On the rim of salad plates, she alternates thin-sliced cucumber and tomatoes. Lura says her cooks sometimes gripe at the extra time it takes to arrange plates artfully, but she says it's worth it. Presentation is just her way of flirting. As for dessert, she'll cut out pastry hearts from layered sheets of buttered phyllo dough. A final touch might be to decorate the plate with bright purees of mango, kiwi and berry.
Desserts are the ideal course to dress up at home.
Marilyne Mitani has used a myriad of garnishing techniques since becoming pastry chef at Danville's Bridges restaurant in 1997. Yet she's careful to not sacrifice taste for beauty. The flavor has to be an integral part of the dish. I try to stay away from putting mint on everything. This doesn't mean you have to use fanned strawberries on a strawberry dessert.