Fab Finishing Touches

Ready for a food photo shoot? The Kitchen hosts show us how to take any dish from ordinary to extraordinary with a few simple plating techniques! These are the fab finishing touches that’ll make your dishes Instagram-ready!

Show & Tell 1: Fanned Avocado Toast

Alex Guarnaschelli shows us how to jazz up traditional avocado toast to take it to picture-perfect status! Alex demos how to cut an avocado into thin slices with a paring knife, then arranges the slices artfully in two ways for a beautiful presentation on toast. After preparing the avocado, she then tops it with colorful ingredients like lemon segments, pink peppercorn dust, grafted radish and olive oil so the brunch staple gets a stunning makeover. Follow suit with Alex’s delicious, beautiful picks and make sure to snap a photo before eating!

Show & Tell 2: Garnishing Soup

Jeff Mauro shows us how to upgrade the average bowl of soup with a few simple garnishes! Starting with a creamy, colorful butternut squash soup as his base, Jeff demos dots of crème fraiche with a squeeze bottle, then finishes by running a toothpick through for a pretty swirled design. Next, he tops the soup with crunchy, spicy fried jalapenos for texture and added flavor. Use these easy tips and your dinner guests are sure to be impressed. Photos welcome!

Show & Tell 3: Dessert Plating

GZ shows us how to plate at-home desserts with style, using a few tricks from the restaurant world! GZ demonstrates essential elements to create the perfect dessert plate: First, he shows how to warm a spoon and form a quenelle of crème fraiche to top a slice of chocolate torte. Next, he explains the importance of crunch and texture by sprinkling on candied almonds. And finally, for the finishing touch, he dusts the plate with cocoa powder or cinnamon for added flavor and presentation. Now everyone at home can have social-media worthy, restaurant-quality sweets from the comfort of your own kitchen!