What a photo and a rating can tell us about dinner

A photo helps us recognize a meal. A rating helps us remember what we thought of it. We need both in context when we look back at dinner.

Dana, my wife, cooked the real meals we have been scoring. When we look back at them, the photo gives us a concrete starting point. We can see the dish we are talking about instead of relying on a vague description of something we ate. That matters when the point of saving a meal is to consider making it again.

The numbers need context. A score on its own does not explain the recipe, the ingredients, or what someone else will think of the dish. It also does not tell the whole story of why we might choose it on a particular evening. The photo and name keep the rating connected to a specific meal, rather than leaving us with a number detached from dinner.

I want the meal stories here to stay grounded in that experience. If a photo shows our dinner, the writing should describe that dinner accurately. If we are sharing a score, it should be the score attached to that meal. Details about flavor, preparation, or changes to a recipe are worth adding when we can give them honestly.