Here is an excerpt. Please visit Valerie’s blog to read more:

“The Secret Ingredient

In traditional Japanese cuisine, visual presentation is as much a part of the dining experience as the taste of the food itself, so beauty is always an essential ingredient in any Japanese meal.  The Japanese firmly believe that you eat with your eyes first.  Presentation is truly an art form and great attention is paid to everything from the arrangement of the food and garnishes to the dishes upon which each component of the meal is served.  Nothing is accidental as every choice is made with the intention of enhancing the dining experience.

Balance and Harmony

An aerial view of a typical Japanese dish will show you a calculated asymmetry in the placement of the food framed in the backdrop of a beautiful dish, creating a peaceful yet striking balance and harmony, soothing in its quiet starkness but inviting with its lively colors and sharp angles.  There is a strong emphasis on invoking the sensual experience of eating not just in the way of taste, touch and smell, but also sight.  Gorgeous Japanese presentation is a true feast for the eyes and when the chef’s artistry is at its best, the meal becomes a work of art that’s almost too beautiful to sink your chopsticks into.

Almost.

But the purpose of the presentation is to share something of yourself through the food you prepare.  And as with any art form, there is no right or wrong way to create, so let your instinct guide you as you arrange your dish.  In Japanese food presentation, minimalism is generally the word of the day…” (Read more)

And while we’re talking about The Art of Japanese cuisine, I wanted to point out that I’ve seen the movie “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”, a documentary on Jiro Ono, the master of sushi of Michelin fame. Here is the trailer:

Taste and Presentation: The Digital Dish

Saturday, April 14, 11:30AM–1PM, Enzian
Ticket Price: $10, Sponsored by Edible Orlando
This mid-day event is packed with flavor and intrigue as culinary authorities speak about the ways modern media has shaped today’s food culture. Consider that, in 1993, Food Network was founded and largely considered nothing more than an upstart cable station aimed at offering recipes to home cooks across the US. Now—19 years later—the food television industry is worth over $1 billion and over 10,000 active food blogs are churning in English alone. Join us as the experts, ranging from cookbook authors to TV stars—speak to their exciting careers in the food and media worlds, while we all savor some tasty treats prepared by the Enzian kitchen. Culinary guests include Top Chef Season Two runner-up and star of the Syfy cable network’s Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen Marcel Vigneron, two-time cookbook author and award winning southern maven of deliciousness Martha Foose, and blogger/author and culinary artisan Gui Alinat.

I always tell my culinary students that they are only allowed a 2-minute plating. I actually literally put pressure on them by timing plating time. That  forces them to have  a visualization of what they want to do, and all their elements ready in front of them, BEFORE they start plating. That’s important, especially when it comes to plating hot food.

Here is a video from “Berkshire Chefs”. There is no “urgency” here because the plated course is served cold. However, please note the visualization… how the chefs know exactly where every element goes on the plate. A certain amount of planning has been put into it: Chef 1 plates element 1; chef 2 plates element 2; chef 3 plates element 3… So on and so forth. There are about 6 chefs “touching” the plates in the video.

Now, moving on to hot food, here is an excellent video from the folks at “L’Autre Pied”, a michelin-stared in London, UK. You will see the expediting chef waiting (literally) for all the elements on the plate to be prepared by someone else. Once all is ready, Head Chef Andy McFadden plates it all in just about a minute. This illustrates the need for organization, pacing, and visualization of it all.
Look at the chef plating. There is no room for waiting or thinking. He knows exactly where to put the food. That’s a 2-minute plating.

Even more complicated… Here is a plating from the same restaurant in London, L’Autre Pied, where the Head Chef plates a 10-step main course in under 2 minutes. Note how the chef has it all laid out. Every equipment is within reach, all prepared. Every step is thought through. And nothing is left, at this point, to imagination. At the very end, Chef even goes: “That’s it”. Very nice. Enjoy.

Last week, my culinary students brought “Balut” to class. Balut is a fertilized duck or chicken embryo. In other words, an egg with a chicken fetus in it.

An Asian specialty, "Balut" is a chicken or duck embryo.

“Balut” is a a culinary specialty in the Eastern world, I believe in the Philippines, Vietnam, and in the households of people crazy enough to enjoy it.

Look, everything is a matter of acquired taste. I grew up eating Foie Gras and couldn’t literally live without it. But I know some people who can’t swallow it. My wife Carissa, for instance, has had a hard time with it (for about 5 minutes) and is now an aficionado. Rarely did it occur to me that the over-sized liver of a force-fed duck could be disgusting to some people.

I was born and raised in French food culture and foie gras, stinky cheese, pate’, kidneys, rabbit and rabbit head, wild boar, frog legs, etc… always were delicacies. When I teach, I try, with more or less success,  to communicate my love of (strange) foods to culinary students. I often give them extra credit for taking a video of themselves eating head cheese at the Publix deli counter. Some do it. Some resent me for it.

Last week, the rascals turned the tables on me and brought me Balut. Did I want to refuse the favor? Yes. Could I refuse the favor? No. See, I can’t possibly preach culinary adventurousness and the acceptance of other food cultures, however strange they might be, and not do it myself when the opportunity arises. So I did it. Here is the video.

A steamer is a great thing. I call that a one-pot wonder, because you can cook your whole meal in it. Asian cooks know that better than anyone, as they use bamboo steamers frequently to cook vegetables, fish, etc…

Here is a good source to add a steamer to your kitchen tools:

Link to affordable steamers.

Link to affordable bamboo steamers.

Here is the first segment of the cooking demonstration we shot with Russel Rhodes. We concentrate on cooking fish, especially salmon, using a steamer as a cooking technique:

Healthy cooking for 2012: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Then, Russel Rhodes and I talked about cooking vegetables properly, and I gave a few tips to bring color and contrast, while keeping nutrients and vitamins in. Here is the second video:

Healthy cooking for 2012: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Finally, we concluded our demonstration focusing on plated presentation. We talked about what plates to use, plating food like chefs do, etc…

Healthy cooking for 2012: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

If you followed me on Fox Channel 13 this morning and missed the recipe, here it is.

Steamed salmon with spicy vegetables

For the salmon :

• 1 lb salmon fillet, cut in half (to fit in a steamer basket)

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• Juice from 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)

Season fish with salt, pepper, cumin, and lemon juice and steam in a bamboo steamer or a pot with a steamer insert until tender, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside 10 minutes to cool.

For the vegetables:

1 lb of vegetables (broccolini, asparagus, carrots, etc…)

• Kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes plus more to taste

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

• Freshly ground black pepper

Cook vegetables in a steamer until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl of ice water. Drain and dry well. Halve vegetables if desired. Place in a large bowl.

Finely chop 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a spice grinder (or finely chop with a knife). Transfer to a small bowl; stir in both oils, vinegar, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat. Transfer to a platter; sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and more red pepper flakes, if desired.

Link to affordable steamers.

Link to affordable bamboo steamers.

Not many chefs write about food presentation. However, when someone writes about it with authority and knowledge, I love to report that.

Here is a very interesting and authoritative essay on food presentation, written by Chef Tony Adams, through the egullet community.

“Welcome to the food presentation and plating course of the eGullet Culinary Institute….I have been lucky enough to work at some of the world’s best restaurants both as a stagier and as a paid employee. But there is a lot of food that I cook and present which I am not happy with. I make mistakes every day, and when I create a dish, very rarely do I get it right the first time. I will play and play until I get it right. Working in a place where I have a pretty unlimited supply of various produce and proteins, with one of my goals to teach students how today’s industry works, I have been blessed with the perfect opportunity to find my own style, through my constant experimentation with plating and presentations.

I have identified three areas that have a direct correlation to food presentation. The first is, of course, the proper cooking of the food. This is the only element that is controlled by the chef, directly related to his skill; it is also the most important. If it is not done correctly, there is no need to present the food nicely; it will certainly be a disappointment upon consumption. The second element, equipment, is the least important variable, but I will cover a few pieces that I find helpful when it comes to making food look great. The third and final element, plate selection, is based upon the chef’s artistic foresight. It is partly controlled by the chef, although he or she has to choose from what is available on the market (unless his name is Thomas Keller, in which case, he would design his own)…”

Read more of Tony Adams’ article on food presentations.

Food needs to taste good. It also needs to look good.

Most humans recognize unity and good composition. This is why we are so sensitive to culinary presentations. We respond to stimuli and psychological perceptions influenced by our background, education, trends, etc…

In a restaurant kitchen, when they plate food, chefs influence that perception by effectively following a set of guidelines and bring harmony to the look of a culinary presentation. In other words, chefs engage diners.

While it took me 6 years of culinary school and 17 years of work experience to figure out some presentation conundrums, there are also a few easy chef tips that will dramatically improve your plate presentations. And lucky you, you just happened to visit the right page for that. Here they are. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think.

1. Use large, simple, white plates.
   Round, square, or rectangular; the choice is yours (Read my post on plates). But colored, funny shaped plates or bowls usually distract the eye from the star of the show: your food. Center your food and leave the rest clean; that’s the principle of ”white” or “negative” space. White space allows the elements to exist at all and is key to composition. It reinforces the elements of the presentation.
   In culinary arts, chefs use white space to strengthen their presentations in much the same way. By subtracting elements and increasing the amount of space, the featured elements of prepared food seem visually stronger. Crowded food looks horrible.
   
   
2. Work with the right tools.
   Plating needs its own tools. I have listed some essential items here.

3. Add color!
   Respect natural colors. Enhance color by cooking; don’t destroy it! (See my post on how to cook vegetables)
   Increase color saturation by cooking with the appropriate techniques (Again, see my post on that).
   Small, high contrast elements usually have as much impact as larger, duller elements.

   

4. Know that guy: Louis Camille Maillard.
   He’s the inventor of the “Maillard reaction”, which may very well be the quintessential phenomenom in the kitchen. Take the time to sear meats, fish or vegetables in order to make a nice crust. (See my post on the Maillard reaction)

   

5. Free-form it!
   Free-form plating is in. Forget about height. Forget about structure. Make it looks like you’re taking a walk in the forest and you happen to stumble upon the ingredients naturally. I call that “organized randomness”. Free-form plating is meant to be more fluid, more natural.

   

6. Keep it simple.
   Complicated presentations usually miss the point and distract from the wholesomeness of the food. Simplicity is hard to achieve. But trust me, there is beauty in it.

7. Rule of odds.

   The rule of odds is used in many art disciplines, in particular painting, photography and advertising.  It states that objects displayed in odd numbers seem to bring unity to a composition.  The logic behind this rule is that by displaying, three, five, seven, etc… items instead of even numbers, there is always one item that looks framed by the surrounding ones, which looks harmonious. Even numbers tend to bring symmetry in the composition, which appears less natural.

   When slicing a grilled chicken breast to place atop a salad, for instance, it is best to make five slices instead of four or six. Likewise, when plating asparagus in combination with other vegetables, it is best to place three or five instead of four or six.

8. Add freshness!
   Always choose the freshest products (It always shows).

9. Create focus.
   Playing on the unusual color of ingredients creates a focal point. For instance, using green tomatoes, or yellow raspberries or blood orange brings creativity to the plate and engage the diner.

10. Resting time.
    Meat needs to rest. A rule of thumb is to let it rest 1/2 of the cooking time. If you grill a tenderloin steak for 10 minutes, let it rest for 5 minutes. This will allow for the meat fibers to rehydrate from the inside out (since searing pushes the juices in), make it way more tender, and your steak won’t leak on the plate.

11. Use clean plates.
    It sounds like an obvious one, but I see way too many fingerprints and towel streaks on the edge of plates. Not appetizing.
    You may want to prepare a little bowl filled with white vinegar, and a clean towel to clean the edge of the plate.

12. Fluff. Don’t squish.
    The best example to illustrate this is greens. When plating a salad of fresh greens, make sure you don’t squish it down against the plate. Work with your hands (use gloves) and give it height. Fluff it! Make it look light and airy and big; Not flat.

13. Visualize the end result.
    It’s easier to get somewhere if you know where you’re going. Visualize your finished plate will help you with the process.
    You may want to read my post on “The Creative Process“.

14. Use edible, relevant garnishes.
    Enough rosemary sprigs stuck straight into the mashed potatoes!

15. And pluuh-ease… stop that stupid 90′s trend of sprinkling chopped parsley on the rim of the plate, or drizzling sauce in a “Z” pattern. You’re showing your age.

Here is a sketch by one of the masters of our craft: Grant Achatz of Alinea restaurant in Chicago. He is of course known for his avant-garde cuisine and whimsical presentations. To achieve stunning presentations like this one, chef Achatz starts with an idea, a concept, then brainstorms with his team of chefs, with a professional assigned to create the support (aka the plates), and goes to the drawing board.

sketch courtesy of Grant Achatz/Alinea

The sketch then becomes a reality (see below).

photo courtesy of Grant Achatz/Alinea

Sure, Grant Achatz is Grant Achatz. What can I say? Rarely in the history of Gastronomy have we seen such a perfection in the creative process. He really pushed the envellope when it comes to dedicating brain cells to the creation of a dish.

But that should be our process too. Thinking things through. It doesn’t have to be that involved, but each plate coming out of our kitchens must be the result of some kind of carefully thought process.

Among the factors to take into consideration is our target audience. We want to be aware of what our customers are looking for. For instance, the food you see below may be more suitable to sophisticated urban diners in Chicago than early birds in Naples, FL.

sketch courtesy of Grant Achatz/Alinea

photo courtesy of Grant Achatz/Alinea

The importance of FUNCTION is also a serious factor. Dishes must be functional; they must work for us. They must make sense. If we work for a fast casual restaurant for instance, it doesn’t make sense to create a dish that require 7 or 8 plating steps. 3 will be plenty.

Another example would be the purpose of garnish. Are garnishes necessary?.. If so, what
is acceptable to put on a plate?..

These are all good questions to ask during the creative process.

I remember when I started as a chef, I was more worried about the presentation of a dish than its flavor or functionality. It’s important to always remember that when it comes to plating food, that food must taste good, and it must be functional enough. Flavor and function must always overpower the presentation.

As a side note, I found out that most culinary students try to improve their plated food presentations by adding
stuff. They try to add because they think that by adding something, anything, like an extravagant garnish for instance, their plate will
always look better. They think it can only add to the presentation.

Unfortunately, the overall beauty of a food presentation most often relies on the specific beauty of each of its elements. No need to add
anything. In other words, if you want to plate a chicken breast, some mashed potatoes and a few sauteed vegetables, you’d better FIRST pay attention to how the chicken breast, the mashed potatoes and the sauteed vegetables look individually, BEFORE you even pay attention to the overall presentation.

FUNCTION, then, is an important factor.

As it turns out, there are many, many factors influencing the beauty of that painting, and there are many, many factors influencing the beauty of a photograph, or a food presentation. The big underlying
principle is the principle of  ‘UNITY’.

This is a dish plated by a beginner culinary student.

Many things can be said about this plate of food, but let’s just say that it looks… unprofessional.

I know how to plate my food. But at that point I wasn’t really sure, as a chef
instructor, how to provide my students with the tools they needed to make
successful, professional presentations, other than showing them how I would do
it.

So I became interested in food design and I realized something peculiar. While
there is much literature on interior design, painting or photography, there is
absolutely nothing out there explaining how to plate food once it has been
prepared. In other words, ‘my food is done, how do I plate it now”?

I then started to think about what makes good photography, and what makes a good
painting, and I realized that the ‘rules’ dictating the aesthetics of an art
painting or photograph are the same as the ‘rules’ I was using to plate my
food.

There are many, many rules to obey if you want to plate good looking food. But there
is one rule, the absolute, overriding principle behind every visual art, and
that is the principle of UNITY.

Without ‘unity’, no design will ever look complete.

How to define ‘unity’?.. Well, we humans respond very well to it. We like ‘unity’. It’s what makes it feel complete. It’s you standing in front of a fine artwork in some international museum, and you look at the painting and you don’t really know why but you feel good about looking at it. It all feels ‘united’.

From ‘unity’ depends a bunch of satellite concepts such as composition, color, trend, texture, focus
& emphasis, support (the plate), simplicity, and many, many others. All that big puzzle is also a delicate balance. For instance, if I plate my food in such a way that I include a lot of these factors, but lack color, it is fair to say that my plate of food will look like it lacks something; it will feel incomplete.

As in painting or photography, the overall beauty of the end result depends on the interaction between all those concepts. Some presentations will have more colors than others, or more texture, some will be very simple or more complex, but once balanced, the sum will result in something we respond well, something we like, and that is ‘unity’.

I have come up with a recipe that I think it might work and I wanted to share it with you, it uses the same principles of the chocolate souffle. I haven’t tried it with the flour. Anyways, as you can see this is a recipe in progress, I am going to try it this weekend. But I wanted to know your input as I have no access to anybody with the experience that you have.
I apreciate the opportunity you give your readers to ask questions.

Looking forward to your imput.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Galindo-Aka
The Cube Restaurant

 A: Souffle’s are fascinating. Airy, hot and like “eating a cloud”. The principle behind it is simple. When you beat egg whites, what you’re really doing is adding air. Microscopic bubbles of air, which turns an otherwise heavy, gooey element into a light-textured, more pleasant ingredient. If you were to look at whipped egg whites under a microscope, you would see thousands of tiny air bubbles.

Heat makes air expand. So when you put a whipped egg white based mixture into a ramekin and add heat, the air in the tiny air bubbles expand. In a ramekin, there is only one way out: up. Your souffle’ rise.

It rises, and then it falls. That happens if the air bubbles explode and release air, or when they cool down and go back to their initial volume. There is one ingredient that would make them stay up: flour. But then you have a muffin, not a souffle’!

Also, when you whipp egg whites, they usually tend to fall in a few minutes or hours. Chocolate souffle’ is the only souffle’ that you can prepare in advance, because the chocolate sets and prevents the delicate, whipped egg whites from breaking and falling before the baking time. That’s why you can prep a chocolate soufffle’ on day 1 and bake it on day 2.

I don’t know any other ingredient that would help. And I’m not sure it’s even possible to make a pumpkin souffle’ on day 1 that you can bake on day 2.

Thank you for the recipe. I will try it and will let you know if it works.

RECIPEIngredients:

• 1 ½ cups of fresh pumpkin puree (may be 1 cup I am not sure, what do you think?
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• Pinch of salt
• 6-8 large egg whites, room temperature * I am not sure about the amount
1 tsp of cinnamon
½ tsp of ginger
¼ tsp of nutmeg
1/8 tsp of cloves
• ½ cup sugar
1 vanilla bean

Cook the puree on a stove top (I feel like cooking it would get rid of some of the moisture) , add the heavy cream, spices and vanilla. Let cool slightly. Add the egg yolks. Set aside
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and then slowly add the sugar untill glossy.
Fold the 1/3 of the mixture and then the other 1/3 and then the other 1/3.
Poor into prepared remikins, bake for 16 min or refrigerate up to 1 day . Bake for 16-19 min at 375-400 not sure about the time…