Garnishing
A Feast for Your Eyes
Lynch
1987
I know there is a whole bunch of people that like artistic looking food. I also know that food can be just another medium for the artist inside you. I am just one of those people who wants food to look like food. I shouldn’t have to guess what the food actually is.
This book has a few lovely decorations. See the first image after the break. The raspberry tart thing looks pretty. However, as we go through the book, it becomes more outrageous. A carrot curl or a sprig of parsley is actually a nice touch. But I am going to stop at the shaped potato salad. But wait there is more!
See the eggplant penguin. Evidently you are to use it as a comical decoration. Just no. Other “tasty” looking choices: pickle fans, the squash chicken, and the pear quail. Just when you think that you have seen it all, I present the “cauliflower lamb” (final image below). Perhaps this would work at a vegetarian Easter when the leg of lamb just won’t do.
Bon Appetit!
Mary
I suspect the Junior League is not going to be impressed by a drunk looking penguin.
Gives new meaning to “playing with your food.”
This looks like a real waste of food. But tbh, I’d rather look at sculptures made from squash and eggplants than eat them.
that penguin looks like a real wise-ass!!
Says Rodney Dangerfield to me.
The flat faced mutant penguin looks like it, the artist, or both were on some hallucinogen.
The “rainmoose” (wtf?) seems to be saying “kill me now, please”.
The goose has such tiny wings and giant head that… I don’t even know what to say.
This is pretty much the definition of “too much time on one’s hands”. And after you’ve stored them for 2-3 days, you won’t even be able to eat them, so it’s food waste.
I have had some fancy garnishings out of carrots or cucumbers at banquets, but those were done fresh by professional chefs and were still edible as nice crunchy things.
Okay, but the sweet potato pinnipeds are ADORABLE.
If it looks TOO creative, it is legitimately hard to start eating because the first bite, cut, etc spoils the art.
If it looks stupid, like the penguin, everyone will laugh for a while and still eat it. It just looks foolish in a glossy book. Not the worst fate (:
I like food decorations as long as they’re also edible, but who will want raw eggplant or pears served with whole ginger roots? Then you might as well make (better) decorations from some other material.
Yes, make some decorations out of non-perishable items and save the food for the eating.
And if you have 2 hours to stick cauliflower into styrofoam, resist the urge and spend one of them speaking to a qualified psychiatric professional while someone who cares about you takes the knives away.
I don’t believe these decorations are a waste of food. The penguin looks like a cheesy Borscht-belt comic. In a day or two he could be a very desirable baba ganouj.
Hej, I live there so… I’m not sure how to feel about it.
My preschooler loves sheep and has an upcoming birthday, so I actually read the page with the cauliflower lamb. You need styrofoam and “a very thin eggplant.” And the whole thing takes two hours from start to finish.
I wish there was a way to find out how many people read this book, and how many actually tried making the food.
Though I admit, cauliflower is the perfect sheep!