A seasoned food professional¬ with over 30 years of experience, Denise has taught the art and business of food styling to students from around the world. She shares her vast experience and insight into what knowledge is important for beginners and those who already have years into the business. She knows what prospective clients are looking for. She also knows every tip, trick and technique in the book for making food look it’s best in front of the camera and making it last until that perfect photo can be taken.
Denise Vivaldo has catered more than 10,000 parties and has cooked for such guests as George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles, Bette Midler, Suzanne Somers, Merv Griffin, Cher, Aaron Spelling, Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. She began her culinary training at the Ritz Escoffier and La Varenne in Paris then graduated Chef de Cuisine from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Denise spent numerous years as a professor at UCLA’s Culinary Program and at her Alma Mater, the California Culinary Academy. Denise’s televisions clients carried her into media food styling.
Denise is the author of eight books: The Food Styling Handbook, winner of numerous awards and considered to be the food styling bible; How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, which has sold more than 150,000 copies and is in its 7th edition; How to Start a Home-Based Personal Chef Business, now in its 2nd edition; The Entertaining Encyclopedia, winner of the Cordon d’Or for International Culinary Entertainment, and its companion book Perfect Table Settings; Do It For Less! Parties, and Do It For Less! Weddings, entertaining books with quantity recipes and winners of IACP Cookbook Awards; and The Top 100 Napkin Folds, winner of the Mom’s Choice Award.
In addition to books, Denise is a contributing blogger for the Huffington Post as well as her own blog, Denise Vivaldo Blogs.
Denise is also a featured speaker at culinary conventions all over the globe: Fabulous Food, CaterSource, and Food & Wine Conference, Disney Food & Wine, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, the Santa Barbara Food and Wine Festival, Women Chefs and Restauranteurs, the Paris Cookbook Awards, the National Association for Catering and Events, and Europe’s Food Photo Festival.
Denise has been a featured guest on a variety of television shows including Good Day L.A., Next Door with Katie Brown, At Home with Lisa Quinn on Live Well Network, ABC Morning News, the Japanese Drama Channel, TV Food Network’s UnWrapped, Home & Garden Network, TV Guide Channel, SoapNet, Lifetime TV, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, TV Land with Betty White and Home and Family with Christina Ferrari.
As a consultant, Denise assists companies to better their products. Clients include The Meyer Corporation, Hamilton Beach, QVC, Hunt-Wesson/ConAgra, Euro Direct, Hy-vee, Capital Brands, Future Kitchen Technologies, Bradshaw International, the Canned Food Alliance, the California Avocado Board, the Hass Avocado Board, The Milk Advisory Board, Disney, and Mann’s Chinese Theater.
Denise has helped many people with their cookbooks, including: Celebrate by Elizabeth Kurtz, Pure Food by Veronica Bosgraaf, Skinny Bitch and Vegan Baking with the Skinny Bitch by Kim Barnouin; Mariel’s Healthy Kitchen by Mariel Hemmingway; The Date Night Cookbook by Meredith Phillips; Somersize Fast and Easy Cookbook , Somersize Desserts, Somersize Chocolate, and Eat, Cheat and Melt the Fat Away, by Suzanne Somers; The Food Mover Cookbook and Steam Away the Pounds! by Richard Simmons; The Calorie Countdown Cookbook by Juan-Carlos Cruz; Eat, Taste, Heal by Dr. Tom Yarema; The 3-Hour Diet Cookbook by Jorge Cruise; and Hey, Mom! I’m Hungry! by Susan Powter.
A former art director and graphic designer, Cindie began working with Denise in 2001. She styles food for film and print, develops and tests recipes, and authors books including Do it for Less! Parties, Do It For Less! Weddings, The Entertaining Encyclopedia, Perfect Table Settings, and The Food Stylist’s Handbook, winner of numerous awards and considered to be the food styling bible. Cindie also designs and manages the Denise Vivaldo Group’s marketing, communications, website and social media. Additionally, she is a contributing writer and photographer to DIY Weddings Magazine.
Cindie teaches food styling workshops in Los Angeles as well as private and corporate classes across the country. Students come from all over the world to learn her food styling techniques and tricks.
She has worked on dozens of cookbooks, some of her favorites are Celebrate by Elizabeth Kurtz, Skinny Bitch Bakery and Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook by Kim Barnouin, Pure Food: Eat Clean with Seasonal Plant-Based Recipes by Veronica Bosgraaf, Mariel’s Healthy Kitchen by Mariel Hemmingway; The Date Night Cookbook by Meredith Phillips; Somersize Fast and Easy Cookbook, Somersize Desserts, Somersize Chocolate and Somersize Cocktails by Suzanne Somers.
Her food styling and recipe developing clients include Viking River Cruises, The Good Cook and Bradshaw International, Chicken of the Sea, Minute Rice, Genova, California Avocado Commission, Hass Avocado Board, Mexican Avocado Board, California Strawberries, California Tomato Growers Association, California Table Grape Association, The Walnut Board, Sunkist, Melissa’s Specialty Produce, Disney Family and Disney Celebration Center, Farmer John’s, Magic Bullet and Nutri Bullet, NutriSystem, ThinkThin, Kraft, Dole, King’s Hawaiian Bread, Duncan Hines, Trader Joe’s, Vons, Safeway, Bristol Farms, Fresh & Easy Markets, Costco, Walmart, Hamilton Beach, Golin Harris, DS Simon Productions, Auritt Communications Group, Capitol Brands, Padilla CRT, Good Day LA, Access Hollywood, Extra!, KTLA, KABC, Fox TV, USA Network, Bravo, Univision, The TV Guide Channel and TV Land.
In addition to graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Cindie also studied web design at the UCLA, film editing and special effects at the American Film Institute, and graphic design at Otis Art Institute/Parson’s School of Design.
Since 2019 Cindie has been producing the Women Beyond A Certain Age podcast since. She has also been producing and editing the new Professional Food Styling Video Classes on Podia. You can find out more about on her LinkedIn.
Paty Winters has been working with the Denise Vivaldo Group ever since completing our Culinary Entrepreneurship Program in 2004. She is a professionally trained chef and a graphic designer for more than 20 years. Paty has extensive experience in food styling, recipe development, and backstage kitchen management. She has worked on projects for cookbooks, product packaging, the internet, and television. She is an integral part of the production and editing team for our new Professional Food Styling Video Classes on Podia. A longtime resident of Santa Paula, Paty is an integral part of the DVG team as we expand our services north to Ventura county. Find out more about Paty on her own website.
Paty Winters has been working with the Denise Vivaldo Group for several years, ever since completing our Culinary Entrepreneurship Program in 2004. She is a professionally trained chef and has been a graphic designer for more than 20 years.
Paty has extensive experience in food styling, recipe development, and backstage kitchen management. She has worked on projects for cookbooks, product packaging, the internet, and television.
A longtime resident of Santa Paula, Paty is an integral part of the DVG team as we expand our services north to Ventura county.