apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Gosh, I cant remember where I first saw this, it actually might have been here, but will post anyway in case someone missed it:

http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

"Ads vs. Reality" side by sides for fast food. Really helps to take a look when you have a craving for this stuff.

Really highlights what a difference presentation can make on foods appeal.

I would be lying if I said I had not made a dish simply because someone posted a mouthwatering picture of it online, only to have mine end up looking more like one of the 'reality" shots above, and tasting about as mediocre as the final product.


I'll occasionally try and dress dishes up for company or a special meal. Usually ill keep it pretty simple tho otherwise im likely to just make it look even less appealing!

It's pretty important for me, but I don't really veer from my standard set up, which is white chargers, white plates, white napkins and silver napkin rings. Sometimes we plate and sometimes everything is served on the table; if we do the former it's great having the chargers.

If we have more than 10 people I might use placecards, although I usually pass because my friends make fun of me ;-)

I add color with flowers and always have candles at the table.

As for the food, it's amazing what some minced parsley, shavings of cheese, sauce or edible flowers can add. I am a fan of the pill-up; getting the starch onto the plate followed by the protein/vegetable right on top. It's more home-style but if I try to arrange everything too much it ends up feeling forced.

*pile

It's super important to me. I just can't slop rice down on a plate anymore. I will actually do the cone/pyramid shape in the middle of a plate even if i'm serving for 1. Really it makes all the difference.

I do the starch-meat mound on my plate too. Having the food laid-out on a plate, especially when they don't touch, just reminds me of airplane food.

When I got married this summer and began cooking for both my husband and myself, plating quickly became high on my list of "domestic goddess" priorities. Even though my husband laughs at me, it really does add another creative dimension to my meal preparation and truly feels like one more way to express myself through cooking- plus, it really does make the simplest foods feel fancy and gourmet! I think everyone should give it a shot- I found out that it's one of my favorite parts of cooking, whether it's for 2 or 20. Taking a look at beautiful food photography on sites like this is a great place to start for inspiration!

Plating seems like such a restaurant word to me.

I try to plate food so that it looks nice. I'm more inclined to "respect" the food, enjoy it, savor it, if it looks visually attractive.

If, on the other hand, a meal was just thrown on a plate, I would be more inclined to woof it down and be done with it.

Why not pay a little attention? It's so easy and takes so little time in the overall scheme of cooking. Plus, it's the difference between a meal feeling homey and like just something to eat and a meal feeling special, important and like someone paid attention to it.
I always plate and garnish with a little flair, even if it's just the two of us on a weeknight, and I find that it's more worth my while if I use edible garnishes or condiment as garnish. If I'm cooking for guests, I try a little harder and really make it look nice. I want people to enjoy coming to my house for a meal as much or more than if they had paid a lot of money for a great meal in a restaurant.

And never underestimate the power of staging, great plating and garnishing for a buffet.

I think "plating" -- in a restaurant or at home -- is for the person in the kitchen, not the person sitting with a napkin tucked under his chin. It's nice, but no amount of dramatic presentation matters if the food isn't really good, and if it is, no amount of dramatic presentation matters.

I like my food to have an appetizing array of colors, but that's pretty much where it ends.

When we have company, it's usually a serve-yourself deal.

So, no plating or "bowling" in my house, other than just putting food on a plate or in a bowl.

I find that, because I cook for myself mostly, I end up eating out of a small bowl much more often than off of a plate. Whether I'm having salad, curry rice, or mashed potatoes with meatballs and spinach, I tend to layer it in the bowl so I can see a little of everything and I get contrast from different colors.
Having been active in the bento community (er, not so much anymore but still...) I learned a lot about how color, shape, and texture can make food look that much better. This is a simple sandwich and fruit lunch, but it was that much better because I took the time to make a character decoration for it: http://community.livejournal.com/bentolunch/1479987.html

The show Food Detectives did a little study on this sometime recently, where they set two groups of people up for dinner with the exact same food but a different environment--disposable cups and plates with a really basic description of the menu, or with real plates and glasses and some candles on the table. Turns out, the diners much preferred the (exact same) meal presented in the nicer way.

Like some of the others above, I'm obsessive about it.

It takes so little effort and makes even uneventful food an event. Why wouldn't you do it?

I wouldn't call myself obsessive, but I do strive for an attractive presentation. It's how I was raised. We would NEVER put a pot on the dinner table. Everything was transfered to a serving bowl/platter and served family style. I still do that if I'm serving a crowd. I try to do it in an attractive manner (I am partial to the mound of rice surrounded/topped with the main entree) as sight is a part of the experience. But then again, I'm also one of those that believes in using the good china, cloth napkins, and fine crystal daily. You're nurturing yourself and your loved ones. We all deserve that kind of treat.

I'd never given plating much of a thought, though if the meal doesn't have enough color contrast out comes the parsley or paprika. But now I have a toddler, and I know for a fact that if she's in a fractious mood putting all her food in little dishes on a tray is a guaranteed win.

I wouldn't go so far to say that I'm "obsessive" about it, but I do like a neat plate. I heard somewhere that you eat with your eyes first and I think that is so true.

I also like to have a nice place setting with cloth napkins and nice glassware even for weeknight meals. There's something about taking those extra steps that elevates eating to ritual.

I think we eat with all of our senses and will do my best to make the food on my plate as appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds.