Cooking Light's Plating Tips

I don't consider myself very artistic, and I'm usually in too much of a rush to bother making the food that I'm serving look extra nice on the plate. But that's not to say I don't want to make the food look good - I just wish doing so came naturally and quickly. Enter the September issue of Cooking Light, which has some tips on plating from their photo and food stylists. Here are the ones I found most useful:

• Neutral-colored plates are best because they can be used any time and with (almost) any food. They also show off the food, instead of obscuring it.
• If you want to use colored plates, pick colors that can be used for more than one season or holiday. Use warm colors (like red or orange) for warm foods and cool colors (like blue or lavender) for cool foods.
• Think about what the plate will look like when the food is plated. An assortment of colors looks better on the plate than monochromatic colors (and it's also better for your diet).
• When plating, start at the center with the largest, most important item (usually the entree) and then put side dishes around it.
• Thick sauces should go under the food. Thin sauces should be poured over food immediately before serving.