The Joy of Garnish

What transforms an ordinary meal in to something that looks special and appetising? Some chopped parsley. True.

I was at my local pub the other day, which does a good line in straightforward pub food. It's not a Gastropub by any means (and I suspect some of the meals are provided by a caterer having been cooked in a big factory and trucked to the pub only requiring re-heating) but they do make some good, cooked from scratch-on-the-premises meals. One of which is the ever-popular ham, egg and chips. But here's the thing. The ham is sourced locally and is a lovely thick sliced chunk, the eggs (two per serving) are free-range and also local and the chips chunky and golden. Then, on to this simple meal is chopped a good sprinkling of parsley. Suddenly an ordinary meal looks so good, prepared with thought and care and you can't wait to eat. Lovely.