meal_appeal

Focusing on Presentation
• Make the most of the array of natural colors.
– Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables that make your line colorful.
– Contrast colors to catch students’ attention.
– Concentrate colors for maximum effect.
FPO
•Garnish the food. (See pages 34–35 in the Appendixes for color ideas.)
– Use ingredients in the recipe as a garnish.
– Add cut fruit or vegetables to the top of a dish for color contrast.
– Choose a garnish that is a different shade or color than the dish.
Use sliced red bell pepper rings or julienne carrots to garnish green beans.
Use cherry tomatoes to garnish salad greens.
•Plan the fruits and vegetables in your menus to include at least two colors.
–A few fresh strawberries can add just the spark you need to enhance
canned fruits or fresh salads.
– Add a few spinach and romaine leaves to iceberg salad mix to enrich
the color.
Add interest by
combining natural
shapes or creating
new shapes.
Shapes
Add interest by combining natural shapes or creating new shapes.
•Vary the cuts in the food.
– Carrots can be sticks, julienne, medallions, shredded (fine, medium,
coarse), diced, angle cut slices, crinkle cut, whole, or baby carrots.
– Combine shapes in a dish—green peas with carrot medallions.
•Vary shapes of food on the line.
– Surprise customers with unexpected shapes—cut food into triangles
instead of squares, diamonds instead of rectangles.
– Use cookie cutters to add interest to ordinary foods.
• Cut sandwiches in squares, circles, or triangles. How many other ways can
you cut a sandwich?
Simplicity
Simple, clean lines and shapes are most pleasing to the eye.
• Place garnish in the center, side edge, or corner(s) of the pan.
• Clean lines attract the eye and focus the attention.
• Line decorations should enhance the food—not compete with it.
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