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De-lurking to say...

- Re: New SLR... Unless you intend to really put some time into educating yourself, you may be just as well off with a high-end point/shoot, like that Powershot. If it has macro, a decent depth of focus, and the ability to set the white balance, you're in pretty good shape. I use an old Powershot G2 and it does fine. (Flickr food set here.) The most current generation, the G9, has had some brilliant reviews and retails for about $400.

- When you're dealing with the web, as much as 50% or more of your photo quality has nothing to do with your camera, skill, or lighting. It's all in how you optimize and compress for the web colorspace you're working in. I have seen incredible shots that look grainy and washed out on the web. I would concentrate on taking good photos but also realize that you need to learn how to present them for the web. Some of the photos you were disappointed with on your site could be easily cleaned and brightened up with Photoshop.

- Again, unless you want to go semi-pro and really have the time to learn it, don't go for the full version of Photoshop ($650). If you have it, great - spend some time studying out compression, levels, color balance, sharpening, and other optimizing fixes. But the $79 Photoshop Elements should do just fine for all these basics.

- Lots of resources on food photos on the web - you can practically get a college education for free! The site I read the most is Lara's Still Life With... She gives a great overview of colorspace.

- Also, I have a few really basic tips here: Food Photography Tips.

Have fun! So much of food photography really is in the learning, exploring, and experimenting. Do as much as you can with the camera you have before you upgrade; push against its limits and see how far it can take you before you spend a lot of money on a new tool.

I bought my new camera today!

Canon PowerShot -- SD870IS Digital ELPH.

I'm playing around with it right now, and my first impressions are VERY GOOD.

I've already taken a couple shots that are better than anything I've ever taken before. Period. WOOHOO! :)

Keeping in mind I'm a photo-newbie, with no idea what I'm doing.

This sweet little point-and-shoot is only $300, but it packs a lot of features and quality for that price. Within my first hour, I've already taken some impressive shots of... my pizza I had for dinner tonight, my guitars, my cat, a plant that's growing on my next door neighbor's patio that may or may not be illegal, and lots of other stuff.

I am very happy with this purchase so far. Is there any way to upload a pic here in the forum?

I say if you have the money to burn, an SLR will probably get you the best results. However, I take all of my food pictures with a Kodak DX7630 and I think a lot of them are pretty presentable. And I don't use a tripod, but I know that it would help.

Good luck!

I want to thank everyone again for taking the time to reply, and share your experience and advice. This is a great forum.

Well, this is the weekend I purchase. I'm going to spend Saturday and Sunday shopping around. I have all the major electronics store close to me, plus several camera stores.

I'm coming home with something! :)

We have a winner!

And it's ... KAREN R. Someone from Serious Eats will be contacting you shortly for shipping info.

Thanks to everyone who commented, and tune in again later today and throughout New Year's Day for a contest each day.

Crispy meat and chewy fat, perfection!