Welcome to The Artful Gourmet food blog home page – a celebration of food and cooking through colorful recipes, stories and photography, created by Kristen Hess – Food Stylist/Photographer, Content Creator and Voice of The Artful Gourmet Podcast and The Artful Gourmet YouTube channel, and Substack Newsletter.
Food is more than something we eat — it’s art, culture, creativity, and joy.
The Artful Gourmet takes you behind the scenes of the culinary world with inspiring recipes, food styling and photography tips, travel and culinary adventures, food and beverage videos, and fun conversations with other chefs, creators, entrepreneurs, and tastemakers.
NEW LIVE FOOD STYLING & PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
We are also starting to do free live food styling & photography webinars monthly, starting in June 2026. These live events will be 2-hours on YouTube live or Substack live, and I’ll be pulling back the curtain on how I create my shots – from styling to lighting to final capture.
You’ll learn:
✨ How to style food like a pro (even at home)
✨ My exact lighting setup (simple + elevated)
✨ Composition tricks that instantly upgrade your photos
✨ Real-time shooting + breakdown
This is the stuff I use for brand shoots, campaigns, and editorial work—and I’m sharing it live.
📷 LIVE WEBINAR
📅June 10, 10 am-12 pm EST
⏰ 2 hour demo & Q+A session
👉 Save your spot (free):
kristen-hess-artful-gourmet.kit.com/livedemo
Spots are limited because I’ll be answering questions live—don’t wait.
THE ARTFUL GOURMET PODCAST | With Kristen Hess
Welcome to the intersection of culinary artistry, creative business, and retro soul. Hosted by Kristen Hess—professional Food Stylist, Commercial Photographer, Content Creator and featured cast member of the 2026 “Women In Power” TV series—this is the podcast for those who believe life should be lived artfully, one bite at a time.
From the high-stakes sets of NYC to the vibrant flavors of the modern kitchen, Kristen pulls back the lens on what it truly takes to build a creative life and a thriving brand.
The Artful Gourmet Podcast features three signature series:
✨ INTO FOCUS
Bring your vision and your business into high definition. This mindset and motivational series dives deep into the psychology of creativity, keys to success, staying focused and positive, the “Art of the Pivot,” and the resilience needed to succeed as a modern entrepreneur.
Watch/Listen to the series here
🎙️ UNFILTERED (New Series!)
Raw, real, and inspiring conversations with the Creators, Tastemakers, and Movers & Shakers who are redefining their industries. Kristen sits down with world-class entrepreneurs to uncover the unfiltered stories behind their greatest successes and most pivotal lessons.
🕺 GROOVY EATS SHOW
Step into the culinary time machine! This nostalgic series celebrates the iconic food, music, and culture of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Featuring guest artists and reimagined retro recipes, we’re bringing the “Groovy” back to the kitchen with style and soul.
Watch Season 1: The 1970’s here
Join the Community
Whether you’re a foodie, a founder, or a fan of the “Hero Shot,” subscribe to stay inspired, stay focused, and stay groovy.
👉 Watch the “Women In Power” TV Teaser:
👉 Get Kristen’s Free Guide “The Art of Photography” with helpful tips on creating beautiful food photos here:
https://kristen-hess-artful-gourmet.kit.com/cdefcfc38e
📸 Follow the Journey: @artfulgourmet Instagram/ Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest
THE ARTFUL GOURMET® YOUTUBE | With Kristen Hess
Welcome to the intersection of culinary artistry, creative business, and a touch of retro soul. I’m Kristen Hess—a professional Food Stylist, Commercial Photographer, and your guide to living a more “Artful” life.
With over 15 years of experience styling for global brands like H-E-B, Publix, KitchenAid, Food Network, and Chipotle, I created this channel to pull back the curtain on the world of professional food media and the mindset it takes to thrive as a creative.
📺 WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE CHANNEL:
- The Artful Gourmet Video Podcast: Join me for deep-dive conversations with industry leaders, chefs, and entrepreneurs. We bring your creative life “Into Focus” by discussing the hustle, the pivots, and the passion behind the scenes.
- Groovy Eats: Step back in time with my retro cooking series! We celebrate the iconic flavors, music, and culture of the 70s, 80s, and 90s—reimagining classic recipes with a modern, artful twist.
- Behind the Lens: Get an insider’s look at professional food styling, photography tips, and my journey as a featured cast member on the 2026 “Women In Power” TV series (Inside Success TV Network).
- View more on my Women In Power TV episode
- View the official press release about my upcoming episode on Women in Power TV
✨ ABOUT KRISTEN HESS:
Based in NYC and San Antonio, I’ve spent my career creating “Hero Shots” for national ad campaigns, websites, TV commercials and videos, social media content and photography for five cookbooks in NYC. My recipes have been featured in the NY Times Food section, and I have had my food writing published in Downtown magazine NYC, NYS restaurant association campaigns, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food & Drink, and many other food blogs and websites for major food and beverage brands since 2012.
Whether I’m on a high-stakes commercial set or in my own kitchen, I believe every meal is an opportunity for art.
LET’S GET COOKING:
🍴 View my Food Styling & Photography Portfolio https://www.Kristen-Hess.com
🎙️ Listen on Apple/Amazon/iHeartRadio/Spotify: The Artful Gourmet Podcast
📸 Social: @artfulgourmet FB/IG/X/Pinterest
🎬 TikTok: https://www.TikTok.com/@foodiegirl87
📲 Join the Community on my new Kit Community page and email newsletter site with all the latest news and updates and online booking site for my food styling, photography and content creation services
📸 View my Food Styling and Photography Packages here
🌐 Contact Me https://www.Kristen-Hess.com/contact
🔗 Linktree https://linktr.ee/theartfulgourmet
👛 My ShopMy store with curated and handpicked favorites
🍳 My Amazon store with favorite kitchen tools and cookware, cookbooks, photography gear, fashion and beauty favs
☕️Buy Me a Coffee if you’re enjoying the content we are creating and want to support us with a small tip or donation that helps us stay motivated to keep creating fresh content for all of you
📺 For brand collabs and sponsorship inquiries reach out to us on this contact form
Stay Artful. Stay Groovy.
