This document provides information and guidelines about plating and garnishing food to make it visually appealing. It discusses tools that can be used for plating, designing plates by planning layout and structure, and using sauces, fruits, vegetables, herbs and other garnishes effectively to enhance rather than hide the food. Specific tips are provided for plating main dishes, desserts, beverages and creating centerpieces. Students are assigned to create a plated meal from Play-Doh following MyPlate guidelines and techniques discussed in the document.

1. Bell Ringer
 Name one thing
that makes this dish
look appealing.
 Name one thing
that makes this dish
look unappealing.

2. Plating and Garnishing
Food
Eating with your Eyes

3. Tools
 Chef Knife
 Paring Knife
 Peeler
 Melon Baller
 Cookie
Cutters
 Pastry Bag
 Molds
 Tooth Picks
 Skewers
 Food Coloring
 Carving Tools
 ANYTHING...

4. Plating for Effect

5. Plating for Effect
Designing your Plate
Preparing an elegant plate
can take precise planning.
Design your plate on paper
beforehand, and discuss the
look you are aiming to
achieve.

6. Plating for Effect

7. Plating for Effect

8. Plating for Effect
Food Structure
 Make neat piles.
 Create a clock.
 Keep it clean.
Remember "BUFF" when plating:
Balance, Unity, Focus, and Flow

9. Plating for Effect

10. Plating for Effect

11. Plating for Effect

12. Garnishing for Effect
Sauces
 Sauces are placed either
under the food to highlight
it, or on top to garnish it.
 Don’t hide the food.
 Remember, sauces are used
to enhance the food. They
are not the focus.

13. Garnishing for Effect
Fruits & Vegetables
 Produce can be arranged
into garnishes or as part of
the main meal.
 Choose ripe, bright colored,
uniformly shaped, and
unblemished produce.
 Use the greens of the
produce for added effect.
 Use lettuce to display food.

14. Garnishing for Effect
Herbs and Flowers
 Herbs add beauty,
fragrance, and a sense of
freshness.
 Edible flower petals can
be used to garnish small
plates.
 Correlate the garnish with
the flavors of the dish.

15. Garnishing for Effect

16. Garnishing for Effect

17. Garnishing for Effect

18. Garnishing for Effect
Desserts
 Sauces can be used to
highlight the food.
 Chocolate decorations can be
created with a pastry bag.
 Fruit can be used as the
focus or garnish.
 Simplicity is the key!

19. Garnishing for Effect
Beverages
 Sugar or Salt rims
 Kebabs
 Peel Spirals
 Fruit Slices
 Ice techniques

20. Garnishing for Effect
Centerpieces
 Watermelons and
other large fruits and
vegetables can be
created into
incredible center
pieces and displays.

21. Final Thoughts
 Lemon juice can remove the
odor from onions and stop an
apple from going brown.
 Use toothpicks and wooden
skewers to hold objects
together.
 Be creative and innovative…
Anything can be a garnish.
 Follow the ‘KISS’ rule:
Keep It Simple Silly!

22. Plating Assignment
 Use the Play-Doh to create foods that
fit into the 5 areas of MyPlate.
 Plate and garnish your meal on the
paper plate provided.
 The group that follows these guidelines
and the guidelines discussed in class
will get a prize! 