This is something that I initially borrowed from an ex-brother-in-law. So, on with it. The premise is that there are four aspects of food that can make or break it, in the eyes and mouths and nose and stomach of the eater.  Some of you might be thinking that taste is the only thing that matters, but I assure you that is not the case, there is so much more to it.  Hell, there may even be a fifth category in there, but lets not get too crazy right away. So without and further ado, I give you the four Ts

1. Taste

2. Texture

3.Temperature

4. Presentation…wait that doesn’t start with T.  Damn.  Tresenpation! (there we go)

Taste is obviously very important, if something didn’t taste good, why would you eat it.  Texture is maybe a little less intuitive, but think about a juicy steak.  When you go to bite into this you find its like a gelatinous shell with a slimy, clotty, soupy center.  Doesn’t matter how good it tastes, its not the best steak, not is it something I want to eat at all.   Temperature makes sense to us, I think.  Who likes warm or hot soda? Unless you’re European or something, probably not you.  I know a Russian post doc who would get coke form a vending machine, pour it in a coffee cup and microwave it.  That’s just sick man.  Anyway, fried chicken, best served warm.  Ice cream, well, frozen if you please.   You get the picture.  Ah presentation, yet another part of a meal that is subtle, yet very important.  If someone made food that literally looked like vomit and turds, chances are you’d skip it and eat something that looked better.  It mostly all makes sense, mostly.  So, when you’re preparing a meal or even eating one, think about the 4Ts, I mean the 3TP of food, and judge it, judge it HARSHLY.

I would also add a fifth category, S for smell, I ain’t eating nothing that smells like dookie. Y’all understand.  So, really I guess its 3TPS of food.