To cook like a professional chef, people need to understand the importance of food presentation. Nothing completes a delicious meal like appropriate garnish choices. Garnishes are small additions of herbs, specially sliced vegetables, or other items that can be used to enhance the color of a dish, provide contrast, or add a festive finishing touch. When used properly, these additions can help to transform an ordinary meal into a special occasion.
Garnishes can be used throughout a meal to add impact to food choices. For example, curled cucumber spirals are a popular addition for salads. Potatoes are often sprinkled with parsley or chives for added contrast. For desert, ice cream sundaes are frequently served with a maraschino cherry on top.
There are many different types of cocktail garnishes as well. Lemon slices, cherries, carrot sticks, cocktail olives, shrimp, strawberries, and watermelon wedges are used on a variety of mixed drinks. Whiskey or brandy based alcoholic drinks typically have minimal additions.
Traditionally, these additions are associated with a specific food item, and many cookbooks give suggestions within the recipe. Many cooks like to experiment with their own ideas to express their creativity in the kitchen. Someone who stumbles on a great option may even manage to start her own culinary trend.
To garnish food at home, a cook will need to keep the right tools on hand. A well stocked spice rack, a sharp knife, a grater, skewers, and an assortment of cookie cutters will make these additions easier to create. Other useful tools include pastry brushes, an apple corer, a melon baller, and a butter curler.
To ensure a crisp look, garnishes should be added to food just before serving. Cooks who need to prepare the meal in advance can store the garnish in an airtight container covered with plastic wrap. Apples, bananas, potatoes, and other items that may discolor can also be brushed with lemon juice to help preserve their appearance.
Although garnishes are sometimes confused with condiments, these two terms are not interchangeable. A garnish is simply decorative, but a condiment is used to add flavor to a particular food item. Examples of popular condiments include ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, ranch dressing, soy sauce, mayonnaise, and Tabasco sauce.
