Customer Reviews

Arranging Food Beautifully: Tray and Steam Table Art

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Arranging Food Beautifully is an interesting book but not what I expected. I had hoped to learn tips on presentation and view actual table settings however the content contains more recipes than tips. The recipes are great, and the few photos that are included are helpful, but I would classify this more as a cookbook than a table setting book.

I am starting a catering business and I was looking for a book which was focused on presenting foods on the buffet table. This book did include several helpful photographs but the book had too many receipes and not enough helpful hints on presentation.

I agree with the other reviewer. While this is a lovely book, it was not what I was expecting or hoping for. I found it lacking in illustrations.

I bought this book looking for something to pass along to employees and friends that dealt with food-styling and decoration. Specifically I was looking for tips on decorating steam tables and the food contained therein.

This book claims to cover this but falls apart shortly after it begins. So...

What this book does right:
1) It gives a few simple recipes that are wonderful canvasses on which to decorate...
2)There are a number of color plates illustrating some basic concepts of art and color...

What this book does wrong:
1) It gives recipes; if I wanted recipes I could opt for a book like "Food for 50" or a competent professional cookbook; yes they are more expensive but they also have a lot more recipes and concepts.
2) The color plates are used to illustrate only finished examples and basic concepts. It would have been so much better to keep the "food porn" to a minimum and instead illustrate steps and garnishes from the book.
3) The pencil illustrations, while very artsy, do little to illustrate "how-to" and instead contribute to the "porn" aspect of the book.

I would say, if you're looking for a book on garnishing get one of the books by Harvey Rosen or a book from Wei-Chuan publishing. If you are looking for buffet recipes get a copy of "Food for 50" or "Modern Garde Manger"... While not a complete waste of money I'd pass this one by...

This book was very disappointing. If you are just starting out in the food service industry, then I guess this is okay for you; but if you are Veteran in the business, you probally already know how to arrange a table for presentation. This book also contained far too many recipe, perhaps it should be classified as a cook book. Definetly not worth the money!

Very disappointed with this book that I thought would be filled with photos of food arrangements but it is more of a cookbook than anything else.
The illustrations are what I consider to be crude child-like drawings rather than color photos of arrangements.

The book is ok there are no illistrations. it is all written and you have to figure it out for your self. Lots of mombo jumbo that is not nessary. Not what you would expect from the cover.

I will be using this book as a reference for the Dining Room of the Club. The pictures are very good as well as the instructions for accomplishing Food Artwork.