It starts with the color: it is the first thing that jumps out at the eye of even a person who pays little attention to theplate aesthetics. The colors in a dish, the combinations, the nuances strongly determine the judgment of a preparation even before tasting it. And in kitchens, whether starred or not, attention to menus is dictated above all by visual appeal. A dish must be.that is, first of all "photographable" or , in the age of social media, "Instagrammable."
Knowledge of food, in short, comes first through the sense of sight, and that is why in thePlating Art, as well as in the course organized by Italian Food Academy, large space is devoted to this subject.
The volume "The Grammar of Flavors", of Niki Segnit, published by Gribaudo stands out for its original approach and the creative insights it offers, useful not only for novices who want to experiment in the kitchen, but also for experienced chefs who want to expand their repertoire.
This volume explores in detail the combinations of colors and flavors, from the most classic to the most creative through a journey in which the author, with particular intuitive skill, brings out the best from the combinations of ingredients. The result is dishes that are infinitely more delicious than they can be when enjoyed individually.
Starting with 99 ingredients, Niki Segnit examines more than 900 combinations, analyzes their gustatory results, associating ideas, images and sensations, and proposing recipes. Practical hints, color suggestions, combinations studied in detail, the volume is presented as a kind of grammar-vocabulary that offers the tools to learn how to master a new language in the kitchen. An important contribution for those who want to experiment with new combinations, breaking out of the usual patterns and paying special attention to the colors of foods in dishes.
The book, as the IFA course does as well, devotes much attention to the visual focus, which plays the important role of enhancing a dish, in which the main ingredient and complementaries must stand out. In some cases, however, as is the case in recent times, it is monochrome that is the trend, all always studied in volumes and shapes for a striking effect, even without color contrasts.
In the following video, some basics on the art of plating:
