FOOD+DRINK
The Art of Food
Art has no true limits, or so they say. And if that’s true, then surely art can be made out of
anything? And if that’s true, why not make art out of food? Throughout childhood, we're
told not to play with our food, but what if we’re missing out on a new creative outlet that
would spur us on to artistic brilliance? Of course, we’re not advocating that you encourage
your children to mess about at the dinner table, but when it comes to plating up – no
matter how simple or complicated the dish may be – it might just be worth adding a bit
of artistic flair to give your food a little more zing. BY LISAMARIE LAMB
Chefs and food critics the world over are often found to agree on one thing:
the fact that people eat with their eyes as well as their mouths. If the food
looks good to begin with, then they are more likely to want to eat it, and,
thanks to a clever bit of subconscious brainwork, they will tend to say that
food that looks good tastes better than the same food served in a less
appealing way.
Interesting, isn’t it? And although food art may look impressive, a lot of it
is easy once you know how.
If you want to try creating beautiful things with your food, a good way to
start is by watching some of the incredible videos on YouTube. Here, you
can see exactly what it takes to make something stunning out of food.
Sugar Cage, Caramelised Nuts
and Pulled Sugar
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHVgLnuISyQ
Placing a sugar cage over a dish instantly raises the bar
when it comes to desserts. While caramelised nuts are
delicious and give a tasty twist to a standard piece of food,
pulled sugar is delicate and beautiful and adds a real treat
to your sweet. Using the ‘dry method’ to create caramel
(i.e. melting sugar in a pan with no water, or any other
ingredients) is the first step. Once you have your caramel,
it’s time to get creative.
This video deals with the sugar cage first. It’s quick and
easy, and all you need is hot caramel and a ladle. The result
definitely belies the effort that went into it! Next up are the
caramelised nuts; with a toothpick stuck into the nut, just
use the warm caramel to create these cake decorations
that end up having a stunning teardrop shape to them.
Finally, it’s the turn of the pulled sugar. Using almost cooled
caramel, which is now easy to manipulate, simply use a
fork to pull a strand upwards, and then continue to pull it
until the strand is as long as you need. That’s it!
The Apple Swan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLXEiMIiF5E
This video takes you through how to turn an apple into a
swan. All you need is a sharp knife to cut with, two butter
or dinner knives to be used as spacers so that your cuts
are even, and a shiny good-looking apple. It can be any
variety or colour, and by spraying your finished swan with
lemon juice, you can keep it from turning brown. Adults
and children alike will love this clever way of serving simple