Cooking With Light

February 15th, 2007 by Jeff in General Cooking

Many professional chefs will tell you that presentation will not only enhance your recipe, but even hide tiny imperfections.  Many of us think that this just means that we have to use great looking dish-ware along with creative plating and garnishing.

Well, there is much more to it than that.  Think of the most delicous, satisfying dish that you have ever had, and then picture yourself eating it camping tent on a rainy day and you will start to understand that the environment that you had the meal in also contributes to your overall satisfaction.



One of the major things you can do to affect your dining environment is the lighting of your dining area.  This can change depending on the theme of your dinner.

From my personal experience files, I will submit two examples.

Every Easter the family and I visit my family in upstate New York.  Both sides of my family live in the area and our first stop is at my maternal Aunts house.  It is a rather large event where as many as 50 people show up from our family to my aunts in-laws.  Most of my extended family on this side attends and we are seated in my aunts kitchen.    My Aunts kitchen is vibrantly colored and is very bright especially on a sunny day as the room has many windows.

The lighting in this place instantly makes you think of winters ending, and the beginning of spring.  How great is such ambiance during an Easter dinner?  It is a perfect setting for that meal.  My aunts wonderful cooking would not taste the same to me if we sat in a dark room with the shades pulled and shadows in every corner.

During Thanksgiving, we make the same trip and we spend the holiday at my paternal Aunts.  This too is a pretty big function and the lighting is much different.  The area is warmly lit with soft colors and darker walls.  We generally do not start eating until it is dark outside.  The fireplace is roaring with pots full of fresh popcorn all brought together by that feeling that change has arrived, evident by the leaves outside falling to the ground.  Imagine this dinner with bright lights?  It would not be the same.

These are just some examples on how lighting sets the mood and the scene at dinner.   Lighting plays a key role in presentation and therefore the overall enjoyment of your dishes.

Give it some thought before your next dinner party.  What is the theme?  Note the lighting of your home at different times of the day.  If you want a bright cheery atmosphere, perhaps a time when the sunlight has completely enveloped your dining area would be the best time to serve.  If your looking for a more serene and calming atmosphere, perhaps night time would be better with some candle light assisting a lower room level of brightness.

Consider the type of light bulbs you are using.  Sure, those energy saving fluorescent lights are great on saving energy, but is that plain white light what you want by the dinner table when serving guests?  Have other bulbs ready to use for different lighting conditions.

With some trial and error on days when you are not having a party, you can figure out what the best conditions are for given events.



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