This time, I focused more on plating and presentation of meals. I researched about food plating and presentation, finding some helpful websites such as one with the top 10 plating tips from chefs.
“I’m into very colourful food. Obviously lots of flavour, but I think we eat with our eyes first, so it has to look great. The presentation has to be great.” – Giada De Laurentiis
What I’ve learned from my research about food presentation, is that it relies a lot on colour, height, theme and style. The style, colour and shape of a plate can make or break the presentation. It has to match the food, but also it has to match the theme that you’re looking for when it comes to your presentation. A tip with food presentation is to use smaller portions of food, so that it’s easier to work with. These are all things I’m focusing on when it comes to the presentation aspect of my dishes.
This week I remade baklava, and it was much easier this time around than when I first made it. I did have to clarify some ingredient measurements with my mentor, but for the most part I was able to make it from memory. To help with presentation I added some crushed nuts on top around the plate, which brought a bit of colour to the dish. The black plate also helped the dessert stand out, because baklava is naturally muted in tone.
What went particularly well during your mentoring sessions?
My mentor had a way of explaining and teaching the process and tricks to making the three Iraqi dishes. She made it easy for me to understand and follow, which I think really helped with my overall learning of the preparation of these dishes.
What logical challenges affected your communication?
What factors affected your ability to interact effectively?
Something that does affect my ability to interact effectively with my mentor is that with both of our varying schedules, it’s sometimes hard to get ahold of each other. The only time we have to meet is over the weekend, otherwise we can only talk via messaging. A way to get around this however is that we decided that Saturdays will be our meeting days. That way we have the week to do what we need to do, and Sundays as time to spend with our families.
What three strategies could improve the quality of your mentoring interactions?
- Documentation – note taking for referral
- Clarification – ensuring I have the right information
- Photography – visuals for clear project progression
What is the action plan for implementing each of the three strategies?
- Documentation
Whenever my mentor gives me a note or tip, I’ll write it down so that I can refer back to it when/if I need to. This will help me keep important aspects of the dish preparation in mind, and will help me excel with the preparation process.
2. Clarification
If ever I cover something with my mentor, I’ll double check with her the information before committing it fully to memory. That way I can ensure that everything is how it should be when it comes to making the dishes.
3. Photography
Whenever I make, prepare, or plate a dish, I’ll take photos and videos as a visual form of documentation, a way to clearly show how I’ve progressed through the project. It would be a good referral for me to know how I’m improved, but it would also be a nice way to show others how I’ve been doing with my project.