Issue 1 – Summer


Vegan Focus: What are some of your favorite techniques for elevating food presentations?
Chef Montelbano: My favorite ways to elevate presentations are with sauces, sprinkles, fresh herbs or microgreens, edible flowers and pops of color.
When considering a sauce for a dish, I usually choose something that will enhance the dish’s flavor profile, but also add any additional flair it might be missing. For example, a risotto might not have a lot of color on its own, but if you garnish it with a pesto sauce and microgreens, you add color, flavor and height to the completed dish.
Vegan Focus: What do you mean by “sprinkles,” and how do you incorporate them into your dishes?
Chef Montelbano: What I call “sprinkles” can be anything from seeds and nuts to a dusting of cinnamon or smoked paprika to a nice finishing salt. I keep a selection of items on hand at both my commercial and home kitchen to spruce things up quickly. Some of my favorites include toasted pistachios, hemp hearts, a mix of white and black sesame seeds, fried shallots, toasted coconut, togarashi, and Maldon salt.

This salad is beautiful and colorful all on its own, but adding additional garnish will add crunch, flavor and dimension to the final dish. Adding toasted nuts and fried shallot give a roasted depth of flavor and crunch.

Adding cilantro and mint give the dish freshness and added pops of green and texture.Garnishing with lime wedges will not only add a nice citrus pop when it’s squeezed over the top, but it gives additional dimension to the plate.
