Looking at the potato salad I had bought to add to dinner, my wife fried bacon until it was crisp and laid it on top.
"Pretty nice, right?" she said, pleased with herself. After a taste, she added grated cheese too. I admired her knack for ideas and was surprised she'd even taken out a frying pan. Already a proper serving.
Surely it would have been good as is. Ready-made and deli dishes are often well made. Just moving them to a plate can feel like they've earned their place. Even so, my wife paused before bringing it to the table. Is this fine as is, or is there room to do something? This time she decided to add a touch.
When you rely on what someone else prepared, you save labor, and dishes you couldn't manage alone line the table. Even so, once you add something to the menu, it's already your cooking. Deli food you've only transferred to a plate is no different. When your tongue is satisfied, that's "okay, done."
Every plate set on the table already bears your name.