People

A classically trained chef, Denise founded Food Fanatics in 1988, a catering, recipe-development, and food-styling firm based in Los Angeles, California. In 2012 Denise rebranded her company as the Denise Vivaldo Group.

As a consultant, food stylist, and culinary producer, Denise has helped with numerous television productions, infomercials, food manufacturers, grocery stores chains, restaurants, publishers, authors and celebrities with their projects and products.

Denise is a popular contributing blogger to the Huffington Post as well as her own blog, Denise Vivaldo Blogs. She also teaches food styling, catering and cooking classes and workshops in a multitude of locations across the country and internationally. She has been a featured guest expert on many television shows.

Denise is the author of eight books:

• The Food Styling Handbook, winner of numerous awards and considered to be the food styling bible;
• How to Start a Home-Based Catering Business, which has sold more than 150,000 copies and is in its 6th edition;
• How to Start a Home-Based Personal Chef Business, now in it’s 2nd edition;
• The Entertaining Encyclopedia, and its companion book Perfect Table Settings.
• Do It For Less! Parties, and Do It For Less! Weddings, entertaining books with quantity recipes; and
• The Top 100 Napkin Folds.

A native of Marin, California, Denise lives in Los Angeles with two very large dogs and one regular size husband. She has a fondness for cows.

Cindie Flannigan starting working with DVG in 2001 after graduating Chef de Cuisine from the California Culinary Academy. Before culinary school, Cindie worked as art director for 20 years, and attended UCLA, the American Film Institute, and Otis Parson’s School of Design.

Cindie is an accomplished food stylist, recipe and cookbook developer, instructor, and kitchen manager. She has worked on some of the largest print, infomercial, series television, and celebrity cookbook projects since she started with DVG. Projects include Denise’s own books, two of which she co-authored: The Food Stylist’s Handbook, and Do It For Less! Parties.

A native of Venice, California, Cindie spends every non-food moment doing something craft-related. Cindie is owned by Peanut, a rather small opinionated dog.