How many dishes/plates/bowls of food are on your table to serve from?

[samy23]

At dinner time....so basically for example it might be 4 dishes, 1 for the starch, 1 for the protein/meat dish, and 2 for 2 vegetables.

[kjbrown92]

It depends what the meal is but could be a casserole, plus fruit, plus vegetable. Or meat, starch, vegetable, vegetable, gravy, or starch + sauce + vegetable + salad. But all of ours are served from the kitchen so nothing is on the table! But there's usually a raw fruit or veggie in there besides the cooked ones. And there isn't always a starch.

[Alyantavid]

On the table? Usually none, unless it's a bowl of cut up veggies.

Depends on the meal, but I use 1-3. Usually a protein, a veggie and something else.

[GardenStream]

We don't put dishes on the table. Everything is dished up in the kitchen and then we carry our plates to the table to eat. I thought people only used serving dishes on the table for formal gatherings.

[Ruthla]

My kitchen is TINY! And the only place to eat is at the table in the kitchen, which means that you're kind of tripping over each other if you leave the food on the stovetop to serve it. So I transfer the food the whole 2 feet or so from the stovetop or oven to the kitchen table when it's time to serve the meal.

How many serving dishes depends on the meal. Last night we had two: frying pan with the chicken/turkey stir fry (multiple veggies plus meat) and a separate dish of cooked brown rice. Tonight I plan to have three: the crock pot insert with the meatballs and carrots in gravy, a dish of brown rice, and a tossed salad. When we make pizza, we just have the salad on the table and we serve mini pizzas onto our plates at the stove.

[just_lily]

Serving dishes only ever make it on to my table when we have company.

Most days we have a meat, a vegetable and a starch. A lot of time we will have a salad as well, or a salad instead of a cooked vegetable.

When we have family over I will usually do 2 or 3 different veg. Everyone is picky about what they will eat so I offer a lot of choice. And on Christmas we always have two different potatoes and often two different stuffings because my DF's British family and my Canadian family can't agree on what you "have" to have for Christmas dinner!

[SeekingSerenity]

I serve at the table because I get tired of getting up and going back and forth over and over, which I usually end up doing anyway. I feel like a serving maid sometimes, round and round the table dishing things out and cutting food up, blowing on this or passing that, while DH and the kids eat. It sorta sucks... which is why I usually eat while I'm cooking!

Anyway, I usually have one meat, one starch, 1 or 2 veggies and a fruit. Occasionally a bread basket. If the veggie is salad then it's only one. We are big meat-eaters here and so there's always something with meat in it, even if it's a casserole.

[mamadelbosque]

We serve from the stove so as to avoid making extra dishes. As for how many things I 'cook' it varies hugely with the meal: last night i made chicken parmesan which was 4 things (chicken, sauce, noodles, green beans), but I often do tacos or tostadas which is really just one thing i 'cook' (meat or beans) then heat up tortillas or shells then other stuff is diced/grated (onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese) and salsa, or I do a lot of stir frys & curries which is basicly two things: the stir fry or curry & rice or rice noodles.

[Drummer's Wife]

We generally have one meat dish, one starch-y thing like rice or potatoes, and two veggies - usually one cooked and one being a salad (which, ends up having a bunch of veggies in it, but I count it as one dish). Oh, and most nights there is green chiles to add to, well, everything

Usually I load up my kids plates (DH can do his own ) but sometimes we set it all out on the table or if it's something like tacos it's in various bowls on the counters so my kids can make it just as they like.

[Magelet]

We serve at the stove. We don't have any serving plates yet lol. (we're just starting out). Usually though, we don't have more than 2 dishes. (plus sometimes salad). A starch and a veggie and protein in some combo, usually veggie/protein. Often its all in one. Raw fruits are for dessert.

[staceychev]

Originally Posted by atobols

I thought people only used serving dishes on the table for formal gatherings.

I actually like making dinner a stable, if not formal, event. We use serving plates because it feels more settled at the end of a busy day. It's probably totally psychological, but a dinner served up at the stove doesn't feel as relaxing to me. (I might feel different if I didn't have a dishwasher!)

Anyway, we usually use bowls from our regular dishes, unless we have more food because there's company. Usually two veggies and a protein, sometimes a starch or a bread, but not always.

[Holiztic]

I plate in the kitchen. Its mostly about minimizing dishes, but I also just like plating nicely.

I even plate for company like its a restaurant!


Funny that PP said that serving platters/bowls on the table seems more formal--at a restaurant that would be "family style" i.e. casual and plating from the kitchen would be more formal.

But then again, I don't just "serve" from the kitchen, I plate artistically and often with a garnish. No, I don't cook in pearls.

[samy23]

Well some families use serving dishes on the main eating table, then serve it from there, other families serve it all in the kitchen and bring the plates to the table ready to eat from.

Interesting! I guess there's pros and cons to both ways.

[GardenStream]

Originally Posted by Holiztic

Funny that PP said that serving platters/bowls on the table seems more formal--at a restaurant that would be "family style" i.e. casual and plating from the kitchen would be more formal.

You're right, I never thought about that. I guess that serving dishes and formal were just my knee-jerk reaction.

I thought about it a bit and it's more complicated than that. We have a very small dining table. Once we get 4 people with plates and drinks around it, there is less than 1 square foot of space in the middle to set any serving dishes. We also have small kids and things tend to get bumped and knocked on the floor quite often and anything hot would be within reach of the one year old and that's not a good idea.

Only things from the kitchen get served directly onto plates. The kitchen is about 4 feet away from the dining table and there is no wall separating the two "rooms." Everything coming in from the grill is put on an additional plate and that is used as a serving dish on the table.

[kirstenb]

We plate a lot from the kitchen, but sometimes have a serving bowl or two on the table depending on what we are eating. Hot things like casseroles will stay on top of the oven, but salads or steamed veggies are often in a bowl. We always had all the food in serving dishes on the table when I was growing up, and I really like doing that, but I hate washing all those dishes so I only do it for some things.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by Holiztic

I plate in the kitchen. Its mostly about minimizing dishes, but I also just like plating nicely.

I even plate for company like its a restaurant!


Funny that PP said that serving platters/bowls on the table seems more formal--at a restaurant that would be "family style" i.e. casual and plating from the kitchen would be more formal.

But then again, I don't just "serve" from the kitchen, I plate artistically and often with a garnish. No, I don't cook in pearls.

I'm the same. Such a foodie! I do a mix though, I love to plate artistically, but often leave the serving bowl of starch, veggies and salad on the table.

It depends on the meal, if it's a casserole/stew etc. 1 dish + salad, but the other day there were 7 dishes, as I made an authentic indian meal and had all sorts of dishes. (That meal I served family style!)

There is always a salad, and always a main. I don't often have cooked veggies as well, as we all like them better raw. I do incorporate them into the main protein dish though, often sneakily!

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I'm the same. Such a foodie! I do a mix though, I love to plate artistically, but often leave the serving bowl of starch, veggies and salad on the table.

It depends on the meal, if it's a casserole/stew etc. 1 dish + salad, but the other day there were 7 dishes, as I made an authentic indian meal and had all sorts of dishes. (That meal I served family style!)

There is always a salad, and always a main. I don't often have cooked veggies as well, as we all like them better raw. I do incorporate them into the main protein dish though, often sneakily!

LOL, sounds alot like myself!

Would you mind posting here (or somewhere else, or pm me) what yummy dishes you made for your Indian meal? We have some neighbors who went above and beyond the call of duty for us recently while we were on vacation. I would love to do a really nice meal and have them over to eat. Indian or Greek is what I was thinking of doing. TIA!!

[sagewinna]

I plate in the kitchen, though I might have a plate/platter for biscuits/bread. It's fewer dishes and helps me with portion control for myself.

[itsrtimedownhere]

we usually make our plates in the kitchen and bring them to the table.

our table is very small so we don't have the room. and i don't want to wash the extra dishes.

[sunnysandiegan]

We do a mix. DH cooks far more dinners than I do and he tends to use serving dishes. The types of meals I tend to cook are easily served from the kitchen. Our kitchen is large and the table is right there, but it is several steps (4 feet maybe?) to the stove. DD is 8, but cannot easily serve herself yet. Whoever is sitting down first serves her first and we encourage her to get started while we finish readying the meal/table.

Most meals have a protein, cooked veggie or two, raw veggie mix (salad, but I dislike lettuce), and sometimes pasta or rice or potatoes or bread. DH's plate has more protein than cooked veggies, but he eats bigger salads. I aim for a balanced mix of each dish on my plate. DD's plate is all over the map, but always includes at least a sample of each item being served. We sometimes have one-pot meals and serve from the kitchen versus the table, but it depends on the item. Anything in the crockpot stays on the counter, but lasagna comes to the table (on a glass cutting board, which serves as a trivet) so that it can cool down enough while we eat to put the lid on and refrigerate afterwards.