Uncover the art of food presentation
Food stylist and home economist, Sue Ashworth, reveals some industry techniques to give your home-cooked fare some professional pizzazz.
When we see gorgeous photographs of delicious food, we tend to want to eat it! Just how do the experts make it look so good, and what are the tricks and techniques? We give you the low down.
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It’s all in the planning
Any meal or recipe is a balance of four vital components: colour, aroma, taste and texture. These combine to please your eyes, your nose and your palate, so when you’re thinking about what to cook, include different foods to satisfy your senses. It’s even more important to make food look good when you’re trying to lose a few kilos, then you can take pride in its appearance and slowly savour every mouthful, rather than bolting down a plateful of unattractive stodge.
Picture this!
Imagine steamed white fish with boiled potatoes and cabbage. Hmmm. Not good! Yet take the same three ingredients and mash the potatoes, top with lightly cooked shredded green cabbage and sit a seared fillet of fish on the top, sprinkled with lemon zest and juice with some chopped fresh parsley and you have a different picture. Look closely at those attractive food photographs and you’ll see that it’s all about contrasting colours, shapes and textures, as well as the flavours of the food.
Translate into great meals for Weight Watchers
So, when planning your meals, try to think about the balance of sensations that make food such a pleasure. Right on target for Weight Watchers is to enjoy the different colours, textures and flavours that fruits and vegetables can bring to your meals - and they’re all Filling Foods too!
Take care
Whatever recipe you’re making, whether it’s a simple sandwich or a meal for a special occasion, so much depends on the care you take. Take time to read your recipe, then prepare all you can before you start to cook, and do your best to follow the instructions, without under or over-cooking. Vegetables are best (and better for you) when they retain their crunch and colour, so avoid boiling them to within an inch of their lives!
Get tooled up
It’s amazing how many kitchens lack basic tools of the trade, yet have fancy gizmos that hardly ever get used. A good cook’s knife, a knife sharpener, razor-sharp scissors, an efficient peeler and a couple of decent chopping boards will be used almost every single day. Neatly cut meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruit are the starting point for any recipe, and it matters to cut them nicely. Watch any good cook or TV chef – it shows!
Plate perfection
Serve hot food on heated plates, so you can take a little longer arranging it. First impressions are important if we want people to enjoy our efforts. Simple plates are often the best, as busy patterned plates can detract from the food. Choose plates that are big enough, so that you’re not cramming everything into a small space.
Remember, following the Satisfaction plan™ doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be eating less food, just different (healthier) food which can often be bulkier. You need room for all those gorgeous vegies! Keep food neat; try not to slop it onto the plates. Clean around the edges of the plate with kitchen paper if you mess up – it only takes seconds.
A bit of garnish
You might think that garnishes are pointless...but when it’s for a special occasion, they can add that all-important finishing touch. A swirl of natural yoghurt and chopped fresh coriander on a spicy soup; lemon wedges and parsley sprigs with grilled fish; fragrant rosemary with grilled lean lamb steaks; sliced strawberries on top of a summer fruit mousse. These extras make such a difference.
On course
If you love food (and we’re assuming you do) why not brush up your skills by going on a course? Local adult education centres often have a good range to choose from, and it’s so empowering to learn something new. Besides, it might divert your focus from eating food to preparing it even more beautifully!
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