There is an old saying in the world of cooking, at least I think it is old, that says, “You eat with your eyes first.”

This saying is very true, especially in a world where social media and posting photos of food either ordered at restaurants or prepared at home is becoming an increasingly popular trend. That said, I am sure there are plenty of people out there with the mindset that as long as their food tastes good, and is cooked properly, that’s all that matters.

While there are definitely two schools of thought with regards to how you present your food, I personally am in the former. Watch any cooking competition on television and you will see that there is an unwavering focus on how delicious the food looks.

One of my personal favorites is MasterChef and I am not sure that you can go an entire episode without Gordon Ramsay (my personal food hero) or one of the other judges comment on the visual appeal of a contestant’s dish. It is not uncommon to hear something along the lines of, “It taste delicious, but - visually - it looks a mess!” I have personally witnessed countless occasions where the presentation of a dish winds up costing one of the home cooks on MasterChef the opportunity to move further into the competition.

However, just because your food looks good, doesn’t mean that it can taste horrid. Anyone who aspires to be a great home chef, or a professional chef for that matter, needs to constantly focus on firing on all cylinders when it comes to flavor, execution, and presentation.

Here are some tips that will help you achieve a better visual representation of just how delicious your meals are:

Dinnerware – The shape and color of the plates, bowls, platters, and anything else you may use to deliver your hard work to your dinner guests is of the utmost importance. My personal opinion is that your plates should be either black, or white, depending on what you plan on putting on them. If your food has enough color to it, or has a lot of lighter tones I recommend a darker/black plate. However, the most universally usable plates will always be white. This is because you can use things like your sauces and other components of your dish to add contrast to the elements of your dish that trend toward the lighter/whiter side of the spectrum. I have also noticed a growing trend/preference in many fine dining establishments for square or rectangular plates which also add visual contrast against asymmetrical ingredients that are served on them.

Use Your Components for Visual Flair – A great example of this can be seen in the photo accompanying this article. As you can see, the scallops have a great sear which gives them a beautiful golden brown color. This is contrasted by the white center of the scallops and then additionally by the broccoli slaw that helps to break up the white center of the scallops from the plate itself. Also not to be overlooked is the use of the kale microgreens on top of the bed of coconut black rice on the plate. The green and irregular shape of the microgreens allow them to pop against the dark colors of the rice. You might also notice that I took the time to use a ramekin to shape the rice into a highly symmetrical circle which plays against the squareness of the plate itself.

Contrast Textures as Well as Shapes – Another thing you might note with regards to the kale microgreens on top of the bed of rice is that the microgreens are very smooth in appeareance whereas the bed of rice is highly textured. Same goes for the scallops that are very smooth a and soft looking, but that is enhanced even further by placing the scallops on top of the sharp and somewhat chaotic nature of the broccoli slaw.

If you are truly serious about taking your cookery to the next level, you absolutely cannot neglect the necessity of a top notch presentation. Use the all of the resources at your disposal (Google, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) to draw inspiration and ideas from whenever possible and then go forth and conquer! And while you are on Instagram, don’t forget to follow me, @food_chefner, for recipes and ideas for your own personal pursuits.

Until next time, cheers and enjoy!