Communicating Plating Elements
What techniques do you use to assist students in understanding plating concepts?
Ted,
What a great way to explain plating! Thanks for sharing a great idea.
Jae Gruber
I draw point of view angles of plates on the board and then create it on my demo table. I have a backround in photography so I also bring some of this to the discussion. After discussing what we want to achieve, I use items around the room to demonstrate what we want the customer to see.
Alexandra,
It is an excellent idea to have students turn in the plate design alongg with their menu planning. All to often, students think about plating last, rather than working with the end in mind from the start!
Jae Gruber
I have a great handout that explains various elements and helps understanding of plating.In addition, I make a demonstration of plating the same foods 4 different ways and styles. It helps reinforce the elements covered in the handouts. I also ask them to bring in a picture of a plate presentation that they like, and one they don't like. We go over these as a group and try to identify elements of style. I also ask that their plates be presented in a particular style for the day. I feel what teaches plating best is practice and critique.
My often used method for discussing and understanding plating concepts is pictures. Pictures of what to do and what not to do. Also restaurant website and magazine to track current trends with plating are valuable tools as well. Nothing quite conveys the point like a picture. I have students take pictures of their food and review them over the course of the class to look for changes and improvement.
To discuss the importance of white/negative space, I show the students a framed certificate with matting and one without matting. They all agree that the one with matting "pops" whereas the one without looks dull and does not stand out.
This is one example of a break out activity that I use when I am doing my plated dessert lecture. I take the different theories of platting dessert (there are 10 in the slideshow) I wright each theory on a poster board and place them around the room. (I number in the order of my slideshow) I then have the students visit each poster and write what they know or think that theory has to do with putting food on a plate. After they have visited each of the posters I have them revisit all the posters reading what the classmates have written and then adding any new ideas that they might have. I then have them help me put them in order at the front of the class. Then I send them on a break while I read and identify key points that I want to pull out from the student’s information as I go through my lecture. (I also use this as a tool to gage their understanding on a topic and will shrink or expand my lecture on a given topic given where they are at as a class) after break I start my lecture and have found by doing this the exchange and discussion is SO much better than when if I just show them the slideshow and talk at them.
Michael ,
Great idea! I think when students are able to look at different plate presentations and determine why they like them/are good/are not good.
Jae Gruber
Among other things I like to talk about plating from the aspect of taking of picture of someone. We talk about how you wouldn't generally take a close up of someones face because it is very difficult to make it turn out looking good. This leads into conversations about negative space and why it is important.
Cookbooks, Cookbooks, and Cookbooks. Most of the cookbooks I buy now are more for the pictures then anything else. Each day I can bring in different books and discuss one or two aspects of plating.
First we discuss the current trends, then I show them several different images of what other Chefs are doing in the business. I ask them to include the plating design as part of a menu item planning and present that to me. We also compare and contrast between plating designs that work and the ones that don't and why.
I agree drawing the plate has helped many of my students. It eliminates the cofusion of plate flow when they are meeting a plating deadline.
I review a specific rubric explaining and listing the different component needed for platting at the beginning of the class and reinforcing the expectations by demoing examples of what to do and what not to do.
I use videos of famous Chefs presentation of items on their menus. I also use Contemporary Cuisine examples from Molecular Gastronomy where the plating of the dishes and the Wow factors are paramount. Ultimately I also review the Japanese plating Philosophy as presentation and plating are part of the japanese Culture.
somyot,
I agree that students need to understand the creative elements of plating. Portion control is a factor that will also be critical in their future success.
Jae Gruber
When done demoing the plate-up that the students will be replicating, I have them play around with the extra product to create other ideas for the plate-up. As a class we then discuss what works, is the most visually appealing and what doesn't work. This allows students to not only discuss but feel and see as well.
I often tell the students that the plate is the canvas and the food is the color and that the students are the individual artists who will create their own masterpieces.
Matthew,
I think having the students draw the plate is very helpful. Even if the drawing is not necessarily clear or meaningful to others, it can still help the student visualize the plate in their mind prior to the time of actual plating.
Jae Gruber
I like most instructors like to use pictures and break them down. When it comes to plating I like to break it up into multiple aspects. First nutritional value and balance between protein, starch and vegetable. Then move into the layout, movement/flow, color, height and center of the plate, keeping hot food hot. I also discuss white space on the plate and the importance of not overcrowding. I then like to discuss the plating wheel and how opposite attract and work together. For example I discuss having multiple components on the plate that are opposites. Few examples are fatty/lean, soft/crunchy, sweet/sour. I teach it's all about the experience and yes, the food must look good but also must have multiple dimensions as food of all the same flavor and texture is boring.
