Let’s talk about presentation.
Presentation refers to what your food looks like on the plate. Part of enjoying a meal depends on how your food is presented. Ask yourself, “Does this plate look inviting, or does this plate look flavorful?” Seriously, I’m telling you it can really affect how appetizing and flavorful the meal is received. I’ve made some dinners that taste great, but look like slop on a plate. So I always feel like I have to apologize and say, “Get past how it looks because it tastes great.”
For those of you that don’t enjoy cooking maybe you’d enjoy doing an art project more, so pretend dinner is an art project. Create a colorful masterpiece. Half the battle in meal prep is getting your presentation down by creating something that looks super nice on a plate. To accomplish this, I think about color coordinating. I know that sounds silly, but just think if we had a meal that was chicken, yellow rice, and corn. It’s all yellow. Can you see how that might not be very appealing?
If we switched out the corn for something green, like green beans? Or we could switch for a sliced tomato or red cabbage? Use something that brightens up the meal and makes the plate look a little better.
I know that’s kind of funny, but I often say when we’re figuring out what to have for dinner, “But we don’t have anything green. We need a green.” Adding something green is also a good way to eat a vegetable. Even if you are adding just a green salad, you need something green.
There’s other things that you can do to make the presentation nice. I want to give you an idea. If you’re making corn, (corn again?) I know this sounds silly, but I’m telling you it does make a difference even if it’s more subliminal, try buying a package each of frozen white corn and frozen yellow corn and mix them together. When you have half white and half yellow kernels on the plate, all of a sudden it kind of looks pretty. It’s the same taste, but with your eyes make it taste better.
Sometimes I make ahead some starter vegetables, (which I will talk about in a different video or podcast). I will saute an onion, a red bell pepper, yellow pepper, and an orange bell pepper. (We don’t eat green peppers in my family because they make us burp.) Then I freeze them in a re-sealable bag after they’re cooked. Later I can slice off little bits of it and add it to that same corn. Now you have the little flecks of fun and different colors in there with a slight change in taste. Now you are becoming a gourmet cook. Do you see what I mean? You made it pretty and taste better, even though it’s the same thing.
Here is another example.
When I’m making chili, I make it interesting looking. People love my chili and they ask me for the recipe all the time, and it’s only a bunch of cans and a package of spice mix. It’s just such a cheater way to do make chili. Why do I think people like it so much? The cans of beans I use are all different sizes and colors. I buy a can of black beans, a can of red kidney beans, and a can of white beans, a can of ranch style pinto beans, and a can of chili beans. I just use a little packaged mix of a chili seasoning and put a couple drops of hot sauce or chili powder into my pot. I like to use some hamburger meat in my chili. People love my chili! It’s so funny! But you know why I think they love it so much, because it’s so pretty. Even though the beans have the same flavor in that big pot, it looks interesting. So, there is a lot to be said for color coordinating and making your presentation nice.
These are just two examples. Let me think of another example… If you’re making Alfredo noodles, add a little touch of parsley on the top of it and it makes it look like it’s from a restaurant. It didn’t cost you any money, and it does not change the flavor of the dish, but that parsley elevates your meals visual appeal to the next level and your guest will think it tastes better. (Use fresh parsley. Dried parsley is too crunchy!)
Now go and think about your next meal and how you can visually step it up a notch!
Watch my video on Presentation HERE
Look for my future Podcast on Presentation HERE