meatballs.

For dessert, Valerie makes a blueberry crumble with an oat and walnut topping. She serves it in individual ramekins and they try photographing it both with and without ice cream. The ice cream melts quickly in the heat of the photo lights, which becomes a challenge. Valerie and Gail discuss the importance of capturing texture in food photos, like the crumbly topping on the crumble. They also discuss how certain colors, like the bright purple of the blueberries, can make a dish look especially tempting.

Throughout the episode, Valerie and Gail chat about their love of food and cooking. They discuss their favorite restaurants and how they both have fond memories of cooking with their grandmothers. They also talk about how social media has changed the way we consume food culture, and how people now share photos of their meals as a way to connect with others.

At the end of the show, Valerie and Gail sit down to a meal of all the dishes they photographed. They discuss their favorite shots and reminisce about their cooking adventures together. Overall, "A Picture Worth Eating" is a fun and lighthearted exploration of the art of food photography and the many ways that food brings people together.