Let’s just get this out of the way: we eat with our eyes first. It’s overused, possibly annoying. But, this is the style issue, and what better time to add a little style to our plates?
There is something to be said for things simply looking nice, but not all foods play well with this concept. Is a goopy chicken casserole the most beautiful thing on the planet? Of course not, but it’s still delicious. That said, no matter what’s on the menu, there are a few tricks that anyone can use to enhance the flavor AND look of the meal.
Here are my favorite tricks for beautiful food:
Table of Contents
On The Table:
• For serving dishes, filling bowls and platters to just shy of overflowing gives a sense of abundance and lets the food shine. Similarly, creating a cheese or charcuterie board without space between ingredients looks lovely.
• Flowers or decorations work really well in ones or twos: one or two types of flowers/foliage, one or two colors represented. This adds texture and height to a table without complicating the line of sight with lots of colors and textures that aren’t in the food.• Simple, neutral, non-fussy linens are always a lovely choice for tablecloth and napkins.
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On The Plate:
• Stick to neutral dishes so that food colors can shine. For white or beige foods, gray, blue and black dishes are a lovely option.• Most non-soup foods look more put together in shallow bowls than on large flat plates.
• Plan meals with varying colors and textures to add interest when eating (like the poke bowl in this picture!). For mostly white meals, add some fresh herbs, black pepper, and/or olive oil to the top of the dish after it’s cooked.
• Serve condiments and sauces on the side. For anything that is runny and not the main sauce (marinara, etc), serve it on the side in a small bowl or ramekin. This cleans up the look of the plate and allows guests to add as much or as little of a topping as they’d like.
• For meals with a few components (think curry with rice and slaw), plating everything slightly overlapping but not piled all in a stack keeps flavors somewhat separate and adds beauty to a dish.
• Right before serving, add at least one little topping, maybe more. Flaky salt, black pepper, sesame seeds, red chili flakes, grated or crumbled cheese, or chopped fresh herbs and scallions are all great toppings to have on hand for different meals.Here’s to another month of delicious, beautiful foods. Cheers!
