How to Make Great Looking Garnishes for Your Meals

Garnishing your food can make a big difference on it's presentation. Never spend more time on your garnishes than you do your meal, but make them look good. Here are several ideas to make nice looking garnishes quickly and easily. You may not get some of these the first time, but just try again if have to. Once you get the hang of it, you'll never present your meals without a garnish! This also gives you a chance to show off your artistic side and make a great impression on your guests for dinner!

Citrus Cups
Cut a very thin slice from each end of the fruit so that the cups will sit level. Insert the blade of a small sharp knife at a downward angle into the middle of the fruit; remove the blade. Insert the knife again at an upward angle to make a zigzag pattern. Continue cutting like this all the way around the fruit. Seperate the halves by twisting slightly and carefully pulling them apart. Scoop out pulp if you are using the cups as a container for dip, sherbet, or any other food.

Carrot Flowers
Scrape the carrot. using a sharp paring knife, cup four or five grooves, evenly spaced, down the length of the carrot. After that, slice the carrot to produce flowers. These make a great display and take little time to make!

Fluted Mushrooms
Select firm, white mushrooms. Cut several slits at even intervals around each mushroom cap, cutting from the center of the cap to the edge and using a curving motion with a paring knife. Make another set of slits parallel to the first slits, allowing 1/16 inch between them. Remove and discard the thin strips of mushroom between the slits.

Chocolate Curls
Melt squares or morsels of semisweet chocolate over hot water in a double boiler; cool slightly. Pour chocolate out onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Spread chocolate with a spatula into a 3-inch-wide strip. Smooth the top of the strip with spatula. Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate cools and feels slightly tacky, but not firm. If the chocolate is too hard, the curls will break and if it is too soft, the chocolate won't curl.

Frosted Grapes
Place grapes on a wire rack. Paint grapes lightly with thawed egg substitute, using a pastry brush. While the grapes are still wet, sprinkle them with granulated sugar to sreate a frosted look, and allow them to dry in a cool place (about one hour). Don't refrigerate the frosted grapes because the moisture in the refrigerator will melt the sugar. If you scoose, you can also follow this same recipe and substitute cranberries for grapes.

Tomato Roses
Cut a thin slice from the bottom of the tomato using a sharp paring knife, then discard. Beginning at the top, peel a continuous paper-thin strip (about 3/4 inch witde for regular tomatoes and about 1/4 inch wide for cherry tomatoes) from the entire tomato. Starting with the first portion cut, shape the strip like a rose. With the flesh side inward, coil the strip tightly at first to form the center of the rose, gradually letting it become looser to form the outer petals. This one may take a few tries before it is mastered, but once you get it, you'll love it!

Celery Fans
Slice celery stalks into three or four inch lengths and place on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut several slits at one or both ends of each piece of celery, cutting almost to, but not through, the center. Place the celery in ice water and refrigerat until the fans curl.

I hope you can enjoy your new garnishes. They really are fun to make and for the most part, they're easy. Like I said before, it will probably take a few times to get the hang of it, but don't give up, you'll get it. Enjoy!