Dessert/Food Plating Tips

• Use large plates. Crowded food looks messy, so give your dishes room to breathe.
• Opt for neutral china. White, bone, and other neutral plates will complement pretty much any color of food, while busier patterns can sometimes clash.
• Use glassware to creatively present items
• Use underliner plates/saucers
• Make pretty piles. If you don’t want to separate the individual components, try stacking them in a tidy tower.
• Stay inside the rim…ALL food should be inside the rim of the plate
• The rim should be clean
• Make sure one of the items acts as a focal point on the plate.
• Keep it clean. When working with wet ingredients, try to keep the plate as clear and smudge-free as possible. If you drizzle sauces, control the distribution so that it’s artful, planned.
• Garnish Properly: What’s your  garnish?  What is the purpose?
• Use contrasting colors ie. Red adds a lot of color to a brown plate
• Don’t put foods that get soggy directly in a pool of sauce
• Use two sauces/coulis; contrasting colors make desserts pop.
• Use a garnish that enhances flavor and appearances
• Garnishes must be edible