The Art of Culinary Presentation

Presenting
Enjoying the taste of any dish begins with how it looks. So let’s look at tips and tricks to make everything on the plate appear appetizing—and “worth the money.” Best of all, these ideas won’t require much in the way of time, effort, or expense.

Tools of the Trade
Sometimes simple equipment helps with creating garnishes to enhance the attractiveness of foods. Like microplane graters, which several celebrity chefs prefer for shredding cheese, garlic, nutmeg, citrus, ginger, onion, and horseradish. Just a sprinkle can add color, flavor, aroma, or a combination of sensory appeal. Iron Chef Marc Forgione favors a melon baller, using different shapes “to make garnishes look sexy!” The peeler can make a few pretty ribbons of vegetables.

Perfect Placement
For added elegance, put the sauce on the plate and the protein on top. Or ladle one sauce down first and a second in the center. Another option: several small puddles of sauce circling the main event. A scattered line of chopped green onions or chives adds a more contemporary touch of green. Offsetting food on a large white plate is a very current presentation. Keep in mind that the most on-trend looks are casual, yet composed. Don’t forget breakfast and brunch! At Brasserie in Cleveland, stacks of pancakes smeared with house-made tart cherry jam sit in a pool of maple syrup—go ahead and make your own version. Or try brunch waffles with a scoop of seasonal-fruit compote center stage, accented with whipped cream in the shape of petals.

Spice Is Nice
Herbs and spices can be so pretty, and provide a cost-effective way to enhance restaurant plating. Dried or fresh—whatever’s most convenient for you and your kitchen can be the right choice. Rosemary, oregano, paprika, mint, black pepper, fancy coarse salt: Experiment with flavor and color. And be creative with placement. Sprinkle herbs or spices around the rim; create dots, lines, or swirls; or use several in different areas of the plate. With herbs, you can also incorporate their branches or leaves.

Dressed for Success
Simple Ranch dip in a colorful ceramic cup. Jewel-red raspberry vinaigrette in a glass cruet. Spirals of tomato sauce on bruschetta. It’s easy to make dressings appear house-made with attractive containers and applications. Especially when you rely on premade dressings (like the wide variety from Katy’s Kitchen®). A small peak of flavored mayo looks and tastes great. Simply whisk mayo with flavored oils like walnut, or with bits of vegetables, spices, or herbs. (Here again, Katy’s Kitchen® is your go-to, for the mayonnaise and flavorings.)

Towers, Tilts & More
Those too-tall stacks of food are no longer in fashion, thank goodness. Tipping slices of the protein against mounded foundations is the freshest look for many restaurants. What’s more, presentation-focused chefs believe that each dish should have its own unique garnish.

Little Veg & Fruit
Tiny dice of carrot. Thin strips of roasted red pepper. Translucent slices of radish or curly ribbons of asparagus. They’re all tasty ways to garnish, bringing extra flavor and visual appeal to dishes. Be sure to blanch green vegetables (e.g., green beans). Berries and cut fruits (like apple and citrus), even slivers of rind, are also lovely on a plate. Remember to add these fresh bursts of color and texture to beverages and cocktails, too, especially when serving in a clear glass.

Repeats, Repeats
A carefully placed circle of cooked red potato around a mound of red-skinned mashers. With entrée sausages, slice a couple of bites off of one and array them next to the cut end. Menuing a vegetable medley? (Bountiful Harvest® has several good options.) Roast split, whole zucchini and serve it in the “boat.” Does your recipe include mushrooms? Garnish with a couple of fresh slices. Or if your dish features cooked tomatoes, toss a couple of cherry tomato halves on the plate.

Skewers & Knives
Cut meats on the diagonal. Use fancy toothpicks and inexpensive skewers for entrées and desserts, not just drinks. Be inspired by kabobs and Indian satays; what can you put on a stick? Use knives and slicers to fan proteins and fill the plate. Cut long vegetables (like carrots) on the diagonal, too. Less uniformity for fruit chunks and slices is appealing today.