Anyone here into plating and obsessive enough to use things like plating tweezer tongs, drawing spoons, or molds? I just get it on the plate and feel wiping the rim is enough, but my son in law, a superb cook, just got some plating tongs.
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No, tweezers are for nose hairs.
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I will do that if I’m taking a picture for Hungry Onion, otherwise I just get it on the plate.
Truth be told, if I can get away with paper plates, I’ll use them and save myself some cleanup.
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I use ring molds for crab cakes. Dungeness crab, very little filler. Does that count?
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I have many tools, based on television shows and magazines.
I do not feel they work for family friends dining. Takes too long, and maybe they don’t care about presentation.
I use the tweezers to extract hair from the guest shower.
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I have a 10 inch version of these: 
I’ll occasionally use it to plate micro greens or similar. I fuss over plating occasionally, depends on the dish. I use these tweezers to extract capers from tall thin jars more than as a plating tool.
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I’m not into plating the way the haute cuisine restaurants are, but yes, I have a couple pairs of the very large forceps/tweezers they use. I sometimes use them for garnish, but I love them for twisting strand pasta into balls.
I also bent myself up a set of 6 tasting spoons that work well for drizzling and dotting foods and plates without the hassle of squeeze bottles.
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I have the tongs, but don’t use them for plating. They look suspiciously like an implement my piano tuner used to use to retrieve small, sparkly lost treasures that one of my cats used to stash on the soundboard.
I’m not going to play with the food. That’s the guests’ job. Just wipe up the odd spill and hand them the trough.
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Sure. A proper crab cake has the least filler possible! I love Dungeness crab. They are delicious and far less work than blue crabs.
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If Iever get any I’ll try them for twisting pasta. I am currently using a ladle and a bayonet carving fork.
That makes me think of Bogart getting the recalcitrant olive out for grandfather’s martini in the original Sabrina.
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Love your sense of humor 
I have tried to adopt the ‘pasta nest’ using the ladle and carving fork. My partner looks at me huffily and says ‘stop sculpting dinner. I’m hungry’
The closest I get to fancy plating is extra parsley or green onion over the top.
I do feather chocolate syrup stripes I put on my brownies by dragging a skewer across them. Does that count?
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Nah. I like making the plate look nice, but mostly I’ll just glove up and arrange as needed (if reasonable for whatever we’re eating).
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Of course it counts. Anything beyond plopping it on the plate counts. I offer what Gordon would call a rustic presentation, which he seems to hate.
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further development:
I mentioned this thread to my partner. She said, and I quote: “You keep twirling up my pasta and I’m gonna get out a knife and start cutting it.”
Clearly, this is a fight I am not going to win.
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I will sometimes put rice in a Pyrex glass ramekin and invert it onto a plate if the meal is otherwise attractive, and I do use fresh herbs as garnish on occasion. The long tweezers would be useful for fishing little things out of jars! But since 2020, all of our meals at home have been just the two of us . Not much motivation to be fancy or formal. I haven’t used my nice dinnerware for many years. I have so many sets of dishes - I really miss them. Maybe I’ll haul some of my Easter plates and linens out (probably not).
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My food (i think) looks good. I try to make my table attractive, or at least inviting, and my guests feel welcome and special. Ditto for serving hors d’œuvres, cheese plates, charcuterie, drinks, whatever. If Gordon thinks that’s rustic, we’ll, he’s not invited over (he’s been in the ‘hood, though). His loss. Eating together; feeding people, is an essential experience. I think it should be as enjoyable as possible. Presentation is part of it, of course, but I don’t want to put the horse before the cart (or in the oven, but that’s another discussion).
When I make my own dinner for one, I at least plate it and use my flatware. I owe myself that much respect; and I want to do the same for my guests. This does not involve tweezers (which are good for manipulating lots of things; I just don’t want to be caught dead placing hummingbird eyebrows on anything. )
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Who’s joking?
I take my nostril follicles very seriously.
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Haha, but good for you and others I’ve noticed who take more care with your photos. Other than a bread loaf (no styling needed), mine are pretty sloppy.
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