Life in Style 101: The Perfect White Plate
Meet our number one beautiful basic, The Perfect White Plate. It's hard not to obsess over the glorious patterned numbers that come out of china factories. We're particularly partial to blue and white year-round, gold and green for spring, ruby accents for the holidays, but day-in, day-out, the perfect white plate does something for our tables, and maybe even our souls, that no other plate can do.
Think of it as the Little Black Dress of your tabletop arsenal (dare we dub it the PWP?).
But what's up with the white plate, really?
We mark part of it up to tradition: Our mothers had it, our grandmothers had it, and when it comes to homemaking, tradition matters. Dancing to the beat of your own drum is all well and good, but sometimes the best way to make home feel like home is to embrace the standards. But when it comes to the PWP, there's something even cooler going on, and this is it.
Yes, food actually does taste better on white plates. There's a reason chefs are all about it. This isn't to say that colored plates don't have their place (they do -- not only are they fun and gorgeous, but with some good color-coordinating, you can highlight your food even more), but they are a no-brainer for good food presentation, and as our dear friend at a local market says regularly, you eat with your eyes.
1. White plates focus the eye on the food. This on is all about the simplicity. There's nothing to distract, confuse, or steal the show -- whether you spent 5 minutes or 5 hours making dinner, this plate will draw your diner's attention straight to the main show.
2. White plates enhance flavor in the food. No, they aren't literally laced with a magic flavor-enhancing powder. This is all about perception. Researchers in Britain found that chefs reach for the white plate time after time because diners who ate off them generally had a more flavor-packed experience. This is especially true for desserts, apparently.
3. They also stimulate appetite. In a good way. This is related to the two above points. Because of the way white plates make your eye perceive food, they also coax you to eat well and enjoy. What else could you want, from everyday dinner to a celebratory dinner party?
4. White has good vibes. Seriously snazzy vibes -- diners associate it with cleanliness, simplicity, and purity. Basically, these guys are your zen master. Throw some home cooking on one of these simple slates and you're bound to strike a good chord.
4. Forget science. They look gorgeous. Even without food on them. There's nothing more fun to work with when you're creating a table than a blank slate. Think of the PWP as your canvas -- you can paint it with salad and dessert settings, a lovely floral centerpiece, or whatever you fancy.
A few of our favorites? Berry and Thread in white porcelain from Juliska, the classic L-15 from Bernadaud, Louvre from Bernadaud, and Nexos from Bernadaud.