Art of Garnishing

by Inja Nam, Arno Schmidt

A lavishly illustrated reference that demystifies the art of decorating food. With precision and clarity, two renowned authorities have revolutionized garnishing by creating a how-to that takes the mystery out of executing impressive and memorable designs. 84 full color and 112 duotone photos.

106 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the title, I was expecting a fairly comprehensive guide to garnishing, but this is strictly how to make floral centerpieces out of fruits and vegetables. A highly delineated topic, but if that's what you want* this is probably a good guide. It clears lists material and steps, has photos showing the process, and includes helpful tips. For instance, some vegetables, such as leeks, will open more fully if you put them in ice water after carving them, but others will discolor. Also, even though this is clearly a wasteful process, she does suggests ways to get more out of the vegetables: making autumnal leaves from the lower ribs of red cabbage, for instance, and using the upper leaves to make big flowers such as shasta daisies.

I'm almost tempted to try one of these just to say I've done it, but I probably won't. I may adapt some of the techniques in some simpler way, such as cutting red peppers into flowers to put on salads.

There is a section of complementary floral fingerfoods at the end, but it does not include recipes.






*freak

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Next thing on my want list to learn is how to garnish!