Why Ina Garten Prefers To Serve Food On White Dishware - Tasting Table (2024)

ByKaren Hart/

It's no secret that when it comes to plating food, Ina Garten is a fan of using white dishes and serving pieces to enhance the appearance of the meal. Per CNN, Garten has expressed her penchant for simple dinnerware. "I definitely like white. The plate is really about what makes the food look best and I like it set against a white background. I never like plates that have patterns on them," she says in "Be My Guest With Ina Garten."

A simple scroll of her Instagram reveals the Barefoot Contessa walks her talk. She uses white dishes whether she is hosting a Fourth of July celebrations,showcasing a simple Caprese salad, or making a classic party snackin the form of a hot dog wrapped in pastry dough.

White dishes have a fresh look to them. They really are like a blank canvas that allows a cook to showcase his or her culinary artistic touch without being overwhelmed by intricate designs. Not to mention white dishes are easy to pair with other elements of your table. Using silver or pewter pieces with white dishes can make for an elegant table setting. Garten concurs and confesses she likes to display her white China alongside hotel silver. "I love to combine white china and old hotel silver on the kitchen shelves. It's not just lovely to look at, but I use it all!" she proclaims on Instagram.

Simple and versatile

Why Ina Garten Prefers To Serve Food On White Dishware - Tasting Table (2)

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White dishes also give you a lot of freedom. Because they are so versatile, you have plenty of options when choosing what type and color of flowers you want to have setting on the table to meet your guests. Similarly, the simplicity of these plates means you can be truly creative with your napkin or placement selection, as well as any other colorful serving pieces you might want to use as focal points on your table or tables.

If you want to outfit your kitchen with dinnerware similar to the cookbook author's, Garten shares on her website that she gets some of her favorite serving pieces from the likes of Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel. She writes, "They both have a huge range of white china. For example, my large serving bowls are Crate and Barrel brand, and my Pillivuyt and Apilco dishes are from Williams-Sonoma."

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Why Ina Garten Prefers To Serve Food On White Dishware - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Why Ina Garten Prefers To Serve Food On White Dishware - Tasting Table? ›

White dishes have a fresh look to them. They really are like a blank canvas that allows a cook to showcase his or her culinary artistic touch without being overwhelmed by intricate designs. Not to mention white dishes are easy to pair with other elements of your table.

Why does food taste better on a white plate? ›

The shape and color of the dinnerware can affect taste as well. In general, round, white plates tend to enhance sweet flavors in food, whereas black, angular plates tend to bring out more savory flavors, Spence says. And serving food on a red plate tends to reduce the amount diners eat.

Why do experts say white dinnerware shows off the food best? ›

White is a top choice for many chefs for framing their culinary creations because almost every color of food looks good on white. The colors of the food seem more vibrant and the food looks more appealing.

What white dinnerware does Ina Garten use? ›

Another, pricier option is the White Dinnerware set from Pillivuyt, a French brand Ina recommends for serving ware as well. Aside from the simple, clean lines, both sets are dishwasher-, microwave-, and oven-safe, a must in Ina's—and our—book.

Does Ina Garten own any restaurants? ›

Her fame may be relatively quiet — she doesn't have a line of cookware, there isn't a namesake restaurant — but make no mistake: Ina Garten is a powerhouse celeb chef. Fans know her story well: From a White House budget analyst to specialty food-store owner, her path to stardom has been slow and steady.

Why do chefs use white plates? ›

White plates are a traditional color favored by chefs because they make the vibrant colors of the food more visually appealing to the guests. Chefs use white plates like a blank canvas without concern for color clashes from contrasting plate colors.

What are the benefits of white plates? ›

If you use white plates on your dining table, you are making the dishes served stand out. White plates emphasize the ingredients used as they contrast with one another. Therefore, it makes the food more appealing to the eyes.

Which food processor does Ina Garten use? ›

Cuisinart Cup Pro Custom 11 Food Processor

In a video for Food Network, Ina shared that she uses her food processor for things like potatoes, breadcrumbs and even thinly-sliced Brussels sprouts.

What brand of range does Ina Garten use? ›

Her Lacanche range

“I think if you can cook, you can cook on any stove,” Garten wrote. “The Lacanche keeps a very steady heat and it's a total pleasure to use. Functional and beautiful at the same time!”

What china does Ina Garten use? ›

Simple and versatile

If you want to outfit your kitchen with dinnerware similar to the cookbook author's, Garten shares on her website that she gets some of her favorite serving pieces from the likes of Williams-Sonoma and Crate & Barrel. She writes, "They both have a huge range of white china.

Why does Ina Garten always eat at the bar? ›

Speaking to Food Network, Garten said that she and her husband "like to eat dinner in a bar; the food is more casual." One of their favorite bars is attached to The Mark Hotel restaurant in New York City and owned by world-class chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

What is Ina Garten's favorite meal? ›

Instead of a chicken pot pie, Ina Garten likes to make a chicken stew and top it with flaky biscuits. She names it as one of her all-time favorite comfort foods, and we can easily see why. We think she would approve of this soup version on a cold night.

Is Ina Garten leaving Food Network? ›

Barefoot Contessa hasn't produced new episodes since 2021, and anyone who still has cable knows that Food Network doesn't show Garten's TV shows as often as we'd like. However, Garten recently announced that she's working on new episodes for the cooking network.

What color plate makes food taste better? ›

Round white plates were considered the most intense in flavour and were perceived to be of higher quality. This finding aligns with previous research that suggests round food is seen as sweeter. However, no significant difference was observed between black round and square plates in terms of taste perception.

Why are white plates popular? ›

White dinner sets are timeless, elegant, and versatile. They can match any table setting and create a sophisticated atmosphere. White is also the perfect color to showcase your culinary creations. It provides a neutral backdrop that allows the food to shine and be the centerpiece of the table.

What color makes food taste better? ›

All of us subconsciously associate certain colours with distinct tastes and flavours. For most people, red is associated with sweetness, yellow and green with sourness, white with salt, and brown and black with bitterness.

Does the color of your plate affect how much you eat? ›

Color and contrast can cue your appetite.

Even your plate color can affect how much you eat. In another study from Cornell, people who used plates with colors that highly contrasted the color of their food (for example, red pasta on a white plate) served themselves 22% more.

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