Eat with your Eyes First
Lobster and Trout Roe Tartlet. Courtesy of Bri Baker.
Chef Bri Baker showed the world how creative and fun plating food can be. She mastered her presentation skills on Masterchef and continues to share what art on a plate looks like.
On the thrilling cooking competition, Masterchef, Baker—who appeared in seasons 10 and 12—has coveted the prestigious nickname 'Plating Queen' for her aesthetic and beautifully presented dishes. Baker makes any mundane food look magnificent—a swipe of mint green cream, a vibrant purple, a soft and creamy drizzle… her social media feed is a feast for the eyes. As a private chef and digital creator, she spoke to Ithraeyat about her journey. She shared her expert tips on the fine art of plating.
When Baker appeared on season 10, the judges—Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez, and Joe Bastianich—were impressed by not only her remarkable cooking talent but also her perfected signature finesse on presentation.
Chef Bri Baker
Baker started cooking at 14 years old, inspired by the French restaurant she hosted at. With a history in classical piano and advanced painting classes, she dove into the artistic aspect of food. "I've always been interested in anything involving creativity," she shares.
During her education, she briefly studied biology pre-med at the University of Texas until she decided to switch majors. "Learning languages came somewhat naturally to me," she says, "so I switched to Spanish and never looked back! I figured it'd apply to nearly any industry, and it has proven useful."
She shares with Ithraeyat that her relationship with food relies on utilizing it as a means to learn. "It's so fascinating just how versatile certain ingredients are. I love learning about the delicacies of different cultures and cuisines especially."
"Food is a cultural experience," she adds. With French being her favorite cuisine to cook, she shares that she loves eating and cooking Middle Eastern foods. "Some of my favorites include dolma, baklava, and hummus." With plating being her specialty, she shares how she enjoys plating falafel. "You can plate them quite nicely with a swipe of tahini sauce and some greens or tomatoes." With Baker's tips, the possibilities in the art of plating seem endless.
Carrot Ginger Soup. Courtesy of the chef Bri Baker.
After being eliminated in season 10, Baker continued pursuing her passion. "I never wanted to give up! After leaving season 10, I felt even more motivated to keep going because I learned so much while on the show that I wanted to continue learning and growing. Gaining recognition from the judges on my plating was very inspiring, and I wanted to continue making them proud."
Baker proves success follows when you stay true to your style and skill. During her fierce presence on Masterchef, she served minimal (yet astounding) portions. She shares her input on small portions and their aesthetic appeal: "If you look at Chef Ramsay's Instagram page or the pages of his restaurants, they show small portions also, as they are typically part of a several-course tasting menu. His restaurant Petrus particularly inspires me, and I have always wanted to dine there! I believe that on the show, most viewers are expecting larger, more home-style portions, and that just wasn't how I cooked and still isn't. While feedback is always helpful, staying true to yourself is important."
Composure and confidence are crucial to running a steady kitchen as a chef. As the 'Plating Queen,' Baker keeps her head down and balances the crown she earned. "While the title does come with added pressure," she says, "I have found that in most of my experiences, it has helped me because it serves as a reminder of my accomplishments and strengths."
Truffle Deviled Eggs with Caviar. Courtesy of the chef Bri Baker.
Chef Bri Baker in MasterChef Season 12. Courtesy of the chef Bri Baker.
Baker adds one of her tell-tale signs of a good cook. "I would say speed – a beginner will take much longer to get the perfect swipe, whereas a pro will do it perfectly and in a second. I know this because I was a beginner who plated much slower not long ago!" She advises any aspiring chef or home cook honing on their craft of cooking to take it slow and enjoy the creative progress.
She shares that her inspiration for plating comes from Chef Daniel Humm, restaurants, and her surroundings. "We've all heard the expression that "you eat with your eyes first," and I firmly believe in this! It's also about treating the food with integrity – food that's plated with a purpose and with care is going to taste a lot better than food that's just been slopped onto a plate."
She keeps her childish spirit and encourages creativity when it comes to cooking: "(Presentation) has always been an aspect of cooking that I have found to be extremely important, so I've always placed a pretty heavy emphasis on it. Plus, it's fun to play with your food!"
Chef Bri Baker. Courtesy of Bri Baker.
"Not only does it guide the diner through each bite that they take, but also, with such a heavy emphasis on social media these days, if I were a restaurant owner, I would want my product to be represented the best that it could be because you aren't able to taste a dish through a screen (though I wish you could!)."
Even though creativity is a vital skill to implement while working on a presentation in cooking, Baker adds that positivity and experimentation are just as crucial. "It can be easy to feel discouraged sometimes, but sometimes you must step back and look at how far you've come! Progress is progress, no matter what. And keep in mind that experiments don't always go as planned. That's why it's an experiment! Save inspiring photos and videos and use them as guidance before solidifying your style! Just have fun with it."
Planning for the perfect plate can be consuming, but Baker balances flavors with beautifully built dishes. "Flavors come first for sure," she says, "but thinking about aesthetics can also add to the flavor. Nutritionists often say to think about adding as many colors as possible onto your plate, forcing you to add a wider variety of ingredients and food groups while creating a beautiful plate!" She emphasizes that cooks shouldn't feel pressured to add every color under the rainbow to each dish but to think about the colors they want to add and what ingredients would fit with the other components of a dish.
The cooking ingredients are crucial, but the tools help a chef prep for the perfect plate. "Cutting yourself with a dull knife is much easier than a properly sharpened one. You don't have to spend a lot – one quality knife and one quality cutting board are all you need! One tip I love is adding a slightly damp towel underneath your cutting board – this will keep it from sliding around.”
Panna Cotta with Beet. Courtesy of the chef Bri Baker.
I'm a fan of any shellfish to cook and to eat. Scallops, oysters, lobster, crab, you name it! It's also beautiful, so I love to plate scallops in their shell."
Lobster Bisque. Courtesy of Bri Baker.
To gain an inspirational feed on food and the art of plating, follow Chef Bri Baker on Instagram and TikTok @platingqueen
Written by N.T.
