Culinary Tips From Chef Raven

Presentation: Part 2

As I said in last week's tip, there are many simple ways to raise the appearance or presentation of your food to the next level.

The next time that you make rice, try making it using chicken stock or broth (Swanson's is a good choice) instead of water. Before you serve it, mix in a tablespoon or so of chopped, fresh parsley. Not only do you get the great color but it will also add a great taste. I much prefer flat-leaf or Italian parsley to the usual curly edged parsley. If you're not sure what it looks like, ask the produce manager of your supermarket. If you want to use dried parsley instead, add it add the beginning so that it properly hydrates.

One of my favorite and super easy garnishes is to take a red bell pepper and dice part of it up into confetti sized pieces. You can sprinkle these on to your plate. It adds a colorful, festive touch.

If you're looking to jazz up a dessert, you can't lose with a sprig of fresh mint. Try growing a little in a pot and keeping it on the kitchen sill. We have tons of it growing in our front yard which means we are lucky enough to be able to just go outside and grab a piece whenever we need it. You always want to grow mint in a pot even if you have lots of garden space, it tends to run wild and the flavor will take over others in your garden.

While we're on the subject, growing fresh herbs is your best way to take your food a step further. It's very, very easy and doesn't take a lot of work. There are even kits these days that have everything you need in a little plastic greenhouse. We have chives, basil, rosemary and cilantro growing in pots around the house.

The next time you make a baked potato wouldn't it be fun to chop up a bit of chives to sprinkle on top? Or fresh dill?

--- © Chef Raven

Please remember that I am just an email away to answer all of your culinary questions at CulinaryArtistry@aol.com.

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