1. Plating and Presentation
Culinary Arts
Michaluk

2. 13 Rules for Plating Food 1. The basics
Follow these basic plate presentation rules:
Center the main dish on the plate and place the side
dishes around it
Never crowd food on the rim of the plate
Make sure the food on the center of your plate is not
much lower in height than the foods surrounding it 

3. Note that the main is the central focus, the rim is clean, and the use of colour makes it visually appealing.

4. 13 Rules for Plating Food 2. Serve an odd number
Serve an odd number if you are serving something that comes in pieces, such as chicken nuggets, to make the plate more pleasing to the eye.
3. Filling the plate
Do not overcrowd or under crowd the plate. If you need to, split items onto separate dishes, or fill in the empty spaces with fruit or other garnishes. Keep about one third of the plate empty.

5. Notice the odd numbers and the use of the plate.

6. 13 Rules for Plating Food 4. Add color
Add color to the plate, starting with the first meal of the day. We have waffles, pancakes, muffins, cereal, toast, sausage, bacon, and eggs. What do all of these foods have in common? They are very bland looking— white, cream, brown, or yellow. What can we do?
Put a few strawberries, orange wedges, or grapes on the edge of the plate
Add some blueberries to the cereal
Sprinkle a few chives on the eggs
Add a few pieces of bell pepper or spinach to eggs before scrambling
Put a dollop of jam or fresh fruit on Cream of Wheat® or Cream of Rice®

8. 13 Rules for Plating Food 5. Pasta
Spruce up pasta dishes by sprinkling a little Parmesan cheese on top of red sauce or parsley on top of red or white sauce. 
6. Parsley
Place parsley on top of plain buttered noodles or rice. 
7. Fruit wedges
Add lime, orange, or lemon wedges to fish, chicken, or pork dishes.

10. 13 Rules for Plating Food 8. Sauce and gravy
Put the sauce or gravy on the plate first, and then place the meat or poultry on top of it to add more appeal. 
9. Baby tomatoes and salsa
Use baby tomatoes as a garnish for plain-looking meat or poultry. A chicken breast becomes more appealing by putting a few spoonful’s of salsa either on top or beside of it.
10. Calorie-restricted diets
Try to fan out the food, as much as possible, when plating a dish for a person on a calorie- restricted diet. Cut the meat thinly, putting two thin pieces on the plate, as opposed to one large piece. 

12. 13 Rules for Plating Food 11. Vegetables
Most vegetables usually are colorful enough on their own, with the exception of corn. Try adding red or green pepper to corn to make it more attractive, or you can sprinkle parsley or cilantro on top of it before serving.
12. Mint
Place a few mint leaves on some fruit dishes, particularly those containing melon. 

14. 13 Rules for Plating Food 13. Cakes
Decorate your cakes to make them look even more appealing. If a chocolate cake is frosted with white icing, dust some cocoa powder on the top. Another option is chocolate chips or shavings from a bar of chocolate. Sprinkles look good on any cake. A maraschino cherry on top of a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting looks decadent. Peaches, strawberries, or a combination of both and whipped cream look great on angel food or pound cakes. 

16. 13 Rules for Plating Food 14. Cookies and other desserts
Place sprinkles onto the top of sugar cookie dough before baking, if you are not planning to frost the cookies. A little powdered sugar dusted on top of brownies looks good. Drizzle strawberry glaze on top of plain-looking desserts, including vanilla pudding.