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 Posted By: KYHeirloomer 
Aug 15  # 1 of 20
I was recently accused of running a restaurant instead of a home kitchen. Reason: The way I plate meals.

I plate individually, and try and make the plate as visually appealing as possible; by arrangement of the dishes, use of garnishes, etc. Although there are just the two of us, now, I did it that way when the kids lived at home. For me, food should be a feast for all the senses.

I know I'm in the minority on this. Most people don't bother being fancy except for holidays and special events. But I'm curious if you even plate, at all? Or do you serve family style---putting the serving dishes on the table, and everyone helps themself? Or something in the middle?

As part of that, do you serve in courses? Or does everything go out at one time?
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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
Aug 15  # 2 of 20
Old habits are hard to break in the home - even with my strong restaurant background! We serve family style - everything on the table most of the time. When I do plate - it's the Italian way - HOMESTYLE. Don't get me wrong - the food looks delicious - it is not slopped on - but it is not art on a plate - that is not allowed in our family. Garnishes??? The Italian men in my family would throw it across the room! You want parsley??? Cook with it! A piece of lettuce and a slice of tomato?? If it's not good enough to go into a salad then there must be something wrong with it and they'd throw it! AND THEY WOULD NEVER LET YOU LIVE IT DOWN - YOU HEARD IT TILL THE DAY YOU DIED (or they did!) That's the way they are. With the men in our family - family style is best - and if you plate - make sure you put enough on there - or you'll hear about that throughout eternity too! And the spoiled ones (which is most of them anyway) not only do they want you to plate - but they want the food still homestyle on the table - regardless of whether they go back for seconds or not. (I'm surprised they don't ask for us to eat it for them too!)
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 Posted By: Mama Mangia 
Aug 15  # 3 of 20
Oh - and by the way - you just gotta love the ones that sit at the table with their empty plate in front of them - everything on the table homestyle - and you have to fill their plates in front of them FIRST! The only exception to that - CHILDREN's plates come first - then the one who thinks he rules the roost. No wonder many Italian women are too pooped to enjoy a meal! Then they have to clean the hands and faces of the little ones, put away the food, push in the "kings" chair (the kids have more brains and push theirs in!) then start to clean the kitchen while he "digests".

Now you know why I would never marry an Italian man!
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 Posted By: KYHeirloomer 
Aug 15  # 4 of 20
When I grew up, all our Italian neighbors had two kitchens. Sauce was too messy to be made in the upstairs kitchen, and had to be made in the basement.

I wonder if it isn't a imigrant thing? All the great Italian chefs are men. Go figure.

But you're not alone. Most ethnic people---especially if they're first or second generation Americans---are pretty much the same. A woman's role is to take care of her children, first, her man, second, and then, if there's time and energy, herself.

The southern tradition is even worse. The women eat standing in the kitchen, the men eat at the table---with all their whims taken care of first. It's incredible to me, in today's world, how many young southern women still believe that's right and proper.
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 Posted By: KYHeirloomer 
Aug 15  # 5 of 20
Talk about a controversial topic; even some professional cooks object to garnishes. Why use something that nobody eats, is their feeling.

Well, yeah, if their idea of a garnish is to slap some parsley down, I agree. You know the old off-color joke that ends, "nobody eats parsley?"

Garnishes, in addition to prettying up the plate, should have some connection to the dish. And, of course, be edible.

A lot really depends on your talent, time, and, as you note, the inclinations of those you are feeding. In my case, I have plently of the first two, and the people I feed appreciate the effort. And I really enjoy the visual aspects of food prep. So for me, garnishes are a pleasure, not a chore.