Add Art to Food Preparation & Serving

Attractively arranged food and table settings add appeal to family meals or any time you serve culinary treats.  This also creates memorable occasions.  No matter how simple your food is, it can seem “fit for a king or queen,” when served attractively.

Image: sxc.hu

Some of the artistic techniques for serving food:

• Add candles in a variety of arrangements to your dining table.
• Use pretty dishes, even mix and match ones when you don’t have complete sets.  I recall the attractive serving dishes my aunt used for family meals, even just a cut glass pickle dish or flowered jelly jar.
• Find attractive or themed placemats and napkins.  These may be ones you’ve made or purchased.  Those handed down through the family add memories to the meal.
• Arrange food with eye appeal on plates and serving dishes.
• Plan your meals with coordinating colors.  I recall my home economics teacher, in junior high, telling us not to serve all one color on a plate, but try to vary them.
• Learn to use garnishes that add color and variation: sprigs of parsley, radish curls or rosettes, strips or rounds or red and green peppers, a sprinkle of paprika, a dab of relish, chocolate curls or shavings, marshmallow petals, etc.
• Arrange a centerpiece…flowers, fruit bowl, a toy for tots, small knick-knacks, candles, holiday themes.  Children enjoy creating table decorations, too.

How do you add art to your meals?