Erika Joyce
New York Based Food Stylist | Beverage Stylist | Prop+Set Stylist | Recipe Tester
Recipe Testing Experience:
From 2014–2016, I frequently freelanced with the Food Network Kitchen as a recipe developer and tester, contributing to projects such as French Onion Soup Dumplings, Mayo Cake, Green Lasagne, and more.
While I later pivoted to primarily working as a food stylist, I’ve continued to develop and test recipes in a freelance capacity. Since 2020, I’ve had the privilege of testing recipes for several cookbooks, including Cooking with Mushrooms by Andrea Gentl.
In addition to recipe development and testing, I’ve authored recipe introductions and headnotes in both editorial and educational styles, helping contextualize dishes and guide readers through the cooking process.
With nearly two decades of professional cooking experience, my culinary background spans pastry, classical French technique, Spanish cuisine, Vietnamese and Southeast Asian cooking, and a wide range of European traditions. Years of food styling have also required me to cook across an enormous spectrum of cuisines and techniques, often adapting quickly to new ingredients, cultural contexts, and culinary perspectives. This breadth of experience allows me to approach recipe development and testing with both technical precision and a deep practical understanding of how people actually cook.
Whether refining a cookbook manuscript, developing original recipes, or ensuring technical accuracy across a diverse range of cuisines, I bring a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach that prioritizes clarity, reliability, and delicious results.
Private Chef Experience:
I’ve been working with clients since 2012 and pride myself in my ability to cook according to their dietary requirements and taste preferences. Nothing brings me more joy then making my principals happy through good quality food. In addition to cooking for families, I also have experience and occasionally offer catering services. I have experience catering parties as small as 2 and up to 50. I also work with clients who have strict and unique dietary requirements and I am always willing to work with you on what you need. I am available for in-home preparation, as well as scheduled drop off meal preparation. I mainly provide these services in NYC, but am open to travel depending on the scope of the project!
My food ethos is driven by the seasons and my commitment to cooking honest food that doesn’t hide behind any mask. I try to always evoke emotion in my food so that those who are eating it can be brought back to a memory . Time and place, the dapple of sunshine, the soft salt tinged breeze all play a part in how I cook. My fifteen years of experience in cooking has given me a strong sense of self in how I’ll curate menus and the approach I take with preparation. Of course, I’ll always defer to the client as to what they want and work closely with them to custom tailor menus that suit their taste and provide them with nourishment and joy.