By Juvy S. Iliwiliw
We decided one evening with my colleagues that we will have our dinner in one of the restaurants here. We ordered everything and we were told to wait for about forty-five minutes. That's quite too long for an empty stomach but we have to endure and while waiting we just keep on pretending that we are still full and happy about the waiting.
I think it was about time for us to almost hold back our
eyes from popping waiting for the
food to arrive on the table. But before everyone could say a word, the waitress came and presented to us something that would make our
dinner impossible to forget. The food was great but what really impressed me that evening was the garnishing that was decorated on the food.
All of us were really impressed and I noticed that the garnishing had never defeated its purpose that evening. I think to be truly fed with the garnishing, the garnishing must please the eyes of the one who eats the food, it does not only add beauty and color to the food but it would also help improve its flavor. Garnishing could be also used to improve the nutritive value of the food and it should increase sufficiency for service.
There are also requirements for a garnishing to be truly called one. It must be edible and it must be appropriate to the dish with which it is served. It must be pleasing to the eyes but it must not interfere with the service of the dish. It must be ready to put on so that the service of the meal is not delayed and the hot foods do not become cooled by standing. And the best requirement that should be weighed much in preparing a garnishing, a garnishing must not be used to COVER UP the lack of skill in cooking.
Here are some of the materials that can be used for garnishing: fresh
green vegetables, washed and crisped like parsley and lettuce. Cooked
vegetables cut in attractive shapes like beets and carrots. Potatoes,
French-fried or potato roses. Croquettes of vegetables and cereals. Sauces of good consistency and color. Small fish, oysters, mushrooms, strips of bacon. Celery curls, slices of tomato, pickles, olives. Toast, cut in fancy shapes or jellies, lemons, nuts and even whipped creams and meringues.
Learning all these, I think we would be eager and try to garnish even our home-made recipes and it will surely decorate not just the food but the lives of those who have been present around the family table.
Let's try these simple garnishings.
Bell Pepper Strips
Cut and remove stalk, seeds, and core. Cut into strips, according to desired sizes. Garnish fresh or slightly fried.
Bell Pepper Tulips
Cut three even lengthwise lines from the top of the pepper to the middle. Cut a flap of skin as thinly as possible. Bend flaps outward to form petals, allowing the seeds to be seen. Soak in icy water to allow petals to bend.
Cucumber Bouquet
Notch unpared 1-inch long cucumber, then halve lengthwise. Make thin crosswise slices on cucumber half without cutting all the way through. Fan both ends.
Cucumber Rounds
Scratch cucumber with fork lengthwise. Then cut diagonally or slantly according to desired thickness. Arrange on side of or around the platter.
Onion Flowerets
Peel outer onion skins. Make continuous V-shape notches. Detach. Garnish as one flower or separately.
Onion Rings
Choose big and single white or native onion bud. Remove the outer skins and slice crosswise. Garnish fresh or slightly fried.
Tomato Tulip
Cut four even lengthwise lines from top of tomato to the middle leaving the center intact. Bend flaps outward to form petals.
Tomato Floweret
Cut tomato at the middle by making continuous V-shaped notches. Detach.
Tomato Ring Slices
Slice tomato in diagonal, lengthwise or ring form according to desired thickness. Arrange according to personal style.
Spring Onions Curly Flowers
Cut spring onion according to desired height. Slice stem thinly from the top without cutting through. Soak in icy water until stems curl.
Radish Floweret
Carrot Floweret
Radish and Carrot Strips
