Monday, March 9, 2009

Food Presentation Tips!!

The way food is presented affects a person’s perception of how it will taste.The perfect dish includes food that tastes as good as it looks. Much of the artistry of cooking comes after the food has been cooked and it is time to transfer it from pot to plate.

Since most of us eat our main meals at home, attractive food presentation is just as important at home as it is in a restaurant. A dish that looks good is more likely to be eaten. Even picky kids will eat food if it looks appealing and properly arranged.

Whether you’re entertaining, preparing a special meal or jazzing up an old favorite, these food presentation tips that i gathered from here n there will set your dishes apart from the crowd.

Balance: Select foods and garnishes that offer variety and contrast, while at the same time avoiding combinations that are awkward or jarring. Two or three colors on a plate are usually more interesting than just one.

Portion size: Portion sizes are another important food presentation tip.Match portion sizes and plates. Too small a plate makes an overcrowded, jumbled, messy appearance. Too large a plate may make the portions look skimpy. Balance the portion sizes of the various items on the plate , size does matter a lot.

Plating the Food: Plating is the act of arranging the meal on the individual plate immediately before it’s served. Presentation should look natural. It should feel as though everything that is on the plate is meant to be exactly where it is. Try to strike a balance between having enough food on the plate to convey hospitality without overcrowding the plate. After you have put the food on the plate, check to see that the plate is clean. Clean spills or sauces away with a moistened clean sponge or paper towel.

Decorate the Frame: If the food is the masterpiece, plate is its frame. Buy beautiful bowls and plates in a variety of shapes and colors. For small appetizers, part of the presentation is making the display platter look beautiful. If you’re decorating a plate that will hold hot food, be aware that by the time you’re finished garnishing the plate, the food may not be hot. Therefore In some cases, you can garnish the plate before you plate the food.

Temperature: It goes without saying that hot food should be served hot and cold foods should be served cold; always check the temperature of your food before you serve it to a guest.
Your arrangement of beautiful food will not make much of a final impression if you forget this important food presentation tip.

Mix Shapes, Colors and Textures:Food is naturally beautiful. Combine foods with different shapes, colors and textures on the same plate. Try to integrate a variety of shapes in each dish. It will have a lot of impact.


Dining table: Not only the food and the plate has an imp role to play in the presentation, a proper place for dining is equally important. Make sure the table where the food is served is neatly arranged much before the guests arrive. You can make a simple yet elegant arrangement. Keep everything in place.

The more beautiful the presentation is, the more anxious a diner gets to dig into the food , and the more anxious a diner is, the more likely he/she is to love it. So making an event special n memorable is purely in your hands. These tips r worth implementing. Hope you find them useful.

7 comments:

अविनाश said...

nice post....yummy one
wishing u n ur family happy holi

ARUNA said...

Thanks Avinash, ur blog is wonderful too...!

Anonymous said...

ill marry a cuisine decorator... looks good.. wanna eat some food now..

ARUNA said...

haha that's a good one chriz:)

Anonymous said...

I really liked the topic u covered in Food Presentation Tip section.

Jazeera Tameez said...

Hai Aruna....Ur blog is excellent .Love to try ur recipes tooooooooo

Jazeera Tameez said...

Hai aruna ur blog is really excellent.I loved to try ur recipes too......