Is your idea of a garnish a sprig of dead parsley? Or worse yet..no garnish is needed because you aren't a chef? Oh PUh-Leeze! Presentation of a meal is very important to me as well as to many other people. Even if I am just cooking for myself and my girlfriend I try and make the meal as attractive as I can..even sloppy joes deserve some respect darn it! slices of fruit are easy enough to add, and that little cut and twist adds a little height to the plate if nothing else. Its an easy first step! OK you can still have your parsley with the fruit OK? and remember it doesn't have to be a lemon but make it fit the meal..if you are serving fish, use lemon, otherwise find a fruit that will balance the meals flavors. I've used edible flowers mixed with a handful of raspberries or strawberry slices fanned out, sprinkle with a little sugar and they add a nice glistened garnish to the meal (as well as being yummy!)
Was I sounding to Martha Stewart-like? Well, ya know, the woman may be impossibly perfect but she does dress a plate well. I've learned how to do roses with thin tomato peels (VERY sharp paring knife, go around the tomato in one continous spiral peel. Roll the peel into a cylinder and push the center down a bit..should look sort of rose-like. You can secure this with a small toothpick at the bottom if needed). When I first had my ex-girlfriend over for lunch I served a simple cold-cut platter, potato salad and coleslaw, and a selection of toppings (mustards, Mayo's, lettuce, tomatoes..the usual) I didn't go to much effort for food prep as most was purchased at the deli. What I DID do was arrange things on a few platters with some kale dividers and added some tomato roses to platters...some fresh chopped sprinkled parsley over the tops of the salads and around the edges of the platters helped as well. Simple, yet pleasant looking. I don't get fancy often, but I try and balance colors on the plate as well as blend and match flavors nicely. Have ideas? Email me and I'll get them posted on here with a credit to the contributor.
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