1. How to create attractive meals
MEAL APPEAL
How to create attractive meals

2. What are some arrangements you need to make?
Party Scene
Your best friend’s birthday is coming up this weekend and you want to make it special by throwing a great party with all your friends.
What are some arrangements you need to make?

3. Party Scene
You need FOOD!!!

4. Party Scene So how do you plan a dinner party for all your friends?
Let’s start with the different parts of a meal…

5. Parts of a meal There are 3 parts to a meal: 1. Appetizer 2. Entrée
3. Dessert

6. Parts of a Meal 1. Appetizers Finger foods
A “snack” before the main dish
Keep people entertained while the entrée is being prepared

7. This cuts down your work and cost$$
Appetizers
For informal or larger parties, you may choose to serve only appetizers with dessert later on.
WHY?
This cuts down your work and cost$$
A party like this sets a “mingling”
tone where guests can move around
and talk to each other while helping
themselves to various food.

8. So remember… Have a wide variety of appetizers
Make them accessible to all guests

9. Appetizers
For formal dinner parties you would serve each part of the meal separately with everyone seated preferably at one table.
What are some other
appetizers you can suggest
for your guests?
What kind of drinks would you serve?

10. Parts of a Meal 2. Entrée The main course
When preparing an entrée you need to think MEAL APPEAL!!
Meal appeal = the characteristics that make a meal appetizing and enjoyable.

11. Entrée There are 5 characteristics of meal appeal: 1 – Colour
2 – Shape & size
3 – Flavour & aroma
4 – Texture
5 – Temperature

12. Colour and Shape
Think of your meal as a picture (food) in a frame (plate).
Restaurants pay special
attention to meal appeal
and how food is presented.

13. Colour and Shape

14. Food as Art
Food photographers have to consider the colour, shape, size and texture when planning each shot.

15. Entrée What kind of appeal do these entrées offer?
Identify the garnish in each

16. BEWARE!!
Although some foods may look appetizing, they may not be good for you! 
Consider nutritional value for a healthy diet.

17. Flavour & Aroma
Avoid combining foods of similar flavour or aroma in one dish.
This rule also applies to colour
E.g. Mixing strong flavours together is not a good idea because they clash
Clash = look too alike

18. Flavour & Aroma Give some examples of clashing flavours:
Spicy chili with garlic bread
Egg salad sandwich with potato salad
How would you fix these meals?

19. Flavour & Aroma Mix it up! Serve spicy food with bland items
Bland = plain;
mild in flavour

20. Spices vs. herbs What’s the difference?
Spices = very strong flavour; dried out; derived from plants; multi-coloured; can grind it; examples include chili seeds, black pepper, turmeric, garlic powder.
Herbs = flavourful leaves and stems of soft plants such as basil, oregano, rosemary and sage. They’re all green!

21. Condiment? So then what’s a condiment?
Condiment = a seasoning for food that’s not a spice or herb such as ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, mayonnaise, bacon bits etc.

22. Texture Your meal should have a variety of textures
Texture = how it feels when you chew
e.g. hard, chewy, crispy, soft etc.

23. Temperature Serve hot foods on cold days. i.e. soup in the winter
Separate cold and hot foods by putting them on different plates so they can retain their temperature and texture.
i.e. chicken and mashed potatoes with side salad in a bowl

24. Dessert 3. Dessert everyone’s favorite indulgence! Serve with
coffee, tea or
dessert wine.

25. Dessert
You should know about any peanut allergies among your guests.

26. The End… Developed by: Isabel Marques-Kontos Course: HFN 100/200
Food and Nutrition
Last Updated: March 2005

27. Resources Food for Today (text)
McGraw-Hill & Ryerson – First Canadian Edition
Food Photography
Rosy’s Japan Journal
Food Gallery
Still Images/Raul Rubeira Photography
Lost in the Stacks: the Adventures and Misadventures of Jess Webb
Bali Hai Cruises
DIAC Conference in Seattle
Kate Kline May Photography