Plate my food to serve?

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Are you the type to plate your food in an eye-appealing manner, and do you take extra care to make sure it is a colorful and clean presentation?

I do, I am not into serving a plate that is less than attractive. I love color, and even in my plating I like it to be a work of art...as well it is! It is my belief that we eat with our eyes as much as we do with our tatse buds. If my food looks good it tastes better in my opinion.

[shipscook]

you are so right! as some of you may know I am an old broad who has lived alone for over thirty years. granted, being a sailor and a camp cook a lot of that time has been away from home. but on the ships or in camp always picture the plates as to color and texture. we usually have two or three proteins, two starches and two veggies and a selection of salads and desserts.

At home meals are simple, and I shop often, but plan the plates.

I can not deal with paper napkins!!! and usually light a candle or four.

nice thread Cathy! ((hugs))
Nan

[chubbyalaskagriz]

For years in restuarants of course all food was plated. Then in the work-camps everything was served buffet-style. These days at home, I like to show off my platter and serving-bowl colletion so I tend to serve family-style at the table and let folks fix their own plates. Occasionally I will pre-plate a salad or a dessert.

[cucinadinana]

Originally Posted by Cook Chatty Cathy

Are you the type to plate your food in an eye-appealing manner, and do you take extra care to make sure it is a colorful and clean presentation?

I do, I am not into serving a plate that is less than attractive. I love color, and even in my plating I like it to be a work of art...as well it is! It is my belief that we eat with our eyes as much as we do with our tatse buds. If my food looks good it tastes better in my opinion.

Yes, I do like to plate the food I am serving (most of the time). I cook solely for the enjoyment of it, and for me, part of that experience is plating the meal for my guests and for myself. BUT!- I have hosted a couple of dinners lately with groups of 8-10 where I let everyone fix their own. That was fun, too, to see what everyone chose, and how they arranged it for themselves. Interesting: some people just heaped the food on their plates not minding if the colors and flavors all intermingled, while a few were very particular to not let certain things even remotely touch on their plates.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Originally Posted by shipscook

you are so right! as some of you may know I am an old broad who has lived alone for over thirty years. granted, being a sailor and a camp cook a lot of that time has been away from home. but on the ships or in camp always picture the plates as to color and texture. we usually have two or three proteins, two starches and two veggies and a selection of salads and desserts.

At home meals are simple, and I shop often, but plan the plates.

I can not deal with paper napkins!!! and usually light a candle or four.

nice thread Cathy! ((hugs))
Nan

((Hugs)) to you Nan!

Golly we have missed you here lately, you must be working hard? How's everything healing? I hope you are pain free by now and almost like new again! By the way YOU ARE NOT an Old Broad, we have just reached our PRIME Nan And don't forget it! We're the "Prime Time Gals"

Love ya, Cathy

[The Ironic Chef]

I never plate food at home. I have serving plates and bowls. My family sits at the table and serves themselves. Of course when the kids were little their plates were fixed for them. It saves trips to the kitchen having the entire meal on the table.
It's nice to hear everyone requesting something to be passed to them while sitting there being part of the meal. Please pass the biscuits or the gravy or the chicken or mashed potatoes is good to hear and to see everyone enjoying the meal. If the plates were prepped in advance, it to me wouldn't be a family dinner.

[jglass]

I kept this thread in mind a few days ago when I was picking up some canned tomato products. Thank you for sharing it.

[chubbyalaskagriz]

RE: "It saves trips to the kitchen having the entire meal on the table."

Speaking of this... how many of you take your meals at table in an eat-in kitchen, versus a seperate dining room?

At my condo, my kitchen is eat-in and I have no seperate dining room. Many homes have a formal dining room unconnected, or out of view of the kitchen. I personally don't like a table right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen like I have now. But I think I do tend to prefer a dining table say- on the other side of a counter/bar or island, within view of the kitchen- just not smack dab in the center of all the appliances and the action. I think I like my guests to have some connection to what's going on in the kitchen, even if they themselves have no desire to be directly involved. Yet I don't want that dining table/chairs/sitting guests to necessarily be under-foot as I make my way 'round the stove, sink and fridge...

[cucinadinana]

Originally Posted by chubbyalaskagriz

RE: "It saves trips to the kitchen having the entire meal on the table."

Speaking of this... how many of you take your meals at table in an eat-in kitchen, versus a seperate dining room?

Hi Kev!
When it is just the two of us, we may sit down in the kitchen. We did last night, and then played a rousing game of rummy500 (I lost). Otherwise, with guests, we move to the dining room, which is just off the kitchen via a large arched doorway. Everyone can still see what is going on in the kitchen, and I still feel like I am part of the conversation in the dining room.

[jfain]

Originally Posted by chubbyalaskagriz

RE: "It saves trips to the kitchen having the entire meal on the table."

Speaking of this... how many of you take your meals at table in an eat-in kitchen, versus a seperate dining room?

At my condo, my kitchen is eat-in and I have no seperate dining room. Many homes have a formal dining room unconnected, or out of view of the kitchen. I personally don't like a table right smack dab in the middle of the kitchen like I have now. But I think I do tend to prefer a dining table say- on the other side of a counter/bar or island, within view of the kitchen- just not smack dab in the center of all the appliances and the action. I think I like my guests to have some connection to what's going on in the kitchen, even if they themselves have no desire to be directly involved. Yet I don't want that dining table/chairs/sitting guests to necessarily be under-foot as I make my way 'round the stove, sink and fridge...

We have ours set up exactly as you describe. The kitchen is for cooking at my house. We don't have a table there. We do have a bar which looks into the kitchen. This is where I eat my breakfast or lunch if I'm home alone. Then on the other side is the dining room where we always eat if it's my husband and I or guests. Our table sits 10 comfortably so we have some good parties.

Then in the summer we have a 6 person table on the deck. If the weather is good we would always rather eat outside.