Eating with your Eyes!

They say we first eat with out eyes. Before we take that first bite, we are already making an assumption on how it will taste, whether or not we want some, how much we want, and whether we are going to like it or not. This being said, it’s just as important to make our food LOOK delicious as it is to TASTE delicious!

With this is mind, always take into consideration how your final product looks. A quick garnish of chopped parsley, clean whip around the edge of the platter or simply arranging food in a organized and nice manner, takes ordinary to extraordinary!

Here are a few ideas that can help:

• Color: Always think about color in a dish: What makes it pop? Is it a pop of red in your breakfast quiche? Red bell peppers are a great way to add color! When making a salad, cheese, nuts, thinly sliced radishes and strips of peeled carrot or zucchini all make beautiful additions.
• Height: Height makes everything look abundant and fresh. With salads, use your hands or tongs to pile the salad high in the middle. With freshly cooked pasta, swirl the pasta so it stands tall in the center of the plate. With a protein, prop it on an upward angle on the side of rice or mashed potatoes.
• Sauce: If something looks dry, give it a light finish of olive oil or add more sauce to make it looks nice and juicy. Nothing looks worse that pasta that has been sitting in sauce too long. Simply by giving it that “glow” back, it comes to life!
• Hot: If your dish is supposed to be hot, make sure it is! Cold soup and food simply looks dull, and usually tastes so too.
• Plates, platters, bowls, table settings, etc.: Take an extra minute to plate things in pretty service ware. It takes no longer to clean an ordinary dinner plate and looks like a million bucks. Plus, it gives an impression of care and attention to detail which guests will assume translates to the food. Setting the table with cloth napkins always adds an element of perfection and finesse. Take the extra minute, as it’s just that and well worth it.

After going through the effort and time involved in cooking a delicious homemade meal, take the extra minute to bring it to the next level. After all, you will enjoy it too!

Cheers to starting a new tradition around the table together!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Lewis

Founder and true believer in the power of bringing people around The Table Together!