The Curated Board with Bebe Black Carminito

How did you get started in food styling and cookbook writing?

My journey into food styling and cookbook writing began with a love of baking. When I was a kid, my mom actually didn’t let me help much in the kitchen, but since she didn’t like baking, I took over that role. It fueled my obsession with being in the kitchen and creating something delicious.  

In the 1990s, I discovered Martha Stewart’s magazines, cookbooks, and TV shows, and they inspired me to dream of working in food professionally. Before making the leap, I had a different career in cosmetics and musical theatre. While working as a makeup artist at Saks Fifth Avenue, I helped Shelley Lindgren pick out makeup for a James Beard Award event. That connection led to me staging at her restaurant A16, which helped me get my start in the food world.  

After working as a pastry chef at several restaurants and attending a workshop in France, I realized that food styling was my true passion. I cold-emailed a San Francisco food photographer to offer my assistance, eventually leading me to work with Leslie Jonas, a prominent food writer who later became my agent.  

During the pandemic, my husband and I couldn’t go out for our weekly date nights, so I started creating themed boards for Friday nights at home. These “nibble boards” featured different cuisines and creative themes, elevating our time together. Leslie saw these boards on Instagram and reached out about writing a cookbook, which led to my book deal.

“Writing my own cookbook was a dream come true,” Bebe says.

Tell us more about your book, The Curated Board

The Curated Board celebrates creativity, collaboration, and culture. For this book, I wanted to highlight a global perspective by including menu inspirations from eight talented Bay Area food creators. Each contributed a recipe menu to complement the boards. Including them in this project felt like the perfect way to honor the diverse heritage and authenticity behind the recipes.  

The book features various ideas for platters, sheet pans, and boards, allowing you to customize your menu based on the size of your gathering and guest preferences. From a crudité “sips and dips” menu full of seasonal vegetables and vibrant dips to thematic boards for any occasion, the possibilities are endless.

Creating beautiful boards at home is simpler than you think. Start with the freshest produce and ingredients, and use little tricks like adding lemon juice to keep apples fresh or misting your vegetables to keep them crisp and bright. 

But my favorite advice? Give yourself time to enjoy the moment. 

“Do all your prep ahead of time, and about 30 minutes before your guests arrive, make a point to sit, pour yourself a glass of wine, relax, and enjoy the moment,” Bebe recommends.

The Curated Board: Inspired Platters and Spreads for Any Occassion, by Bebe Black Carminito (Harry N. Abrams, 2024).

Learn more

Listen to the full podcast episode here, learn more on her website, atinysoiree.com, and follow along on Instagram @champagneandcookies and @atinysoiree.