When Food Meets Music – Plating Techniques That Turn Up The Volume

There’s nothing better than rocking out to your favorite songs. Maybe the right song is all that’s needed to get you inspired to create something amazing. Or maybe you desperately need to buckle down and focus on the task at hand, but the silence is equally distracting. All you need is the perfect playlist of non-lyrical music to get you focused and ready to work. Looking to have a bit of fun with your projects? Queue up some indie pop or even country tunes to help you get bopping along and ready to have fun experimenting with whatever you have before you. Music can make even the most mundane tasks (like laundry and doing the dishes) a more enjoyable experience. Turn the volume up and make folding your clothes a dance party in your apartment!

We had a blast rocking out to these songs from Sony. We let Maren Moris’s and Old Dominion’s country tunes inspire our more Southern plates, like the Shrimp & Grits and Savory Chicken and Waffles dishes. Check out our 14 creative sweet and savory plating designs to help elevate your next dinner party.

The artist and song title playing during the following plating examples was Tom Walker’s “Just You & I.” You can check out the music video here.

Berries & Pound Cake

Ingredients used:

• Mango purée
• Strawberry purée
• Sponge cake
• Whipped cream
• Cherries
• Mango chunks
• Raspberries
• Crumbled sugar cookie

Scallops & Microgreens

Ingredients used:

• Carrot puree (blend steamed carrots and season to taste with salt)
• Pea puree (blend steamed peas and season to taste with salt)
• Seared Scallops
• Blanched peas
• Blanched carrots
• Microgreens

Blackberries & Biscuits

Ingredients used:

• Blackberry juice (blend blackberries and strain)
• Biscuits
• Macerated blackberries (toss blackberries with sugar, let sit for 10 minutes, toss again)
• Whipped cream
• Edible flowers
• Fresh blackberries

The artist and song title playing during the following plating examples was Raja Kumari’s “Shook.” You can check out the music video here.

Smashed Meringue & Citrus Fruits

Ingredients used:

• Vanilla meringue cookies
• Lemon curd cream (whisk ¼ cup jarred lemon curd with ¼ cup mango juice, add more juice if needed for drizzle consistency)
• Whipped cream
• Kiwi slices

Beets & Radishes

Ingredients used:

• Beet puree (blend boiled, peeled beets, adding a little bit of water to thin if needed)
• Sliced watermelon radish
• Toasted baguette
• Avocado puree (mash avocado well and season to taste with salt)
• Avocado slices
• Flaky sea salt
• Microgreens

Cheesecake & Tropical Fruit

Ingredients used:

• Mini cheesecake
• Freeze-dried blueberry powder (pulse freeze-dried blueberries in food processor until powdered)
• Coconut cream
• Passion fruit
• Starfruit
• Papaya slices
• Blueberries
• Mango wedges
• Crumbled sugar cookie

The artist and song tile playing during the following plating examples was Maren Morris’ “Flavor.” You can check out the audio-only video here.

Southern Shrimp & Grits

Ingredients used:

• Chili aoili (mix mayonnaise with desired amount of chipotle hot sauce for spice and color)
• Corn grits
• Sauteed shrimp
• Boiled corn
• Black pepper
• Microgreens

Sugar & Spice Blueberry Donut Holes

Ingredients used:

• Powdered sugar
• Cinnamon
• Plain donut holes
• Blueberry glaze (mix equal parts powdered sugar and water, add crushed blueberries to desired color/texture)
• Whipped cream
• Blueberries
• Edible flowers

Salmon & Avocado Mousse Garnish

Ingredients used:

• Avocado mousse (blend 1 avocado with ½ cup greek yogurt and season with salt to taste)
• Seared salmon
• Microgreens
• Vinaigrette (shake ¼ cup red wine vinegar, ¾ cup olive oil, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, salt and pepper in a squeeze bottle)

Sugar Glazed Pineapple Rings

Ingredients used:

• Pineapple rings
• Sugar
• Spice cake from boxed mix
• Whipped cream
• Maraschino cherry
• Crumbled meringue cookie
• Golden pea shoots

The artist and song tile playing during the following plating examples was Old Dominion’s “Make It Sweet.” You can check out the music video here.

Savory Chicken & Waffles

Ingredients used:

• Buttermilk ranch dressing
• Buffalo hot sauce
• Frozen waffle, toasted
• Butter
• Fried chicken
• Maple syrup
• Scallions, sliced

Deconstructed Apple Pie

Ingredients used:

• Vanilla cream (melt ¼ cup white chocolate with 2 tablespoons heavy cream and a ½ scraped vanilla bean in a pot over very low heat until chocolate is melted, remove from heat and let cool)
• Pie crust
• Apple pie filling, canned
• Vanilla ice cream
• Pie crust, crumbled

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients used:

• Garlic aioli (mix ½ cup mayonnaise with 2 crushed garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon garlic powder and at salt and pepper to taste)
• Fried green tomatoes (dredge green tomato slices in flour, then a whisked egg, then 1 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs, fry in 350 degree oil until golden brown on both sides, drain on paper towel)
• Mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes
• Goat cheese
• Microgreens

Honey Tangerines & Toasted Meringue

Ingredients used:

• Meringue (Beat 2 egg whites on high until foamy, gradually add ¼ cup sugar until stiff peaks form, gradually add 6 tablespoons powdered sugar and beat until voluminous again)
• Sliced tangerines
• Honey
• Honeycomb
• Macarons
• Crushed pistachios
• Mint leaves