Pretty Pictures (Plating in cookbooks)

[Manton]

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.

 

[kwilkinson]

TFL
Alinea
Or a French book Matt hooked me up with called "Alleno 101." The pictures are so redonkulously boner inducing.

 

[Manton]

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

 

[kwilkinson]

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.

 

[A Y]

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

 

[braised]

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

 

[impolyt_one]

There are not many pics in the Gagnaire books, and half are mise Appreciation and not plated.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by braised

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.

 

[tattersall]

Originally Posted by Manton

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

Good god...

 

[impolyt_one]

lol, that is ******* 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.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by braised

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.

 

[mordecai]

Originally Posted by tattersall

Good god...
This looks so unappetizing to me. It's cool that it can be done, but get it off my plate.

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by Manton

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

 

[foodguy]

julia child had a great line about plates like that: "I just wonder how many people touched my food before I did".

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

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.