Odd Numbers and Plating Things Up

I run a camp kitchen, so there is no vision a five star rating in my future, but that does not mean that we don't try to go a little gaga with the food sometimes.  I insist that my soups be homemade, rich and sumptuous.  I like to serve special items on occasion to break up the routine - like hot chai.  And we often serve our cakes plated up with a drizzle and a mint leaf.

We don't do this all of the time, but doing a little something out of character of "camping foodservice" in order to WOW folks and make them say, "these guys are willing to go a little beyond".

It is important to use odd numbers when doing designs and plating.  Say you want to do a chocolate cake with a strawberry on top and a chocolate glaze drizzle.  Lay the strawberry slice on the corner of the cake and drizzle the chocolate over the cake diagonally, corner to corner ( or on the plate under the cake in a corner to corner pattern - in relation to the cake ).

The eye is somehow more attracted to odd numbers and angular layouts.  I think it is because it poses the "conflict for resolution" in peoples' minds.  People equate a resolved issue with even numbers because of fairness.

Anyhow, try plating food in odd bunches of 3s or 5s, not 2s and 4s and see what it does for your eyes.  Drizzle corner to corner and offset that drizzle with a dot of another drizzle somewhere along the corner or edge of the plate/food item.  It makes a difference.