Applying Principles of Art to your Food Presentations

Ever wonder how top Chef’s plate dishes to WOW their customers? Well here’s a Chef’s secret revealed. It requires a bit of background on the elements of ART. Used by artists in various media, including Chefs and food stylists, the elements of art are the building blocks used to create visual presentations: Color, Line, Shape, Form, and Texture. The same principals can be applied to the creation and presentation of your Seduction Meals.  Take this incredible sexy presentation for Miso Clam Soup as an example. The contrast of black and white accessories creates a startling presentation, enhanced by Asian exotic flowers and a beautifully, well balanced soup that reveals, texture, color (albeit subtle), and space the way the soup is filled to a certain level of the dish. A perfect example of the elements of art applied.

CREATIVE CREATIONS

Color.
Nothing makes a statement like color. Seductive Red, Vibrant Yellow, Sexy Blue, Royal Purple, and the contrast of Black and White. Color can make a bold statement using contrasting colors or a more sublime approach working with one or two color. We love the presentation of the Miso Clam Soup above. Here is an example of working with two color tones: Braised Pork and Crispy Yukon Gold Potatoes. Both so elegant and seductive! 

Form
Form refers to the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. It is the manner or style of arranging parts for a pleasing effect. It is the organization or placement of the basic elements including line, color and shape. Here is a lovely example of how form, height, layering and line are used to visually stimulate a presentation: Pommes Dauphine Capped with Caviar . 

Line
In terms of food presentation, you can use lines as a plating mechanism by arranging food along a straight line or in a row. A creative presentation is simply enhanced by arranging a meal in a line, often times using a flat plate. Here is an example where we used the placement of a mound of rice in the center of a dish and lined the tomato shrimp on each side: Spicy Tomato Shrimp with Risotto and Peas.

 Shape
When plating a dish, we can give it a distinct shape by creating a sexy silhouette. This can be done in a number of ways, including  the use of rings and molds or by playing with the basic shapes: circle, square, triangle, rectangle and so on. Here we have round Mini German Chocolate Cakes with the added form and height of sugary, coconut pecans, presented in a straight line for extra pizzaz! 

Texture
With the right kinds of food, texture is everything. Texture is the tactile quality of a surface—smooth, rough, grainy, sticky, fuzzy, and so on. Spicy Tuna Tartar is all about texture (and taste). In addition to seeing the texture, this dish is further enhanced the use of bold, seductive color and its abstract form. 

For further inspiration pay special attention to Food magazines and TV Shows. Also take note when you go out to eat. Learn from the masters. What does your favorite chef do to grab your attention and seduce your palette.  Go ahead, unleash your inner Picasso, you’ll have so much fun with this!