Picky, picky, picky. Yes, you can say I am that when we talk about food. It’s not only because I have allergies with certain foods but for me, there are expectations to meet to appreciate food. Presentation means a lot to me which made some people think that I have an expensive taste when it comes food. Some are even hesitant to ask my opinion about where to eat because they think that I always go somewhere fancy and they don’t want to spend too much. Moi, have expensive taste? Not really. I eat in the office cafeteria for chrissakes! Bland. Food. Every. Single. Day. I’m saving up for stuff so it’s cafeteria food almost everyday. Well beggars can’t be choosers, right? Lol. But Ali and I also treat ourselves to a decent meal once in a while.

Dining in a good restaurant gives me ideas on how to improve my home cooked meals. I scrutinize the food presentation, I savour the taste and I enjoy the textures. I can have restaurant quality meals at a fraction of the price because I prepared them myself. I’m a frustrated chef. I experiment a lot with food. Luckily, they turn out edible and even nice to look at.

Let me share with you how you can make home cooked food look more appetizing and have that gourmet-feel. I believe that your eyes should also be delighted as well as your palate.

Play with colors and textures. You can serve a simple grilled chicken or fish fillet and make them look more expensive by adding blanched vegetables on the side. Homemade French fries can also do the trick, add a wedge of lemon and a few sprigs of rosemary for extra color.

Use nice plates and cutlery. A nice set of plates will also help you in achieving the look that you want for your food. A white boat shaped plate can add character to a boring dish. Colored plates with big designs tend to grab attention away from the food.

Frosted glasses are nice for blended drinks. Put your glasses in the refrigerator to chill minutes before you serve your drink. The frost on the glass creates a refreshing look as you pour your drink into it.

Garnish. Add a little crushed red and black peppercorns to the sides of the plate, or even dried herbs. You can also use cut-up fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheese, etc. But don’t overdo it. You should be careful on how your garnish affect the texture and the taste. And you don’t want to lose sight of the original recipe you prepared because you got excited with garnishing.

There are ways to make simple dishes look something like a five-star hotel chef prepared. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You can also follow cookbook instructions or just go with your gut-feel. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you expected, you’ll still enjoy the food because you had fun preparing it. If you prepared it for someone but he or she didn’t like it, a little twist in the arm should do the trick. Lol.

Photo courtesy of gettyimages.com, The Image Bank collection.

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