Science tells us that when it comes to food, if it looks good, it'll taste even better. Our brains, in fact, use all of our senses to decide what's appealing to eat—by the way it looks, feels, smells, and, of course, tastes.

But our love of good things to eat extends beyond our physiological needs. Artists paint, sculpt and photograph beautiful displays of food for our enjoyment—and many chefs create dishes that are truly works of art. 

Enjoy this tasteful selection from our collection bringing food and art together.


Compiled by:
Paula G. O.
 Bake It Like You Mean It: Gorgeous Cakes from Inside Out

Gesine Bullock-Prado
641.815 Bul

Every cake in this book is thoughtfully built to be beautiful on the outside as well as the inside. Making the Dulce de Leche-Nutella Cream Torte (page 183) felt like I was creating a super tasty piece of art.


Around the Board: Boards, Platters, Plates

Emily Delaney
641.812 Del

With a chapter for Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, you'll learn to make nearly 50 creative, delicious boards that capitalize on the flavors and festivities of the season. Complete with suggested flavor and beverage pairings, styling tips, ingredient profiles, and more, Around the Board creates visually stunning platters.


Beautiful Boards: 50 Amazing Snack Boards for any Occasion

Maegan Brown
641.53 Bro

Over 50 creative and delicious food boards that are inspiring and easy to recreate with easy-to-find foods, ranging from breakfast boards and dessert boards to any special occasion board you would ever need. The arragements are masterpieces to behold.


Bite By Bite: 100 Stylish Little Plates You Can Make for Any Party

Peter Callahan
641.812 Cal

What is it about tiny foods that makes them seem more like works of art? Each page is a new delight for the eye: check out the artistry in the detail of a miniature stack of pancakes placed next to a large fork, or meatballs with rounds of spaghetti swirled on top.


Dinner with Jackson Pollock : Recipes, Art & Nature

Robyn Lea
641.5 Lea

A wonderful collection of recipes collected from the famous painter's handwritten notes, as well as from his family and friends. Included along with photographs of each dish and Pollock's paintings are tales about the artist, courtesy of the people close to him. A perfect mashup of food and art.


Eating Eternity: Food, Art and Literature in France

John Baxter
Adult Nonfiction - 641.013 Bax

The French have always celebrated the relationship between food, art and literature.  Baxter weaves together food history, artists and authors for a view of the meals, paintings and books that make French culture.  A feast for the eyes and the palate.

 


Elegant Pie: Transform Your Favorite Pie into Works of Art

Karin Pfeiff-Boschek
641.8652 Pfe

Elegant Pie is almost exclusively a book on how to create artwork out of pie crust.  The book includes numerous projects with templates for cutouts.  Step-by-step photographs are included for creating all the wonderful designs which are divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced projects. 



Bill Robbins

A great course from LinkedIn Learning on picking the right camera, setting a mood, photographing in restaurants, and more.  View the course


The Food Stylist's Handbook

Denise Vivaldo
778.9964 Viv

Learn all about how foods are prepped for those perfect photos in print and film. Vivaldo, a food stylist in Los Angeles, shares her tips and tricks for making food look like art for the camera.


Japanese Pâtisserie: Exploring the Beautiful and Delicious Fusion of East Meets West

James Campbell
641.86 Cam

This is a fusion of Japanese ingredients and carefully precise creations combined with French pastries.  The finished desserts look like edible works of art.  The recipes are elegant and somewhat complex, but still accessible to the home baker.


Les Dîners de Gala

Salvador Dalí
641.5944 Dal

Dalí meets cooking, and the results are surreal—and totally decadent. Includes gorgeous photographs of recipes and illustrations by Dalí. The recipes, though rather complex, are amazing just to peruse. 


Modern Art Desserts : Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Confections, and Frozen Treats Based on Iconic Works of Art

Caitlin Freeman
641.86 Fre

Included here are desserts inspired to look like modern pieces of art. These don't necessarily mimic the original artwork, so much as they evoke some aspect of it. While some of the recipes are complex to execute, others are as simple as pulling together a cheese plate to look like Mark Bradford's Strawberry.


Pie Style: Stunning Designs and Flavorful Fillings You Can Make at Home

Helen Nugent
641.8652 Nug

The pies in Pie Style are stunning masterpieces of art, but Helen Nugent provides complete instructions to creating beautiful pies at home. Braided, embossed, cut out, colored, and shaped crust techniques are described in detail and with useful photographs.


Pieometry: Modern Tart Art and Pie Design for the Eye and the Palate

Lauren Ko
641.8652 Ko

The pie-making genius behind the popular Instagram account @lokokitchen reveals the secrets behind her mind-blowing creations. Details on how to cut, braid, and otherwise combine fruits, flour, and other ingredients into precisely positioned designs.


Plate to Pixel: Digital Food Photography & Styling

Hélène Dujardin
778.99641 Duj

If you're looking to create your own photographic masterpieces—or just trying to get better pictures of your dinner on Instagram—this book gives you all the details on lighting, composition and more.  There's even a whole section on taking pictures of different types of foods.


Salad for President : A Cookbook Inspired by Artists

Julia Sherman
Adult Nonfiction - 641.83 She

Julia Sherman gives us a wonderful book full of beautiful salads.  She also gives us a generous peek at the artists who created this edible art.  The recipes are approachable and stretch the bounds of what can be considered a salad with everything from soup to desserts and more standard green salads.  Creativity takes salad in new and interesting directions with great eye appeal.


Table Decorations with Fruits and Vegetables

Angkana Neumayer
Adult Nonfiction - 642.8 Neu

Food cut precisely to turn it into works of art for the plate and table.  Gourds, melons, apples and many other fruits and vegetables become flowers, fish, leaves and more in the many different projects.  Detailed instructions for cutting and information on proper cutting tools is provided.