Anyone who's ever watched Top Chef [1], flipped through a food magazine, or eaten at a fancy restaurant understands the importance of plating food. First impressions are important, and the way your meal is presented can determine whether it's considered mere grub or totally gourmet. But you don't have to be a pro to create a pretty plate. Here are five simple tips to making restaurant-worthy plates at home.

• Use large plates. Crowded food looks messy, so give your dishes room to breath. Negative space on a plate looks elegant, and leaving room between each item gives the individual components more oomph.
• Opt for neutral china. White, bone, and other neutral plates will complement pretty much any color of food, while busier patterns can sometimes clash.

For a few more suggestions, .

• Make pretty piles. If you don't want to separate the individual components, try stacking them in a tidy tower.
• Create a clock. If you're serving a protein, starch, and veggies, arrange the three items according to the face of a clock, with starch at 10, meat around 2, and veggies below 9 and 3. Make sure one of the items acts as a focal point on the plate.
• Keep it clean. When working with wet ingredients, try to keep the plate as clear and smudge-free as possible. If you drizzle sauces, control the distribution so that it's artful, not icky.

Got your own tips for creating pretty plates? Share them in the comments below.

Source [2]