Thanks to certain food competition shows, garnishes have become a little gauche. "Am I supposed to eat this?" a pasta mogul sneers at a Brooklyn line cook, contempt dripping from his handsome mouth. I get their point, but it makes me kind of sad, as fancy little pieces of carved vegetables will never fail to delight me.

Fancy plating may seem frivolous, but these super easy tips will make your home-cooked meal look and feel like it came out of a fancy restaurant.