Pretty Pictures (Plating in cookbooks)

[pfurey]

noma is really good.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

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.
That is very kind, sir. I like Alinea more than TFL, but I was making a comment on the movement in general, and not the people who actually do it well like those two. There is far too much presentation for presentation sake with the food going to **** these days. /old grump.

 

[braised]

Originally Posted by foodguy

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.

"Plenty" is agreat book - fantastic for vegetables and side dishes. Have you seen his other book?

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by braised

"Plenty" is agreat book - fantastic for vegetables and side dishes. Have you seen his other book?

i've seen it but haven't cooked from it yet (does he have more than one other?). i was really impressed. it's for an upcoming column on getting out of a cooking rut ... to be honest, i'll probably wind up cooking more from gyngell's book, because it's closer to my natural style, but it was amazing fun cooking from ottolenghi. and the food was terrific.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Manton

Not interested in Chem Lab Cooking so Alinea is not for me.
O, let me tell you, you are making a mistake in that assumption. Alinea is just cooking my friend. Moto and WD50 are chem lab cooking. Alinea simply presents food, period. Technique is not mentioned nor fetishized, it's just using the best method for the desired result, with nothing but the result mattering. I remember being utterly blown away by their literal take on an Escoffier basic... I mean I'd like to see anyone do that. Really. I've seen a lot of food in my time and quite honestly, I don't know of a place that does it more beautifully. Maybe as beautifully, but not more so than Alinea. +1 on TFL and Alinea. I've recently become more confident in saying that you really are comparing Haydn to Mozart.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by braised

"Plenty" is agreat book - fantastic for vegetables and side dishes. Have you seen his other book?

I like that

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by SField

O, let me tell you, you are making a mistake in that assumption. Alinea is just cooking my friend. Moto and WD50 are chem lab cooking. Alinea simply presents food, period. Technique is not mentioned nor fetishized, it's just using the best method for the desired result, with nothing but the result mattering. I remember being utterly blown away by their literal take on an Escoffier basic... I mean I'd like to see anyone do that. Really.

I've seen a lot of food in my time and quite honestly, I don't know of a place that does it more beautifully. Maybe as beautifully, but not more so than Alinea.

+1 on TFL and Alinea. I've recently become more confident in saying that you really are comparing Haydn to Mozart.


OK, I've never been there so I just assumed ...

Anyway, I have thumbed the book and damn, everything looks really hard to do.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by Manton

OK, I've never been there so I just assumed ... Anyway, I have thumbed the book and damn, everything looks really hard to do.
It is hard, I suppose, but not much more so than TFL in terms of time. I just think a much more talented cook conceived of the ideas. But, if you want to learn about plating, I think it's excellent. He understands color extremely well and his platings are often remarkably simple. He does also do that sort of "organized mess" deal you often see, and which I'm not a massive fan of... Schwa is a big perpetrator of that. Come to Chicago some time with a big budget and eat for god sake.

 

[braised]

Manton - I was thinking about your original inquiry on plating and iMatts response that Giradet and Bras may be more the way you cook and eat.

I was up pretty late lastnight and caught an episode of Made in Spain on the local DC PBS station - I haven't seen Jose's books but the presentation of tapas at Jaleo is near perfect in my opinion. He is smart and naturalistic about the presentation but always clever. There is a lot of thoughtful knifework and simple coordination on the plate.

I'll give a simple example - in approaching the traditional melon and prosciutto, he uses a peeler to cut ribons of melon and presents it in a tangle with thinly sliced ribbons of the ham (seranno, he being a spaniard). I can't remember if there was a drizzle of sherry vineagar and oil, chive flowers, red pimento confetti, etc but I'm sure he did something to accent the orange/red tangle. The dish was simple, visually striking, easy to eat and the flavors of the products were amplified by the treatment.

I can't get enough of his food.

If you're down in DC, its worth a trip and best experienced with 4+ to get enough plates accross the table.

B

 

[binge]

Originally Posted by braised

I was up pretty late lastnight and caught an episode of Made in Spain on the local DC PBS station...

There are 13 episodes of Made in Spain on Hulu.