KY - you didn't get my point - and I have run plenty of restaurants in my day - and I come from a long line of chefs, bakers, pastry chefs, cooks, etc. Our family has been in the food business throughout eternity - all phases of it - including owning everything from fine dining to delis. And NO ONE spends 15 minutes on one plate for presentation. Spend 15 minutes on each plate for a table of 8 - I don't think so. Dishes can look quite appealing in much less time.

You're right, Mama, I did miss your point.

Still and all, I don't think Goodshyqtgurl is talking about that much time per plate, but, rather, spending ten minutes extra on the entire meal.

And my guess is, if she actually timed it she's not spending near that amount of time on plating.

Here's an example of different styles plating the same meal. The key word here is "style." It's never a right/wrong thing. Just how you and the people you feed are oriented.

We're going to assume a meal consisting of broiled lamb chops; butternut puree, and roast asparagus.

My mother would have plated this in three piles. A couple or three chops laying flat in one place; a scoop of puree to one side; the asparagus to the other side.

I, on the other hand, am more likely to create a conical pile of the puree, centered on the plate, and sprinkle it with shallot chips. The chops would be stood upright against the puree, equally spaced around it. The aspargus would surround this "mountain," forming a diamond pattern, with the heads of each leg overlapping (and hiding) the stem ends of the next.

The difference in plating time betweenn me and Mom? I dunno; 30-45 seconds, maybe? Certainly no more than a minute. And is it really extra time if I do the puree and asparagus while the chops rest?

Or, here's a real-life example. Yesterday I made Ana Sortun's incredible "Ladies Thighs in Red Pepper Broth With Peas." Basically, these are lamb balls, using Turkish flavorings in both the meat and the broth.

I could have merely made round lamb balls. But, instead, took the time to shape them into "thighs." And when I plated, instead of just tossing them in a bowl with the broth, I arranged them in a trefoil design, and carefully poured the broth over and around them.

Mom would never have thought to take the extra step of shaping the meat. And, for gosh sake, spend extra time plating what amounts to being a soup with meatballs? No way. She'd have added the lamb balls to the pot of broth, and what the ladle brought up is what went in the bowl.

Like I say, merely a difference in style. The food would have tasted the same.

KY - don't get me wrong - foods can be arranged quite attractively on plates - and I think we both agree on that. That is something I can do with some family members - but not with others. Those old Italian men want it one way and that is it! No changing. I could just picture Uncle Frank being served your mom's way and accepting it. But if she were to plate it your way - he would throw it across the kitchen! And he would complain about it all day, every day until he died or you died! It's quite unfortunate that these men do not agree with art on a plate. And the kids in the family prefer everything separated - some of them - do not want any of it touching on the plate! (For that reason I have separated dishes for them - they cost more and I had to order them from the china company - but at least their food doesn't touch!)

When they want their meatballs in one spot on the dish - you do it. They are spoiled and that is it. No change. I often wonder if it is just another way they have of abusing everyone!

I don't take a whole lot of time plating dinner up nicely. It's just hubby and myself (and a toddler, but his plate is his highchair tray) and it tends to be more family/homestyle type service around here. It doesn't have to be pretty to taste good. And garnish - not in this house!

There are always 6 for dinner - 2 of them very tall teen boys - and often there are 10 or so if the other kids or their friends are here. Lot's of time, I don't get much advance notice so I tend to make extra for every meal. I do plate in the kitchen and then everyone takes their plates to the dining table. Mostly I do this so that everyone gets at least one full serving of everything. Everything remaining is left on the work table after plating and all are welcome to return to the kitchen for seconds when they are ready. Also, the 5 year old is rather messy with serving utensils but if everyone is serving themselves at the table, he insists on it, too.

I try to make the plates attractive by choosing colorful dishes to go together. I often serve some fruit (canned or fresh) as a last minute addition to make the plate more appealing. But I don't know much about garnishing so I don't do that.

It's funny mama, I also indulge the ones that don't want their food touching. My feeling is that what one eats and how they enjoy it is up to them and none of my business. If touching food bugs them, I'm happy to oblige. If they don't care for most of the foods served, no problem. I never make anyone eat anything they don't want to and if they tell me ahead of time they don't like something, I don't put it on their plate. But I only prepare one meal. I try to make sure there is at least one thing I know everyone likes, but if someone doesn't care for most of it, I'm not offended if they make a p-nut butter sandwich or a bowl of soup or whatever they want to make. It seems to work for my family and no one has developed an eating disorder or a serious weight problem or malnutrition. (Maybe I feel strongly about this because I was a picky eater as a child and my parents felt I should eat everything served. They were well meaning, but I just couldn't do it. Meal times were awful and I dreaded them. So in 35 years, I've never made anyone eat anything ever.)