Thanksgiving, Plated, photos and centerpiece

After watching Sunday Morning on CBS TV today, where 

in an essay Faith Salie said she does not approve of all the 

photos of food. She complained that people with their smart 

phones were photographing their plates of food while it got cold.

As a rebuttal I thought the contest we had at our 

Thanksgiving dinner would describe an alternate idea.

We had heard during a previous Sunday Morning show that

vertical food was now out and the natural plated look was in.

We disagreed so decided to have a plating contest 

with voting and a prize winner.

Alan described his plate, above, as a landscape with 

the dressing at the bottom as earth.

 

 Alexandra used the shredded beets against the mashed 

potatoes to spell out a W for the Washington Nationals.

She took longer than anyone else to plate  her design

and I think it was harder to produce.

 Caroline created a turkey using a roll for its head 

and the vegetables and dressing as the big tail feathers.

 Julia's was almost symmetric with dots of gravy to 

balance her food radiating from the sun center.

 After all the votes were in Vicky's was the prize winner 

with another version of a turkey surrounded by Brussell sprouts. 

Not everyone photographed their plates but all voted.

 Since I think the centerpiece is as important as the food 

served my idea for a purple and yellow design came

from an embroidery I had been working on.

Clark found yellow and purple potatoes, yellow squash, 

and purple cabbage and onions. I found the purple kale and the 

flowers to complete the centerpiece.

When I see a beautifully plated meal,

often in a Japanese restaurant, I still want to photograph it.