There is always a right dress for every occasion, just like that there is a right platter for every dish. The gotta-have’em stilettoes, a trendy neck string and a tan sling bag, it’s the accessories that can make or break an outfit. While looks CAN be deceptive, this saying can certainly not be applied to cooking. Food that looks pretty does add to the sensory appeal of a DISH.
My cooking is never complete without having thought of the right garnish and the apt. serving platter. To make food look good, a regular HOME cook need not know vegetable carving or meat sculpting. All it takes is some imagination and definitely a dash of EXTRA EFFORT.
There are a few simple things, if kept in mind can add finesse and do the trick. In my opinion (which aren’t of any experts) Every Dish has a Dress!
1) The Choice of Platters: Stocking your pantry is like stocking your wardrobe – it’s smart to have items on hand that serve double duty. Flat plates in different shapes and sizes are my favourite to serve a variety of tapas. A deep salad bowl, a cheese platter, an olive sampler, a bread-basket and small dip dishes are some must haves too.Since the visual appeal here is the key, I like to use white and neutral colors on the rims and bases of the plates. This makes the food the HERO without drawing attention to the design. The more compact and close the plating, the better the looks!
2) The Color Contrast: Treat the plate like it’s a canvas, where the colours and portions matter. My aim is to contrast my food to the serving dish, eg: chilly-garlic stir fried asparagus shoots on a green plate will hardly ever stand out.
3) The Cherry Toppings: To add to the oomph factor and to give a final visual boost to the food just : Sprinkle, Twinkle and Garnish. A fresh, green parsley leaf over white sauce pasta or a string of red paprika over a pesto pasta can do wonders. Lighter the food colour, brighter the garnish. Other innovative ways could be to dust the plate rim with some pepper, cinnamon or mixed herb powder (depends on the food type). You could Swirl or Dollop some cream or sauce depending on the food texture. Being Minimalistic however is my thumb rule.
4) The Final Showcase: always needs a cleaning ACT. It’s unappetizing to see the sprinkles, drizzles and the garnish at un-appropriate places and amounts. Most importantly the rims of the plates and serving bowls with extra anything on them needs to be wiped CLEAN before they head the table.
God is in the Details; Small things can make a Big Difference!
Indian Born Confused Gourmet 