I have been writing about plating food and presentation techniques for a while now. I have had a lot of good comments, both on my blog and during my lectures at ACF conventions across the country. Not many chefs write about food presentation. However, when someone writes about it with authority and knowledge,...

  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...

Every culinary presentation starts with a creative process. 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...

When it comes to plating food, what makes it look good? 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...

  Ok. By now, if you follow my blog and its numerous posts on plating food, you should have a good idea of what we are looking for, especially in the general areas: right plate, right colors, a nice crust for proteins, play with textures, etc… Today, I wanted to talk about the little kitchen...

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...

  This post is about the technique of cooking vegetables so they keep their natural, vibrant colors.  In culinary arts, the importance of color is easy to grasp. One must see a black & white photo of a dish and compare it with a nicely colored one to realize that color is essential to bring unity. And...

Texture is the visual or tactile feel of an element. In each composition, surfaces have different characteristics and appearances. The diner perceives these differences and responds to them, as much as he does to color. photo courtesy of starchefs.com  texture highlights (see photo above): caramelized...