Plating food

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by flossytoo

I've got just 2 more questions...
What does shingled mean?

"Shingled" means the edge of each piece overlapping (and on top of) the edge of the piece before it -- the same way roofing shingles are laid. Or, if you've ever played the game of Klondike solitaire, the cards are shingled as you add them to each column.

And do you have any cook books you could especially reccomend for the way they present their food in the photographs?

It's embarrassing actually, but over the last few years my kids have marauded through my library. I don't have anything still in print with that kind of photography. I'm sure someone else must, though.

BDL

[kuan]

Originally Posted by flossytoo

And do you have any cook books you could especially reccomend for the way they present their food in the photographs?

Look in the photo gallery under plate presentations.

Plate Presentations - ChefTalk Photo Gallery

[nowIamone]

Don't discount the power of presentation for a family style dinner.

Two or three items attactively placed on a large platter can add a lot of "wow" to your dinner.

Shop the thrift stores for serving pieces, large platters, unique shaped bowls for sauces that can sit at the edge of the platter, etc.

A large collection means that you can take a minute and determine which colors, shapes will complement the food and the table.

One of my most treasured complements was from a friend who told me, "You've always been able to take a 10.00 meal and make it look like a feast."

[KYHeirloomer]

Flossy, it would probably be easier to list books that are not helpful in that regard.

About 90% of modern cookbooks follow a similar format. The recipe is faced by a full- or almost-full page photo, showing the dish laid out. Virtually all chef-created books follow this format, and most others come close.

Let me suggest that you go over to the book review section, and check any of the recent reviews. Pick one whose subject appeals to you, and order the book. You'll accomplish two things: 1. You'll expand your knowledge in an area of interest, and, 2. you'll learn a little about plating.

Keep several things in mind. A food stylist laid out the photo food, and it might even be different from how the chef, himself, plates it. And there's nothing sacred about the lay-out. It's just one way, albiet a really fancy way, of doing it. Also keep in mind that garnishing is a controversial topic. Stylists are big on garnishes, because their major concern is the visual aspect of the dish. But many chefs have gotten away from garnishes that do not contribute to the dish.

The trick is to take from the photos what you find useful and interesting, and apply it to your own service.

[durangojo]

Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer

".....then I know there are problems in the kitchen too."

I'd have to say that's an unfair generalization. Front of house is a totally different management structure than back of house, and the chef usually has no control over how the wait staff is trained. Poor servers can easily spoil the dining experience even when the food is 4-star.

i'm with you on that one ky, especially 'knowing that there are problems in the kitchen'...no matter how wonderful your plate looks leaving the kitchen a server can screw up the whole deal in two seconds just by putting the plate down wrong and why are they asking who gets what anyway? a good server knows where the food goes!...as a chef, i am always reminding the waitstaff which way to place the plate in front of the customer for the best effect..sometimes i am amazed when interviewing waitstaff, what they think the proper way to serve is and how long they have been getting away with it...its unbelievable really.. i work very hard to make evey plate a thing to behold as well as taste, even through the evenings main rush..to have it misrepresented to the cutomer(the one who pays my electric bill) reallyreally ticks me off..but for the chap who was asking about presentation, the gallery pics from this site are absolutely awesome..something to aspire to for sure..skies the limit..i totally agree with not doing it the tv dinner tray way, or the denny's way! god, do they still make tv dinners?..thought they were banned, or if not they should be!
joey

[MaryB]

The meat piled in the center of the plate method

[Mapiva]

I believe that if you have 4 star food then you should have 4 star service. Anyone running a restaurant will know how to train the wait staff to provide a well rounded experience for the diner. As said, delicious food doesn't seem so delicious if it is placed in front of the wrong person, or is handled with very little care. Front of house and back of house are connected hopefully with leadership by someone who has personal interest in the success of the restaurant.

Another thing to consider while plating is portion size. Gone are the days when you could place a heaping amount of food on to someone's plate. Going over my inlaws house can be torturous at times because nothing is served family style which means I can't choose what I'm going to eat in any sense. Forget it if you want less protein and more vegetables - the decision has already been made for you and NO SECONDS! I am usually told exactly where to sit, and then presented with a huge plate of... whatever they want me to eat. It's not a pleasurable experience downing all that food to tell the truth.

[chubyalaskagriz]

Although formal service has long been a part of my career, and obviously- plating food... at home I take a different approach. In my own cave I don't enjoy anything remotely formal. I host casual suppers and for me "stress-free" is the key. In my home I don't need that control of painting palletes on the plates of my friends & family and I prefer to serve mini buffets or family style using an eclectic collection of large colorful bowls & platters to show off the food and make it available for the hungry masses. This way folks not only get to pick & choose as they like, but there is ultimately less waste 'cause folks tend to eat what they put on their own plate- and I cannot abide waste.

I certainly respect someone whose views differ- who prefers to plate food at home for guests, but this chef ain't into that only any level.

[Psycho Chef]

The French Laundry Cookbook by Thomas Keller will stand you on your head....The ultimate blend of technique and "natural" feeling presentations. KY was right on about odd and even numbers. Look for symmetry and balance when possible...sometimes I think I have a great idea, then it hits the plate and my eye is not comfortable with it...It's usually a balance thing. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THE RIM OF THE PLATE! The blank space acts like a "frame" for your "picture".

[kuan]

Originally Posted by MaryB

The meat piled in the center of the plate method

Hah hah! Best presentation I've seen all week!

[RPMcMurphy]

What style of plate should be used for what?

square, oval, rectangle, round, etc.

someone mentioned pooling sauces for thin sauces....

when do you let food "run into" each other....for instance, with my shortribs and rice I'm making tonight...

how would I present that if it were 40$ a plate in a Michelin stared place...

I am a plate whore, I'm always picking up plates, so I have oval, square, and big round plates.

[MaryB]

BBQ isn't exactly high class food and I was feeding myself after 12 hours taking care of my wood fired pit!

[chubyalaskagriz]

I love all cooking styles and types of grub. But there are "acceptable" degrees of "primativeness" allowed within certain levels of dining. I dig barbecue and I enjoy shredding meat off the bone with my teeth, etc. but as a rule, 5-star+ dining will not have you endure bones of any kind on a plate- it's simply considered too animalistic and not cultivated enough. There'll be nothing placed at your table to risk a mess like barbecue sauce. Even the servers at such calibur sweep crumbs from your white linen tablecloth with their handy, pocketed crumb-catchers. I don't mind cooking this type of fussy food at work, but for my personal taste at home it just ain't a meal unless I stand the chance of walking away filthy-messy!

[MaryB]

I made that plate for myself after catering for 150 people. Was a long day, drive to the location, setup, prep, cook 12 hours, get everyone through the serving line, grab a plate for myself, tear down and drive home. 20 hours total and that doesn't count the prep I did at home leading up to that day. Cooking solo is a killer

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by RPMcMurphy

What style of plate should be used for what?

square, oval, rectangle, round, etc.

Square and round are merely styles. Depending on the design and type of pottery, one might say "bauhaus" and the other rustic.

someone mentioned pooling sauces for thin sauces....

when do you let food "run into" each other....for instance, with my shortribs and rice I'm making tonight...

how would I present that if it were 40$ a plate in a Michelin stared place...

Your short ribs are my new vocation, apparently. You mentioned "pooling sauces," as part of the question. So you infer that part of plating is controlling the sauce and how it's eaten.

Whenever a sauce is as thin as that for your short ribs, you want to think about a deep plate or shallow bowl -- if there's a difference -- to make sure enough sauce stays with the meat.

The French divided the world into four types of cuisine; regional, bourgeois, haute and impromptu. Most regional cuisines would serve them in separate bowls. True bourgeois would be served family style. The dish really is buorgeois, btw. Impromptu is to your whim. If you put the beef on top of the rice, you're asking the diner to mush the sauce into the rice. If you put them so they just touch, you're giving the diner the choice of mush, eat the border, or eat the sides. Since it's not haute cuisine a starred restaurant would serve at the chef's whim.

In the case of my braised short ribs, if I were plating at a starred restaurant, I'd use a low bowl like a pasta bowl and arc the rice to one side of the ribs with a fair bit of herb garnish.

However, with your short ribs in particular, I'd want to serve them separately, with the short ribs alone on a plate, and the rice in a separate bowl. Yours appeared to be more of a stew than a braise, and that would dictate.

I am a plate whore, I'm always picking up plates, so I have oval, square, and big round plates.

Oval for long food -- and there's a lot of it. Otherwise, it depends on the plate itself and the feeling you're trying to convey. The first principle of modern plating is plenty of empty space -- especially around the rim. This conveys the idea that you're serious about both the food and its appearance. While appearance is part of the message, it's not the major part. A poorly made hot dog on Limoges is a poorly made hot dog. A perfect Chicken Archduke (it's all about the truffles) on melamine is a perfect Chicken Archduke. The picture is more important than the frame.

BDL