I have been asked by a friend if I could take some pictures of some food dishes she wants to put in a recipe book to try and get published. I don't think there will be any of the professional food tricks involved (such as using mash potato to look like ice cream, or shaving cream instead of whipped cream), I think it will be the real deal. Dishes will cover anything from biscuits to main meals to desserts.

I haven't done much in the way of food photography before, so any hints or tips on composure, lighting, techniques etc would be greatly appreciated. The gear I have is:
Canon EOS 350D / Rebel XT
EF-S 17-85mm IS USM
EF 28-200mm
420EX Speedlite
No-name tripod (not very good)

At least at the end of the shoot, I get to help scoff all the food! Now you know why I agreed to do the job, hehe! ;)

Thanks,
Sean