Monday, May 4, 2020

Around the Kitchen Table, Do you eat with your eyes? + books #giveaway




Don't miss the books GIVEAWAY below!  
Leave a comment.

LINDA: It's been said that we eat with our eyes. Is that true of you? What about all our other senses that we use when preparing a meal? Maybe smell is more important or what about taste? I know, they are all of importance when dining but what is the first one that makes you choose a particular dish to try?

I have to go with the saying - the eyes have it! My sense of smell is not great and I recently read about a professional chef who had lost her sense of smell. That's much more critical for someone in that position but she learned to make adjustments for the loss. Taste comes in a close second for me. But like choosing a book from the shelves, the cover has got to grab me. Then it's a sampling from the pages. I love looking at food - in cookbooks, as my Dinner Club protagonist does - on Instagram, with the daily posting on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.


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DARYL: I have to admit that I, too, love a beautiful meal. Although aroma might be more important to me. I haven't lost my sense of smell, and I can eat anything that smells good with my eyes closed. I love the aroma of cinnamon or chocolate. I love the salty sizzling aroma of a good steak. And the heavenly scent of caramel? Oh, my! It had me at hello. I'm swooning. So, no, my "eyes" don't really make me eat. However, I do agree with you, Linda, regarding a book cover. I love beautiful book covers.  This is image is from my Fairy Garden Mysteries.  Caramel cashew brownies.

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LESLIE B: An interesting question for many reasons, one of which is the evolutionary connection of taste and smell. They are linked in the brain, suggesting that they evolved at about the same time---also at the same time as memory, which is why smell is so tied with memory. You know the experience---we've all had it---of encountering a smell and before we consciously realize what we've smelled, say a particular cologne an old boyfriend wore, we find ourselves thinking of him and wondering why. Or when we smell a particular food and are instantly transported to a previous experience of it, especially if it's there's a strong cultural link, like turkey and Thanksgiving, or popcorn and movies.

That said, a beautiful plate of food is, well, beautiful. All the colors, the shapes, the arrangement, the sauce properly drizzled and stray bits wiped up in what a young friend who worked in a local restaurant calls "border patrol." It's an experience for all the senses. Bring it on!


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LESLIE K: All five senses play a vital part in food and cooking, and yes, the presentation of the meal is what hits your first: a perfectly-seared rib-eye atop a bed of baby greens with shaved fennel and blood orange slices, next to a mound of golden-brown pan-fried potatoes. But next comes that delectable aroma of garlic butter wafting up to your nose; and then the mouth-feel as you chew a slice of the marbled steak, and that satisfying crunch you hear as you bite down on a crispy potato.

But for me, ultimately, it’s taste that counts the most. That steak had better be flavorful, and the oranges a good balance of sweet and tart. For after all, if it doesn’t taste good, even if all the other senses are piqued by the dish, would you really want to order it again at a restaurant, no matter how pretty it looked?



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MADDIE: Looks sure help! We've all made off-the-cuff (well, maybe you haven't, but I have) dishes that tasted fabulous, but the appearance wouldn't have made anybody smile and want to dig a fork in. I think smell must be second most important to taste and is tightly linked. Fresh bread baking? You know it's going to taste good. Here are a couple of sourdough loaves I baked last week.



PEG: For me, it's smell.  If I'm out walking and someone is on their patio grilling a steak and the smell wafts my way, I immediately want a steak!  The same with the smell of popcorn at the movies although I always find the actual taste disappointing--nothing like freshly popped popcorn at home!  I think visual presentation is important and can be alluring but I don't care for food that looks too "fingered" as Julia Child once said!

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LUCY BURDETTE: When you mentioned eyes, Linda, I thought about what I read on a menu--because that's our first introduction to what a restaurant has to offer. And I'm often suckered in by the descriptions of the sides that come with a meat or fish, and that's how I choose. So I'd say yes to the eyes!
Lemon turmeric cake, recipe coming this week!
KRISTA: Pretty food is definitely alluring. But hasn't everyone bitten into something that looked so enticing and was nearly inedible? And what about bacon? I think we're going to have to admit that it's just not that pretty. But the flavor! Oh my! There's nothing like walking into a bakery and wanting one of everything because it all looks so good. And I'm like Peg, the smell of steak on a grill is amazing. But in the end, the taste is the ultimate test for me.

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MAYA: The taste is what matters most to me too, and ugly things can taste really good. My parents had an apple tree that produced greenish-brown apples. When I brought them to school for lunch, my friends thought I was crazy to eat them. But they had a sweet-tart taste that was better than any shiny red apple I've ever tried. Here's another example:


When I saw these shriveled things on the supermarket discount shelves, where produce past its prime is sold for next-to-nothing, I was horrified that the store was trying to make money on avocados that would be brown inside. But I looked closer, sniffed, and realized they were ripe passion fruit--which you are supposed to eat when it's wrinkly. So I grabbed them all--26 of them for 78 cents in a store that usually sells passion fruit for $2.99 each A few were overripe, but still tasted good, and the rest were great.

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CLEO COYLE: Fun topic, Linda! Taste is important, absolutely, and don’t we all love rustic, homemade fare? I think if you’re talking about home cooking, most of us are happy with rough & ready meals, especially when they’re made with love (and taste great). On the other hand, unappetizing food is a hard sell for customers if you're in the food business, where success usually depends on preparing food professionally with an attitude of wanting to give your customers the very best, not only in taste and smell but also presentation. I grew up hearing the Italian proverb “The eyes eat first.” Big, Italian families tend to be food lovers and we certainly were. Is the phrase really Italian? Yes, some say its origin can be traced back to the 1st century Roman Marcus Apicius, a lover of gourmet food. I wonder what he would make of 21st century food porn? Something tells me he'd get a kick out of it. I do think it's fun, and I've enjoyed using my food photography skills to help readers see the recipes that my husband and I create for our culinary mystery series. (Click here to "see" what I mean. :)) Sometimes I'm even contacted for rights to reprint my "eat with your eyes" work. Here's one example...

Click here or on the image above for Cleo's recipe
(and to see the post with her original foodie photo).

Above you can see how a local Italian foods company put one of my foodie photos to use on their packaging for bread crumbs (after purchasing the rights, of course), which is my final point, I guess. Eating with the eyes is an extremely important concept for professionals in the food business. Your food has got to deliver on taste, but that first step is significant too. If what your selling looks unappetizing or unprofessional, drawing customers won't be a cake walk, and could even be a Cake Wreck! BTW - If you’d like the recipe that goes with my photo, along with 5 Tips on Making Italian Breaded Chicken Cutlets you’re welcome to click here. Whether your eyes eat first or not, Marc and I sincerely hope you will…eat with joy. --Cleo


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DENISE

While I love looking at beautiful food, and (when my sinuses allows) love a delicious aroma, taste wins out for me. Too many times, I've been served a stunning looking dessert only to find it bland. For me, that let down, especially after I've agonized about spending the calories, has made me resolve not to be fooled by a pretty face again.


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BOOKS GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to win these books,
 and don't forget to include your email 
so we can contact you if you win.

The Diva Spices it Up, by Krista Davis
Shredding the Evidence, by Daryl Wood Gerber
Nacho Average Murder, by Maddie Day
S'more Murders, by Maya Corrigan


104 comments:

  1. When food looks appetizing it's hard to resist. A picture of food is worth a thousand words. Yum right? Donakutska7@gmail.com

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  2. How food smells probably influences me first followed closely by how it looks. Of course, none of that matters if the flavors don't meet expectations when I finally take a bite. Thank you for for the fun blog post and chance to win. Dmskrug3 at hotmail dot com

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  3. So many dishes look appealing but are a let down upon consumption. I find chain restaurants to be particularly guilty of this.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Glorious - When I was looking for the calorie counts on the nutrition literature for a famous national doughnut chain, I was shocked to see that (are you ready for this?) their croissants had no butter in them. No butter. In croissants! The ingredient list included oils and preservatives and lots of things I didn't want to put in my mouth. Chains are convenient and many are beloved because plenty of people enjoy going to them, but it's always a good idea to look up the ingredients chains use in their food prep, especially if you frequent a certain place and eat a certain thing regularly. How a food looks is only the first stage of giving customers your very best.

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    2. I think many people go to chain restaurants because they know what to expect. This is particularly important when folks are on the road and travelling with kids.

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    3. Anonymous - I agree. Chains are convenient, economical, and families can (usually) count on things like sanitary service and clean bathrooms. I'll always have good memories of certain chain restaurants precisely because my parents took me there, and that kind of happy foodie memory can keep a chain popular for generations.

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  4. Both my husband and I love to cook and bake. The aroma from the kitchen can be baking bread or sizzling garlic and onions. I have to say the aroma initiates the enjoyment. The result looks fine, but I wouldn't call it artistic, like the attractive presentation of food in a restaurant. Many years ago I took a cake decorating class to try to improve my skill (or lack of skill). The instructor ignored me and didn't even look at my offering on the last day of class (we were supposed to bring a cake to decorate, but I brought six cupcakes so I would have six chances to do something attractive). Presentation is important, but I think it's the aroma that draws me in.

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    1. If Mom bakes a cake, it's perfect, no matter what it looks like. xoxo

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    2. I made my first cake when I was about 12. I had the genius idea of putting green food coloring in it. Talk about an epic fail! Even the birds didn't want to eat it!

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  5. It's taste & smell for me. I don't mind "rustic" looking food as long as it tastes good. And the scents from the bakery will drive me inside looking to buy.
    ryannaward71 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  6. fun post. thanks for sharing ladies. i think i start with my eyes and quickly move to smell and if that all passes, then i taste. i learned watching my three brothers growing up that they would eat anything. didnt matter what it looked like or smelled like. so i followed suit. ewweewww that is when i learned to look, smell than taste. LOL i am still this way. quilting lady 2 at comcast dot net

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    1. Lori, I have a grandson who has to smell first before eating anything. ~ Daryl

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  7. Cooking an appetizing meal is something I enjoy but it has to have a real flavor which everyone enjoys. I cannot make it as artistic as many but hopefully attractive and tasty. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  8. When it tastes good then I am pleased, otherwise it can look beautiful but can be disappointing. I prepare healthy meals which are yummy. I do not go for the artistic flair since it is many times meaningless and no one really cares. They are hungry for real food which is filling and tastes good. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  9. The way it looks first, then taste.

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  10. forgot my email - jlb12563@sbcglobal.net

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  11. I think how it taste first because If it doesn’t taste good looks really does not matter. Nancyhallenbenbeck@gmail.com

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  12. Wow by the time I got to the last food I was so hungry. We like to cook and try new recipes and that is why I am always here looking but the worst thing is something might look so good and one bite in if we don;t like we go to find another recipe of the same thing. All of the ones posted are so good. peggy clayton ptclayton2 at aol.com

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  13. Great post, ladies! Loved all the little science and history lessons, too. The appearance may catch my eye but for my family it's the taste and for me as the cook the description or recipe play a big part. I tweak almost every recipe I find and am intrigued by different pairings or ways to prepare an old favorite dish. Thanks for the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Sally, isn't it amazing what we can learn by reading a group blog? :) ~ Daryl

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  14. I’d be more attracted to a plate of food that looks good but ultimately I’d rather have food that tastes good.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net

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  15. I have a really good sense of smell so that's important to me. Taste is most important though, some textures bother me. The texture of avocados really bothers me. Appearance of food doesn't matter much to me.
    clugston.kathy@yahoo.com

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    1. The texture of oatmeal and other hot cereals really turns me off although I'm sure they taste good!

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  16. Some interesting points here. Have always been a believer that a variety of color is pleasing to the eye. Which helps to enhance our appreciation of a dish. Often our sense of smell will also dictate the taste of a dish. Though not always. I do not like the smell of grapefruit. But I do like the taste. but above all. Taste is the key. deepotter at centurylink dot net

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  17. Looks entice, taste satisfied (fat finger typo on first post😄)

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  18. I think for me it's a combination of smell and appearance that makes me drool!!

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  19. An attractive looking dish will catch my attention, but taste is most important. I've tried some things that looked great, but had absolutely no flavor.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  20. I would have to go with smell or taste since most of what I eat was cooked by me & I rarely cook anything that looks particularly pretty. It tastes good tho. Well usually.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  21. My late Husband and I use to do alot of cooking together but since he passed away over three years ago I don't do as much cooking for myself. Thanks for your great generosity, love reading mysteries they make me feel warm and cozy inside. lindamay4852@yahoo.com

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    1. My late husband and I cooked together all the time, too. We enjoyed trying new things. My current husband can barely boil an egg but he is very appreciative of everything I cook for him. Except for vegetables. He tolerates them lol.

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  22. I tel my husband all the time that the visual presentation of a meal is an essential part of the enjoyment. It may take me an extra minute or two to set it up just right but it is worth it. butlerrich@comcast.net

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  23. For me it's smell, taste and appearance. The aroma of the meal while cooking really makes me hungry. Taste is obviously really important. Sometimes a great looking meal in a restaurant is sometimes a let down in the taste department.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Dianne, I agree that the aroma will make me hungry, too. It was funny, last night I was making a chicken dish, and I didn't like the "smell" of turmeric in the jar, but when it was cooked with honey? Yum. So pretty on the plate, BTW. ~ Daryl

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  24. Love to eat and love to read.

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  25. I definitely think I am drawn to appearance of food because I have an addiction to colorful cookbooks. But, in the end it is about trying new things and appreciating the finished creation that were made with love or/and passion. Some of my favorite family foods are those I have fond memories I cherish made with heart even if they were not photo perfect.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    bcollin981(at)gmail(dot)com

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  26. Thanks for chance to win. I love all these authors and would be honored to win
    rls81810@gmail.com

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  27. For me it's the smells - if the food smells delicious, I don't really care how it looks. Although I do love cookbooks, and I adore foodie mysteries! I have tried some recipes from the books I've read, and they've all turned out pretty well, whether cookies, salads, or casseroles. teenlibn(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  28. I’m intrigued by these books!! I love Krista Davis and can’t wait to learn about these other authors!

    Emilylgulick@gmail.com

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  29. I like to look at the pictures in cookbooks but nothing I have ever made has looked like the picture when I finished. I'm not much of a cook anyway. You have to be happy when and if I cook. My son learned to cook because he wanted more spicy foods than I made. Too much for my older palate. lkish77123 at gmail dot com

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  30. Pretty is great, but I'm more attracted by smell and taste of deliciousness. I love when people come into the kitchen and say "Mmm, something sure smells good in here!" And it's especially nice when the male members of the family or our friends ask what I'm fixing, that smells so great, and we discuss ingredients! Taste always counts the most, though. lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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  31. Maya, passion fruit at $2.99/ is actually a bargain. They can go for much higher.
    Was the $0.78 for all of them or per fruit?
    We love passion fruit and have vines in our yard that are producing right now. They come off the vine green and turn red, then they get wrinkly and turn purple.
    A small mouthful of heaven!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. I have never had passion fruit. I will have to see if our supermarket sells them.

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    2. They have a sweet tart taste.
      We scoop them out of the halved fruits and slurp them, seeds and all.

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  32. I'm sorry to say if it's doesn't look appealing chances are I won't give it a try but if it smells good I just may. lsum1258 at aol dot com

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  33. The aroma draws ne in, but the taste is the deciding factor. bella_ringer@hotmail.com

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  34. I care to some extent what my food looks like. It doesn't have to be beautiful, but I would prefer that it look somewhat appealing. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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  35. I think that the smell of food lures me before the appearance. I've seen some beautiful dishes that didn't taste very good at all. Thanks for sharing!
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

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  36. I would say that using my eyes would be the first sense to use when it comes to food, and then it's the taste. Taste is the most important when enjoying the meals. bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  37. I enjoy looking at a good smelling meal and can't wait to taste it. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  38. I think that the look of the food is what first entices me, like the way you check out other entrees as they pass your table or what the people at the next table are having in a restaurant. If it doesn't look appealing to me, it's hard for me to eat it. kkcochran (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  39. I certainly eat with my eyes first but in the end, taste trumps every other sense for a dish or meal. That said, it is a truly phenomenal dish/meal where all of the senses are satisfied.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  40. I think looks first, then smell, then taste. But if I don't like the taste, I won't eat it.

    kaye.killgore(at)comcast(dot)net

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  41. I love to cook and bake. The way food items look , smell, and taste are important to me. I enjoy reading books that have to do with food in some way. I'd love to receive and read these books.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  42. It's nice if it looks good, but I would rather eat the ugliest, most delicious food in the world than the prettiest, worst tasting food. It's all about taste for me.
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  43. Unfortunately, I have lost my sense of smell to some extent. But when I see a crusty roll or cheese bubbling on top of pizza, my brain tells me to eat!I
    Lisacobblestone(at)aol(dot)com

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  44. Everything looks so yummy! trichie@windstream.net

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  45. Food always grabs me by the eye first. My son likes to torture me by sending pics of what he's grilling every evening. Tonight was NY strip steaks and red potatoes. I'm ready for social distancing to end so I can go eat LOL.
    eswright18 at gmail dot com

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    1. When I smell a neighbor grilling something I want to invite myself over!

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  46. Appearance is important, but taste is more important. Legallyblonde@yahoo.com

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  47. I would say smell and taste are the most important. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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  48. my eyes....................i favor fresh fruit and vegetable but and some fats...............like salami and bacon.............then i cannot resist...........got to dig in.some nice food posted here. lunalola5151@gmail.com

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  49. I think for me anyway, that I judge food by a prior memory and if it was a good memory I’ll try it again. I do love eye appeal but on a menu you can’t usually see that unless it’s served to someone near you so then it becomes part memory of that food or something similar to it. Once you have the food in front of you then it’s eye appeal combined with the presented eye appeal and the aroma of it. Last is taste. Some foods don’t have great eye appeal but taste great so that’s when being adventurous enters the picture. Some things look beautiful/appealing to you but have no flavor or not a flavor that you care for! To me smelling a thick steak on the grill gets every sense activated. And smelling a prime rib infused with garlic cloves slow roasting in my oven is a most desirable sensation of sight and smell and impending deliciousness! And I love a clam bake smell cooking and to some the smell of shellfish or the look of clams and lobster would gag them. To me it’s perfection once the melted butter and napkins arrive at my plate! I won a baking contest in every category one time, It was a Pavlova filled with mounds of whipped cream and bright red strawberries and a mint leaf on the plate. It was delicious but simple for sure but I think it was the eye appeal and something not one judge had ever had but because it looked so great I won! I also won another baking contest on a very unappealing gingerbread type cake but that won Grand Prize for being delicious and different yet not not especially appealing like some desserts are.
    Thank you for refreshing some long ago memories!
    Cynthia
    ceblain43@charter.net

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  50. What a great selection of books! baileybounce2@att.net

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  51. I seem to eat the same things over and over. My favorite comfort food is mashed potatoes, but I love chocolates with nuts too! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  52. My favorite comfort food is chocolate cake with lots of chocolate icing and a big glass of cold milk. Yum! Enter me in your giveaway please. Sweetgirl@yahoo.com

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  53. Could not leave a comment all day! My favorite food is whiskey, burp. MY EMAIL IS bartreat2@gmail.com for the free books!

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  54. FREE books, I am in! My favorite comfort food is pie. Any kind of pie as long as it has fruit. HATE the kind without the fruit. You know, lemon and stuff. YUCK. Free books, enter me!!!

    2harrietjones>(at)hotmail(dot) com

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  55. I do eat with my eyes, but even before that it's my sense of smell that kicks in. I get strange reactions sometimes when we're out at a restaurant, but I always smell my food and drink before consuming... I think it enhances the experience... or maybe I was a poison tester in a past life. ;)

    kimheniadis at gmail dot com

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  56. Sharon GuagliardoMay 5, 2020 at 12:45 PM

    I just loved hearing from all of you about food (one of my favorite topics besides reading). And the recipes and the pictures all were great. Thank you. catwoman-1 at comcast dot net

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  57. Although you eyes might have the first vote, the other senses kick in close behind. I've found wonderful dishes that we loved from photos in cookbooks. I've also found new dishes by smell and by taste - maybe at a friend's house that enticed me to make it when the presentation wasn't restaurant worthy. Even feel plays a part to me. There are certain foods, that hubby likes but I just can't get over the texture or the way it feels - maybe tough or slimy to me at least. I think the best food adventure is when it hits all the senses and they all say YIPPEE together.

    My favorite comfort food is any form of hot bread be it a fresh loaf right out of the oven or sweet bread made into cinnamon rolls. Nothing smells and looks better to be than right out of the oven yeasty smell and golden crustiness. My taste buds agree with that too!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  58. When I see something good that I want to eat, my eyes always have me taking to much of something. If it looks good I put more on my plate than I can eat. Taste would have to be my favorite sense! tWarner419@aol.com

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  59. SMELL,looks and of course taste..Brings back memories of many old time dinners with the family long gone. Wishing those days where here again.

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  60. My family it's all about the nose, they smell everything. If it doesn't pass the sniff test they won't try it. saracarver07@gmail.com

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  61. Smell, appearance and then taste. Great selection of books! kdegenn1@gmail.com

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  62. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach!

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  63. Taste and smell! Appearance less so. I blame that on Tex-Mex cuisine!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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  64. Taste and smell, but I love the look of a good fish presented well! Thanks for a chance to win. ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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  65. Some foods have an amazing smell and make you drool. There are some vegetables that smell awful while cooking like brussel sprouts and cabbage, but I love both. Food definitely involves all the senses. Of course food can look great and then not so much. Saamm7(at)msn(dot).com

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  66. Eyes do play a part, but ugly food is still yummy! For me, mouth feel is really important, too. There are some foods (shellfish, cottage cheese, others) that might not taste bad, if I could get past how they feel.

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  67. Smell and taste are the two factors that make a dish more appealing to me. Too many times I’ve been fooled by looks alone and was very disappointed. Marketing tricks for fast food and restaurants is so unbelievable at times. I’d much rather have a home cooked healthy meal. Someone, usually me, took the time and used fresh ingredients to make special. It just means so much more! paigegathome @ yahoo . Com

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  68. I think food always appeals to the five senses. I think of the smell of fresh bread, or the texture of a cookie. I think sometimes the assumptions we make about food prohibit us from exploring wonderful new tastes, smells or texture. Maybe we should all be more adventurous with food -- who knows what we might discover!
    lerumt@gmail.com

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  69. I'm one of those people who doesn't like food touching, so if I'm served something that's been stacked for presentation, i spend the first 5 minutes moving everything to separate areas of the plate! I have a really good sense of smell, so I'm more inclined to judge by that :) robinswebhotmail.com

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  70. I’m all about taste, but my mother-in-law was the queen of presentation - you had to have a colorful plate! I guess I picked up some of her habits along the way too.

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  71. For me it's the smell, my Mom's house always smelled so fantastic and I love it at Christmas. The cookies and fudge are just divine. steelergrrl43@gmail.com

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  72. I do like to see what I am going to eat but it also must smell delicious. holdensheryl@hotmail.com

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  73. Unfortunately for my waistline all these things make me want to eat. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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  74. I hadn't thought about this but eyes first and then smell. If something is blue I don't care how good it is I won't eat it...

    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  75. Sight and smell are definitely the first things I notice. Love looking at pictures of good food. Thanks for the chance to win! mcastor07(at)gmail(dot)com

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  76. It starts with the eyes. How the steak looks in the butcher's case or the veggies are arranged at the farmers market.
    Then comes the smells while cooking.
    Finally the taste and feel of the food as you eat it. The taste is most important but all work together.
    Txcop01 at yahoo dot com

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  77. I eat with my eyes first. thanks for the chance
    maceoindo(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  78. I love food that looks good. Hungry now. Gotta go eat something.
    catbooks72(At)gmail(Dot)com

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  79. Food cozies are my favorite!! I am interested in the s’mores one...but any yummy food mystery will be welcome!! lynettetrotta (at) gmail (dot) com

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  80. If I like how some type of food looks, I need to eat it! see food, eat food, that's me! thanks for the chance to win! amandasmother (at) aol (dot) com

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  81. Taste and smell are the most important to me. Thanks for the chance.
    im2early4u(at)gmail(dot)com

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  82. I love the challenge of what will the food taste like. Food that looks beautiful you always wonder will it really taste as good as it looks. You want that smooth taste to reach your lips and you are thinking yum before it gets to your mouth. Then reality hits and it in no way good. The beauty was a hidden mystery of what it will taste like. You will never know unless you try it. Thank you,
    Allwardt1987@gmail.com

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  83. When I look at a dish or I am cooking, it must smell good and look good (or I will not touch it). My mother calls me the world's pickiest eater (she is not wrong). If it does smell and look good, then I am eager to try it. I always hope the smell & looks live up to the taste. Thank you for a chance to win. Doodlesink(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  84. Absolutely! This is actually one of the reasons why I DON’T eat any type of seafood. To me, it just looks nasty and the smell is even worse. I feel that Lobster and shrimp look like giant bugs and I can’t even stomach looking at someone’s plate if they order it! Crazy, I know LOL

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  85. Hmmm..well, I do get what I know I like..sometimes pretty food photos are just that..& nothing to do with the taste..I only go to new places with one of my kids, which are foodies & we do have similar tastes, so I'll ask them will ask them what they usually get..then go from there..when in doubt, salad always works for me. nani_geplcs(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  86. Eyes certainly help!

    ElaineE246 at msn dot com

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