Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
What have you done for presentation?

I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
like it, and decoration.

I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
that presentation should never outdo the food.

On May 19, 1:15*pm, (z z) wrote:
> Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
> Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
> something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> What have you done for presentation?
>
> I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
> print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
> like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
> the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
> like it, and decoration.
>
> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.

You're just ***.

"z z" > wrote in message
...
> Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
> Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
> something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> What have you done for presentation?
>
> I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
> print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
> like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
> the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
> like it, and decoration.
>
> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.
>

you should change your byline from z z to zzzzz

On 2012-05-19 20:15:13 +0000, z z said:

> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.

I like to get a bag of those Christmas bows, you know the ones that
have some tape on them; you peel off the cover and then plunk them on a
box? I like to put those on a pork chop, piece of baked Haddock or
slice of meatloaf. Sure, you have to take them off before eating, but
they're so festive.

I found a bag of plastic cocktail swords, with the little handles. I
stabbed them into everything on the plate. It makes it mysterious!
Hey, who stabbed my asparagus spears. Who impaled my meatball in five
places? It was me!

I like to use a Sharpie to write messages on paper plates like,
"Beware!" or "You will inherit some money!" and stuff. Then load it up
with mashed potatoes, peas and a turkey leg and, when you eat through
the food--there's the message. It's a surprise! It makes the food
taste bad but that's show business.

On May 19, 2:02*pm, gtr > wrote:
> On 2012-05-19 20:15:13 +0000, z z said:
>
> > I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> > just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> > curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> > fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> > that presentation should never outdo the food.
>
> I like to get a bag of those Christmas bows, you know the ones that
> have some tape on them; you peel off the cover and then plunk them on a
> box? I like to put those on a pork chop, piece of baked Haddock or
> slice of meatloaf. *Sure, you have to take them off before eating, but
> they're so festive.
>
> I found a bag of plastic cocktail swords, with the little handles. *I
> stabbed them into everything on the plate. It makes it mysterious!
> Hey, who stabbed my asparagus spears. Who impaled my meatball in five
> places? *It was me!
>
> I like to use a Sharpie to write messages on paper plates like,
> "Beware!" or "You will inherit some money!" and stuff. *Then load it up
> with mashed potatoes, peas and a turkey leg and, when you eat through
> the food--there's the message. *It's a surprise! It makes the food
> taste bad but that's show business.

Great minds think alike.....

> I like to use a Sharpie to write messages on paper plates like,
> "Beware!" or "You will inherit some money!" and stuff. Then load it up
> with mashed potatoes, peas and a turkey leg and, when you eat through the
> food--there's the message. It's a surprise! It makes the food taste bad
> but that's show business.


the best surprise is when you write "I poisoned your food!"

On May 19, 4:15*pm, (z z) wrote:
> Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
> Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
> something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> What have you done for presentation?
>
> I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
> print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
> like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
> the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
> like it, and decoration.
>
> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.

if i had a $200 per plate restaurant i wouldn't worry about
presentation
i'd make sure that the customer could choose his/her live wild snails
rather than worry about how t f it looks on a plate
since almost everything i make turns into hungarian gulyas eventually,
i'd make sure that i used rare albino wildebeest in the dish and not
worry about presentation food is food if you wish to be on a jerk
cooking show then by all means get your presentation down pat if you
want to serve food then serve food.

On 2012-05-19 21:34:50 +0000, Pico Rico said:

>>
>> I like to use a Sharpie to write messages on paper plates like,
>> "Beware!" or "You will inherit some money!" and stuff. Then load it up
>> with mashed potatoes, peas and a turkey leg and, when you eat through
>> the food--there's the message. It's a surprise! It makes the food
>> taste bad but that's show business.
>
> the best surprise is when you write "I poisoned your food!"

That is one of my favorites. Another is "I'm watching you!" But for
these I like to use them as frisbies and sail them into other people's
backyards. Again--it makes it mysterious!

I disagree. And no worry about being disagreeable in this mob.
Presentation does matter. Serving food on a warm or chilled plate instead
of a flimsy throw away does certainly say, "you're not worth bothering
with". IF I did those silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would think I'd
really gone quite mad. Maybe I'm *** too. DH and I have been having same
sex for nearly 60 years. Polly

LOL, you made my day, Lee
"Polly Esther" > wrote in message
...
>I disagree. And no worry about being disagreeable in this mob.
>Presentation does matter. Serving food on a warm or chilled plate instead
>of a flimsy throw away does certainly say, "you're not worth bothering
>with". IF I did those silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
>something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would think
>I'd really gone quite mad. Maybe I'm *** too. DH and I have been having
>same sex for nearly 60 years. Polly

On May 19, 3:54*pm, "Pico Rico" > wrote:
>
> "z z" > wrote in message
>

> you should change your byline from z z to zzzzz
>
>
I agree, but it should be zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

But Polly had me really laughing out loud with her "IF I did those
silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would
think I'd
really gone quite mad. Maybe I'm *** too. DH and I have been having
same
sex for nearly 60 years."

Too, too funny!!

On 2012-05-20 03:17:49 +0000, Polly Esther said:

> I disagree. And no worry about being disagreeable in this mob.
> Presentation does matter.

I agree. I was being silly, but presentation does matter. It matters a lot.

> Serving food on a warm or chilled plate instead of a flimsy throw away
> does certainly say, "you're not worth bothering with".

It does? I thought the throw-away plates pretty much said, I don't
want to see you again tonight.

> IF I did those silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
> something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would
> think I'd really gone quite mad.

Attempts at individuality and creativity are frequently mocked by those
closest to us. Especially if we really are crazy.

> Maybe I'm *** too.

If so, that's okay, there's still a place for you. It's over there in
that rickety chair.

> DH and I have been having same sex for nearly 60 years.

In that case you can't have the rickety chair after all. You have to
sit on the footstool.

"z z" > wrote in message
...
> Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
> Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
> something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> What have you done for presentation?
>
> I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
> print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
> like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
> the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
> like it, and decoration.

When I got my first set of Corelle, I immediately noticed that I disliked
the look of the food on it. The plates themselves were white but they had a
pastel pattern of flowers that covered all by the edge of the plate. I
realize now that I prefer a plainer pattern. My current Corelle is white
with tiny blue flowers around the edge. Just prior it was beige with blue
and a tiny bit of orange around the ede.

I also find that the color of the plate affects me as well. Black plates
are fine for little appetizers and smaller fancier dishes but I'm not sure
I'd want to eat a whole meal on a black plate. I'm not sure that I ever did
do that but it just doesn't sound appealing.

There was a Mexican restaurant on Cape Cod that served their food on HUGE
round white plates and then they did a liberal sprinkling of something green
and chopped around the edges of the plate. I always assumed it was parsley.
It also appeared to be dried. But in retrospect it may have been cilantro.

I was watching some cooking show recently and a female chef recoiled in
horror when someone did this to a plate. Now I can't remember which show I
was watching. I just remember that it was a competition and it was a female
chef who said she hated it when that was done. I actually kind of liked it
even though I didn't actually eat the stuff on the edges of the plate.

I used to like it when we'd get a piece of curly parsley on the plate. I
haven't seen that in years! But I love the taste of fresh parsley and I'd
always eat mine. I guess most people didn't though.

When we lived in CA it was the norm to put a piece of purple kale on the
plate. My daughter thought it was pretty and always snatched it all up and
ate it. Haven't seen that for a while either.

Tonight my plate had a piece of lettuce on the plate with a thin slice of
orange that had been slit to the center and then twisted. I could have done
without that.

There is a chain here called Bob's Burger and Brew. Or something like that.
If you order a side of fries or Jo Jo's they will serve them on a bed of
lettuce. Seriously! I can't imagine why. I always forget to tell them not
to put the lettuce on there so I have to yank it all off right away. I can
see how it might serve a purpose in maybe absorbing some grease from the
potatoes but... It immediately turns soggy. And then when it is soggy it
just makes the potatoes soggy. So no good!

When I was a kid, radish roses were big. They were often used as a garnish
by home cooks. So were carrot curls and celery fans. I used to make those
things.

These days I don't garnish much at all. I will put paprika on deviled eggs.
Also on stuffed potatoes and I will also put some chopped chives or green
onion on there as well. I like cheese and chopped onion on top of chili.

When I made those potatoes for Easter, I did use a couple of sprigs of
Rosemary on top. It looked nice.

I will serve cold stuffed cherry tomatoes on a bed of curly parsley only
because it helps keep them from rolling around.

I have used small heads of various greens to form cups to hold olives or
pickles on a raw veggie platter.
>
> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.

Agreed. And the food needs to be easy to get at.

wrote:
> On May 19, 3:54 pm, "Pico Rico" > wrote:
>>
>> "z z" > wrote in message
>>
>
>> you should change your byline from z z to zzzzz
>>
>>
> I agree, but it should be zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
>
> But Polly had me really laughing out loud with her "IF I did those
> silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
> something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would
> think I'd
> really gone quite mad. Maybe I'm *** too. DH and I have been having
> same
> sex for nearly 60 years."
>
> Too, too funny!!

My family would never go for the sauce. They mainly like things pretty
plain.

gtr wrote:
> On 2012-05-19 20:15:13 +0000, z z said:
>
>> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
>> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long
>> thin curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled
>> them to fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and
>> learned that presentation should never outdo the food.
>
> I like to get a bag of those Christmas bows, you know the ones that
> have some tape on them; you peel off the cover and then plunk them on
> a box? I like to put those on a pork chop, piece of baked Haddock or
> slice of meatloaf. Sure, you have to take them off before eating, but
> they're so festive.
>
> I found a bag of plastic cocktail swords, with the little handles. I
> stabbed them into everything on the plate. It makes it mysterious!
> Hey, who stabbed my asparagus spears. Who impaled my meatball in five
> places? It was me!
>
> I like to use a Sharpie to write messages on paper plates like,
> "Beware!" or "You will inherit some money!" and stuff. Then load it
> up with mashed potatoes, peas and a turkey leg and, when you eat
> through the food--there's the message. It's a surprise! It makes the
> food taste bad but that's show business.

Heh! We do like to do stuff to my husband's food once in a while. I found
some football paper plates on clearance somewhere. We would make a sandwich
for him, put it on that plate and then stab it with some little picks that
we got that are footballs and goalposts. We also have the Hawaain Luau
picks and of course the little frilly ones. Then there are some little
plastic spears that we like to put on a cheese platter. I also look for
seasonal paper plates. I know some people have sets of China for any
occasion but we like to do it the cheap way!

On Sat, 19 May 2012 21:32:02 -0700 (PDT), "
> wrote:

>On May 19, 3:54*pm, "Pico Rico" > wrote:
>>
>> "z z" > wrote in message
>>
>
>> you should change your byline from z z to zzzzz
>>
>>
>I agree, but it should be zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
>
>But Polly had me really laughing out loud with her "IF I did those
>silly little zigzag squirts of sauce or puddles of
>something unidentifiable around the dish, family and friends would
>think I'd
>really gone quite mad. Maybe I'm *** too. DH and I have been having
>same
>sex for nearly 60 years."

Please describe which same position... must be wonderful... thank you
for sharing.

Corelle has an outlet mall store near me-wonderful shopping in there.
I've seen your pattern there. I have a hard time today lifting heavy
casserole dishes and really like their lightweight bakeware.

Forgot one more-saw this in a magazine. I make a little bit extra pie
dough and used my poinsettia cookie cutter to cut 3 pieces of dough to
decorate the top of a pie at Thanksgiving. Looked really good.

Civilized discourse. What's that phrase ?joi de vrie? (I know I murdered
the spelling.)

Polly Esther wrote:

> Serving food on a warm or chilled plate instead of a flimsy throw away
> does certainly say, "you're not worth bothering with".

That sounds backward.

In article >, angie-
says...

> Civilized discourse. What's that phrase ?joi de vrie? (I know I murdered
> the spelling.)

Hey, when you spell it OR translate it right, it's perfectly OK just to
write in English.

Janet.

On Sun, 20 May 2012 11:28:07 -0500, (z z) wrote:

> Corelle has an outlet mall store near me-wonderful shopping in there.
> I've seen your pattern there. I have a hard time today lifting heavy
> casserole dishes and really like their lightweight bakeware.
>
> Forgot one more-saw this in a magazine. I make a little bit extra pie
> dough and used my poinsettia cookie cutter to cut 3 pieces of dough to
> decorate the top of a pie at Thanksgiving. Looked really good.
>
> Civilized discourse. What's that phrase ?joi de vrie? (I know I murdered
> the spelling.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joie_de_vivre

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

In article >, angie-
says...

> Civilized discourse. What's that phrase ?joi de vrie? (I know I murdered
> the spelling.)

"Joie de vivre" translates literally to "joy [of/in] life" and means
enthusiastic spirit as you might expect. I can't think of a French
expression for "Civilized discourse".

"George M. Middius" > wrote in message
...
> Polly Esther wrote:
>
>> Serving food on a warm or chilled plate instead of a flimsy throw away
>> does certainly say, "you're not worth bothering with".
>
> That sounds backward.
>
Yes. You're right, George. My fingers were typing instead of thinking; hope
it doesn't happen often. Polly

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> "z z" > wrote:
>
>> You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
>> What have you done for presentation?
>
> Take off all my clothes except a silk tie and lather myself up with
> Cool Whip.
>
> -sw

Let us know how that works out for you. Polly

z z wrote:
> Presentation is an art form separate from the quality of your cooking.
> Watching cooking shows, you will often see them tucking a sprig of
> something for presentation. You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> What have you done for presentation?
>
> I like my crisply white Corelle dishware-there is something about
> print/pattern/colored dishware that just throws off the food for me. I
> like to take large grain black pepper and sprinkle quite a bit around
> the food on the plate. Serves two purposes-extra pepper for those who
> like it, and decoration.
>
> I have one of those 3 tier graduated trays. Once (for someone who had
> just married) I filled it with frosted cupcakes and then took long thin
> curling ribbons, tied them to the top center point, and curled them to
> fall down the sides. However, I skimped on the cupcakes, and learned
> that presentation should never outdo the food.
>
When eating by myself, I am apt to use that Corelle, but that is
partially because I love my Arabia (dark brown verging into black;
I got the blackest pieces I could find). I think about getting
other solid colors and glass for that possibly mythical day when I
start photographing food. I learned the lesson of decorated
plates when I was a kid. My mother got a set of dishes with
leaves and things painted on them. We nicknamed them "the poison
ivy plates". Things just don't great on such things, unless you
plan your meal around how the dishes look.

So, in addition to the aforementioned, I have my mom's (later)
very fine white china, some glass, some off-white pieces made by a
craftsperson. Some black on black speckled items. I like very
simple dishes.

--
Jean B.

gtr wrote:

> > Civilized discourse. What's that phrase ?joi de vrie? (I know I murdered
> > the spelling.)
>
> "Joie de vivre" translates literally to "joy [of/in] life" and means
> enthusiastic spirit as you might expect. I can't think of a French
> expression for "Civilized discourse".

Joie de vivre is traditionally translated as "zest for life". That
other one... How about "discours a la bonne societe".

On Sunday, May 20, 2012 12:41:45 PM UTC-6, Sqwertz wrote:
> "z z" > wrote:
>
> > You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
> > What have you done for presentation?
>
> Take off all my clothes except a silk tie and lather myself up with
> Cool Whip.
>
> -sw

I have no doubts that you do just that.
==

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 20 May 2012 14:30:58 -0500, Polly Esther wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> "z z" > wrote:
>>>
>>>> You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
>>>> What have you done for presentation?
>>> Take off all my clothes except a silk tie and lather myself up with
>>> Cool Whip.
>> Let us know how that works out for you. Polly
>
> The question was "What have you DONE for presentation?". Cool Whip is
> incredibly cheap. And I have pictures to prove it, of course!
>
> -sw

Which we don't need to see. Cool Whip? Yuck.

--
Jean B.

Cool Whip is better if you buy the Extra Creamy version. Speaking of
presentation... I have this baked pie I make in a springform pan-the pie
crust is run up the sides so that the layers are hidden, then revealed
serving a slice. Crust, black walnuts, vanilla cheesecake (I dont like
raisins so I leave them out), pumpkin pie, baked and cooled, then Cool
Whip covering the top. I use the back of a spoon to lift the Cool Whip
into peaks all over and then lightly sprinkle with black walnut dust.
Divine dessert and ever so pretty when served.

>But Polly had me really laughing out loud >>
Happy to send a laugh, Joan. We have a Canadian friend who is recovering
from a terrible accident. He spends a lot of his time finding and forwarding
whatever he finds on the net that strikes him as funny. I was just passing
some of it on. Polly

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Mon, 21 May 2012 00:08:10 -0400, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Sun, 20 May 2012 14:30:58 -0500, Polly Esther wrote:
>>>
>>>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>>>> ...
>>>>> "z z" > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> You can tell who has talent and who doesn't.
>>>>>> What have you done for presentation?
>>>>> Take off all my clothes except a silk tie and lather myself up with
>>>>> Cool Whip.
>>>> Let us know how that works out for you. Polly
>>> The question was "What have you DONE for presentation?". Cool Whip is
>>> incredibly cheap. And I have pictures to prove it, of course!
>> Which we don't need to see. Cool Whip? Yuck.
>
> I'm sure there's more than a few ladies (and probably Sheldon)
> thinking, "Speak for yourself, honey!".
>
> -sw (OK, I'm done here. Nothing more to see!)

LOL!

--
Jean B.