Meredith Corporation is one of downtown Des Moines' most familiar buildings. But what happens inside might surprise you.
The company says 75 million women read its magazines, books and websites. And if you've ever looked at one of their recipes, it's been tested and photographed right here in Des Moines.
The Meredith Test Kitchen is where about a dozen women cook the recipes and make sure they are perfect before they're ever shared with you. After the baking and the cooking, the chef's meet with editors to taste the food and make sure it's just right. Sometimes recipes take a lot of tweaking.
After everyone agrees the recipe is ready for publication, it's ready for the photo shoot. A staff of photographers, editors and food and set stylists get the food ready for its close up.
It's not as easy as it may sound. The food stylists have to pick out the right dishes and backdrop and make sure the food looks perfect. Sometimes this means using tweezers and spraying the food with water to make it look fresh. As one food stylist put it, "The food needs to look good enough that you want to make it at home."
The company says 75 million women read its magazines, books and websites. And if you've ever looked at one of their recipes, it's been tested and photographed right here in Des Moines.
The Meredith Test Kitchen is where about a dozen women cook the recipes and make sure they are perfect before they're ever shared with you. After the baking and the cooking, the chef's meet with editors to taste the food and make sure it's just right. Sometimes recipes take a lot of tweaking.
After everyone agrees the recipe is ready for publication, it's ready for the photo shoot. A staff of photographers, editors and food and set stylists get the food ready for its close up.
It's not as easy as it may sound. The food stylists have to pick out the right dishes and backdrop and make sure the food looks perfect. Sometimes this means using tweezers and spraying the food with water to make it look fresh. As one food stylist put it, "The food needs to look good enough that you want to make it at home."
