THE ART OF CREATING A WELL-BALANCED MENU
An inviting menu is a balance of tastes - bland (rice, pasta and potatoes), strong (meat, game or seasoned vegetables), sharp (vinaigrette salad) and sweet (chocolate anyone?) - with different textures, temperatures and colors. Also, a well-balanced menu should not duplicate tastes such as when cheese is served as an hors d'oeuvre, it should not be incorporated in a dish served at the table. When a first course is served with some type of pastry shell, dessert with a crust is not appropriate.
