Plating Food

RGBHV

I've seen so many wonderful food pics on this forum.

I'm sure that there are many contributing factors, creative cooking techniques, great photography, but most importantly food plating.

Can you recommend some books to teach a novice how to become a pro - (or at least improve their plating skills).

Thanks,

Michael

Carolina Q

I'm in the same boat, but haven't done much about it. Maybe your post will get me going. I just did a google image search on plating food. There are some very nice examples shown there.

Couple of hints I've seen...Use large plates and don't crowd stuff. Don't put two foods of the same color next to each other. Spoon sauce onto the plate UNDER the meat, not over it (let those grill marks show!).

I really need to work on this!

RGBHV

Hi Michael:

Thanks for the tips...

I've done some google searches too and there's a lot of information and pics available, but I'd rather buy a book then blow through a bunch of toner cartridges creating my own book.

From what I've read thus far; position, colour, garnish, texture, white space, etc. are all very important. I would agree with that, but I don't know where to start.

Hopefully I (we) can get some direction from the eggsperts!

Michael

Little Chef

Pictures...pictures...pictures....and practice, practice, practice. Food Magazines are the most reasonable place to start. Look at the pictures, and try to figure out why they placed what where. Here is a hint that worked for me.....don't think of the items you are going to put on the plate as individual items....but try to think of a way to present them as a "group". For a start, next time you plate, put your starch in the middle of the plate, and arrange the other items around it in a circular fashion. Choose a featured item on your plate as well....likely your protein, and make that the prominent item. Hope this makes some sense :huh: :blink: ...Try it! You may just be surprised by your results! If I come across any books worth investing in for plating techniques I will pass the titles along.

Bash

Funny there is a post on plating. Normally I am so late getting dinner ready I don't have time to take pictures plated. Then tonight I posted a plated pic that was so ugly I'm embarrassed. Sure tasted good though.

Richard

Canugghead

Great food for thought Michael. As far as photography goes, my rule #1 for plated food is no flash.
-Gary

Panhandle Smoker

When it comes right down to it that is what really matters. :laugh: I am plating challenged myself but would like to know more tricks of the trade.

RGBHV

Thank LC !

And thanks for the tips!

Michael

RGBHV

At home, it's a bonus having a great looking plate.

If it smells great and tastes great, it's easy to overlook what it looks like.

On the forum or sharing pics with people, we've only got sight and description to work with. It would be great to get better at both.

Michael

RGBHV

Hi Gary:

I would agree, but that all depends on lighting and the quality of your camera.

I keep telling myself that I'm going to buy a good camera - if it's anything like my snowblower, I should get a good camera by about 2020. Ha! Ha!

Michael

Panhandle Smoker

I agree 100% when showing pics plateing is a big part of it. I just don't have an artistic eye. I am with you though even at home I would like to plate items sometimes to where it wows the natives. :laugh:

RiverFarm

Hmmmm, do you all plate and then serve? We put the food on the table and then serve ourselves, or people dish out to others if they're closer to the platter or bowl. Makes it hard to take artistically arranged photos; frantically waving forks would be in the way!

Florida Grillin Girl

I bought an Olympus digital camera for work that has macro and super macro focus. The flash does not work while in these focus modes. This has helped me take very closeup pictures that really show the texture of the food. I still suck at plating though.

Faith

Unknown

Boarding house rules tend to be the norm in our house. Get the food on the table and dig in! There are 7 of us for the average dinner. My wife and I entertain a fair amount so it's not unusual for us to have 20 (or so) over for a weekend or special occasion dinner so plating has never been high on our priority list.

I will confess that I am plate challenged. I hope that's because of inexperience rather than lack of creativity. After reading some books, taking some lessons or just looking at pictures, hopefully I'll improve.

Although I've always appreciated well plated dishes at restaurants, it was never an important issue for me UNTIL I started seeing all kinds of pictures of great dishes on the forum.

Now I'm spoiled AND I too want to plate wonderful dishes. If nothing else, I'd like to make dinner for my wife and friends and have them OOO and Ahhh before they even start eating.

If you have any suggestions, I'm all ears.

Michael

RiverFarm

If you plate and then bring completed plates to the table, are there no seconds? Plating might be a good idea if you wanted to curb yourself of the desire to take another and then yet another helping - the downfall of so many waistlines!

On the other hand, if there are more than two or three people at the table, I could see the food getting cold while those already served waited politely for their dinner companions to receive their food!