How do you eat?
Literally. Figuratively. Forks and knieves but also noses and eyes.
“What are you going to do with these?” I asked Suzen. I was holding some very fresh and fragrant plums.
“Put them in the bowl,” she said.
“You want honey? Cheese? You want me to slice them up?”
“Put them in the bowl. Just them. We are eating just them.”
When the plums were cradled in the bowl, and I could see the effect, then I understood. Our first “taste” of a dish is usually a smell or a sight. Here Suzen was going for ultimate simplicity: pure plum and only plum. The sun-fed, red plums were invitingly nestled in a quite dramatic blue bowl. The visual effect was simply striking.
And striking is what good food is all about. Striking taste is something we always seek. But a striking visual presence can be equally important. In this case, Suzen has organized a powerful invitation to eat. Our dinner guests did just that. The plums disappeared long before the cheese and crackers.
The point here is that your appetizers can be elaborate concoctions, taking as much time as the main course. Or, equally, they can be simple but seductive. Using color is an easy and often inventive way to entice your guests to a dish.