In one of my first posts I talked about how we start the dining process with our eyes. I have talked about the tools of the kitchen. What I want to say here is more along the lines of showing rather than telling.

I believe that all meals should be a ‘dining experience’, no matter if you are eating a hot dog at a food truck or a filet mignon in a posh restaurant. And remember that at home, we control how the food we cook looks on the plate!

Over the years, I have collected many different types of table-wear, so I can use different place settings. However, a bit of imagination goes a long way when creating a piece of food art. That is what I want to stress here: that the plating of food is like composing a picture. You want a balance of color and objects.

A splash of color provided by a sprig of celery leaf, dill, lettuce and other vegetables and fruits. Loaves of bread and gourds like pumpkins, make marvelous bowls. Seashells, and food safe trays made from wood all add to the tablescape as they add interest to the food that you spend time and effort into making. Oh, and make sure that the drips on edges of the plate are cleaned up before serving.

Look at every plate as if you were preparing it for a photo shoot and your mouth will start salivating before the first taste.