Choosing a lighting kit largely depends on how serious you are about your photography, if you intend on doing it professionally some time in the future, and how much of a budget you have.

Some people are ok with a low-level lighting kit, the likes of which you can buy on eBay (although I personally would stay away from them - they are just not powerful enough), but if you're on a budget, they could serve you well as an intro setup and help you experiment. If you decide later on that they don't do what you need them to do, upgrade to a more professional setup.

Then there is the question of strobes vs. hot lights. Very generally, strobes are better for people and portraits, for they freeze the action. With still life, hot lights (or continious lighting) with diffusers are more appropriate. Especially in regards to food photography however (and since the food tends to suffer under the heat of the lights), cool lights are really nice - but they're also spendy.

Derrick Story has a great article on setting up a product shoot and talks a bit about lighting equipment there. The Studio and Lighting Forum at photographyreview.com is also a fertile ground for finding information and resources.

But whichever way you're gonna go - make sure you get your White Balance tuned in with your lights. And sometimes, the simplest setup with the most creative approach will yield the best end results.

Cheers,

- Simone