The hottest new way to serve dinner

My least favorite part about having people over for dinner is deciding how to time my entrees. I generally end up having to stow one or two things in the oven as the others are finishing up, and by the time everyone is served, the food is dried out and, in the end, room temperature anyway.

Keeping your food hot or cold is more than just complicated; it's also a problem that's necessary to solve to ensure your safety. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, food that is left out for more than four hours at room temperature can be a breeding ground for food borne bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli.

The Fete concept serving plate serves to solve the temperature control conundrum. Using advanced thermoelectric technology, it's designed to keep your hot food hot and your cold food cold, so you can avoid having to stick anything in the fridge midmeal to appease the germphobes at the table.

The plate is dishwasher safe and can be used in conjunction with the included glass lid to store your leftovers in the fridge. The display features a series of icons of ingredients like eggs, dairy, shellfish, and beef, and you can activate the icons to show the contents of the dish, so that vegetarians or guests with allergies can choose accordingly.

The plate is still a concept, but if we're lucky, then these could be gracing our dinner tables in time for Thanksgiving dinner (no more cold mashed potatoes).