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My cooking never looks good.

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I'm quite the opposite. my food looks good but taste like crap. but hey. when i take pictures no one will know what it taste like ;P
 
RayMaker said:
Frankly I think some chefs care to much about presentation and not about the quality of each individual component on the plate.

Who cares what it looks like, just eat it and love it.

Taste/smell <<<texture<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Looks

When i see these picture people have taken of there food I feel like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpENE6yPV4
Click to expand...

most chefs ive worked with (including myself). dont really think about the plating until the first order comes in

a pet peeve of mine is when a dish is plated with things that are inedible just so that it looks nice!
 
The trick is always finding the best filter on instagram. Photobleach all of your imperfections!

Example:

10375620_344291199082511_723028209_n.jpg


10735529_721630464557107_243135351_n.jpg


1172217_811423268879367_802718453_n.jpg
Click to expand...
 
zorlaczerohero said:
What's this dish? Poached egg, fish cake and corn salad I'm guessing. Looks really good.

I make a similar thing with poached egg on a Sweetcorn fritter over some asparagus and chopped parma ham.


And what's this? I love sprouts! I need to know! Guessing baked fish with Tartare sauce on something magnificent and sprouty.
Click to expand...

Pretty close!

Crab and corn "eggs benedict". Crab cake over a grilled corn relish. Poached egg.

and

Halibut. Over a chili clam broth. Roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon. Airy cauliflower sauce.
 
sarcastor said:
Make sure the food looks good. Chinese food tends to be covered in a thick sauce, so its hard. Grilled marks on the other hand look delicious

Arrange it neatly in a nice bowl. Have an interesting surface to put it on.

Garnish is very very important. Whether its chopped parsley, or crumbled sausages or a fucking entire egg

A nice plate will do wonders. I bought this plate for $15 at sur la table. Just for the fucking plate!
Click to expand...

Wow are these your pics? They look great!
 
RayMaker said:
Frankly I think some chefs care to much about presentation and not about the quality of each individual component on the plate.

Who cares what it looks like, just eat it and love it.

Taste/smell <<<texture<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<Looks

When i see these picture people have taken of there food I feel like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDpENE6yPV4
Click to expand...

you do realize that you just stated that taste and smell are less than texture which is less than looks, right?
 
For the first thing in the OP, it looks like it tastes really good, but it really doesn't look appetizing. It looks like maybe you cooked the sausages and the poured egg around them, so don't do that.

Also, the eggs are browned, which will never ever look appetizing. Eggs need to be cooked at very high heat for a very short period of time. They look best when they're bright yellow and shiney. I'd say chop the sausage up next time into little dice, like canned hash. Brown them on their own and then set them aside in a place where they can stay warm. Do this. Getting the eggs right on their own takes practice, you'll need to make about 10 omelettes to be able to do it right.

Once you're able to cook the eggs right on their own you can then start to add little bits of filling to them. You just put the filling on top of the eggs before you flip them. When the egg curls as you flip it it will surround the filling.
 
JaceR said:
most chefs ive worked with (including myself). dont really think about the plating until the first order comes in

a pet peeve of mine is when a dish is plated with things that are inedible just so that it looks nice!
Click to expand...

Yeah fuck tasteless savoury jellys and stupid foams.

You must have the layout of each dish be the same, inconsistency ain't good.

I also don't like all these new trends of smearing purée's and stuff.

I used to like michilian style dishes until I realised its overpriced and over hyped.

But now its getting trendy to not to like Michelin stuff lol.
 
The_Hitcher89 said:
Do you mind posting the recipes you use for the meatballs and tomato sauce?

I wanna learn how to make proper tomato sauce in particular since I should start eating more pasta :P
Click to expand...

Not at all!

Meatballs

  • 1 lb. ground beef (I use 97/3 or 90/10)
  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Italian seasoning
  • Ground black pepper

I just put everything into my stand mixer and beat it together. I bake them at 400 for around 15-20 minutes. I usually eyeball it and turn them halfway through. It's not a complicated recipe, but they are tasty. You can also change up the ground meat you use. I like all beef, but I have done beef and pork before.

Simple Tomato Sauce
  • 2 cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • italian seasoning
  • Parmesan cheese to taste
  • 1 tsp. sugar

I mix it all in a food processor to make sure it's mixed well, then let it simmer. Don't overdo the sugar, but it does help balance out the acidity of the tomatoes.

Bread

This is where I change it up depending on what I want the bread to taste like. Generally, this is my process:

  • 3-4 cups white flour
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or one packet)
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Put the yeast in the water and let it proof for 5 minutes. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture and mix. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes with a bread hook. If you knead by hand, go for 10-15 minutes. You can add more flour as needed - you don't want the dough to be too sticky. It should be soft and pliable when ready. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and put in a warm place for 30 minutes to rise. Punch it down, form it into a loaf, and put it in a greased bread pan. Let it rise again for 30 minutes, then heat an oven to 350 and bake for 30 minutes or so.
 
Tips for the egg and sausage dish:
Cook the eggs first, then add it back towards the end when you are cooking the rest.
Don't overcook the eggs. It looks dried out the way you got it there because you overcooked them.
Keep sizes consistent... you aren't making a casserole so your egg portions are in way too huge pieces. Break them up.

Tips for the spicy chicken one:
Balance the ratio of sauce to main ingredients. Using too much sauce makes it look like you're making a stew.
Serve the dish on a plate next to rice.
 
GAF any good site where I can learn how to cook healthy meals? I cook basic stuff like pasta, rice, chicken, etc but I would like to improve my skills and to start including vegetables in my meals. Where can I get information and tutorials on how to cook healthy food?
 
Here are better looking versions of your same dishes.

Break up the eggs, add some cilantro on top, thinner slices of sausage
593.JPG


Add green onion, mix in a vegetable like mushrooms for contrast. And use less oyster sauce.
MG_6497.jpg


Develop more of a crust, use fresh herbs for color and flavor
16x9
 
The_Hitcher89 said:
Cheers, will try making a simple meatball and tomato sauce pasta from that :)

Is the parmesan necessary for the texture of the meatballs, or just the taste? I can't stand the stuff personally :P
Click to expand...

Both for me - but I would try adding some. It adds a bit to the taste but it does't overpower anything. You could use romano or something similar.
 
Oh yea, forgot to give the recipe.

First one is actually hard to make because I get the sausage from an exgf's grandmother and they make the sausage by hand. But they originate in Hunan province of China, so maybe can find a sausage that's close. It's very spicy and fatty, so I let it cook down because I don't like chewing fat, but the spices and meat taste great.

Then all i did was put some oyster sauce into eggs, beat them till it was all mixed and then cooked quickly at high heat. while stirring it all together.


Second one is easier to make. First you take some meat and boil it a bit. Take it off, drain and then put some oil a pan and sugar. then mix them together until the sugar dissolves and starts to caramelize a little. then you fry the chicken to make it more golden and fried. Then you just put water (just enough to cover the chicken halfway), onions, garlic, ginger, red pepper, and oyster sauce into the pan, mix it up, and let it boil and reduce the water into a sauce. tastes good.

Sorry I don't have measurements or anything. when she taught me how to cook this, she said just to eyeball it.
 
OP, what are some of the other Chinese sauces you typically use? I rarely cook here since it's so cheap/easy/delicious to eat out, but need to every once in a while for friends or whatever and I don't really know the staples.
 
WoodWERD said:
OP, what are some of the other Chinese sauces you typically use? I rarely cook here since it's so cheap/easy/delicious to eat out, but need to every once in a while for friends or whatever and I don't really know the staples.
Click to expand...

Well, soy is always a good one. that's how they make fried rice (first cook the rice in a rice cooker). a little oil, soy sauce, and then mix in your favorite veggies, wala! fried rice. Same for fried noodles.

oyster sauce is good, they actually use ketchup for a lot of sauces nowadays. Like gou bao rou uses it sometimes, i believe.
 
Repeating some of what has already been said but

- add some (multiple) colours by adding some complementary ingredients. Your food is very... brown/yellow.
- use garnishes/toppings like parsley, cilantro, Parmesan, pepper, and interesting sauces, make sure to add them last after you have plated up rather than mixing into the dish
- use white plates/dishes
- take care when plating the food, do it with presentation in mind, and wipe off drops/spills for a higher quality look
- plate food using tongs if you can for more precise placement/arrangement, and move food if it doesn't look good
- don't overload a plate with food
- don't rush to serve and eat
- practice
- experiment


Some of my creations, being self taught, and bearing the above in mind

920041_10151192628559364_1519307320_o.jpg

535947_10151161456859364_1254560976_n.jpg

322793_10150890526394364_449491956_o.jpg

336252_10150877270884364_2113023430_o.jpg

241905_10150776021944364_448415154_o.jpg
Click to expand...
 
made Guo Bao rou, which is a sweet and sour dish made with pork (I used beef because my friend didn't like pork). She ate all of it. I only got a little, LOL.
DTZiIiO.jpg


Be honest Gaf, does it look better (I messed up by putting some sauce on top I think).

ODsWz8J.jpg
 
Apply filters/edit. Food photos are always edited. More contrast. More color.

Beter camera. More licht. NO FLASH
 
Get a better camera
Try to photograph the food at a lower angle
On Instagram raise the warm, and contrast a bit and the saturation ever so slight-Oh you mean in person? In person, no I can't help you with that.
 
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