Stacking food for presentation

It is said we eat with our eyes!

Some dishes just can’t be made pretty. Mexican food does not look pretty plated unless you have it covered with colorful garnishes that give color to the plate. The margarita in the background doesn’t hurt either.

I bought some little rectangular molds for sushi and the like. It is an open rectangle made of acrylic and has a press that fits inside. Look for Musubi Hawaiian style molds on Amazon.

You put the mold on the plate, add your ingredient, press and repeat with the next layer until you fill the mold.

For something so small, it holds a surprising amount of food.

I have four of these and use them for sushi but thought I would give Mexican a try!

This taco stack starts with a layer of rice, then beans, then diced tomato.

I made a mixture of onion and corn and added that. I topped it all with a layer of guacamole. This was served on a plate with enchilada sauce on the plate, topped with shredded lettuce.

This bento box has a sushi stack in the top right compartment.

I started with a layer of vinegar infused sushi rice.  The rice was pressed down and topped with a sheet of nori that I trimmed to fit the mold.

Next, a layer of shredded parsnip salad was added and pressed down. Between the parsnip salad and next layer of shredded carrots, there was a drizzle of sriracha mayo.

Another layer of nori was added. This helps the mold stay straight and gives us that wonderful flavor that we associate with sushi!

The final layer was mashed avocado topped with thinly sliced cucumbers.

Finally, it is wrapped with nori and garnished with cilantro and a grape tomato half.

If stacking hot food, I suggest using a steel mold. I made a Thanksgiving stack that I thought was beautiful! It was a stack of mashed sweet potatoes, stuffing and mashed potatoes topped with mushroom gravy. Gorgeous.

I am interested in trying this with other cuisines that do not look so attractive on the plate.

It does not have to be a special occasion to take your food to the next level in plating.

If you eat with your eyes, then give them a feast!