With the ever increasing amount of talent quest television shows revolving around food and cooking, it’s no wonder we all aspire to revolutionise our cooking and step up to the plate with creative meal designs. Inspiration and innovation becomes our primary focus as we try to recreate the class and sophistication that our peers create for the nation to see and the toughest judges to critique.
For some talented enthusiasts, you can create complex dishes and present them in a way that could surely earn your kitchen a michelin star. Unfortunately for a lot of us however, this is not the case. Our efforts to present a dish of finesse stumble into a mess that tastes good but appears very basic. Then as we sit there and dine with our random assortment of glassware and crockery that we’ve had for a bit too long, the judges on tv tuck into food fit for the royal family.
What if I told you there were some easy and affordable ways to not only glamourise your kitchen but help you create a home dining experience of luxury? Well this is very possible and here are some great ways on how you can do just that:
Style Your Kitchen With Sophisticated Storage
To give your home culinary experience a touch of elegance, start with the storage facilities in your kitchen. By having a logical plan for your food storage, you allow yourself the chance to swiftly navigate your kitchen and reduce time wasted looking for ingredients. The easiest way to start organising is by separating your food and drink items.
You want to have your drinks chilled and ready to drink but don’t want to take up so much space so that your food is compromised. Instead conveniently use something like an undercounter stainless steel bar fridge. They can be used to store a range of drinks and suitably small food items; whilst adding a touch of sophistication to your kitchen or bar area.
Experiment With Exciting Presentation Techniques
Turn your attention to your food garnishes and plating up. Using different techniques and practice them regularly can help you to improve the look of every meal you prepare. Don’t expect to get it straight away as we all know that practice makes perfect. Start basic with a sprinkle of this and a drizzle of that to add colour and texture. In no time you’ll find yourself creating crumbs, parfaits and carving fruit and vegetables for decoration.
Start experimenting with meals you create often and get a feel for your ingredients that you know how to cook. Soon you’ll be dishing up eye catching meals that the whole family will love and will make for a top class evening.
Light Up Your Setting With Elegance
Our experience with food begins when we smell it and our decision to eat is based on our sense of sight. That’s why light is important meal in your dining experience. The last thing you want is bleak lighting to dim the look and feel of your family dinners, dinner parties or quick bites at home. If you commit yourself to spending countless hours in the kitchen preparing meals, you want to be able to see the finished product. So take time to consider fixing your dining room with lights that accentuate your food.
This can be achieved through the use of candles, chandeliers, down lights, lamps or even a fireplace. Depending on the style of your dining room and features like furniture select lights that best suit you. Your family and guests will be extremely impressed with the look and feel of your hospitality.
Formalise Your Table Setting
Keeping an orderly appearance to the setting of the table is a very easy way to make your dining experience at home exceptional. Take note when dining out, of the way restaurants present their cutlery, plates and glassware. Make your glassware sparkle with a simple steam polish, keep cutlery in a formal order and use plates and bowls accordingly. This is a basic of table etiquette and can highly enhance your dining, so don’t cut corners.
Don’t forget to use cloth napkins, centrepieces and the appropriate table clothes to make dinner a magnificent affair that could be enjoyed by even the most noble characters.
Learn More About The Food You & Your Family Loves
Knowledge is power and this goes for your culinary experiences at home too. Read up and do your research on the foods you use at home. You’ll be surprised at the versatility of some of your ingredients and how you can tweak the aromas, textures and flavours of dishes with the most simple changes. You’ll open up your tastebuds to an entirely new range of experiences.
To further develop your cooking at home look for ideas on food and wine pairing. Your dining experience will be transformed when you partner the perfect wine to your meal. To add even more class to dinner parties, keep a selection of wine to choose from. There are some great quality small wine fridge coolers that don’t take up too much space at very affordable prices. Your guests will be astonished when you share your knowledge and show them your very own cellar.
Keep the fire burning and turn everyday cooking into a passion. We eat every single day so get inspired and create a memorable dining experience that can be enjoyed by all your family and friends.
