Published: by Arlo Grady |
permalink When it comes to serving food, presentation may not be everything — there's taste to consider, after all — but studies have shown it can have a surprisingly big impact on how the foods we prepare are perceived. When we cook and plate to please the eye, as it happens, we also please the palete. This week's news that Red Lobster, in order "to be seen as a purveyor of quality seafood," would stack food "higher on plates, as is the style at fancier restaurants," as the Associated Press put it, brings that point home. Whether arranging the same food — fish, rice and vegetables — vertically, rather than spread out on the plate, will boost the seafood chain's bottom line remains to be seen. Still, you may find in it the impetus to experiment with your own meal presentation. Here are a few tips: Choose the Right Canvas: Colorful plates can be fun, and your grandma's gilded wedding china makes a meal an occasion (at least until someone breaks something), but research has shown that simple roun