Commentary - Presentation

Our minds are amazing. We can imagine things that would propel us to outer space and we can also imaging that we are eating apples while ingesting roaches, beetles and worms, just look at any episode of Fear Factor!

That is why it is important to consider food presentation. To our brains ugly food means ugly taste. Lets face it many of us eat some disgusting things, but if we have already told ourselves we will like it, the hard work is behind us.

One thing that I have learned from working in restaurants and also owning them myself is that if the food doesn’t look good on the plate, it won’t be eaten. You may have noticed (or may notice after reading this article) that when food is served in a restaurant it is placed in zones of the plate that resemble zones of the clock. Vegetables at 2 or 3, starches at 9 or 10 and the entrée should be facing you at 6.

In years of late, thing have been turned upside down in the world of haute cuisine. Food is often stacked on the plate in layers and glazed or drizzled with sauces. Nouvelle cuisine has seen portion sizes decrease, while this may be a good thing in a society that is overindulgent, simple practices of dining have changed.

There is a simple point behind my writing this article; you should try your best to make the food you serve look the best it possibly can. If you are having a dinner party, I would recommend serving the food buffet style, allowing your guests to serve themselves. When we serve ourselves our brains do not use the same process in determining how tasteful or un-tasteful the food looks.