2. • "Plating food" refers to placing food on a plate in as
appealing a manner as possible. Many cooks give short
shrift to this concept, but let me assure
you, presentation is a very important part of the dining
experience because we eat with our eyes first.
• One of the things we all most enjoy about dining at an
expensive restaurant is that moment when our entree
arrives, decked out in all its glory. We marvel at what the
chef has wrought, and can't wait to dig in.
• Honestly, if the presentation is excellent, the food need
not be. Plating food properly is that important . . . or
nearly so.
• Remember "BUFF" when plating: Balance, Unity, Focus
and Flow
3. The Plate
• Bigger is better: Crowding food is a no-no.
Large plates allow for separation between
items, which lets the inherent beauty of each
one shine.
• Color me neutral: When plating food, use
classic white or earth tones; these will
complement any color of food.
4. The Food
• What grows together goes together: Preparing
fresh ingredients that are in season doesn't
just taste better, it looks better. Seasonal
produce tends to fall into both culinary and
visual harmony.
5. The Setup
Clock it: The conventional "smiley face" (starch at ten o'clock, meat at two o'clock, and
vegetables at six o'clock) is always a safe bet.
Focus, focus: For more drama, "find the focal point" of the meal (usually the protein) and
elevate it by placing it on or leaning it up against the starch.
Get saucy: Spoon sauce under the meat rather than on top. This allows the meat's crust
to stay crisp while also offering a contrasting circular shape beneath.
6. Tips For Plating
• Plan it. Sketch the presentation to help you
visualize the plate. Assemble a "practice" plate
to help decide the final presentation.
• Keep it simple and quick. You want the food to
look attractive, but not overwhelming or silly.
Don't try to build towers or other elaborate
structures when plating food. And remember:
Unless you have a dozen cooks at your disposal,
you will need to arrange the food on the plate
quickly in order to serve it warm.
7. • Everything should be edible. Don't garnish with
large sprigs or spears of rosemary or other
herbs. garnishing tips
• Start arranging food in the center of the
plate and build outward. This improves
appearance, and also helps prevent the server
from sticking his or her thumb in the food.
• Reserve the front of the plate for the most
attractive and appetizing food.
8. • Add height to the plate. Do this simply by mounding
potatoes, rice or other starch (make a mound, not a
mountain) at the back of the plate and leaning other
vegetables or meat against it. Generally, the
presentation should begin low at the front of the
plate and grow taller at the rear.
• Think color. If your food is basically brown or
white, brighten the plate with colorful garnishes and
vegetables. A sprig of fresh cilantro or flat leaf
parsley, a few rings of sliced green onion, a wedge of
fruit, a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, or a small
chili pepper are just a few garnishes that add color.
Make sure your garnish suits the recipe.
9. • Serve according to design. If someone helps
you serve, show them how to position the
plate correctly in front of your guest.
10. Tips For Trays
• When making up a tray, be sure to separate the
colors. Try not to put different foods of the same
color next to each other.
• Trays also look best when arranged
symmetrically. Strong lines add eye appeal. It
adds energy and movement. Keep in mind
that balance is important, particularly when
making a round tray. food presentation tips
11. • A centerpiece is also important. Hollowed-
out foods can make wonderful bowls for your
dips. Try hollowing out peppers, tomatoes,
round bread loaves, cabbage, or eggplant. Serve
fruit salad in a pineapple, cantalope, or
watermelon.
• Or, for winter, try serving soup in a pumpkin, or
rice or stuffing in a baked squash half. Edible
bowls are both beautiful and functional; they
create interest and reduce waste
12. Garnishing
• Is an art that can easily be acquired by
following these few simple rules. It can be
done with little or no additional time, effort,
or money expenditure on the part of the
culinary artist, and the results are far-
reaching. Not only will the homemaker derive
joy from the art, but the members of her
family will sense the love and the
thoughtfulness which prompted those extra
little touches.
13. 1. Generally speaking, garnishes should be
edible. However, there are a few exceptions,
as will be seen in the following chapters.
2. Beauty is obtained through simplicity.
Garnishes should appear natural, fresh, and
dainty-never overworked or overdone.
14. • 3. All garnishes should be suitable in character
and size to the food adorned. For example, a
pickle fan would be out of place if served next
to a piece of cake, just as a large calla lily
arrangement would be out of proportion on a
small platter.
• 4. The flavor of edible garnishes should be in
keeping with the food. Bland foods require
more highly seasoned garnishes.
15. • 5. A few small groups of garnish are often more
attractive than a continuous decorative scheme.
For example, to carry out a Christmas theme
around a salad mold, green-tinted mayonnaise
may be fashioned into the shape of leaves with
specks of candied cherry to simulate holly
arranged at intervals instead of forming a
continuous border. Elaborate wheels, flowers,
chains, diamonds, or circles are lovely if carefully
done. Use either whole or clean-cut pieces of
fruit or vegetables and arrange in an orderly
design around ring or loaf molds.
16. 6. A garnish must be neatly arranged in a fashion that will
enhance the food with which it is to be used. A flat-
spreading garnish will make a mold appear smaller
whereas perky lettuce will give it height.
7. Colors should harmonize-never clash. Small quantities
of the more vivid natural colors may be used to accent
a food. In using artificial coloring, great care must be
exercised in producing tints that will be in keeping with
the occasion and at the same time produce a pleasing
effect rather than one which is repellent. Contrasting
colors usually produce an artistic picture. So much of
our food is neutral that a wide range of color treatment
is permitted.
17. 8. Garnishes which are too highly seasoned are
not in good taste.
9. The serving dish as well as the garnish used
must be considered. A beautiful dish serves as
an accessory to the food. Do not hide it.
10. Temperature is a factor that will make or mar
a garnish. To serve cold sliced frankfurters on
a hot soup as a garnish would be most
unsatisfactory. Any frozen food that is used as
a garnish should be sufficiently cold to hold its
shape.
18. • 11. The consistencies of garnish and food can be
contrasted with excellent results, such as sauce over
molded food.
• 12. Garnishes need not be expensive. Properly used,
almost any leftover material can do wonders to
make a drab or uninteresting dish take on a regal
aspect.
• 13. Garnishes should not be used to disguise
deficiencies or food of poor quality. 14. The setting
must be viewed as a whole. Harmonious plate or
platter arrangements can be ruined if they clash
with the table color scheme or the lighting of the
room
20. How to Use a Cardboard Stencil:
Cut a piece of medium stiff cardboard in the shape but
slightly larger than the food to be decorated. Trace a design
or the outline of some specific object on the cardboard and
cut out the design with scissors or a razor blade in a safety
holder. The design should be clean-cut, with no ragged
edges.
If the food to be decorated is dry or firm, the cardboard
stencil can rest on the surface; if it is soft and moist, hold
the stencil a fraction of an inch above the surface. Sprinkle
the garnish over the design, making sure that all parts of
the design are completely filled in. Remove the stencil
carefully without disturbing the design.
21. How to Frost a Glass:
To frost glass stemware, brush the rim of each
glass with lemon juice or slightly beaten egg
white. Dip the rim in powdered sugar and let
dry. If necessary, dip a second or third time.
22. How to Unmold Gelatin:
Dip the mold in warm water long enough for
the gelatin to loosen. If necessary, loosen the
edges with a thin knife. Place the serving plate
over the mold and invert. If the gelatin does
not come out immediately, wrap a hot towel
around the form and after a few seconds give
the mold a hard shake.
23. How to Use Fruit or Vegetable Coloring:
Pure fruit or vegetable coloring can be purchased
in liquid or powdered form. The coloring should
be added a little at a time, mixing thoroughly
after each addition, until the desired shade is
obtained. Add coloring to the ingredients in the
liquid state (that is, before whipping or freezing).
To tint solid foods (such as pears or hard-cooked
eggs), add the coloring to water or syrup and
then place the food in the colored solution until it
becomes the right shade. Solid foods can also be
painted by using the pure fruit or vegetable dyes.
A paintbrush should be kept especially for use in
the kitchen.
24. How to Make a Paper Pastry Tube:
Use a stiff sheet of paper (8"X 11") and roll
into a funnel. To prevent the funnel from
unrolling, fasten with gummed tape. Cut off as
much of the tip as is necessary for the size of
opening desired. Fill the funnel about two-
thirds full and force through the tip by
squeezing the large end of the funnel.
