Chirashi Bowl

Chirashi bowl with salmon, daikon, avocado, cucumber, longan, dragon fruit, and rambutan.

Isn't that a lovely Chirashi Bowl? I'm quite please with how it turned out. I know it's "just food" and it doesn't have to look pretty so everyone. But I really like it when you can "eat with your eyes" first. I don't really style my pictures when I take them. As in food styling. I don't blanch vegetables, then arrange them in a bowl of stir fry. I don't cool my food, or photograph it cold, if there's steam, there's steam. Spritz with water? Nope. I am just not that talented. I simply photograph a plate or bowl that I'm feeding to someone around here. Then pass it on to them to eat. But I still like to arrange everyone's food so it's appealing. I can see how some people thing it's silly, but I love doing it. It's fun for me. I love seeing the kids light up when something looks pretty or fun. It's the beginning of our meal together, I enjoy it, so why not?

I wouldn't say that people only like pretty food, or food that's arrange a certain way on a plate. I just think that when food is presented a certain it has the potential to make you feel like it's something special. Or that you're in for a treat. I don't know, maybe that's me? I do know that if two plates were side by side like this Sashimi plate-

verses this Sashimi plate I did back in 2010

Same plate. Granted there's more food on the second plate since it was served family style, but it's crowded and bunched up on there so everything fit. The one above is more appealing to me. Like I said, it doesn't have to always be pretty. Nothing is pretty about Green bean casserole, scooped out of a pan with no styling, no pretty arrangement of fresh out of the fryer shoestring onions canned fried onions. I just don't think that's appealing, even if it's one of my favorite things to eat during the holidays. Every once in a while, I like those special touches though. I actually made that Chirashi bowl pictured for myself. Just one. I was home alone for lunch prepping for dinner. I was making primal/paleo pho "noodles" with Daikon radish. I had purchased extra along with some sushi quality salmon. So I made myself a little treat. Daikon "noodles" topped with salmon, cucumber, avocado, longan, rambutan, dragon fruit, and a wasabi "leaf". I felt like I was at a sushi bar :) didn't even have to tip anyone.
What do you think? Do we eat with our eyes first? Does it  matter?