Every chef knows that people “eat with their eyes” and constructs a plate of food accordingly. It takes a special set of skills, however, to plate food that’s meant to be consumed only as an image.
Adam C. Banks, a classically trained private chef based in Astoria, began developing these skills when he realized that the food he was cooking for a television show wasn’t visually attractive enough to be shown on screen. To evoke the sense of culinary desire that his team wanted their audiences to have, he took his first steps towards becoming a professional food stylist.
The key difference between cooking for a camera and cooking for a person is a complete lack of accountability to taste. As a chef, Banks is extremely sensitive to flavor, temperature, and texture. As a stylist, he optimizes for color, shape, and durability. When preparing a fruit-based dessert he’ll trade in whipped cream for shaving cream, skip cooking steps to preserve the whole shape of a ripe berry, and use vegetable oil in ways he never would at a private party. When making enchiladas or gyros he’ll stuff the insides with instant mashed potatoes instead of meat, to give each roll a perfectly cylindrical shape. Whether he’s reaching for a hairdryer or a blowtorch, each decision in service of the camera can become its own puzzle, which Banks is free to solve without worrying about a hungry horde of diners.
Cooking (not to mention seeing people enjoy the food he’s just served) remains Banks’ favorite thing to do. Yet, he continues to work in food styling to secure his income, expand his skill set, and continue feeding his love of a perfectly plated dish—whether that dish is edible or not.
See more of Adam’s work on Instagram.
© Photographs by Donnelly Marks.
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