Before There Was "Tablescaping"

I was looking for a recipe recently in what is known at my house as "The Cookbook" and it occurred to me. I've been tablescaping a long time...long before I had ever heard the term. Back in 1985 when I was a mere twelve years old (just checking to see if you are reading :), I co-edited a cookbook for a local charitable organization in my old hometown. Three of us headed a large committee that worked tirelessly for a year and a half to produce a first class cookbook that has since sold close to 100,000 copies...and we did it on a wing and a prayer.

There was not a professional among us stagers. Nobody had ever heard of food styling. The photographer was a professional--the same couple who had done all of our wedding pictures and baby portraits. But we had a town rich in beauty, heritage, good cooks, and elegant hostesses. This is one of the first photos we took against the backdrop of the Mississippi River. I apologize for the quality of the photos. They are photos of photos. Pictures are long since lost.

I don't think there was any such thing as "faux food". Photographing food in heat before the aspic melted or the icing slid off the cake was a challenge! All the cooking was done by our committee. Garnishes, dishes, and accessories were painstakingly planned and gathered.

This was one of my favorite my favorite shoots. While the cotton farmer was more than willing to let us photograph in his field, he could not afford to stop the harvest. The cotton pickers in the background are just business going on as usual.

Beautiful antebellum homes were the sites for some of our photo shoots. You've seen this china before on my table. It's my Rosalinde by Haviland--breakfast for two in one of the grand private homes that has been lovingly restored.

This one is called "After the Theatre Encore" and was taken in another beautiful home said to be inhabited by the ghost of a former resident. We waited for the swishing of petticoats and the smell of a strange perfume, but we were alone on this particular day.

I suppose this is one of my personal favorites--partly because it's dessert and partly because my grandmother's cake plate has a prominent spot. You've seen it before here. It continues to be the focal point for lots of special occasions at my house. I think this is tablescaping, don't you?...even if it's in a cotton field or the bank of a river. Susan at Between Naps on the Porch is graciously hosting Tablescape Thursday. Click the button to visit her and a list of talented tablescapers.

And just in case you're hungry now, here is the recipe for maple parfait pictured in the crystal goblet above . Michael at Designs by Gollum is hosting Foodie Friday. She's just a click away on my sidebar. Thanks to Susan and Michael!

Maple Parfait

Heat 1/2 cup pure maple syrup. Pour over two beaten egg yolks. Combine and cook in a double boiler for fifteen minutes. Cool and fold in the two egg whites which have been stiffly beaten. Fold in 1/2 pint of heavy cream which has been whipped. Fold in one cup of chopped pecans. Pour into parfait glasses and chill.