Garnishes

Garnishes 1

Arrangements

Are we, those who appreciate beauty in nature and arts, shallow?

Mark Twain may have best defined the importance of clothing when he said, "Clothes make the man".
Chinese say the same thing about food. When Chinese talk about excellence in food, taste is actually the last of the three main qualities. Presentation is ranked first, followed by fragrance and then taste.

People can argue how shallow we human are that we place so much importance in the looks, but that's just what we are like, for whatever reasons, for good or bad. People say don't judge a book by its cover, but we all do, whether you know/admit it or not. Publishers pay a lot of attention (and money) to make good looking book-covers (from the layout of the pages, type style, to the physical size of the book) to attract buyers. They (good looking covers) sell books, from the seemingly unpretentious plain bold title on white (surprise, it is Designed (with a capital D) that way to attract a targeted audience), to gold leaf embellished leather-bound books. Even those die hard "I don't care about looks" T-shirt and jeans guys care. They just don't know it or want to admit it. I know guys who say they don't care about looks, but I have not yet met a guy with nothing but plain white T-shirts.

People can argue that food just goes in one end and comes out the other; they don't care how it looks. Really? I think for most of us, we would at least place our food in a somewhat orderly appealing fashion in the center of the plate.

Garnishes, from the simplest single sprig of parsley to the most elaborate decorated buffet with ice sculptures, carved carrot dragons and floral/veggie arrangements, all add something to the enjoyment of the food we eat - by setting a mood, by pleasing your guests with the effort/care you have put into the presentation for their pleasure, by making food look more appetizing and fun.

Radish Flowers	Mushrooms	Radish Flowers	Radish Ladybug
Slices	Large Radish Flower	Cucumber Curl	Lemon Twist
Pepper Flower	Zucchini Flower & Curl	Leek Flower & Rings	Green Onion Curls
Zucchini/Cucumber Lobster	Celery Flower	Zucchini/Cucumber Crab	Zucchini/Cucumber Fish
Diakon/Carrot Butterfly	Yam Butterfly	Carrot Twists	Acron Squash
Spanish Onion	Halloween Pumpkin	Watermelon Carving	Cantalope Swan