How Bettina Makalintal makes food look nice for the internet

“I know that if I post an egg, people will really like it.”

Embedded is your essential guide to what’s good on the internet, from Kate Lindsay and Nick Catucci.🧩

One day the countless pictures I’ve taken of my food will come in handy, and then you’ll all be sorry. —Kate

---

You, too, can have an Instagram feed like Bettina Makalintal.

When I’m at dinner with friends and food arrives at the table, I almost always take a picture before we eat. “Sorry, sorry, sorry,” I’ll say as I meticulously position the shared plate of fries for the camera, my companions impatiently waiting for the moment they can finally dive into the meal they paid for. There’s even a slogan—“phone eats first”—that captures just how significantly food and social media have become intertwined. Food photos are ubiquitous, but as Martha Stewert proved, not everyone succeeds at taking them.

Bettina Makalintal, however, could teach a masterclass. The food writer and associate print editor at Bon Appetit has earned over 15,000 followers on her food Instagram, @crispyegg420. Photos of expertly plated veggies on ceramic dishware evolved into cooking videos for TikTok, where Makalintal has had several recipes go viral—Lizzo even made her kale pesto. 

Makalintal only started posting pictures of her cooking online a little over a year ago, but her simple recipes and thoughtful presentation quickly made her a leading voice in the online cooking space.

“I literally bought a rice cooker because I was so inspired by her Instagram,” my friend Maya Kosoff said when I mentioned I was interviewing Makalintal. “Also, her food is both, like, minimalist and maximalist at the same time? It's approachable but extremely aesthetically pleasing.”

In this interview for paid subscribers, Makalintal and I chat on the phone about the allure of food Instagram, what TikTok likes to cook, and what tools you—you, reading this—need to make your food look nice for the internet.