A Feast for the Eyes

Want to elevate your next dinner party? Plating a dish like a professional chef is easier than you think. Channel your artistic side with these basic tips on how to plate food like a professional chef.

Dishware: The shape, size and color of the plate or bowl can affect the overall visual when plating food. Make sure the portion size is balanced with the dishware size. White or a light shade almost always keep the food as the main attraction.

Color: Add variety with colorful vegetables like multicolored carrots, orange or purple cauliflower, purple potatoes, peppers, etc.

Decorating: Set the stage with the help of some special tools like tweezers, squeeze bottles, brushes and spoons to add drops, drizzles or brush strokes of sauces and condiments across the plate. Try cutting fruits or vegetables into unusual shapes. Play around with asymmetry. Combine and contrast colors and textures.

Height: Layering food creates height and adds a lot of dimension and excitement to a plate. Try leaning or stacking ingredients against each other. Place items on top of each other, like proteins on top of starches (such as steak on top of mashed potatoes). Add a sauce as a base layer of color on the plate, with the rest of the food arranged on top.

Garnish: Enhance the flavor as well as the appearance of the dish with garnishes. Fresh herbs like mint, dill, cilantro and parsley add color and aroma, as do the zest or twist of citrus like lemon, orange or lime. Seasonal berries or spices can add flavor. Or, try sprinkling fresh edible flowers. Most of all, have fun experimenting!

Below is an example of Chicken Cacciatore from the newly opened Tavolo Italian Bistro in Corydon, IN.

Tavolo Italian Bistro
204 E Chestnut St.
Corydon, Indiana 47112
812-225-5148
tavoloitalian.com

MESA, A Collaborative Kitchen
216 Pearl St.
New Albany, Indiana 47150
812-725-7691
MesaChefs.com