5 creative ways to plate ‘boring’ foods so they look amazing: ‘Do you cater?’

Turn basic foods into fancy dishes with a little technique called plating, which is the technique of styling food for a more delicious visual presentation. Why put effort into plating, you ask? Experts have found that people perceive food as tasting better when it’s presented in a more aesthetically pleasing way! Here are five ways to turn “boring” food into stunning delicacies.

1. Mashed potatoes

@gidsgids

Reply to @mr.munlin & to everyone who wanted to know how I plated it 😁 Hope it helps! #fyp #mashedpotatoes #potato #food

♬ Le Festin (From “Ratatouille”) – Movie Sounds Unlimited

Who knew mashed potatoes could look so good? Tiktoker @gidsgids has found a way to make even the most basic of side dishes look appealing. First, he plates the mashed potatoes into a bowl with a knob of butter in the middle. Then he flattens out the mound of potatoes with a spatula. Now for the fancy touch. He begins to make perfectly straight lines only millimeters apart to make a circle full of equidistant lines. This plating technique is ASMR for the eyes!

2. Pasta

This Tiktoker’s swirl technique has turned pasta into a visual sensation. Using a fork and large ladle, twirl your pasta in the ladle until it becomes a heaping pile of noodles. “Shimmy” the pasta off the fork and onto a plate. Then garnish with any additional ingredients like tomatoes and basil. A spectacular plate of pasta awaits. Bravo! 

3. Dinosaur nuggets

@davidwma

Idk I’m 33 and I still love Dino nugs 🤷🏻‍♂️🦖 @charlidamelio 🎥: @brunchboys #foodstyling #plating #chickennuggets #charlidamelio #foodtiktok

♬ The Four Seasons: Winter – Isakson Foundation Music Collective

If you thought dinosaur-shaped nuggets couldn’t be fancy, you thought wrong. This TikToker went all out with the plating on this childhood favorite. They began by creating their own ketchup emulsion, injecting it into the dinosaur nugget, and placing their filled nuggets on a bed of honey mustard vinaigrette, pea shoots and celery strips. Lastly, they topped their creation with truffle salt. An impressed user commented, “Do you cater?”

4. Rice

This sleeping bear-shaped rice is possibly the most adorable way to plate this classic side dish. Mold your warm rice by placing it in between your hands lined with wax paper. Shape one large ball for the body, one medium-sized ball for the head and four smaller balls for the legs and ears. Next, cut out cheese and some herbs as decorative facial features. In just a few minutes, you’ve got a sleeping bear made out of rice!

5. Tomato

@thicknsaucy

Reply to @maria_banou0 Gotta make the flip to show your petals 🌹 #rosesarered #platingfood #fooddecoration #thatshot #foodtiktok

♬ desparado by rhianna – dali 🕊

Turn this fruit into a flower petal in seconds with this cool plating hack! Slowly and carefully peel the skin off by turning the tomato in a circle. Once you have your strip of tomato skin, wrap it around your index finger to create an upside-down rose shape. Make sure to flip it to display each rose-like petal! “You can do this with so many veggies and fruits,” says TikToker @thicknsaucy. Try this hack to fancify your next salad or antipasto.

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