Play with your food, it may taste better!

One of the best things in the world is cake. Who doesn't love cake? However, the greatest kind of cake, by far, is the Bundt cake. A Bundt cake is king! It's even shaped like a crown. It doesn't matter the flavor, just being a Bundt makes it the best. Why? There's a hole in the middle! I'm not sure why baking cake batter in the shape of a ring makes such a big difference, but it does (see donuts as further proof). At the end of the day, that's really the only difference. Conclusion: The shape of your food matters.

The shape of the food doesn't just affect cakes, it affects everything. For example, any type pasta is basically the same thing in different shapes. It's amazing how the same dough molded into forms can change the flavor of the food. Have you ever had alfredo sauce over spaghetti noodles? It's not right! It doesn't just look off, it tastes off. Have you ever tried to put macaroni in lasagna? Failure, once again! Each type of noodle is made from the same dough recipe. The only difference is the shape, and it matters.

Another example of shape making all the difference is Mexican food. Let's face it; most dishes are the same ingredients in different forms. Burritos are just big tacos that you close. Enchiladas are basically small burritos smothered in sauce. Tostadas are just the product of someone forgetting to close the hard taco shell before they fried it. In the end, they are the same dish served in different formats. Again, you think that since we chew food the layout or shape of the dish wouldn't matter. Put the same ingredients in and it will taste the same, right? Wrong! Anybody who knows Mexican food knows that a Tostada tastes nothing like a burrito (and frankly are far more hazardous, but that's another story).

So always remember how important the shape of your food can be. If something you cook tastes nasty, shape it differently. If you make tuna casserole that doesn't get the family excited, cut it into a circle and call it something else, like Tuna Rolloni. They won’t just love it, they'll brag about you to their friends (my mom makes the best Tuna Rolloni in the world) If you bake some cookies and accidentally switch the measurements of salt and sugar, cut them into triangles and put a little glaze on top (glaze is just wet sugar). It will be the life of the party and people will beg you for your recipe. As we have learned from Bundt cake, pasta, and Mexican food, what really matters in the shape, so be creative.

Sincerely,

an "average" Joe