Do you find yourself asking, "Where should I store these dehydrated crackers?" or "Can I freeze this raw soup?" Good questions! After all, you want to keep your precious raw ingredients & recipes as fresh as possible, right?

In this post, I will discuss best practices for the storage of whole raw foods and prepared raw dishes, along with storage location and types of containers.

Not Storage Material!

Do not store your oh-so-yummy green smoothie in the fridge. You've probably learned this the hard way! Smoothies are best enjoyed straight out of the blender. If stored in the fridge, smoothies lose flavor and texture (consistency). A big ugh to stored smoothies!

Same with raw soups. Don't store your leftover tomato soup in the blender in the fridge (a double faux pas!).

When it comes to storing salad, don't store leafy greens with dressing already on board. They just aren't happy when you do that! Store your fave dressing in a separate container from your salad to avoid sogginess. 

Store your prepared vegetables in individual containers. Each veggie has a different storage time. Shredded carrots won't last as long as chopped broccoli, for example. Plus you want your flavors to stay true, right? So store your veggies separately!

Where & For How long?

Prepared recipes:

Pates & nut-based spreads/dressings: Savory recipes like Walnut Pate and Alfredo Sauce will store well in the fridge (3 days).

Dehydrated savory recipes: Store in the freezer! If you keep dehydrated items in the fridge, they will absorb moisture and go soft. Yuck! So store in the freezer! Toss your dehydrated goodies (like dehydrated burgers, crackers and pizza crust) in ziploc bags and freeze. Eat right out of the freezer or let sit on counter for 5-10 minutes.

Or you can even toss them in the dehydrator, just long enough to warm them up and take any extra moisture out. Dehydrated crackers retain their consistency and flavor extremely well. I recommend letting them cool off after dehydrating, then putting them straight into the freezer. Any nut-heavy dehydrated savory recipe will keep well in the freezer. Not the fridge!

Two weeks is my maximum freezing time for anything, but that's just me.

Desserts: Most of my raw dessert recipes are stored in the freezer (if it says to store in freezer, then make sure you do!).

This is a necessity for these recipes due to their ingredients (like coconut oil). Fruit-based desserts (like pies) store best in the freezer, as the filling will leak into the crust and go all smooshy. I keep my desserts up to 2 weeks in freezer, if they last that long!

However, recipes like brownies and truffles store well in the fridge for up to a week. They store in the freezer equally well. Frozen brownies taste sooo good!

Raw food ingredients:

Here's a little trick I learned: store your fruits and veggies on the top shelf! This isn't so much about storage as it is about "visibility." When you open your fridge, immediately your eyes will be drawn to your healthy raw food items. It's a psychological thing, and it works (for me, at any rate!).

However, I do prefer my fruits at room temperature, not cold. So while I keep these items in the fridge, every day I put the ones I'm going eat on a plate on the counter. It's a good way to keep track of how much I'm eating as well as rotating out the older items.

Onions and root veggies: Store in a dark cool location.

Nuts & things: Ideally in the fridge or freezer, so the oils in the nuts don't go off. However, I store my nuts, along with seeds (chia, flax, etc) and dried fruits in the pantry, grouped together by type so they're easy to find. I also group together my 'wet' items like honey, olive & coconut oils in the pantry, as well.

Containers

I like to store liquid-y items in glass mason jars. Glass is great for not leaching flavors or oils or color from the item (like from sun-dried tomatoes in oil). Glass pyrex bowls with rubber lids (or good old cling wrap!) also work well.

Tupperware is good, along with ziploc bags for goodies like cookies and crackers.

Ideally, store your food items in containers that offer visibility (yes, again with the visibility!). You want to be able to see what's going on inside!

Questions, Anyone?

I hope this has answered some of your raw food storage questions! Please do feel free to share your favorite storage tips and experiences!

You can also listen to the Raw Food Storage Hacks podcast right now!

You've all heard of nut milk. Most of you have probably bought nut milk. But how many of you have made your own? I hear you saying, "But it sounds like too much work!"

Wrong! There is nothing simpler than making your own nut milk. Seriously! So if you haven't tried to make a nut milk yet, now is the time! Grab some nuts and let's go!

Why make your own nut milk?

Because it is so delicious, that's why! There's nothing tastier than a glass of chilled cashew or almond milk made by your own hands! Besides, nut milk is the perfect alternative to dairy. Creamy and nutty tasting (of course!), nut milk can also be splashed on your hot or cold cereal, or used to make soups and smoothies. And of course, it is super easy to make.

There's always a container of nut milk sitting in my fridge. It's a must-have for my raw breakfast cereal!

The easiest nut milk to make... Cashew Milk

Cashew milk is the easiest nut milk to make: just toss your ingredients into the blender and blend! Try my Raw Cashew Milk Recipe. You are going to wonder how you've ever gone without it!

No nut bag required for this recipe. (p.s. You can increase or decrease the water/nut ratio depending on the consistency/creaminess you require.) Now, wasn't that easy?

Next up... Almond Milk!

Don't let the scary term, "nut milk bag" throw you off! In this Raw Almond Milk Recipe, all you do is blend and strain. Yep, that's all! Do use a nut milk bag rather than cheesecloth. Check out this nut milk bag - see how simple it is, and cheap to buy, too!

As a bonus, you can use the almond pulp in other raw recipes!

Yes, it's that simple!

If you have a blender, you can make cashew milk. Add in a nut milk bag, and other nut milks are at your fingertips. I so recommend that you make your own nut milk. Start with the cashew milk and if you like (love!) that, buy yourself a nut bag and sample some other nut milks. You will wonder why you never tried these before!

Does your raw cake or dessert need a little extra oomph? For chocaholics, there's chocolate icing. For purists, check out the plain frosting or the whipped cream. And for the carrot cake addicts, there's the best raw cream cheese icing ever!

So, next time you whip up a cake, try one of these rawkin' toppings!

Raw Frosting

Use this Raw Frosting anywhere you need just a basic creamy frosting or whipped cream. Its subtle (not overly sweet) flavor is best paired with more 'exciting' flavors, like raspberries or pineapple or whatever you can think of, really!

This recipe does require sunflower lecithin (this gives it its nice fluffy texture) and needs to be chilled for at least 3 hours.

Raw Chocolate Icing

This Raw Chocolate Icing is the answer to your prayers... if you're praying for the best ever smooth, chocolate-y and delicious chocolate icing! Super easy to make, this icing is also ready to use as soon as you make it - no chilling required.

Only four ingredients required for this dee-lish chocolate icing. So make a batch and prepare to fall in love!

Raw Cream Cheese Icing

This Raw Cream Cheese Icing is the perfect partner to raw carrot cake. It's everything a cream cheese icing should be: smooth, creamy & divine!

Coconut oil is the key ingredient in this recipe (makes the icing firm and spreadable).

Raw Whipped Cream

Perfect for topping a slice of cake or a bowl of berries, this Raw Whipped Cream is versatile and delicious. Lemon juice is a surprising, but necessary, ingredient in this recipe!

Since it softens up super fast once out of the fridge, treat like ice cream and serve/eat immediately!

Top this!

These toppings aren't just for cakes! Liven up your berries with a dollop of the raw whipped cream. Raw frosting lends itself beautifully to fresh fruit. Or if you're in that kind of mood, scarf the chocolate icing straight from the bowl! It's up to you!

For the first three years of my raw food journey, I was 100% raw vegan.  I did not cheat.

Was I one of those weird, irritating people that just loves fruits and vegetables? Well, I am now, but I wasn't always this way. I used to hate vegetables!

Before I went raw, I absolutely loved chips and candy. I ate processed foods and loved them! I craved chips (All Dressed and Salt and Vinegar, mmm), donuts (apple fritters, mmm), muffins (lemon poppyseed or buttery blueberry, mmm), pasta (cheese please), candy (sour keys, Nibs, chocolates, mmm), and white bread products (doughy pizza bun, be still my heart).

But once I commited to going raw, I just gave everything up. Was it hard? Yes! Was it worth it, oh yes.........Because after a month of going 100% raw my tastebuds changed and I began to appreciate raw foods and vegetables.

You see, back when I wasn't raw and I ate all those very delicious (but kind of disgusting when you think about them) products, my tastebuds were used to all that processed food. I craved processed food, and food like fruit and vegetables just tasted bland, boring, and bitter to me.

Enter raw foods...

My journey into raw foods didn't happen overnight. I was vegetarian already, but, as you can tell, I ate lots of junk food. But one March I challenged myself to go 80% raw. I did it.  But then for the next five months I only ate about 50% raw, but I didn't think about food too much. Then one day I just decided that I felt like crap and I would go 100% raw, and I did.

When I was 80% raw, I was sort in a detox-state, and I didn't really know what was going on. Fruits and vegetables tasted alright, I guess. I didn't get excited about them though.

When I went down to 50% raw, eating fruits--and especially vegetables--seemed like a chore. I did it anyway, but I wasn't happy about it. I certainly didn't ever enjoy eating a salad.

When I went 100% raw (with absolutely no cheating) after about one month I realized that I actually liked--no, LOVED--some vegetables. That a tomato or an avocado with some sea salt on it was freakin' delicious. I realized that my tastebuds were changing. I was starting to get excited about the salads that I had for lunch. After my first month 100% raw I was actually craving salads.

Things I've learned:

• Eating SAD (standard American diet) foods screws up your palate and tastebuds. Don't cheat and eat SAD foods! You are only shooting yourself in the foot. You have to give your tastebuds time to adjust and to forget the old SAD foods. If you keep eating SAD food you are making it harder on yourself.
• You don't have to love eating raw fruits and vegetables. You won't love vegetables overnight. But you will discover them eventually. Trust me.
• It's all about flavour combining. Do I love to eat carrot sticks? NO! BORING! Do I love to eat a salad with shredded carrots, olives, fresh romaine lettuce, flavourful tomatoes, a delicious raw salad dressing and slices of avocado? HELL YES! See the difference? It's about combining foods to make them tasty.
• You've got to bring raw food with you whenever you go out. Make sure you have some trail mix or easy to eat fruit (bananas or apples) with you, because hunger strikes anywhere. Temptation is the worst for me when I'm out of my house.
• Yes, temptation still exists. But it's not worth it! And don't forget that.

The #1 reason why I don't cheat and eat SAD foods is because I don't want to screw up my palate. I see my going 100% raw as an investment, and I don't want to throw it down the tubes for a bag of chips.

It’s easier than you think to start going raw. You don’t have to run out and buy a bunch of expensive foods right away. Or appliances – you can start with just a cheap blender.

Here are 6 simple steps to get you started.

Then, if you’re still psyched about going raw, you can delve a little deeper into the raw experience!

• Find a fruit that gets you excited and eat lots of it! (My faves are green grapes and fresh blueberries. Simple but oh so tasty!)
• Buy a food processor or a blender. They don't have to be good ones - and you don't need both to START!
• Shop healthy. It all starts at the grocery store - buy healthy groceries that you enjoy and avoid buying junk like chips, cookies, etc. Eating healthy starts at the grocery store. Then, when you get peckish on the couch you don't have a lot of junk food in the house so you eat better stuff, like fruit or nuts.
• Find one raw recipe that appeals to you and make it for fun! Are brownies your thing? How about raw chocolate haystacks?
• Make your **next** meal a raw one. I mean it, right now!
• Invite your friend(s). Have a "learning-raw" party get-together!

Do you see how easy it is to start going raw? Your experience should be simple and fun. And not hard on your budget. Choose your favourite fruit, find a dee-lish recipe, get your taste of raw!

Mornings are a very busy time of day. And breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day! I know, you've heard this before, but it never hurts to have a little reminder about how to improve your health. Mornings are busy, but my quick and easy raw food recipes for breakfast are just what you need to kick-start your day.

Rawtarian's Silky Green Smoothie

In making this silky green smoothie recipe, you just need to dump in all your fresh fruits and spinach and the rest of the ingredients in a high-speed blender, and blend until it becomes silky smooth in texture. This raw food recipe for breakfast will take less than five minutes to prepare, and it is satisfyingly delicious!

Raw Oatmeal

How about taking your regular oatmeal up a level with this raw oatmeal recipe? You only need a few ingredients for this raw food recipe for breakfast, but it will make for a filling meal to get you going through the morning. You have an option to soak the raisins and the steel cut oats in water overnight to soften them, or just blend them all in the morning together with the chopped apple. It may take a little bit longer to prepare, but soaking will give that smoother and creamier texture to your raw oatmeal recipe.

Rawtarian's Raw Breakfast Bowl

Here’s another raw food recipe for breakfast that doesn’t need any equipment but takes very little time to whip up. Just shred your apple in a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients until the chia seeds and the shredded coconut absorb the cashew milk (or water). Easy peasy and there you have it! Your hearty raw breakfast bowl is ready to serve and eat.

Raw Porridge

This raw porridge recipe is also a very quick to prepare raw food recipe for breakfast. Just add water to your chia seeds in a bowl and stir immediately to prevent it from clumping. Then add honey and coconut and any other ingredient you would want to add, like pumpkin seeds or almonds or whatever your tastebuds prefer. The optional ingredients are just for a little added flavor. Once your porridge is thick enough, you may top it with raw cashew milk or blueberries. Having this raw porridge in the morning is a good start to your long day ahead!  

Morning Round-Up

The morning rush shouldn't deprive you of enjoying your breakfast, so being able to spend less time preparing what you eat in the morning while still being able to make a substantial and tasty meal is very important. And that is what my raw food recipes for breakfast are all about. So go ahead and try one of them yourself, and you won't have to skip on breakfast again!

Cookies. Need I say more? Well, yes, but I don't really need to! Who doesn't love cookies? They make the best snacks, everyone loves 'em (most everyone!), and being raw cookies, these won't leave you feeling guilty about eating too many!

Keep some on hand for lunches or treats, or for serving up to unexpected visitors. It's always wise to have cookies tucked away for any occasion!

Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tahini is the magical ingredient that makes these Raw Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies stick together and taste 'peanutty.' Note: there are actually zero peanuts in this recipe (because raw peanuts are a no-no). Chunky pieces of almond add to the texture, and cacao nibs are the 'chocolate chips.' 

You can use raisins instead of cacao nibs, but whatever you decide, these cookies are sweet and delicious!

Raw Cinnamon Raisin "Oatmeal" Cookies

While these Raw Cinnamon Raisin "Oatmeal" Cookies don't contain oatmeal, they really do taste like 'real' cinnamon raisin cookies! Trust me on this one, okay? Almonds and honey provide texture and sweetness to this recipe. Coconut oil holds it all together (because it solidifies when it is cold).

Serve these delightfully tasty treats up with a cold glass of almond milk or ... ?

Raw Vanilla Drop Cookies

Super easy peasy cookies and no equipment required! For an amazing sweet fix, whip up a batch of these Raw Vanilla Drop Cookies. These are freezer cookies, so it's easy to keep a batch on hand for guests (or personal emergencies!).

Coconut oil, coconut and tahini (and vanilla, of course!) are the main ingredients that make these cookies so darn delicious!

Best Raw Chocolate Cookies

So named because they simply ARE the Best Raw Chocolate Cookies! Seriously, these are my fave chocolate-y, fudgy cookies! You can mix everything up, form into cookies and eat right away. Or you can dehydrate for a few hours for optimal warm gooey goodness! (I like 'em warm, myself!)

Either way, these chocolate cookies are truly divine.

Raw Lemon Cookies

Just for you, these simply sinful Raw Lemon Cookies. Only four ingredients - cashews, unsweetened coconut, one lemon (only one!), plus a sweetener (maple syrup or agave nectar). Sweet, creamy, and oh so lemony, this recipe will please every lemon cookie lover in your life, including yourself!

Yes, you have to use a dehydrator but don't let that stop you! You simply must try these lovely lemon cookies!

Easy Almond Pulp Cookies

Here's a recipe that will use up your leftover almond pulp, yay! Easy Almond Pulp Cookies are really super easy to make! Mix everything up, form them into little cookies, and dehydrate. The end result is a light tasty cookie that reminds me of a vanilla wafer.

Other ingredients include coconut and a sweetener (maple syrup or agave nectar).

What's your fave cookie?

Chocolate, lemon, vanilla? The flavors of oatmeal, cinnamon, or peanut butter? Whatever your pleasure, one of these raw cookie recipes will surely hit the spot! You'll def. want some on hand for when I pop over, all righty?

As "raw foodists," the way we define ourselves and talk about our reality is crucial because it defines how we think about ourselves and how others see us.

Growing up as a "normal" person who wasn't interested in health, weight loss, vegetarianism, or veganism, I now find it difficult to articulate what I am when it comes to eating since for the past 3 years I have only eaten rawfood. Am I a raw foodist? A raw vegan? A raw fooder? A vegan? A vegetarian? What should I call myself when it comes to eating? And further, should I mention to others that I subscribe to a certain way of eating - and, if I do tell others, why am I telling them?

In a newspaper article published about me earlier this year, a reader left a comment that really struck home with me:

"How can you tell if someone is a vegetarian? Don't worry; they'll tell you!"

This comment surprised me, although the reader does have a good point. In fact, I can remember shaking my head at "vegans" - whom I thought to be pretentious and over the top - before I became one by accident! Even worse, not only am I a vegan but I am a rawfoodist - an even more "extreme" type of vegan! But while I am a rawfoodist, I am one without wanting to be thought of as pretentious. In fact, if I had it my way I'd prefer not to have to talk about what I'm eating (or not eating) and why.

Those of us who subscribe to a certain way of eating - for reasons of health, weight loss, allergies, religion or other rationale do tend to make it known. However, in our defence it is really only out of respect to others - not a need to wave a flag or denegrate any one else's habits. In fact, although I am a blogger and YouTuber, I am actually a pretty private person when you meet me in person and I would prefer to keep my eating habits private. However, I don't because of two reasons: the curiousity of others and my own need to have my values understood accurately by others.

Curiousity

A main reason why it is necessary to mention one's food habits and restrictions is because the sharing of food is so pervasive in our culture and thus others are curious as to why you may not be eating like the rest. If I am invited to a barbeque or am offered an appetizer and I flat-out refuse to eat something without any explanation I will be considered terribly rude. Humans are naturally curious and won't take "I cannot eat that" as an answer. People want to know why you won't eat something - and rightfully so! Thus, we are put in a position to define ourselves as vegan, healthy eaters, or whatever you choose to define yourself as. It is not so much a need to brag, but to explain why our behaviour isn't conforming to the norm.

Perhaps I am reaching here, but I have an example of this from popular culture. If you recall the TV show "Seinfeld" (one of my favorite shows), there is an episode where one of the main characters has a new girlfriend who refuses to take a bite of his pie. With no explanation, the new girlfriend - when offered a bite - simply shakes her head vehemently and refuses to take a bite - without any explanation whatsover. This drives the main character batty because she won't offer an explanation of why she won't taste his pie. He quizzes her: "Do you not like sweets? Are you watching your weight? Do you have donuts in your purse?" And she doesn't offer an adequate explanation to any of his quizzing. His curiousity eventually gets the better of him, and the new couple breaks up over the issue. This is a perfect explanation of why a simple "No thank you" just won't suffice.

Eating Disorders

My health (and yours) is very important to me and a passion very close to my heart and it's important to me that I not be thought of as someone who has a negative relationship to food. Although I do eat a restricted diet by my own choice, I do not have an eating disorder nor a disordered approach to food, body image or anything else. I choose to eat this way because I feel fabulous, have clearer skin, a healthier body weight, I physically feel light and energetic and spritely, and I require less sleep when I eat this way. Also, when I stay away from junk food I find it easier to stay on the rawfood track so I choose not to "cheat" (or when I do "cheat" it's with something as ghastly as a nonraw salad dressing or some vegan sushi!).

I worry that when I refuse to eat something in a pressure-filled social situation that - if I don't offer an adequate explanation for my refusal - others will assume that I am anorexic or bulemic and will be dashing off to the washroom to abuse my body - which is very far from the truth. I love my body and I want to treat it as well as I can by feeding it good stuff and lots of it! Providing our bodies with healthful nutrients is a passion of mine, so it hurts me to have others think something negative about me that is very far from the truth.  Thus I want to explain my passion to ensure that others understand where I'm coming from because of my own need to be understood.

And so...

So for these two reasons - the curiousity of others and my own need to be understood, I do explicitly define myself as a rawfoodie, raw foodist, vegan, raw vegan or whatever else comes to mind. However, I do have one complaint about this way of eating. Can we please get a proper way to define ourselves? None of these methods of describing ourselves make any sense. I suppose back when I was choosing a name for this website I chose the concept of "rawtarian" - because most choices of eating seemed to end in "an" (vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, etc.) so "rawtarian" just made sense to me. However, I am not advocating that we all start calling ourselves "rawtarians" - I am just wondering whether we can't get a better word that fits the bill!

So after all that, what do you call yourself and when do you feel the need to share about your healhy habits? And does it matter? After all, we are all cut from the same cloth and what we eat doesn't necessarily define us. (Or does it?)

Sauces and condiments are staples you don't want to live without as a raw vegan. Well, maybe you do, but I'm betting at least one of the following recipes will catch your eye (and your tastebuds!). Raw ketchup, raw mayo and raw sour cream are all condiments that add pizzazz to everyday recipes. Same with sauces like raw cheese sauce, raw tomato sauce and raw Alfredo sauce.

Now I can hear you thinking, "But these recipes sound like they are hard to make!" Not true. All of these sauces and condiments are whipped up easily in your blender. Plus, they all taste fantastic, so you have no excuse! Which of the following sauces and condiments appeal to you the most?

Raw Cheese Sauce

This dreamy Raw Cheese Sauce is a staple in my kitchen. Serve it fresh out of your high-speed blender while it's still warm! I love drizzling this cashew-based sauce over broccoli... yum!

This sauce takes on a firmer consistency after refrigeration - kinda like cheez whiz!

Raw Tomato Sauce

For a super versatile sauce, look no further than this Raw Tomato Sauce recipe! Think pizza sauce and spaghetti sauce. Serve over kelp or zucchini noodles. Fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and olive oil form the basis of this recipe: it is quite strong, so a little goes a long way!

This sauce will keep in your fridge for up to three days.

Raw Alfredo Sauce

This creamy cashew-based Raw Alfredo Sauce is another sauce you must add to your repertoire. Believe me when I say that it's superior to the 'real' stuff. It's that delicious! For a quick meal, serve over zucchini or kelp noodles.

All you need is a blender for this recipe - it's super easy!

Raw Ketchup

No fridge is complete without ketchup, am I right? Fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and dates (secret ingredient!) form the base of this delicious Raw Ketchup. I must add that no veggie burger is complete without raw ketchup, either!

Super easy to make: all you need is a blender.

Raw Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is another can't-live-without condiment! This Raw Mayonnaise recipe will suit your needs, whether you're slapping some on a veggie burger, or using it as a rich, tasty dip for veggies.

Macadamia nuts are the surprise ingredient in this raw mayonnaise recipe!

Raw Sour Cream

Are you a sour cream fan? Then you'll love this cashew-based Raw Sour Cream recipe! It's super easy to make - all you need is a blender!

Raw sour cream + raw tacos = a win-win taste explosion!

Yes please to sauces and condiments!

I have to eat my broccoli covered with cheese sauce. And my veggie burger slathered with ketchup and mayo. Tacos and sour cream, of course! These are all classic combinations that are tried and true, but you don't have to stop there. Use your imagination for maximum taste sensation!

You'd like to take better food photographs. Here are some of my best tips and insights to help you improve your own photography right now.

I've been doing food photography since 2009. My photographs have been featured in Vegan Life magazine, the Huffington Post and much more. I am self-taught.

Food photography takes a long time to do. It takes hours to make the recipe, clean up the kitchen, try different food props, adjust lighting, shoot, and then edit and review. Generally, I allow 1/3 of the time for food prep/cleanup, 1/3 of time for styling, and 1/3 time for actual shooting. Then later comes post-production.

Styling and Set-Up

It's easiest to style your scene without the food in it and take pictures of that until you get the scene right. Sometimes you can substitute something inanimate in place of the food to help with focus etc.

Once you're satisfied with the shot, whip up your food in the kitchen, and then add the actual food to the set. This keeps the mess to the minimum and preserves the fresh look of your food. You'll still want to tweak a few things once you get the food on set, but you'll have gotten a lot of the styling choices dealt with already.

(Also, because the whole process can be tiring, consider whether you can prepare the food the day before, freeze or store it, then style the set empty, and THEN bring the food out afterwards. You don't want to be impatient and tired by the time it comes to shoot the actual photography!)

Camera Gear

You can only go so far without a good camera. Ideally, you will eventually have a digital camera that has removable lenses. These are called DSLR cameras. Removable lenses are important because then you can buy a lens that's specific for close-ups.

My DSLR camera is a Canon Rebel T3I. I use two different lenses. When taking close-ups of a certain part of the food I use this special macro lens for close-ups, which is what allows me to get that whole some-blurry-some-sharp effect that you see in so many food photographs.  When taking an overhead shot where I want everything to be in focus, I use this lens.

Lighting

Natural light is best. The best thing to do is have your table right up against a window with natural light coming in. For me, that doesn't seem to work because (A) my house windows are all facing the wrong side or have decks on them creating shade. (B) I am usually doing photography at night! And (C) I don't have the patience (or climate!) for outdoor photography. :)

Right now, I am not using natural light as my sole source. Instead I am using this lighting kit.

Photo Editing

I use Adobe Photoshop to edit my photos. I currently don't do a lot of color correcting or heavy digital modifications after the shot has been taken, but I look forward to doing more of this in the future. 

The Rawtarian's Photo Portfolio

I have about 200 recipes (100 free recipes, and another 100 recipes in the same format that are only viewable to TRK members) on this website, with unique photos of each recipe. A lot of the recipes have old, terrible photos still attached to them. I am working on improving them, one at a time. Photography, much like life, is a work-in-progress :) 

You can check out a portfolio of some of my more recent food photography here: The Rawtarian's Photography Portfolio.

Click to view photo portfolio