This week, Jon of Uprooted Food Truck showed us how to make a fabulous meal from start to finish for your next dinner party beginning with Roasted Squash & Pickled Beet Crostinis, moving to Braised Short Ribs & Dandelion Greens, and finishing with Brie & Apple Caramel Pizza.
Dazzle your guests as your plate like a pro with some tips from KitchenAid.com
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Pick Your Plate: Consider your plate as your canvas, and your food as your medium. The size, shape and color of your plate will have a direct impact on the overall appearance of your dish. White is a popular color choice for a reason; it creates a high contrast when paired with other colors, which means your food will be the focus rather than the afterthought.
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Find a Focal Point: Designate a focal point when plating your dish. More often than not, the focal point will be the protein, such as a perfectly grilled steak or simply seared scallops. By focusing on this one element, other aspects of the dish, such as the accompanying vegetable or sauce, will play supporting roles to the main attraction.
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Contemplate Color: The colors of the foods you’re plating will be the leading determinants for how to best highlight a dish’s strong points. For example, a pop of color provided by a tower of green beans or sautéed kale adds a fresh touch to an otherwise monochrome palate of chicken and mashed potatoes. Draw attention to the positives of a meal by juxtaposing bright accent colors with more neutral tones.
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Odds Rule: Groupings of three, five or seven are naturally more appealing to the eye in that the lack of balance creates visual interest. Consider the Rule of Odds when plating proteins such as scallops and shrimp, as well as vegetables such as asparagus and pearl onions.
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Cleanliness Counts: Keep your canvas clean by wiping away stray crumbs or dribbles of sauce. Such outliers will distract from the focal point and create a less polished look to your plate.
Missed the cooking demonstration with Jonathan Gonzalez of Uprooted?! Well at least you can still get the recipes: