Greg Who Cooks
Executive Chef
My motto: One dinner, one knife, one fork, one spoon.
Okay a soup spoon if you're serving soup.
Okay a soup spoon if you're serving soup.
I grew up in a house where they always yelled keep your forks, for dessert, when they cleared the plates from dinner. We were a real classy bunch of bumpkins. It's still the same at my house today,only now the forks all match!
After some 20 years in the States, I still cannot understand how is it you peoples are eating dessert with a fork. Spoon for dessert is the only way to go.
After some 20 years in the States, I still cannot understand how is it you peoples are eating dessert with a fork. Spoon for dessert is the only way to go.
After some 20 years in the States, I still cannot understand how is it you peoples are eating dessert with a fork. Spoon for dessert is the only way to go.
I say it depends on the dessert. If it's most kinds of cake, then a fork is probably what I would use. If it is rice pudding, I'll take a spoon.
I say it depends on the dessert. If it's most kinds of cake, then a fork is probably what I would use. If it is rice pudding, I'll take a spoon.
While angel food cake is best eaten right out of the pan, tearing chunks out with your hand.
Pour out a big pool of chocalate sauce in a bowl and dip those ripped off pieces of cake in it.
We had too much fun as kids and the biggest kid, my Dad, was the instigator.
Another kid for your mother to look after.
My mother was similar, and my husband's was as well. On a day-to-day basis we did not set a perfect table. But on Sundays, we stayed in church clothes and ate from an impeccably set table. Our wine glasses were full of creme soda (which looks enough like champagne). I don't know if, and how often, my younger siblings (I'm 57, the eldest) used it, but I followed my parents into a military lifestyle, and often attended formal dinners. Never had to worry about which fork to use. Can't say I've used a fish fork, though! My mother is a segeants's wife, my MIL had been "in service", a maid. So they both learned it from the bottom up, and wanted to make sure we could be comfortable in formal circumstances. It definitely paid off for us.Growing up my kids learned the proper utensil for the right food. But not at every meal. I just wanted them to be able to go out into a public place and not be embarrassed. Would any of you recognize the difference between a fork for fish and a fork for the main entree? The fish fork is bigger. The tines are longer. No, I am not trying to show off. It's my mother's teaching coming to the fore. Strange as it may sound, this stupid information came in handy for my youngest. He recently attended a dinner where they had different courses. A black tie event. I had to laugh when he told me he thought I was crazy when I was trying to teach him these things. He ended up thanking me. In his chosen career, he is going to be attending a lot of these events.
To me, "courses" are for people with servants. Since I've never so much as had someone in to help me dust, all dinners are family style. If I have few enough people for a sit-down, then I trot out the china, silver, crystal and we make it an occasion. It is still family style, otherwise I have to keep running from dining room to kitchen and never get to sit (the prepared courses, plated, are, as I said, for servants and restaurants). But tonight it is about 20 people. Buffet is the name of the game.Family style at my house, no courses!
My mother was similar, and my husband's was as well. On a day-to-day basis we did not set a perfect table. But on Sundays, we stayed in church clothes and ate from an impeccably set table. Our wine glasses were full of creme soda (which looks enough like champagne). I don't know if, and how often, my younger siblings (I'm 57, the eldest) used it, but I followed my parents into a military lifestyle, and often attended formal dinners. Never had to worry about which fork to use. Can't say I've used a fish fork, though! My mother is a segeants's wife, my MIL had been "in service", a maid. So they both learned it from the bottom up, and wanted to make sure we could be comfortable in formal circumstances. It definitely paid off for us.
To me, "courses" are for people with servants. Since I've never so much as had someone in to help me dust, all dinners are family style. If I have few enough people for a sit-down, then I trot out the china, silver, crystal and we make it an occasion. It is still family style, otherwise I have to keep running from dining room to kitchen and never get to sit (the prepared courses, plated, are, as I said, for servants and restaurants). But tonight it is about 20 people. Buffet is the name of the game.
Guests and family are not allowed to clear the dinner table. First of all, because that's no way to treat a guest. SO and I do it as we know where to put stuff so the sink isn't loaded, good knives don't go in the sink and electronics stay where they are supposed to.
I do allow my daughters to clear as they have learned.
..I was trying to be gracious because they were already doing it when I caught them at it...