Kristen here – This is a great example of how just a slight tweaking of levels can really give a photo that extra pop to make it stand out!
Photo Title and Recipe: Better Than Ultimate Brownies
Blog Name: Gourmeted
Equipment Used: Nikon D80 with Sigma 70mm F/2.8 EX DG Macro Lens (If I can marry this lens, I would!)
Technical Details: (Taken from the EXIF data)
Exposure: 0.025 sec (1/40)
Aperture: f/6.3
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 100
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: No Flash
White Balance: Manual
Metering Mode: Spot
Photo Editing: Edited using Photoshop CS2 for Mac: – slightly tweaked the levels, used unsharp mask to sharpen, increased the saturation
Setup Details: Taken on a bright spring day during lunch, but without direct sunlight by a window seat. White balance was manually set using a gray card.
Props: Fabric and small colored bowl
Additional Tips:
For Backgrounds: Fabrics. Ever since I’ve gotten into sewing, my backgrounds improved. Why? I used my fabrics to double as table runners and napkins. If you don’t sew and don’t have use for big fabrics, you can still go to the fabric store and buy the bundles of a few different fabrics that are sold for cheap. No need to buy new linens but still have tables looking like they’re different all the time! 
If you do scrapbooking or just love papers like I do, those big square papers would work as well as a “placemat”.
Decorative bowls and plates: If you have a Japanese tableware store near you, sometimes they would carry a set bowls of the same style, but in different colors. These are perfect for dishes and you can just use the color that suits your dish.
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Shop the remnant bins at fabric stores, you can often get great deals on fabrics. Even small pieces can be folded and used for napkins, placemats, etc.
Look for clearance dishes at grocery stores, kitchen stores, etc. Often you can find a set missing a piece or something. Also look for places that sell individual dishes. I have a cabinet full of single dishes (serving pieces, bowls, etc) I use for photos.