Words by Susanna Hayward<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photos courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Modern Love Omaha<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before a plate is sent out on the floor, Chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz checks one thing: \u201cMake sure that it looks good enough for Instagram.\u201d Moskowitz\u2019s restaurant, Modern Love, brought vegan delectables to Omaha in 2014. The Brooklyn native and cookbook author also brought her social media following; her Instagram, @ModernLoveOmaha, has over 12,700 followers, boosting dinner reservations with each post.<\/p>\n\n

Want the same Insta-Foodie-Fame? Try these tips to get a double-tap every time.<\/p>\n

1. Shoot in natural lighting.<\/b> Moskowitz considers herself an amateur photographer, but her photos have a professional flair with the rich lighting. Whatever you do, don\u2019t let your food hide in the shadows.<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/11142710_1525561997745704_1185582448_n.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”Saut\u00e9ed Brussels with Sunchoke pur\u00e9e” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n

2. For the background, go au naturel<\/b>. \u201cUse clean, neutral colors for the background to make the food the focus of everything,\u201d Moskowitz says. Set dishes on a simple surface. Think of using a wooden surface instead of a distracting ’50s diner pattern.<\/p>\n\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/12716710_886359251476957_399033693_n.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”Eggplant and Oyster Mushroom Bahn Mi” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n

3. Use color to complement the food. <\/b>Choose ingredients with a similar color scheme to balance the photo, but don\u2019t overdo it. \u201cI definitely like using color, but I look at color outside of the food as splashes,\u201d Moskowitz says.<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/12940332_1720303138253983_2096826187_n.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”Strawberry Rhubarb Pie” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n

5. When in doubt, caption.<\/b> \u201cSometimes I think, \u2018Oh this is too much. The food speaks for itself,\u2019\u201d Moskowitz says. \u201cBut it\u2019s hard to identify what\u2019s going on in the picture, especially if someone\u2019s not familiar with vegan food. So I think it should be descriptive, but not over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/IMG_1506.jpg” parallaxbg=”on” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n\n

6. Pro tip: Use edible flowers on dishes for extra pop.<\/b> Feeling swanky with your own cooking? Try cilantro flowers or baby pansies to top the dish off. \u201cEven if it\u2019s a plate of gravy, if you put some edible flowers on top, it makes the Instagram so much better,\u201d Moskowitz says.<\/p>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/10623855_709522759125734_1540756379_n.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” caption=”Nicoise Salad” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n

About Isa<\/h4>\n[aesop_parallax img=”http:\/\/urban-plains.com\/2016\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/10948725_516091585195939_825920217_n.jpg” parallaxbg=”off” captionposition=”bottom-left” lightbox=”on” floater=”on” floaterposition=”left” floaterdirection=”up”]\n\n

Isa Chandra Moskowitz began her journey in vegan activism when she was 16, growing up in Brooklyn. \u201cI\u2019ve just always loved animals, and I was a vegetarian once I could cook,\u201d Moskowitz says. \u201cOnce I realized the dairy industry was basically the veal industry, I went vegan.\u201d In 2003, Moskowitz created \u201cThe Post Punk Kitchen,\u201d a New York City public-access TV show and video series combining punk music with do-it-yourself vegan dishes. Moskowitz went on to become a best-selling author of nine cookbooks and is a vegan celebrity on Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Frequent #foodporn user? Try these 6 tips for Instagram fame from Midwest vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n