What should I make for dinner??

[MattyT]

Warn your guests. Many people don't care for shellfish or mercury ingestion...

Do you suggest sending by telegram?

[stuckincincy]

I often draw a blank on which side of the plate the fork goes on, so I imagine myself (a right-hander) cutting a piece of steak. Fork in my left hand pinning down the steak and knife in my right hand sawing away.

 

 

Never worry about how you saw away at food placed before you. The Europeans have the convention of always hanging on to knife and fork, never dropping either. That's because their long tradition of slaughtering each other dictates that they always have weapons at the ready.

[Chef Jim]

Never worry about how you saw away at food placed before you. The Europeans have the convention of always hanging on to knife and fork, never dropping either. That's because their long tradition of slaughtering each other dictates that they always have weapons at the ready.

 

Now come on you have to admit the European way makes more sense. That's how I eat and every now and then I catch myself switching hands and think how silly is that.

[stuckincincy]

Now come on you have to admit the European way makes more sense. That's how I eat and every now and then I catch myself switching hands and think how silly is that.

 

You missed my point. Once the dish is placed, do what ever you like to chop up the goods, save flinging same goods across the room. If you want to pick your nose with your oyster fork or spit your fruit pits into your salt cellar, well, that's a different matter.

[Chef Jim]

You missed my point. Once the dish is placed, do what ever you like to chop up the goods, save flinging same goods across the room. If you want to pick your nose with your oyster fork or spit your fruit pits into your salt cellar, well, that's a different matter.

 

Salt cellar?? Dude....

[stuckincincy]

Salt cellar?? Dude....

 

 

 

It's not easy being old...

 

[Chef Jim]

It's not easy, being old...

 

 

Actually I don't think I'm that far behind you and I feel just the opposite. It's not easy being young.

[stuckincincy]

Actually I don't think I'm that far behind you and I feel just the opposite. It's not easy being young.

 

Indeed - for reasons we could go on and on about. They will be broke.

[BUFFALOTONE]

Now come on you have to admit the European way makes more sense. That's how I eat and every now and then I catch myself switching hands and think how silly is that.

 

Now that you bring that up I was at a dinner with my boss who's European and another guest and they used both the knife and fork and sort of piled the food on the back of the fork. I thought this was odd but clearly it is a common method. How the hell do you spaghetti that way??

[Chef Jim]

Now that you bring that up I was at a dinner with my boss who's European and another guest and they used both the knife and fork and sort of piled the food on the back of the fork. I thought this was odd but clearly it is a common method. How the hell do you spaghetti that way??

 

I guess I've spent more time with Europeans that I though because I too pile food on the back of my fork. You eat spahetting with the fork in your right hand a a soup spoon in the left and use the spoon to help in twirling up the pasta.

[BUFFALOTONE]

I guess I've spent more time with Europeans that I though because I too pile food on the back of my fork. You eat spahetting with the fork in your right hand a a soup spoon in the left and use the spoon to help in twirling up the pasta.

I am Italian and have never used the spoon to twirl it against. That may be the proper way but just feels weird to me.

[Jim in Anchorage]

I guess I've spent more time with Europeans that I though because I too pile food on the back of my fork. You eat spahetting with the fork in your right hand a a soup spoon in the left and use the spoon to help in twirling up the pasta.

I am Polish and eat with my hands. Clean up is so easy.

[Chef Jim]

I am Polish and eat with my hands. Clean up is so easy.

 

Do you use them for toilet paper too?

[stuckincincy]

Now come on you have to admit the European way makes more sense. That's how I eat and every now and then I catch myself switching hands and think how silly is that.

I've noticed a subtle bias in the serving at restaurants.

 

Example: Wife 'n me on Saturdays, go out for breakfast. I generally order this: One fried egg over medium, hash browns, 3 bacon, 2 toast (one of the bacon strips goes to my wife - she orders 2 fried eggs over and dry rye toast). Without exception, my plate is placed with the hash browns on the left of me, and the egg on the right. I am left-handed, so I rotate the plate 180 degrees (We both scive off the white...the yolk adds too much cholesterol).

 

At home (I subscribe to the tv chef Batali's statement - "the only reason to eat out is if you don't feel like cleaning up afterward."), my right-handed wife orients her plate so that meat is on her right, whereas I put it on the left.

[Chef Jim]

I've noticed a subtle bias in the serving at restaurants.

 

Example: Wife 'n me on Saturdays, go out for breakfast. I generally order this: One fried egg over medium, hash browns, 3 bacon, 2 toast (one of the bacon strips goes to my wife - she orders 2 fried eggs over and dry rye toast). Without exception, my plate is placed with the hash browns on the left of me, and the egg on the right. I am left-handed, so I rotate the plate 180 degrees (We both scive off the white...the yolk adds too much cholesterol).

 

At home (I subscribe to the tv chef Batali's statement - "the only reason to eat out is if you don't feel like cleaning up afterward."), my right-handed wife orients her plate so that meat is on her right, whereas I put it on the left.

 

Here is how food is to be placed in front of the guest. Main ingredient (in this case the eggs, but if it's steak, it's the steak) goes directly in front of the guest. Food it not placed in front of you to facilitate eating it, it's put in front of you for the presentation.

[stuckincincy]

Here is how food is to be placed in front of the guest. Main ingredient (in this case the eggs, but if it's steak, it's the steak) goes directly in front of the guest. Food it not placed in front of you to facilitate eating it, it's put in front of you for the presentation.

 

The plate is (obviously) placed directly in front of me.

 

Don't be difficult.

 

I merely offer an observation - and Universities get million-dollar grants for such inanities as mine - things like "Study shows that people that eat more have a tendency towards obesity. "

[Chef Jim]

The plate is (obviously) placed directly in front of me.

 

Don't be difficult.

 

I merely offer an observation - and Universities get million-dollar grants for such inanities as mine - things like "Study shows that people that eat more have a tendency towards obesity. "

 

I'm being difficult? I just telling you how proper service in a restaurant should be conducted.

[BuffaloBud]

The guy from NC will be joining the conversation shortly if this line of comments continues.