JESSICA PETTWAY SHOOTS HER FIRST COOKBOOK, AND IT'S A WILD ONE

Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is an artful, queer-run, hugely popular restaurant in New York's uber-cool Hudson Valley, so naturally, their first cookbook would be wildly creative. To bring Please Wait to Be Tasted: The Lil' Deb's Oasis Cookbook to life, the publisher commissioned Jessica Pettway to shoot vivid, surprising images that serve up anything but ordinary food photography. A lap full of spaghetti, condiments as colorful props, a crown of laurel and a toga to show off delectable dishes… Jessica and her collaborator, superlative food stylist Victoria Granof, really went there, and the book is unforgettable as a result. 

For the new issue of Gigantic magazine, Jessica, Victoria, and ace retoucher Zach Vitale interviewed each other—in a series of videos—about the making of the book. Read the story here.

Please Wait to Be Tasted is in stores now. Order your copy here. In 2023, the book was nominated for a James Beard Media Award.