Monday, 18 January 2010 12:19
“I eat my peas with honey,
I’ve done it all my life,
It may sound kind of funny,
But it keeps them on the knife!”
Now look, I love a good limerick as much as the next person...but the licking of a knife should remain in limericks only...please!
The knife and fork are not as complicated as you may think. The fork is in the left hand and the knife in the right... regardless of your writing preference. Always hold them pointing down and away from you with your pointer finger guiding the way...are you yawning yet? Well judging from the increasing number of people who seem to wrestle with their cutlery, I feel that this may be a much needed community service! All in the name of saving some of etiquette’s great contributions to the table.
Now for the spoon, not difficult to master at all. A soup spoon should be used to ‘skim’ the surface of the yum liquid in a sweeping motion away from you. Just while we’re here, slurping in some cultures may rock, but in mine, not so much.
Dessert spoons should be used with abandon. This is dessert we’re talking about after all...the fork and spoon scenario?! Deer caught in headlights for most. Again, fork in the left hand, spoon in right. Here’s the kicker though...you must eat off of the spoon!
Oh I know that it seems like a lot to remember, but I promise you it’s like riding a 10 speed, just switch gears once in a while!
Next month we’re setting the table...so practise, practise, practise.