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
So Yummy
Ingredients used:
Mango purée
Strawberry purée
Sponge cake
Whipped cream
Cherries
Mango chunks
Raspberries
Crumbled sugar cookie
Scallops & Microgreens
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
Ingredients used:
Buttermilk ranch dressing
Buffalo hot sauce
Frozen waffle, toasted
Butter
Fried chicken
Maple syrup
Scallions, sliced
Deconstructed Apple Pie
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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
So Yummy
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)