Food styling for traditional Shabbos dishes

tweek

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 9:35 am

I serve a very traditional meal on Shabbos
fish, chicken soup, noodles, kneidlach, chicken, farfel, carrots, dessert
fish, eggs, chulent, cold cuts, dessert

I am looking for ideas of how to dress these up on the plate when I serve them. I have no problem breaking tradition for the design!

Thanks

Amital

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 9:42 am

I always set our table and plate the food nicely because we "eat" first with our eyes. It makes things more appetizing.

Think about color and design. A piece of fish on a plate might look OK, but maybe you could garnish with something colorful: herbs, carrots, etc. Or if it's gefilte fish, do something with the purple horseradish instead of the white (but serve both alongside). Or slice the fish already and arrange it nicely, like a half moon.

I often serve things on a bed of romaine, like cold cuts or salads. Not a lot of lettuce, but one layer makes it look much nicer. And try to include something else for garnish, like maybe colorful strips of pepper in the middle, or perhaps a tomato rosette.

Another thing is to get nice serving plates/trays/platters. They don't have to be expensive, but pretty helps!

OOTBubby

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 10:14 am

For something like gefilte fish or salmon, putting it on a plate by itself is very plain looking. But, add some veggies or salad next to it and it makes a huge difference in the presentation.

OOTBubby

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 10:22 am

In one of last week's magazines there was an adorable presentation -- I think they used it for chopped liver & eggs, but not sure.

It involved cutting out different sized circles of a tortilla and arranging them with some standing on top, inside of each other, etc. I'd never mess with something like that, but it sounds like the kind of thing you're looking for.

Sorry, but I don't remember which magazine it was in, but someone here probably knows.

CatLady

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 10:44 am

What about using ring molds for things like egg salad, chopped liver, etc. In fact, you could layer the liver, then the egg, then top it with something veggie as a garnish after it's unmolded.

Branches of rosemary can be used to spear items like slices of roasted potato together, and look very stylish. You can also use a drizzle of balsamic glaze, chili, cilantro or basil oil, etc. in a squirt bottle to decorate the plate.

If you're garnishing with greens, use something like Boston lettuce, which makes a cute little cup. Or endive. What about radicchio leaves, or treviso (red endive)?

What about serving multicoloured carrots? They are so pretty and even sliced and steamed, add so much to the look of a plate.

Any dessert is enhanced with a last-minute sprinkle of powdered sugar or cocoa powder. You can keep them in large salt and pepper shakers so you don't have to patchkeh to get the garnish ready.

Imhappy!

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 10:51 am

square is in y'know
a square big plate leave center empty place food at 4 corners. salmon/gefilta/ chrain/ veg should work with dressing dropped in center as design.

I ve seen chulent served on big sqaure plate same idea with the bean part in a small square dessert plate/ kishka/ kugel ect.

ppl serve livern eggs as a 2 tone kugle( personaly I feel like your ruined two foods but it lookes pretty)

ive also see kugel done as kugelettes in small rose bunt pans

penguin

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 12:36 pm

Quote:

an adorable presentation -- I think they used it for chopped liver & eggs, but not sure.

It involved cutting out different sized circles of a tortilla and arranging them with some standing on top, inside of each other, etc

It was in Binah. If you want exact directions, I can get it for you.

Basically you take two wraps, pref. dif. colors like tomato & spinach & cut out a scalloped circle which you bake & put a scoop of liver on one & egg salad on the other. They also want you to cut a smaller circle (using two dif size circle cutters, so you get a small bagel shape) which you stick on top vertically between two grape tomato halves.

I find the last part overkill but then my idea of elegant presentation is a grape tomato & slice of cuke, lettuce optional.

you could always do a cream puff swan if you have nothing more interesting to do...

penguin

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 1:07 pm

Do you plate or serve on platters?

A sprinkling of parsley on your carrots will look nice either way. Grated ginger?

We do our coldcuts in wraps - ketchup/mayo, lettuce mix, something red, e.g. pastrami, then turkey roll. Roll up & cut in slices.

lkwdmommy

Wed, Aug 17 2011, 2:53 pm

penguin wrote:

Quote:

It was actually in the Family First section of the Mishpacha.