India, Dec. 29 -- With New Year's Eve just around the corner, many of you would want to invite your loved ones for a nice, relaxed brunch. This season, stealing the spotlight from champagne flutes and playlists, the grazing table has become a highlight at these parties. In these grazing tables, the food itself becomes the central theme of the entire decor. Cheeses replace sculptural objects, fruits cascade like floral arrangements, and breads, desserts and snacks are stacked into towers to add height and drama. One of the most visible shifts on grazing tables is the move towards vertical styling. Towers made from stacked cheeses, layered doughnuts, or fruit pyramids also solve the practical problem of creating height without cluttering the table with props. Manpreet Dhody, chef and founder of I'mWholesome, Mumbai, shares, "When guests walk up, they should feel like the food has been thoughtfully cooked for them, not styled something from afar. We build towers of strawberry, macaron, madeleine and even charcuterie and cheese. Our cheeses often become festive pieces themselves, shaped like ornaments, or candy canes for Christmas and New Year." When asked about the rule of thumb for height, spacing and abundance on a grazing table, she says she doesn't leave gaps on the grazing table. Over at Monique Patisserie and Anvaya Hotel, Delhi, chef Maxime wishes to follow a theme for food and decor. "I want the guests to understand the environment of the table. I had done a grazing table, substituting the flowers for mushrooms to create an impression of a white garden." Speaking about how food as decor elevates a grazing table, he adds, "A very simple way of doing it could be using a spoon and placing the food on top of it so it becomes both the food and a decor element."...