Who Else Just Likes to Cook and Present?
How many others of you like to cook, present the meal like it was being served at a five-star restaurant, and like I do, post it, LOL.
Preparing for and creating meals is therapeutic, for me it is, how about you? The first step for preparation is making sure my kitchen is spotless, especially when cooking for others. I cannot enjoy the fun of cooking if my kitchen isn’t clean. The other fun parts for me are planning out the herbs and spices needed, and the dicing of the fresh onions, peppers, garlic basil, and parsley when needed. I like to chop each of them up and put them in a bowl, so they are ready once I start cooking. Those are the fun parts.
One of the parts I don’t really like is cleaning the meat(s), especially chicken. When I don’t buy boneless and skinless, I must get rid of the fat and “stuff” under the skin. The skin on the chicken is a must when it comes to frying, don’t judge me, LOL. Once the meat is prepared, now time to get the pots and pans ready, and now, it’s time to cook.
Once everything gets going, I start cleaning up. Keeping some hot soapy water ready is key saves clean-up time after you’re finished cooking. At least that’s my experience. Do any of you clean while cooking?
Once the food is done, now for the plating. As motioned earlier, I watched a lot of the cooking channel growing up. One of my favorite chefs was Emerald Laggasse. I learned how to use different spices, herbs, and he made cooking fun. The other thing Chef Laggasse did well, was plating. The way he presented the meal made your “eyes water”, LOL. I try to present my plates the way I do on social media largely due to watching his presentations.
After the plating is done, now the picture. Lighting is everything, especially with the advancements made with phone cameras. The cameras also pick up imperfections on the plate. To be honest, it usually takes me about five minutes and five to eight shots to get the one I know will make mouths water, LOL.
Below are some pictures of some of the meals I’ve created, “plated and posted” over the years. Check them out and share some of your cooking journey with the rest of the #javaFam.
