Sauce Swooshes and Dots

Put a spoonful of thick purée or sauce on the plate. Press the back of a spoon into the middle of it and drag it in one smooth curve. Don't go back over it. For dots, fill a squeeze bottle and hold it straight up, touching the plate lightly, squeeze and lift. Vary the size and space them unevenly rather than in rows. The sauce needs to be thick enough to hold its shape; a runny sauce spreads out. Put the main component on or next to the sauce, not covering all of it.