I’m into very colorful food. Obviously lots of flavor, but I think we eat with our eyes first, so it has to look great. The presentation has to be great.

De Laurentiis emphasizes that cooking is a multisensory art in which visual appeal is not superficial but integral to appetite and enjoyment. “We eat with our eyes first” frames presentation as the opening act of flavor: color, arrangement, and plating set expectations and prime the diner’s perception of taste and freshness. The quote also reflects a television-era culinary ethos—food as performance—where the cook must consider how a dish reads at a glance, whether on a plate or on camera. In this view, beauty and flavor are complementary rather than competing values, and thoughtful presentation becomes a form of hospitality and craft.