Food Plating and Design Workbook (SY 2020-2021)

Workbook in Food Plating and Design SCHOOL OF CULINARY MANAGEMENT SY 2020-2021 Version 6-29-2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO FOOD PLATING AND DESIGN 3 1.1 Assignment 7 1...

Workbook in Food Plating and Design SCHOOL OF CULINARY MANAGEMENT SY 2020-2021 Version 6-29-2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO FOOD PLATING AND DESIGN 3 1.1 Assignment 7 1.2 Task 7 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 7 End of Topic Summary 8 CHAPTER 2: CLASSIC CLOCK METHOD 9 1.1 Assignment 10 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 11 End of Topic Summary 11 CHAPTER 3: LANDSCAPE METHOD 12 1.1 Assignment 13 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 14 End of Topic Summary 14 CHAPTER 4: FREE FORM METHOD 15 1.1 Assignment 19 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 20 End of Topic Summary 20 CHAPTER 5: USE OF ORGANIC MATERIALS 21 1.1 Assignment 22 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 23 End of Topic Summary 23 CHAPTER 6: USING NON-TRADITIONAL AND FUTURISTIC 24 1.1 Assignment 26 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 27 End of Topic Summary 27 2  CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO FOOD PLATING AND DESIGN 1. Course Description: This chapter is an introduction to food plating and design. This chapter discusses the basics of food plating, the tools needed, how to use sauces, and talks about the usual components that are part of a dish. 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Describe the basic concepts of food plating 1.2. Know how to use the tools commonly needed for food plating 1.3 Learn how sauces help to food plating 1.4 Explain how each component to the dish helps in plating a food 3. Discussion : Food Presentation Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal. It combines the different elements of a dish to create an artistic unity that not only appeals the eyes, but to create a different experience in dining. Five basic Components of Food Plating 1. Framework 2. Keep it simple 3. Balance the dish 4. The right portion size 5. Highlight the key ingredient 3 Framework Visualize your plate. Imagine how it would look like. Pictures in social media helps to get inspiration. There are many food plating styles available on the internet, and this helps in gathering information and inspiration to help you come up with the best food presentation possible. Consider the color used in plating your food. The common rule is to have three contrasting colors. Keep it simple Common mistakes of other chefs is that they put in too much in a single dish. It may have been the trend before, but now, keeping it simple is the way to go. Select only one ingredient as the main focus. This is usually the protein when it comes to main dish. Although new trends have emerged, using vegetables as the main focus point. Common mistakes of other chefs is that they make things complicated and put a lot of things in a single plate. This may have worked in the past, but not anymore. There are new techniques that you can use to bring out the flavor of your main ingredient, whether be it a meat, fruit, vegetable, legumes, etc…. So make sure you use the right cooking technique. Balance the dish Balancing the dish is important. There are three factors in balancing the dish; one is color, second is shape and lastly flavor. You balance color in a dish by using contrasting colors. An example would be a green sauce, brown meat, yellow and red vegetables. This will bring out the color of each ingredient, giving the dish a good appeal. Shape depends on your framework. You can make it high or a landscape. Trend today is to plate them in a landscape, but plating the tall is still common. Use the rule of odds when you do a landscape presentation. An example is placing three broccoli flowers around the plate than four or two. Flavor is probably the most important part of balancing a dish. Gone are the days where food is mostly about full bold fatty flavors. People nowadays want a mix of different flavors, where they experience saltiness, sweet, sour together. People want clean flavors also, and usually a type of acid is added to achieve this flavor. The right portion size Make sure that the amount is proper to the number of person who is eating it. When we talk about food plating, it is usually served to one person, but nowadays there are chefs creative enough to serve a course to two to five people. An example is Grant Achatz who serve his dessert in the entire table for guests to enjoy it together. 4 Make sure the size and shape of the plate matches the food. Using appropriate amount of carbohydrate, protein and vegetables. Nutritional content is also something to think about these days since more and more consumers are getting health conscious. Highlight key ingredient Don’t confuse diners of your dish. Make the main ingredient the highlight of the dish. Sauces, garnish, ornaments and sides should complement the dish and not overpower it. Plating Techniques There are five form of common plating techniques, classic (clock) method, landscape method, free form method, organic material and using of non-traditional and alternative receptacles. Although these are good guides in food plating, one must not limit themselves from these, and continue to evolve with time as trends emerge. We will talk more about these techniques in the chapters ahead. Tools for plating The common spoon and fork are good utensils in plating design, but over the years chefs around the world has used other tools that has helped them to greatly elevate the plating of their dish. Common tools used are the following: 1. Plate of different shapes 2. Different types of spoons 3. Squeeze bottle 4. Piping bag 5. Small palette 6. Different types of mold 7. Baller/Parisienne cutter 8. Cookie cutter 9. Peeler 10. Small strainer 11. Small knife 12. Chefs Tweezers 13. Pastry brush 4. Resources: 5 Chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 6  1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for ten food plating design pictures that you like best. Explain why you have chosen those designs. 2. Research on how to use the different tools used for plating and explain how it could help you in food plating design. Points 100% earned 1.2 Task 1. Cook a dish and practice on plating that food. Take a video. 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback 7  End of Topic Summary 1. Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal. It combines the different elements of a dish to create an artistic unity that not only appeals the eyes, but to create a different experience in dining. 8  CHAPTER 2: CLASSIC CLOCK METHOD 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss how to plate food using the classic clock method 2. Course Objectives: 1. Present a dish using the classic clock method 2. Practice on different ingredients to present a dish. 3. Discussion : Classic clock method The classic clock method is the most basic style of food plating. It is simple and easy to understand. Many restaurants, diners, hospitals, canteen, fast food chain, etc. uses the clock method extensively. You call it clock method because you have to look at the plate like a clock. 12 o’clock in on top and 6 o’clock at the bottom. In the clock method, the main ingredient, which is usually a protein, is placed between 3-9 o’clock or at 6 o’clock of the plate. The vegetables between 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock and the starch between 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock. If there is a sauce that comes with the main ingredient, you usually place it below or above the protein Look at picture as a reference to understand more about the clock method. 9 4. Resources: Chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Find 10 pictures of food plating that follows the classic clock method. 2. Why do you think it is necessary to use the clock method in a fast food restaurant, or a diner or a hospital? 1.2 Task Cooking task 1. Cook three dish, using fish, chicken and pork as a main ingredient. Use the classic clock method when you plate the dishes. Take a video of your work. Points 100% earned 10  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. The classic clock method is a very simple style of plating and can be used anytime. 2. Basic clock method is placing the protein at the below part of plate, veggies at the top right, and starch at the top left. 11  CHAPTER 3: LANDSCAPE METHOD 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss how to plate food using the landscape method. 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Understand the basic design of plating in landscape 1.2. Present dish plated using the landscape method 3. Discussion : Landscape Method The landscape method is currently one of the trend in most restaurants. Stacking food to create height is still popular, but the landscape method brings a different element to a plate as compared to height. Imagine a plate as a garden, and you place your plants and flowers using sauces, vegetables, protein, garnish and anything else you could think of. That is the basic element of a landscape method. The imagination is endless and it is really up to the chef’s creativity to make beautiful things happen. 12 Above is an example of a landscape form of plating. The theme of these designs is a garden, so you will see a lot of greens around the area and vegetables shaped like flowers. Garnishes used are herbs and edible flower. 4. Resources: chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 20 pictures of food plating that uses a landscape form method. 1.2 Task 1. Cook a dish and plate it using the landscape method. Take a video. 13  Points 100% earned 1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Landscape method are like imagining a garden or field and placing that idea into the dish that you are making. 14  CHAPTER 4: FREE FORM METHOD 1. Course Description: This chapter discusses how to plate using the free form method 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Understand the basic design of plating using the free form method 1.2. Present dish plated using the free form method 3. Discussion : Free form method The free form method is a very delicate style of plating. By its name, you can pretty much do anything with free form method, and yet there are unwritten guidelines that need to be followed so that a plate doesn’t create chaos. Imagine the plate as a canvass and your paint is the sauce, vegetable, garnish and main ingredient. You paint the plate with all of this to create art that is appealing to the diner’s eyes. This is how you should think of the free form style of plating. Below are some example of free form plating. 15 Guides in plating using the free form method Guides in plating is necessary when you are starting out. Below are some good guides to use when plating. Understand that these are only guides and not the only ways to plate a dish. If you are just beginning, these can be most helpful. Skeletons for plating There are four skeletons that we can use as a guide. These are lines, arcs, circles and triangles. Below are examples of each skeleton and corresponding plating. 16 17 4. Resources: chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 18  1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Find 20 pictures of plating that follow the free form method. 2. From the pictures you found, what did you like most. Why? 1.2 Task 1. Produce two dishes and plate it using the free form method Points 100% earned 19  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Free form style of plating basically is like painting on a canvass. The canvas is the plate and the food is the paint, and you place the food in the plate in an artistic way. 20  CHAPTER 5: USE OF ORGANIC MATERIALS 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss on using organic materials when it comes to plating food 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Use different organic materials in food plating 1.2. Present dish plated using organic material 1. Discussion : Organic materials Organic material are elements that are used to plate food, instead of the usual ceramic plate. These can be made of wood, stone, brick material and many more. When using organic material, be sure to sanitize it first. Color is most important when using organic materials. For example, if you plate a steak above a stone, you would need a lighter color sauce to be able to contrast with the color of the stone and steak. Below are examples of plating that uses organic material. 21 4. Resources: chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 1.1 Assignment Answer the following questions. 1. Look for 20 pictures of plated dish that uses organic material. 2. From the pictures you’ve collected, which one appeals you most? Why? 1.2 Task 1. Produce two dishes and plate it using organic material Points 100% earned 22  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary 1. Organic materials are items usually made of wood, stone, brick, etc… 2. Color must be considered when using organic materials when plating food. 23  CHAPTER 6: USING NON-TRADITIONAL AND FUTURISTIC 1. Course Description: This chapter will discuss how to plate food the non-traditional and futuristic way. 2. Course Objectives: 1.1. Understand the food plating design using non-traditional and futuristic method 1.2. Present dish plated in a non-traditional and futuristic way 3.Discussion : Non-traditional and futuristic design Most of the food plating methods we’ve discussed so far is limited to a certain type of plate. In this chapter, we will try to go beyond that idea and look at different dishes that is far more different than the one discussed. Also, we will look at designs that are considered futuristic, and made with utmost skill and preparation. Non-traditional Non-traditional plating can mean anything. What comes to mind when we talk about non-traditional plating is forgetting most guides or rules when plating a dish and conceptualizing something different. A good example is the restaurant Alinea by Chef Grant Achatz. Alinea serves a lot of food, and some are plated in a non-traditional way. A good example is their two desserts. The first one is a clear balloon made of sugar, but served to the guest exactly like a balloon, with a string. In a way, its plate is the guest’s hands because then guest needs to hold the string to be able to eat it, or else it will fly away. The second one is their final dessert which is plated in front of the guest, in their table. A couple of chefs go to the guests table and start plating the dessert in front of them. There are no plates, so guests get to eat it at the table. 24  Alinea’s table dessert Alinea’s balloon dessert Futuristic Futuristic plating normally is done thru desserts. By the name itself, it should look futuristic.The advantage of desserts is that it plays a lot of color and texture, and there is usually a lot of sugar involved. Sugar pulling helps to achieve such designs, thus making it more complex. Below are examples of futuristic design. 25 Always remember that the methods explained here in this workbook are good guides, but a guide nonetheless. It is always up to the chef’s creativity and artistry to make new designs and not limit himself/herself to what already exist. 4. Resources: chefqtrainer.blogspot.com 1.1 Assignment Look for 20 food plating pictures that would resemble as non-traditional or futuristic. Which design would you say is preferred? Why? 1.2 Task Create one dish and plate it using a non-traditional or futuristic style of plating. Discuss the step by step process on how it was thought of. Points 100% earned 26  1.3 Teacher’s Feedback End of Topic Summary a. Non-traditional methods does not follow all previous methods that was discussed in this workbook. The idea is to go beyond what was learned, and find new ways to present food. b. Futuristic style of plating is normally done with desserts with the use of colors, shapes and sugar pulling. 27