chapter 2 food presentation
TRANSCRIPT
Chapter 2 Food PresentationChapter 2 Food Presentation
AT A GLANCE
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
• Explain how to decorate and garnish food• Explain the use of garnishes, herbs and
spices in food presentation• List the basic principles of food
photography
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Chapter 2 Food PresentationChapter 2 Food Presentation
• Food presentation refers to how food is arranged and shown to others
• Food that is well presented will invite attention and tempt our taste buds
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Introducing food presentation
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Serving food attractively
We can consider four key areas when we present food:• Choice of plate• Arrangement of food• Use of colours, shapes and
textures• Garnishing
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• Plating is the styling and arrangement of food onto the plate
• Choosing the right plate can enhance the appearance of the food served
• Some ideas for plating food are:– Crockery– Claypots, pots and pans– Glassware– Leaves– Food– Others
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Choice of plate
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Arrangement of food
• The way that food is placed and arranged on a plate affects its appearance and presentation
• We can follow 3 steps to arrange food:– Plan ahead– Find the right balance– Add the finishing touch
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Plan ahead
• Visualize the final presentation of the dish• Make a checklist of things needed –
ingredients, crockery, utensils• Manage your time well – texture and
flavour of food can be affected if we take too long to present the food
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Find the right balance
Aim to find the right balance between:1) The portion of food and the size of the
plate2) The use of space (horizontal and vertical)3) The placement of the main dish and the
placement of the side dishes12
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Add the finishing touch
We can add the finishing touch by saucing• Sauces should complement the dish
instead of covering it
• Sauces introduce a contrast in colour and increase the visual appeal
✓ ✗
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Use of colours, shapes and textures
Colour• Fruit and vegetables
with vibrant colours can increase the appeal of the food
• Sauces can introduce contrasting colours to make the presentation more interesting
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Use of colours, shapes and textures
Shape• Moulds can be used to create interesting
shapes– Biscuits– Sunny side eggs
Texture• Ingredients of contrasting textures can be
used together– Crunchy walnuts in bread– Crispy croutons in soup
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Garnishing
• Garnishes can be used to add colour, texture and flavour to food
• They can make dull-looking dishes look more appealing and appetising
• For example, using mint leaves to garnish a bowl of pumpkin soup
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Making dishes interesting with garnishes
Garnishes can be made from fruit and vegetables. • Simple garnishes
– Sprigs of parsley– Lemon wedges– Tomato slices– Chopped spring onion
• Garnishes that require more skill and time
Radishes in the shape of flowers
Egg and tomato arranged into the form of mushrooms
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Making dishes interesting with garnishes
Points to consider when garnishing food:• The garnish should be appropriate for the
food• The garnish should complete and enhance the
dish • The amount of garnish should be
proportionate to the amount of food served
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Making dishes interesting with herbs
Herbs • Leaves of soft-stemmed plants• Fresh herbs – used as garnishes or added to
flavour dishes• Dried herbs – added during cooking to enhance
flavour• Examples: curry leaves, chives, bay leaves, basil
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Making dishes interesting with spices
Spices • Roots, seeds, barks, fruits or flowers of plants• Normally used in their dried form • Added during cooking to give flavour and
colour to food• Examples: cinnamon, cloves, star anise,
cumin
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Food photography
Take close-up photographs• Get up close or zoom in for the image of the
food to fill the viewfinder or the screen of your camera
• Close-up photographs bring focus to the dish and show the different ingredients used in the dish
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Food photography
Use good lighting• Sufficient background light is important to bring out
the texture of the food and make it look more appetising
Lighting from the front make the food appear flat and dull
Lighting from the back make the food stand out
Natural light brighten up the photograph and is generally always the best
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Food photography
• We can take shots from the top, from the front or from the side
• Photographs of layered food such as pancakes and burgers can be taken from the side to show the ingredients and the height of the food
Take shots from different camera angles
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Food photography
Use props• Interesting crockery, cutlery and ingredients
used in the dish can make your photograph come to life
• Ensure that the focus is on the food and not on the props
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Food photography
Keep the crockery and cutlery clean• Wipe the plate clean if it is smudged with
sauce • Smudges of sauce on plate make the dish
look messy and less appealing• Keeping the crockery and cutlery clean is
especially important for close-up shots