What a great crew to work with. This past shoot working with Cheese Connoisseur and Grana Padano from Italy was such a blast. These type of projects remind me how fun my job is! We created various recipes using Grana Padano cheese product for the next issue of Cheese Connoisseur and for use directly with Grana Padano. These recipes showed how versatile a savory cheese can be. Some of the recipes we photographed were quesadillas, farrow salad, and apple galette. The mixture of the melted cheese with these acidic foods really worked well. The cheese itself was good on its own and created beautiful toppings to the dishes. For the photo shoot these Grana Padano cheese wheels and cuts were hand picked from Italy and delivered to the states for this shoot. They take their product very seriously and are proud of what it is all about. That type of passion for food really speaks levels and made the day all that much better. The beautiful cheese rinds were apparent in every photo, so you know to use the best when making these recipes. To finish out the day we did a gorgeous stack of cheeses with a rich slate as the background and a huge rustic chopping block as the base. This translated to authentic Italian.

I was able to try and practice my Italian at the end of the shoot, and sure enough I still need practice.

Ironically the next day Food and Wine Magazine featured Grana Padano cheese as a good way to prevent high blood pressure.

Food Styling: Jen Beauchesne

Prop Styling: Deb Donahue

Assistant/BTS Photos: Kat DeLeon

Studio: Neo Studios

Jen Beauchesne
http://jenbeauchesne.com/

1.While you were studying photography at RIT did you have a specialty you wanted to pursue?

I actually went into RIT as a freshman thinking I wanted to shoot fashion, but quickly learned I was much happier shooting still life in the studio rather than models. Once we got to start taking electives the first one I choose was Food Photography and I just knew that's exactly what I wanted to do.

2.When did you decide to change over from photography to food styling?

I decided to switch over about a year ago when I realized I was much happier on the other side of the lens and in the kitchen.

3.Who have you worked with/admired to help hone your skills as a stylist?

I work with Sunny Ricks a lot she is an amazing stylist who has taught me so much about this industry and has been the best helping me transition from Boston to NYC.

4.Do you like to cook yourself?

Yes, I love cooking for myself, although I don't always have time, I try to find time on the weekends to try new recipes!

5.Do you prefer to style one type of food over another?

No real preference on what kind of foods, I love them all :)

6.Any dream clients you would like to work with?

I would love to style for Donna Hay Magazine, I absolutely adore their aesthetic and quality of work.

7.What has been the most difficult thing for you to style?

The most difficult thing for me to style was actually a bowl of mayo, the photographer wanted it one way and the client, who was weighing in remotely, wanted it another way, so there was a lot of back and forth and the mayo kept congealing, not fun, but we got thru it!

8.What is your must have tool on set?

I would say my must have tool would be my tweezers, I have about five different pairs, all for different uses.

B.T.S. Cheese Connoisseur and Grana Padano Cheese

Food Stylist: Jen Beauchesne