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Pretty Pictures

post #1 of 25
5/24/11 at 2:23pm
Thread Starter 
What, in your opinion, is the best "plating" cookbook? I need a source to slavishly copy as I refine my still rather pathetic plating "skillz".

Thanks.
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post #2 of 25
5/24/11 at 2:27pm
TFL
Alinea
Or a French book Matt hooked me up with called "Alleno 101." The pictures are so redonkulously boner inducing.
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post #3 of 25
5/24/11 at 2:41pm
Thread Starter 
I have TFL. Not interested in Chem Lab Cooking so Alinea is not for me. Will check out the other one.

EDIT: JFC, typical iammatt suggestion, it's $250 and in a foreign language
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post #4 of 25
5/24/11 at 2:42pm
You don't have to use agar gels or make caviar to be inspired by Alinea's plating. It's all about their use of color, negative space, height, etc.
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post #5 of 25
5/24/11 at 2:55pm
I know next to nothing about plating, but have you thought about looking at graphic design books? For example, this book has one of the best explanations of negative space and asymmetry I've read:

http://www.amazon.com/Elements-Graph...6259479&sr=1-1

It may not have pictures of food, but the explanation of the underlying principles of design may be helpful in figuring out things on your own.

--Andre
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post #6 of 25
5/24/11 at 4:32pm
Manton -

Arte Culinaire, a very glossy quarterly. If you haven't stumbled across it yet, its worth the money to try a year.

Fredy Giradet - "recipes from a master of french cuisine"

Michel Bras - "essential cuisine"

Pierre Gagniere - "reinventing frenh cuisine" and "reflections on culinary artistry" are classic.

Yotam Ottolenghi (http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk) has some seriously styled food, the Nottinghill store in London is exquisite. Nearly a reason to move there.

Braised
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post #7 of 25
5/24/11 at 4:36pm
There are not many pics in the Gagnaire books, and half are mise porn and not plated.
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post #8 of 25
5/24/11 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by braised View Post
Manton - Arte Culinaire, a very glossy quarterly. If you haven't stumbled across it yet, its worth the money to try a year. Fredy Giradet - "reciepes from a master of french cuisine" Michel Bras - "essential cuisine" Pierre Gagniere - "reinventing frenh cuisine" and "reflections on culinary artistry" are classic. Yotam Ottolenghi ([url="http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/"/URL]) has some seriously styled food, the Nottinghill store in London is exquisite. Nearly a reason to move there. Braised
Girardet and bras are great suggestions. More in line with how mike likes to eat, and frankly, the modern American stuff is a bit sterile to my eyes.
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post #9 of 25
5/24/11 at 5:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
EDIT: JFC, typical iammatt suggestion, it's $250 and in a foreign language

Good god...


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post #10 of 25
5/24/11 at 6:07pm
lol, that is fucking awesome. I'm thinking if one was a very talented and motivated aspiring chef in the third world, they could sit on yelp and/or browse asian american girls food blogs and see as much fine plating as they need to.
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post #11 of 25
5/24/11 at 6:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by braised View Post
Yotam Ottolenghi (http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk) has some seriously styled food, the Nottinghill store in London is exquisite. Nearly a reason to move there.
i just spent the weekend cooking out of "Plenty" (as well as Skye Gyllengal's new one) ... i really like both of their aesthetic. the food is really, really beautiful, but it's not stylized. there's nothing wrong with natural colors and shapes. dammit. so much of this plating nonsense reminds me of those horrible Alfred Portale "Tall Food" plates from the 1980s. Yes, I'm old. And I'm cranky.
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post #12 of 25
5/24/11 at 6:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tattersall View Post
Good god...
This looks so unappetizing to me. It's cool that it can be done, but get it off my plate.
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post #13 of 25
5/24/11 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Manton View Post
I have TFL. Not interested in Chem Lab Cooking so Alinea is not for me. Will check out the other one.

EDIT: JFC, typical iammatt suggestion, it's $250 and in a foreign language

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post #14 of 25
5/24/11 at 7:14pm
julia child had a great line about plates like that: "I just wonder how many people touched my food before I did".
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post #15 of 25
5/25/11 at 12:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post
Girardet and bras are great suggestions. More in line with how mike likes to eat, and frankly, the modern American stuff is a bit sterile to my eyes.

Really? I don't see a huge difference between Alinea and Alleno. But there are slight differences. TBH, a lot of your plating looks similar to Alleno stuff.
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