Questions to consider when choosing a plate or serving dish
What Shape?
Does the food lend itself to a particular shaped plate?
What Colour?
Is white the best choice? What about using a contrasting or coordinating colour?
What Size?
Too big and the portion of food will look tiny.
Too small and the plate will look over crowded.
What Material?
Would ceramic be best or could you use something else?
Wood? Terracotta? Slate? Glass?
Plain or Patterned?
Will a patterned plate detract from the food or will it enhance it?
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Hidden Grids
Chefs often refer to a 'clock face' when they are plating up food. They imagine that the plate is a clock with each of the numbers referring to a specific point on the plate and position the food accordingly. This is one example of what designers and artists refer to as a compositional grid.
Basically a compositional grid divides any shape into symmetrical segments which can then be used to position food, or other elements in an aesthetically pleasing way. It's really not as complicated as it sounds and many of you will probably use compositional grids without even realising it!
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