Mullen, a photographer and food stylist, combines her skills to build some 50 delightful, themed cheese plates. Borrowing her teaching technique from the paint-by-numbers school, Mullen has invented the Cheese by Numbers method, identifying six items used in each artistically arranged plate: cheese, meat, produce, crunch, dip, and garnish. Every entry receives its own four-page spread: the first page contains ingredient lists arranged by food category, as well as a recommendation for the type of physical platter.