VeMoFo#15: Plate painting

I cook to plate you know.  It can't be that surprising or secret.  If I didn't have a blog I would still plate, but I certainly wouldn't be grating up beets for no reason other than to burst crimson next to my jalapeno corn gravy and thus discover yet one more thing that tastes surprising and experimental next to eachother, expanding my culinary horizons in just one more left field direction, hurray!

Anyway, it's fairly easy.... and I'm no expert or teacher, but some things I've noticed are...

* Put the most attractive food in the front, or the most substantial food in the middle.  Spiral outwards from that in any direction that makes sense to your eye.  Or build a fort.  Or write your name.

* Big White Plates!  Or at least keep an eye on complimentary colours.  Blue is usually an unappetizing no-no for dishes.  

* Heavy sauces are best on top of food, while thin sauces are better underneath.  Then again, break that rule, too.

* Garnish sparingly, and only with stuff that tastes good, of course.  Of course.

* Get inspired by your favourite abstract art, or any art at all.

* Mix up the textures, too!   And keep things clean - if things spill, wipe it up with a damp cloth all pro-like.  Oh, and nuking things in the microwave tends to bubble over like a cauldron of mess-messy-mess, so you might want to transfer your reheated black bean soup to a new posh bowl after it's long-awaited (6 minutes?!) warmup.

* If you're serving lots of people, I'm not really one for plating in that case, BUT it's definitely nice, and I'll go as far as to say mandatory to have multiple bowls of kaleidoscopic garnishes and sprinklins for the adding at the table.  [toasted seeds, pomegranate arils, fresh herbs, salsas, extra sauces, ground up nuts, fake parm, sliced fruit, sprouts, chutneys, plastic figurines, rainbow sprinkles, avocado, olives, fancy salts, etc, etc.... ].  Guests will be flabbergasted and amused, and later if you break out the fingerpaints they won't be side-winded by the progression. 

Some excellent tips about regular plates, and trays, too.

Startcooking.com recommends being odd.

So does CHOW, but they're both talking about numbers. ;)

VeMoFo#14: Maple > Vegetables

Moving along, and making banana nut waffles a la Vcon, with no berries, but no one's ever complained about excess banana around here, nor a waffle method that involves a nicely greased grill pan and some patience (and low standards for crispiness).  This is pre-waffle iron era, which HAS been christened with Apple-waffs + raspberries + maple soy cream since, but that's a topic to be addressed under the next photo.

No, not an Applewaff here, but the mango-pear pandowdy which is all KINDS of amazing.  I'm going out on a limb here and saying it might be the best pie I've ever made, or at the very least it's in the top 5.  Which wouldn't be complete at all without a big swodge of maple Natur-a Soy Glace Dessert -- my new obsession.  I've been swirling it into coffee for an occasional treat, eating it on raisin-toast, waffles, certainly on pie, where it melts into that lovely fruity cinnamon cornstarch goo we all make pie for, or at least I know I do.

<------ this stuff!  Probably only available in Canada, but if you find it, grab it.  The strawberry flavour of the same brand is passable, but this stuff is brilliant!  It's not a super decadent thing, and the soy flavour is there, but I'm kinda old-school like that, I guess, and it's cheap and not crazy fattening, which are admittedly minor priorities if I'm being honest and everything.  A+ to my taste!

VeMoFo#12: How to Improve your Chocolate Skillz

My single origin Republica del Cacao bars (freaking buttery-floral-complex and fantastic, btw), came with a little slip of paper detailing how to taste chocolate like a pro, all tips that I immediately sat down with a zen-like determination to follow through to the exact letter*

(as written).....

Appearance: Observe its colour, remember that colour is not equal to dark chocolate flavor.  Observe its glow, bloom, an ashy coating on the surface, is due to changes in the crystal structure of fat.  This coating is easily removed by wiping it.

Aroma: Break a small piece of chocolate with one hand [eds note: whaaat?  that's hard!], rub the sample with your fingertip and with your other hand cup the sample over your mouth and nose, then smell the surrounding air space.  Take a few short breaths to allow sufficient residence time of the volatiles in the nasal cavity where sensory receptors are located.  To clear residuals or fatigue, take in neutral air.

Taste: Break a small piece of chocolate with your front teeth (feel its texture).  Allow the sample to sit on your tongue and let it melt as flavours develop and merge.  You will taste the flavours as the chocolate sample melts down.  Note the evolution of flavour upon impact, notice flavours that increase or diminish.  "End of mouth": a lingering flavour in your mouth after swallowing indicating wether the chocolate has a long or short ending.

Touch: Does it cool or warm your mouth as it melts?  Rub the melting sample against your palate to feels its smoothness.  Does the melted sample have body; Does it leave an oily feeling?

Listen: A clear and dry "snap" sound means the chocolate has been through a correct and careful process.

- Notes on Tasting, Adapted from "The Chocolatier" Chloe Doutre-Roussel

* instructions that I followed to the exact letter up until the point came to type them all out - at which time I added a whole bunch of letter U's to all the misspelled occurrences of "color".  (grin grin)

VeMoFo#11: Gold Nuggets

This is one of those I can't beLIEVE I didn't write down what was inside these, mostly because I want to share it, not because I can't probably make them again because I can, but they won't be exactly the same and gosh knows I can't recall the exact spices but I think there was cloves in there kind of dishes.  Yummy little nubbins!

Probably...

+ leftover rice

+ tahini

+ tamari

+ chopped apricots

+ ground almonds

+ ras el hanout

+ tomato paste

+ bread crumbs to roll in

but beyond that I haven't a clue, oh well.  The sauce they're sitting in is required, too, in this imaginary recipe, but thankfully is probably just your favourite blended roasted yellow pepper sauce with a lot of cracked toasted coriander added into it.

VeMoFo#10: Selling Out

I had a bake sale a few weeks back, for no charity other than myself, which is good, because I made what I spent on flour back, plus a little bit and not more.  But if I do feel so inclined to do it again, I might, because things sold, and it was kind of fun to sit out there reading bad science fiction and selling chocolate chip cookies on a sunday montreal morn, gettin' friendly with the neighbours and some raving repeat customers, even. ^.^

I mades.... (real simple menu)

* chocolate chip cookies

* banana bread

* brownies

* crunchy PB cookies

* sparkled ginger cookies

* VAMPIRE CUPCAKES

I also sold all of my movies to a dental hygienist for $10 dollars, which made us both pretty happy. 

(I am the queen of aimless career plans right now, can you tell?  *grin*)

VeMoFo#9: Winter pie + sauerkrautrock

Veganomicon entry # who knows!

Astonishing pie, you guys!  It needed twice the sauerkraut maybe, but earthy-licious concoction, all told.  Which one?  The Kasha Phyllo pie!  Aside which I braised some rapini in a thin version of the mustard sauce, which was strong, but good.

And for practically no reason other than it's insanely amusing, a deep fried maple leaf, as per Japanese fall custom, from one of my favourite blogs.  Oh Canada and all that fried jazz. 

VeMoFo#8: I'm not cheating! I'm eating! Soba!

146 recipes down, only 104 left to go...

Yes I'm still on this Veganomicon quest, why do you ask?

Of course I started before that Julie & Julia movie.  Way before!

(psst, the Curried Udon Stir Fry is mouth-crack, couldn't believe it took me that long to make it)

(pssssst, of course this post was posted on the 8th.  Why... do you ask?  ^_^;)