Is presentation important to you when you’re serving a meal?
I’m thinking I might make Caprese salads for dinner. I used to slice Roma tomatoes into six slices, then add the fresh mozzarella, and then a basil leaf to each stack so that it looked a bit like this. Nice presentation. The last few times though, I’ve cut the tomato slices and mozzarella slices into four wedges each, and I chiffonade the basil, and then just mix everything up in bowls with the kosher salt, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. It may not look as nice, but it tastes just the same and is less trouble when it’s just the Wife and me.
On the other hand, I do like to ‘present’ aspara nikumaki. I serve two rolls per person, each cut into five ‘California roll’-sized pieces (10 pieces) and stand them up in a group on the plate. I measure the rice into a custard cup, and then invert the cup on the plate to make a nice mound of rice. I use custard cups to serve the dressing/dipping sauce, and serve the Sprimg mix salad in a small bowl – everything on the plate.
Sometimes, yes. If I’m making something for guests, I’ll take extra steps to make sure something is well presented. But assembly isn’t usually a big part of it, just because of the kinds of food I usually make (soups, stews, casseroles, stirfries, etc). What I spend time on is choosing the right serving plate and utensils and making sure the colors are appetizing by stirring in fresh chopped scallions, garnishing with cherry tomatoes, etc.
When I make nori rolls, presentation is half the fun! But I don’t do that very often.
I’d say it’s important, but that it never gets to outweigh the taste as a consideration. I’m not going to modify a recipe or a cooking method to make it present prettier if it’s at the cost of how good the food tastes. But yeah, sure, making it look enticing is part of the process.
Yes, for fine dining presentation is important, but it’s just one factor among many that include things like a pleasant environment, pleasant company, the appearance of the table settings and chinaware, and many others. They’re all important to varying degrees, but presentation probably ranks higher than most other factors, second only to taste and texture, which it substantially enhances when properly done. It’s why for fine dining I always use my “good” chinaware which is plain white with subtle textured embossing around the edges, but in terms of colour everything is plain white. This helps the colours of the food and sauces stand out. OTOH, when I make pizza I usually just throw some slices on a paper plate.
Presentation/plating is what it’s all about!! I’ve been working at chilling salad plates and warming entree plates more consistently. Garnish is important. A few capers can make or break a meal. Reduction!! Don’t pour it down the drain, reduce it or build on it, then use it.
My latest thing is having a radish (whole or part) as a garnish alongside every entree (it’s that time of year). My gf isn’t very observant, so I’m tracking her to see how long it takes for her to notice.
When I’m cooking for myself? Absolutely not. When I’m cooking for guests, sure. When I go to a regular restaurant? I don’t really care. When I go to a finer establishment (which is fairly rare for me), I care a bit.
Usually I’m eating at home and alone, so presentation isn’t an issue. But I remember a decade ago or so, I was in the mood for a Big Mac meal, so I got a Big Mac, fries and a vanilla shake, which I took home. I plated the Big Mac and fries and put the shake in an actual glass. Though it may sound silly, I think it helped.
See, I actually go all out when cooking for myself, looking at it as practicing and trying new ideas. I’ve recently tried searing different garnishes with my torch. Really happy I tried it out on myself!
It’s important to a point. It doesn’t have to look Instagrammable to be appealing, but if it looks like used kitty litter, then it’s no longer appealing.
Back in the day you’d get some parsley as a garnish; a bit of green made the plate attractive, and that was good. But these days you can take it to the extreme where presentation is more important than gustation, which is not where I want to be.
Then there’s the middle ground. I wouldn’t pay for my sashimi at a restaurant, but at the cost I can make it for versus going to a restaurant all the time, mine’s “presentable enough” for us (probably I’d not serve to guests). Ditto for my nigiri.
My wife and I gave up on presentation decades ago. Food goes from the pot to the plate, so to speak. As long as it doesn’t slop over the edges it’s good to go. No one else sees it but us two, however.
Lots of things that seem important when you’re younger get less so with age.
I serve dinner for the two of us one of two ways (unless, like with the nikumaki, I make an effort at presentation): Either I serve it up on plates, or we get stuff out of the cooking pots/pans. Tomorrow I’m making salmon with garlic-pesto butter and asparagus. I’ll serve that on a plate. Pork chops? Serve yourself. With just the two of us, I only make an effort at presentation occasionally.
Presentation is lost on me IF it involves stuff that isn’t meant to be consumed. And I don’t taste with my eyes as much as other’s might. If anything I’m turned off by doctoring up a dish to be pretty. It’s like looking at shredded money.
But I’m more of a meat and potatoes consumer so my palate is driven by getting my money’s worth and not how good it looks.
the Op’s Caprese salad does look appetizing but I have an idea of what to expect. I also like to dig into a meal that doesn’t require attacking it with a knife so the non-presentation version would be my choice.
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