I know, I know- you've worked all day, then came home and cooked a good dinner, when all you really felt like doing was opening a greasy sack of anything. Kudos for making the effort, but I beg you to try not to just plop it on a plate and ring the dinner bell. Putting a little bit of thought into plating a dish properly, even if you're just cooking for yourself, not only makes a dish look better, it will actually make it taste better.
Why? By incrementally increasing saliva in your mouth and on your tongue, which helps to distribute seasoning and flavors all over your taste buds, including those the food isn't actually in physical contact with, which increases the perception of flavor in your brain.
In these days of tight food budgets, a little bit of thought into plating can help you to get a "WOW!" out of simple ingredients, such as what I did with a simple pork chop and applesauce dinner, and after a while you get in the habit of considering how you're going to present a dish as you're doing your prep, which will help you to be more imaginative with your meals.
It's fun, rewarding, and it will make you a better cook.
I agree that plating makes a huge difference in the appeal of a meal. I very distinctly remember the first time I visited a restaurant that put as much thought into plating as they did the rest of the meal; it was gorgeous and added much to the experience.
One of the first things I learned in culinary school was that the first bite you take is always with your eyes. Thanks for stopping by, Sally.