Behind the Scenes at Ellen Cooks
Behind every finished image is real food, real photography, modern editing — and a lot of care behind the scenes.
A little behind the scenes at Ellen Cooks
Recently, Instagram has labelled some of my food photographs as AI or “likely AI,” so I thought I would show a little behind the scenes of how my images are actually made.
The food I post is real. It is cooked, styled and photographed by me.
I work from a kitchen setup using movable wooden boards to create different backgrounds, along with dishes, linens and props I have collected over the years. Many are single pieces found in antique stores and, quite often, at the Salvation Army. I usually take multiple shots of the same dish, changing the arrangement, angle and styling until I get the look I want.
After that, I do what many photographers do. I use Photoshop and other newer applications for colour enhancement and final tweaking. That is part of the finishing process. But the food itself is always real.
When Instagram Adds Its Own Sources
Instagram has now added another confusing layer to most of my posts. Along with identifying photographs as AI content, Meta AI is creating an “About this post” description and attaching outside sources that I have never seen or used.
For this post, Meta described my creamy chicken and broccoli soup and then linked to a LinkedIn article about edible flowers in catering. I had never heard of the article or its account. The citation may simply support Meta AI’s own observation about the edible pansy and presentation, but displaying it under the heading “Sources” could easily suggest that it was a source for my recipe. It was not. The recipe and photograph are my own.
I have also found summaries linking my work to similar recipes on websites I have never visited. If another published recipe genuinely inspires one of my recipes, I clearly acknowledge and credit that source in the introduction. Proper credit matters to me.
That makes what happened with this particular photograph even more frustrating.
Meta’s source system appears to favour established recipe websites, giving them additional exposure while overlooking the original Ellen Cooks recipe. Meta has not explained how these particular sources are selected or whether commercial considerations influence the results.
Instagram called it AI. I call it real food, real photography, and a lot of work behind the lens. ❤️
The soup photograph shown on my computer screen is a particularly interesting example because Instagram identified it as fully AI. I photographed this dish from many different angles and also took video during the shoot. You can see several of those photographs on my computer screen.
What makes this image a little more special to me is that I have never published it on the Ellen Cooks website. I was deliberately saving it as a possible photograph for a future book.
Creating my own food photography is something I take a lot of pride in. I love the process of cooking the dish, choosing the dishes and background, styling everything and then working through the photographs until I find the image I want.
So, while modern editing tools may be part of the finishing process, one thing will remain the same at Ellen Cooks:
The food is real. The photography is mine. And there is a real kitchen behind every photograph.
Fresh-picked summer flavor!
Market haul success! Shopping at the Granville Island Public Market is pure joy, and the vibrant displays make every trip feel special. Nothing beats bringing home fresh local produce like this, and half the fun is discovering those unique ingredients you’d never spot at your everyday grocery store. Looking forward to creating something delicious!
It’s All About Soup!
Lately, my kitchen has been filled with simmering pots, delicious aromas, and a lot of excitement—because I’m officially working on a soup cookbook dedicated entirely to my favorite comfort food. Soup has always been one of my absolute favorites to cook and eat, especially during the colder months when a warm bowl of homemade soup just hits differently. Over the past while, I’ve been developing and testing dozens of easy soup recipes, from hearty vegetable soups and classic chicken soup to rich, creamy bowls perfect for cozy nights. So far I’ve created around 50 homemade soup recipes, and I’m pretty sure a few more will sneak in before the book is finished.
What makes this project even more special is that I’m working on it together with my mom. It’s truly a collaboration—she’s helping bring the cookbook to life and does many of the beautiful food photography shots that capture each bowl of soup at its best (although I do some of them!). Together we’re organizing recipes, planning the layout, and turning all these cozy creations into a soup recipe cookbook we’re really proud of. From healthy homemade soups to comforting winter soup recipes, this book is becoming a collection of the kinds of soups we love to make and share. If you love cozy soup recipes, simple ingredients, and big comforting flavors as much as I do, this project has been an incredibly fun (and delicious) adventure.
June is all About Edible Flowers
Summer Vibes at Ellen Cooks!
Here at Ellen Cooks, I’m always cooking up new ideas—and sometimes revisiting old favorites with a fresh twist! Now that summer is just around the corner (hello, sunshine! ☀️), I’m diving into crisp, refreshing salads and delicious frozen desserts to beat the heat and stay cool in the kitchen.
I’ve also been getting my hands a little dirty—garden dirty, that is! A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by our local garden store, a lovely family-run gem just down the road. They had the most beautiful selection of herbs, flowers, and leafy green goodness. Of course, I couldn’t resist bringing a few home! I picked out some vibrant herbs for containers on our kitchen balcony and added a few more to liven up the patio in our garden.
Stay tuned for fresh summer recipes featuring homegrown herbs and cooling treats perfect for those hot days ahead.
This is my happy place—our backyard, where the garden seems to grow with a mind of its own. A salmonberry bush has taken root naturally, now stretching up and getting ready to gift us with its bright, tangy berries. Just behind the hedge, wild blackberries are coming along too—and I’m already dreaming about the pie they’ll become.
Tucked in among the mugos, pines, and Japanese maple is a plant with a personality all its own: Houttuynia. Yes, it’s edible—the leaves have a bold, citrusy-herbal flavor that’s great in salads or stir-fries. But be warned! This plant doesn’t know how to stay in its lane. It’s beautiful, unusual, and just a little too eager to take over the garden. We’ve got it weaving into places it was definitely not invited. If you’re tempted, keep it in a pot!
It’s a wild little patch of edible chaos—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
