The following list contains some practical guides to effective  food  garnishing: . Use restraint in garnishing. Keep a picture of the whole meal in mind. Too many garnished dishes in one meal will spoil the effect. Select a suitable garnish, if one is needed, and use it sparingly. .  Vary  food  garnishes. Do  not  let  garnishes become monotonous. Use a section of orange or a slice of peach on top of a pudding occasionally; not always a maraschino  cherry. .  Plan  garnishes  ahead  of  time  and  show  the serving  personnel  how  garnished  foods  should  be served. . Plan simple garnishes. Do not sacrifice timely preparation  for  the  sake  of  garnishing. .  Take  advantage  of  the  natural  food  color contrasts  in  combining  foods.  Do  not  rely  on  the addition of food coloring to the food to supply color contrast. Carving For  special  occasions  such  as  holidays,  hand carving hams and roasts on the serving line is preferred over machine slicing. Carving plays an important role in serving meat in an appetizing manner.   Carving affects the appearance and texture of the meat, and the portion size can be controlled by carving. Therefore, as an MS, you must develop skill in carving. The direction of meat grain determines how the meat is to be sliced. Most meats should be cut across the grain. Cross-grain slicing shortens the muscle fibers and produces a more tender slice of meat. Roast meats should  be  allowed  to  rest  about  20  minutes  after  they have  been  removed  from  the  oven  before  they  are carved. This period allows the meat to “firm up.” It also allows the meat to reabsorb some of the juices lost during the roasting process. The meat becomes firm and can be sliced with greater ease in equal slices. Slicing should be done on a hard rubber cutting board so the cutting edge of the knife is protected. The carving board should be placed in a sheet pan to catch the drippings while the meat is being sliced. Remove any string or netting that may have been used to hold the meat  together  while  it  was  cooking.  With  a  sharp carving knife (long, thin-bladed knife) and a two-tined fork in hand. carve the roast as follows: 9-5 1. Carver roast. 2. firmly 3. Cut one slice across the top of the roast so the can  determine  the  direction  of  the  grain  of  the Hold the roast in place by pressing the fork into the top of the roast. Carve across the grain of the meat from right to left for a right-handed person and from left to right for a left-handed person. The carved portions can then be easily lifted to the plate or tray. Sliced meat portions should be controlled by weight rather than by the number of slices. For this reason, the customer’s preference for thick or thin meat slices can be satisfied by the carver. Timing The commanding officer sets the hours for serving the meal. The time published should be strictly adhered to; the day’s work schedule in the galley should be organized  to  conform  to  the  established  hours  for serving meals. The messdecks and serving personnel should be ready to begin serving on time. Planning will ensure prompt and efficient service. The serving line should not be setup too early. You should set up about 45 minutes before the regular meal as a general rule. This also allows for the cooks and mess attendants to enjoy their meal. When serving you should be alert to what needs to be  replenished. Do  not  wait  until  the  food  item  is completely  depleted  before  replacing.  Food  items should not be left on the steam table line too long. Remember  to  batch-cook  all  items  that  can  be  cooked progressively. A good rule of thumb to remember is what is available for your first customer should be available for your last customer. Foodservice  Attendants FoodService  personnel  should  be  trained  to  provide good   customer   service. Common  courtesy  is  the backbone  of  good  customer  service.  This  cannot  be overemphasized  because  the  way  the  serving  line personnel conduct themselves often determines the patrons’  satisfaction  or  dissatisfaction  with  the  meal. Every person assigned to the serving line should be clean and look neat. This requires the washing of hands many times during the day. Uniforms, hats, and aprons must be clean. Long sleeves should be rolled up to avoid touching   the   food   and   equipment.   Foodservice attendants not only should be clean and neat, they should