How to get better at visual design with desserts (both plated and bakery-style)?
Over decades, it seems that there has been this evolving body of knowledge surrounding plating and presentation, which can only be absorbed fully, if you've spent several years at a high-end bakery or fine dining restaurant (swooshing a sauce with the back of the spoon, quenelles, 3-dimensional whitespace, etc.).
I'm an aspiring dessert artisan, and I'd like to get up to date on those principles, approaches, and techniques, without having to squirrel my way into the fine-dining lifestyle.
Instagram and pictures in cookbooks are great for inspiration, but I feel like I would improve faster by understanding thought process/vocabulary, than from analyzing finished products.
Any suggestions/advice/resources? (Most visual design books are too general imo)
I'd suggest starting with Tish Boyle's "Grand Finales" book series, and Plating for Gold. The productions and plating aren't necessarily up-to-the-minute by comparison with what you'll see on Instagram, but she gives meticulous explanations of how to design with pastry components. The level of technique presented is based on classical pastry knowledge, but branches out to somewhat newer technologies.
For more of an exploration of the artistic design and work with flavors, Francisco Migoya's The Elements of Dessert is a valuable reference.
Really, though, I think there are two hard and fast rules for dessert presentation:
Part of the fine-dining experience is a multisensory performance. You're not just dumping a plate in front of the customer for them to admire a static presentation, or arranging a bakery case strictly for visual display with color and structure. You're also composing through scents, textures, duration and interplay of flavors, temperature, the sounds of crunch, snap, pop in the mouth.
Also consider that diners have gotten more sophisticated from the explosion of restaurants. They're interested in novelty and ingredients outside the European classical lexicon, like purple yam, bean paste, and savory flavors. Depending on where you are and the resources available to you, you can incorporate everything from Modernist Cuisine processes like spherification to 3-D printing techniques.
Hope this is some help!
Thank you, this is tremendous!
You're welcome! Just as a personal note, I think the formality of dessert competition design is limiting. It's dessert, bring the joy of childhood into it. Go wild and break things!
I'll do my best :)