Food presentation / dinner party style on a budget!

Archer0710

Does anybody have any tips on where to look for good presentation please?

Specifically cream and rice and the fancy chocolate drizzle on plates. I am sure there has to an MSE way of achieving pretty food but I am struggling yo find it.

This is the first time I have done anything like this and I am a massive perfectionist so trying to resist the urge to buy the whole of Lakeland.

Thanks

NewShadow

Would these be either interesting or useful?

http://www.videojug.com/tag/party-food

I know from a friend of mine that works in a hotel, the meals with sauces or gravies, they have photos of what the finished meal should look like and put them all in squeezy bottles to get the right swirls.

suki1964

At work we use squeezy bottles for the drizzle. You can buy them cheap as chips or if you can use a paper cone even cheaper

For rice we use a ramekin as a mould. Those small pudding basins are just as good. Those ones with individual steamed puddings are the ideal portion size

For potatoes we have a chefs ring. A straight edge scone cutter will work just as well

We only drizzle a bit of " jus" about the plate. For dishes that do require more we have little individual boats. However we often just use ramakins if the dishwashers can't keep up with us

Just remember that presentation when you aren't used to it can be very fiddly and time consuming so make sure all your plates are hot and that the food is as well

meritaten

it seems that 'layering' is the way to go! if you have a creamy rice base - then you have to Layer it in a nice glass. Knickerbocker glory glasses or those old flat Champagne glasses. rice then fruit, then rice again,then cream and nuts or flaked chocolate.

CupOfChai

And group things in odd numbers, for some reason it looks better than even numbers. E.g. serve 3 or 5 meatballs rather than 4.