When I supplied food props for live TV restaurant commercials.

Back in the late 50s (my teen years) I had a part time job as a gofer at an advertising agency in Birmingham, Alabama.

According to my grandfather, Mrs. Todd ran a boarding house there in the 20s, 30s, and 40s. Hotels and apartments eventually wiped out the boarding house business so she shut down and opened a restaurant.

Mrs. Todd's was one of our clients.
The restaurant offered good basic southern cooking served family style.
"Pass the peas, please."

The cooks there would whip up whatever was going to be featured at a local TV station's commercial and I'd pick it up and deliver it to the station.

There was no video tape.
The commercial was shot live with a voice over.

I'd bring in the grub and arrange it on the table provided.
The camera would pan down to it and the announcer would describe it and urge you to visit the restaurant.

This was REAL food. Fresh from the kitchen. No coloring, no CGI, no editing.
The real deal.

Of course the food could not be returned to the restaurant, so the TV folks dived in. For a few minutes, I was the most popular guy at the station.
They looked forward to my appearances.

Fried chicken was the favorite, but turkey ran a close second around Thanksgiving and Christmas.