How to Make Edible Garnishes

Handle any emergency with Howcast's First Aid app - http://howc.st/jkDRTe

Expand the description and view the text of the steps for this how-to video.

Check out Howcast for other do-it-yourself videos from Stabbey and more videos in the Side Dishes category.

You can contribute too! Create your own DIY guide at http://www.howcast.com/videos/new or produce your own Howcast spots with the Howcast Filmmakers Program at http://www.howcast.com/filmmakers/apply.

Transforming a plain old plate into a work of art is just a simple garnish away.

To complete this How-To you will need:

A tomato
A carrot
Large button mushrooms
A celery stalk
Maraschino cherries
An orange
Strawberries
Melted chocolate
A sharp paring knife
A cutting board
A vegetable peeler
Wooden toothpicks
A bowl filled with ice water
A metal spatula

Step 1: Wash the food

Gently rinse the tomato, carrot, mushrooms, celery, and strawberries.

Step 2: Sculpt a tomato rose

Start with a classic tomato rose. Holding the fruit stem-side up, begin at the top. With the paring knife, begin peeling a half-inch-wide strip of skin. Turn the tomato, cutting a single unbroken strip into a jagged spiral. Lay the strip down on the cutting board and gently roll it into the shape of a rose.

Tip: When choosing garnishes, select foods whose colors and flavors complement the dish.

Step 3: Curl carrots

Using the peeler, skin lengthwise strips from a raw carrot. Roll the strips into circles and secure each with a toothpick. Soak the carrot curls in ice water for one hour. Drain, remove the toothpicks, and you've got a simple, vibrant garnish.

Step 4: Make fluted mushrooms

To create a fluted mushroom, cleanly slice the top off a button mushroom—just enough to get a flat surface. With the tip of the paring knife, make shallow cuts to create a star or swirl pattern around the edge. Create your main design in the center of the mushroom top.

Tip: Sauté fluted mushrooms in butter for an easy, tasty side dish.

Step 5: Twirl celery

Chop an inch from either end of a piece of celery and cut the stalk into three-inch pieces. Slice each piece lengthwise into skinny strips, stopping about a half-inch before the end. Place the celery in a bowl of ice water and refrigerate until the ends have curled.

Step 6: Craft an orange boat

An orange boat adds elegance to any cocktail. Cut an orange into thin slices. Place a maraschino cherry in the center of one slice. Wrap the orange around the cherry and insert a toothpick width-wise to secure. Balance the toothpick on the rim of a cocktail glass and serve.

Step 7: Fan strawberries

Holding a strawberry stem-side down, cut four or five slices, stopping just before the stem. Turn the berry onto its side, fan out the pieces, and garnish away.

Step 8: Coil some chocolate

Pour melted chocolate onto a clean, smooth surface. With a spatula, spread it evenly about a quarter-inch thick. After it cools, slide the spatula under and across the chocolate at a 30-degree angle. As you scrape, the chocolate will coil tightly, forming a beautiful dessert topping.

Thanks for watching How To Make Edible Garnishes! If you enjoyed this video subscribe to the Howcast YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=howcast

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• fooddrink
• food
• making
• decorating
• side
• dishes
• cooking
• chef
• presentation

[CHUBAASAURUS]

$3,000 sundae, this is why we're in a recession

[mystfire]

stop motion!!

[CulinarySuppliesOrg]

Thanks for sharing your simple fruit carving and cutting ideas with a paring knife to add quick beauty within minutes with foods in your refrigerator.  Shop paring and culinary fruit carve knives at our online store.

[DelaneySparkle]

i clicked this cuz i didnt know what garnish ment

[amethysts1997]

who in the world would want to eat gold?

[nkhatib98]

i bet gold tastes like shit.

[MyPurplePlatypus]

"scrape the chocolate with the spatula at a 30 degree angle" SOMEBODY GET MY PROTRACTOR!!!!

[luchia664]

Who wants to eat 3,000?

[katiekat1239]

press 9 repeatedly to see spatula humping chocolate XD hahaha

[007majorgonzo]

If its in ice bath why does it have to go in fridge aint ice bath good enough

[007majorgonzo]

slice celery stick in ice bath and place in fridge!!! WTF