Such is the Buche de Noel. A Buche de Noel is usually a rolled cake, decorated to look like a yule log. Despite this fairly tight definition, there are a lot of different ways to do a buche de noel, ranging from very rustic to very modern. And, of course, there is an endless range of flavor combinations, as well.

Although a buche de noel usually includes several components (cake, filling, frosting, etc.), many of them are not difficult recipes – just time-consuming. So, set aside some time to relax and play in the kitchen, and present your family with a festive Buche de Noel. Then sit back and bask in the compliments.

Take a look at these beautiful examples. You can click through to the recipe via the link underneath each image.

Have you ever made a buche de noel? Or do you have another go-to holiday "wow" recipe?

As you all know, this past weekend was a holiday - the 4th of July, otherwise known as Independence Day! I hope everyone had an awesome holiday weekend!

The 4th of July offers lots of fun opportunities for themed decorations and dishes. Unfortunately, they are often so overdecorated that you end up leaving with stars spinning around your head like a cartoon character that's been hit with a shovel.

But a themed dish or table display can be a beautiful thing when it's done right. I think the key is less is more. Those beautiful, patriotic dishes definitely have "Wow!" factor, and really, you only need a few. Too many crowded together and your "Wow!" gets lost in the crowd.

Here are some elegant Independence Day recipes I would be proud to serve at any 4th of July event!

Recipes

© Epicurious.com

Very patriotic and elegant at the same time.  
I would absolutely serve this dish.

© BHG.com

This festive parfait is a great example of simple, delicious AND pretty!

© HungryRabbitNYC.com

An elegant alternative to the same 'ol, same 'ol cupcakes with red, white and blue sprinkles.  I’d finish these off with just a few white star garnishes on top. 

© AllRecipes.com

Tasteful decoration, star shapes and skewers take the usual “big pan o’ flag” rice krispy treats from ubiquitous to unique.

Did you dress up your dishes for 4th of July? What’s your favorite red, white and blue style?

Image dinemag

Garnishes, whether simple or complex, are meant to enhance the visual appeal of a dish. They can be used to accent the color of a dish, provide contrast, or add a festive finishing touch.

When you hear the word “garnish,” maybe you imagine fancy swans fashioned from apples, or intricate little flowers made from tomatoes, and immediately write it off.

Who has time to carve napkin rings out of carrots?

Elaborate garnishes can be amazing and they do have their place, but there are many simple garnishes that are quick and easy enough for everyday use.

A sprinkling of herbs around the plate. A single chive leaning against a steak. A little stack of micro-greens, artfully arranged. Some grated lemon zest. A swirl of cream in the middle of a bowl of tomato soup. These are beautiful and tasty garnishes anyone can use to enhance their dishes.

Crumbled feta brings chicken up a notch.
Image © Joelen Tan

Pomegranate seeds take cupcakes from simple to elegant.
Image © Jessica Barnes

Watermelon Radish garnish transforms these hors d’oeuvres from boring to beautiful.  Image © VeganYumYum.com

As with plating, there is no “one true way” to garnish. Your creativity is the only limit. However, keep these guidelines in mind:

• Everything on a plate should be edible, so refrain from garnishing with anything that isn’t. Fake flora, poisonous flowers (some flowers are edible – check before using), inedible rinds or shells, etc. should never be used as garnish. The exception would be things like crab and lobster claws or similar.

• Use relevant or complementary ingredients and flavors for your garnishes. A completely random garnish that has no relation to the dish will only confuse the diner. Using ingredients from the dish itself is always an excellent choice.

• Think of the plate like a painting – the food in the center is the art, and the rim of the plate is the frame. Keep the frame clean so the focus is on the art. Strategic placement of herbs or garnishes on the rim may occasionally be appropriate, but in general, you want to keep the rim clean.
• Consider color, flavor, texture and appearance when selecting a garnish.

I’ll be going into much more detail about garnishing and how to make specific garnishes in future posts, so watch for those soon. Please comment below and tell me about your favorite garnishes, or what you’d like to learn about!

Plating is the art of presenting food in a way that enhances and improves the appeal of the food itself.

It involves many different aspects of food preparation and presentation, starting with the combination of foods that make up the meal, to how the food is cooked, to the plate that is used to serve it, to how it is arranged on that plate, to the garnish decorating the dish.

​Plating can take a dining experience from good to Incredible! Spectacular! Unforgettable!

Turns out, not only do we enjoy eating beautifully presented food more, we actually get more nutrients from food that is sensually appealing. Who knew that the old saying, “you eat first with your eyes,” was so literally true?

Julia Child

It's so beautifully arranged on the plate - you know someone's fingers have been all over it.

Basic Plating Concepts

Let me state right off the bat that I am not a pro. I am listing here what I have observed and learned from research. Any readers with plating experience, please chime in and let me know what I am missing or misstating!

Balance is key

Nutrition

A perfect plate is a balance of proteins, starches and vegetables. The traditional standard of “50% protein, 25% starch, 25% veg” has changed as our understanding of health and diet has improved. A good guideline today might be more like 30% of each, or 50% veg, 25% grain and 25% protein. Obviously, it will depend upon the type of dish you are making, but a balanced plate should always be your goal.​

Image AllYou.com 

Taste & Texture

Taste and texture are critical components for an unforgettable meal. Flavors should accent and enhance each other. For example, spicy foods are best accompanied by cool or neutral; a soft and sensual food asks for something crispy. Plan for a balance of taste and texture as you plan your dishes.

Visual Appeal

This is the main focus here on Pretty Tastes Better (though I expect to touch on all of it at one point or another). It’s well proven that the eyes truly do eat first – how our food looks and smells affects our enjoyment and even our absorption of a meal.

Your takeaway

So what makes an appetizing plate? One that appears full and satisfying, not sloppy or overblown, has varied spacing and height for interest, without being overly contrived, and includes complementary colors and textures, rather than a boring monotone. Bottom line? A plate that is carefully composed is just more appealing than one that is slapped together.

​It may seem like a lot of things to consider, but your plates will improve if you do nothing more than think ahead and keep these points in mind as you plan what to make and how you will make it. Just that simple consideration will help you put together a more beautiful plate.

​I’ll be posting in much more detail about specific plating styles and techniques, so watch for those posts soon. Please comment below and share your favorite plating methods, or tell me if there’s something specific you’d like to learn!

Those are definitely not pretty.​

Whether they are going into a crudite platter, a salad, or directly onto your plate, keep your vegetables vibrantly colorful by blanching and shocking them.  The few minutes it takes will improve the look, taste, and texture immensely.

Blanched & shocked - pretty!

Image © ILoveButter

Overcooked - yuck!

Image © LaughyKate.com

It's so worth it.​

Procedure​

“Blanching” means to cook in boiling water just until your desired doneness, and “shocking” is stopping the cooking process quickly by plunging into ice cold water. The blanched and shocked vegetables can then be used in salads or other cold dishes, or frozen for future use without losing their beautiful color. For use in hot dishes, quickly saute or stir fry to reheat just before serving. If using in soups or stews, add them in the last few minutes of cooking and they’ll stay colorful and delicious.

Benefits

Besides locking in those vivid colors, blanching and shocking also:

• “pre-cooks” veggies so they can be quickly heated and served later
• destroys bacteria and enzymes which prevents discoloration during freezing, slows down spoilage and prevents oxidation (like a potato that browns when exposed to the air)
• reduces bitter flavors in things like broccoli rabe and brussels sprouts
• helps prevent mushiness
• loosens skins for easy peeling on things like tomatoes

Guidelines

Different vegetables need to be handled differently to get the best results. For all of them, use plenty of water. If needed, blanch in batches to avoid overcrowding.

Green Veggies

Tips:

• Use salted boiling water
• Never add acid (i.e., vinegar, lemon juice) to the water – it will make veggies brown
• Never add baking soda – it will make veggies bland, mushy and soapy-tasting
• Cook with pot uncovered

Timing:

• Artichoke hearts – 7 minutes.
• Asparagus (snap off tough ends first) – 2-4 minutes (for small, med, large)
• Beans (i.e., Lima) (with shells) – 2-4 minutes (for small, med, large)
• Broccoli (chopped or stalks) – 3 minutes
• Brussels sprouts (remove outer leaves) – 3-5 minutes (for small, med, large)
• Green beans – 2 1/2 minutes
• Green cabbage – 1 1/2 minutes
• Greens (spinach, kale, etc.) – 2 – 2 1/2 minutes
• Peas (shelled) – 1 1/2 minutes
• Snow or Sugar Snap Peas – 2-3 minutes

Red, Purple & White Veggies

Tips:

• Add acid to the water – vinegar, lemon juice, etc. (1-2 Tbsp per liter of water)
• Cook different colors in separate pots to avoid color mixing (i.e., red & yellow beets)
• Cook with pot covered

Timing:

• Cauliflower (chopped or stalks) – 3 minutes
• Parsnips – 2 minutes
• Red or yellow beets – until tender
• Red cabbage – 1 1/2 minutes
• Red or white onions (sliced) – 10-15 seconds

Orange & Yellow Veggies

Tips:

• May use acid or not
• If using an acid, add it halfway through to prevent toughness
• May cook covered or uncovered

Timing:

• Carrots (sliced) – 3 minutes
• Carrots (baby) – 5 minutes
• Sweet potatoes – until tender
• Summer Squash, chunks or sliced (zucchini, etc.) – 3 minutes, grated – 1-2 minutes

Mushrooms, onions and tomatoes do not require blanching, even when freezing. To remove a tomato skin, you can lightly score the base and blanch for 30-90 seconds.

Shocking time is usually about the same as blanching time, but you can speed it along a little by separating and swishing the veggies around in the ice water. The point is to get them quickly cooled down so they are no longer cooking. Once cool, remove them from the water and pat dry.

Bonus Tip

Here’s a great tip from YumSugar.com – instead of wasting water and ice, and using up another bowl, shock your veggies in the freezer instead.

​But all white can be, well. . . boring. And boring is not pretty.

The trick is to combine white dishes with colored accessories on your tabletop. There are lots of opportunities to inject some color – tablecloth, runner, napkins, placemats, flowers, etc.​

I’m digging these earthy tablescapes from Pottery Barn (source links no longer available). They’ve combined some strategic earthy pieces with the contemporary white dishes to great effect. Look how warm and inviting they are!  They just feel so comfortable, I’m ready to plop right down and dig in!

Here are some other fun items I found that would work for a warm, earthy tabletop:

Lovely wooden serving spoon

Mandala printed tablecloth

Copper serving bowl

Floral printed tablecloth

I think this would be a pretty easy look to achieve inexpensively. Look for wooden, wicker, linen and other natural elements (maybe some things from your garden?) to combine with your everyday dishes for your own warm, earthy tabletop.

You can purchase bags (both disposable and reusable) specifically for this purpose, or you can use a ziplock bag and cut off the corner.

​Or, you can do what the pros do and make a disposable bag out of parchment paper. Parchment paper has a lot of uses in the kitchen, so it’s something you should keep around anyway, and it’s a bit more environmentally friendly than throwing away plastic bags.

​Check out this video from Gourmet Magazine that shows exactly how to do it:

Get the goods:

• Pre-cut parchment triangles
• Parchment paper sheets (a kitchen staple – LOTS of other uses besides bags)
• Disposable bags
• Washable bag
• Basic tip set

Have you used a piping bag before? What’s your favorite type?

​