For those of us who will be entertaining this holiday season, here is how you plate your dishes like a pro with some tips from the Most Interesting Academy.

1. Color. Monochromatic dishes are not appetizing. Nobody wants to eat an all-white meal. Adding color will almost always improve the look of a dish, as long as you’re not overdoing it. Not to mention that foods that are brightly colored often have more nutrients. Think about herb oils, juices, and broth reductions. They’re great ways to add lots of color and flavor without heaviness.

2. Crunch. When adding a crunchy element, always save it for the last minute and find the food with the least amount of moisture to prop it up on, so it doesn’t wilt.

3. Observation. Start to notice the plating when you go out to eat. Analyze the different elements, and then try to replicate some at home. When you really look at how a chef puts a course together, you start to get an idea of the way colors, shapes, textures, and temperatures can fit together to make an interesting dish.

4. Plates. White is standard, and my personal favorite, because I like the way that brightly-colored foods contrast with the white space. But whatever plate you use, it will affect the way the dish looks. Try different colors, sizes, and shapes to figure out what works with different foods, and with your personal style.

5. Negative Space. Negative space is your friend. Negative space helps the look of your food pop off the plate. Visual clutter is unpleasant to the eye.

6. Practice. You might not hit on the right plating idea the first time you do it. Try a couple different combinations of elements to see what looks best. Even if you’re not doing a practice run of the meal, you can plate, rearrange, then put things back to heat up again. Or practice when it’s just a casual meal you’re making yourself, just to get your skills up. The more you do it, the more ideas you’ll have.