Plating a dish is almost the best part of cooking to me, second only to eating.  It’s the finale of a process.  I love figuring out ways to make the food look even more enticing.  These things should be thought about prior to even planning the menu.  I only plate though when i’m serving a meal for less than 8 people.  Anymore and I feel like i’m running a catering company.   Plating can be the ultimate sign of a control freak in the kitchen, meaning I want to make sure you are tasting the correct flavor combinations at once.

A couple things to think about when creating your own plating.  

1. Consider color of foods that will be on the plate together

2. What textures does the dish have and how can those textures be accentuated by the plating?

3. Who is the star of the plate and how can you make this apparent?

4. Leave negative space on the plate.  This isn’t TGIFridays.  

Notice the large plates you will receive a couple bites of food on at some restaurants.

Allowing the food room to breathe is a nice touch and treats the vessel as a blank canvas.

5. Garnish types-  a garnish can be as simple as fresh ground pepper or another ingredient that was used in the preparation of the dish.  I love finishing with sea salt as well.

6. Who is your audience.

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You will rarely find store bought salad dressing in my fridge.  I find dressing salads with lemon juice and a good olive oil very satisfying.  I am a sucker for ranch dressing on french fries, but that’s another story.  

This vinaigrette is a basic standby that everyone should know how to make.  It has the basic components of a dressing; acid and emulsification.  I have included some options and twists on it but the standard as is, is a no fail dressing.

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I cannot say enough great things about San Francisco Herb Company.  It was not a fluke that my friend, jen and i went there.  Earlier in the week, before leaving Los Angeles, her husband, David, had asked me if i had heard of it.  I had not and of course was told ‘no, it’s not at the Ferry building, it’s cheaper and fresher’.  Done.  Sold.  Two of my favorite words in one sentence.  Ironically enough we were on our way to the Ferry Building to make our 1pm reservation at the Slanted Door.

It was a nice walk to the Mission area from where we were staying in Hayes Valley.  We were so caught up in walking and enjoying the nice weather that we almost missed the small, non-descript shop had they not had a red sign out on the sidewalk.  

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I remember the first thing I learned how to cook was scrambled eggs. I was 7 years old. My brother and I used to get up early on the weekends and prepare breakfast for the entire family. A couple decades later, I think I have finally perfected my scrambled eggs. Practice makes perfect.  My mother is a wonderful cook. Much of what I know is from watching her in the kitchen making asian delights completely from scratch, at record speeds. These recipes will also be shared with you in the food section.

What I have learned over the years after leaving the nest, have been based on trial and error. In the basics section of wallflour, I plan to talk about just that. What basic tools to have in the kitchen. The basic items to stock in a pantry, for both daily cooking and also items that could be later used for impromptu parties. These essentials will be used for weekly meal planning as well.

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