Food Finesse - How do I eat that food?

Food Finesse Since you’ll be eating for the rest of your life, you should be confident while you are eating! Here are a few guidelines for some specific foods: Apples and Pears: In casual situation, eat fruit with your fingers. Bacon: If crisp, it’s a finger food. If limp, use a knife and fork. Baked Potato: With a knife, slit the potato and push the ends toward the center with your fingers. Add butter, sour cream, and whatever else you like. Bananas: At dinner, cut, peel, and eat with fork. On a picnic, peel and eat monkey style. Barbecued Ribs: These are definitely a finger food, but nothing is finger lickin’ good. Bread, Rolls, Muffins, Biscuits: Break off a small piece; butter and eat only this much at a time. Don’t butter or cut the whole roll. Break and butter your bread over your bread plate to keep crumbs where they belong. Butter: Butter is placed on your bread plate, if you have one; if not, put the butter on your dinner plate. Celery, Carrot Sticks, Pickles: Eat with your fingers. Cheese Spread: Spread a little on a cracker; don’t weigh it down. Corn on the Cob: Butter, salt, and eat a few rows at a time. Butter drooling down your chin isn’t a pretty sight, so avoid overdoing it. Crackers: Sure, why not… put them in your soup, a few at a time. Large crackers should be eaten separately. Cupcakes and Brownies: Break and eat with your fingers. Dip: Dip the munchie only once before it enters your mouth. No double dipping! If the dip is on your plate, you may dip and dip and dip. French Fries: These are a finger food. Dip them into the catsup; rather than pouring catsup all over your fries. Use a fork if on main dining plate or if covered in gravy. Fried Chicken: It’s generally a finger food, but follow your host or hostess. Grapes: Cut or break off a bunch, but eat one at a time using your fingers. Gravy or Sauce: Pour it on top of whatever it’s meant for. Don’t have everything on your plate drowning in gravy. Hamburgers and Hot Dogs: Eat with your fingers. Add your toppings, but don’t overdo do it or they will get messy. Jellies (Mint, Apple, Cranberry): Spoon them onto your plate next to the meat. Take a little on your fork and eat it with the meat. Olives: Eat with your fingers. The olive pit is removed from your mouth with cupped fingers. Pizza: Hold a piece in your fingers, curling up the sides to avoid losing the filling. Use a fork if gooey or if it has lots of toppings. Popsicles and Ice Cream Bars: Keep the paper on the bottom until you are finished. Pound Cake: Use your fingers to break and eat. If you add topping, use a fork or spoon. Salad: Use your salad fork if it is a separate course. Use your dinner fork if it is part of your entrée. You may cut large pieces of lettuce with a knife (leave your knife on your salad plate) Shrimp Cocktail: Dip the shrimp into the cocktail sauce, using your seafood fork or use your fingers if the tail is on. (An entrée of Fried or broiled shrimp with the tail on or off should be eaten with a fork) Soup: Tilt the spoon away from you. When you get to the bottom, you may also tilt the bowl away from you. If your soup is too hot, be patient it will cool. Just make sure you don’t blow on it. If the soup is served in a cup with handles, pick it up and drink from it. Never ever slurp. Spaghetti: With your dinner fork, wind a few strands at a time by putting the tines down on the plate and bring it to your mouth (or use a pasta spoon to hold the pasta to the fork). Do not cut. Sticky Cake: Use a fork. Strawberries: Large strawberries may be eaten whole. Grasp the stem and take a couple of bites. Leave the stem on your plate. Sushi: May be eaten with your fingers, but mastering chopsticks will make you look like a pro. Tacos: Hold the taco in your fingers and eat from one side only. Watermelon Slice: A large slice should be cut to bite size with your knife and fork. Use cupped fingers to remove the seeds and leave them on your plate. And, how is food served? Food is served from the left and removal from the right. Note: People seated together always introduce themselves to each other as a sign of courtesy and respect, even when they expect to conduct separate conversations. Bon appétit!

The Dining Do's

Like it or not – “Table Manners” are the single most important benchmark when referring to "Good Manners." We are offering some "Table Do's" today to help you feel confident at your next business or social dining event. We also added a picture of a full table setting for your review. Dining Do’s • Sit up straight, but not stuffy. Your forearm may rest on the table if there is room and your elbows may also rest there in between courses. • Put your napkin on your lap. Use it. Place it on the table, not the chair, if you have to get up during a meal and when you are finished. • Wait for your host or hostess to begin eating or give a signal to begin. • Serve food from the left and remove from the right. Drinks are served and removed from the right. • Bring the food to your mouth, not your mouth down to the food. • Pass both the salt and pepper (one in each hand) even when someone asks for just one. • Break your bread, one piece at a time, butter and eat. • Place a soup spoon, teaspoon or iced tea spoon on the saucer under it. Nix the noise while stirring. • Pick up a dropped utensil at someone’s home (surely the hostess will notice and get you a clean one). Leave it on the floor at a restaurant and ask for another. • Remove a seed, an olive pit, a bone or a piece of gristle from your mouth with your cupped fingers. Hide it under something on your plate, not on the table or in your napkin. • Wipe your nose at the table, with a handkerchief or Kleenex if necessary, but never on your napkin. If you have to blow, excuse yourself and go to the restroom. • Eat finger foods with your fingers, but then use your napkin because nothing is “finger lickin’ good”. • Tilt the soup spoon away from you, like a ship going out to sea, and then bring it up to your mouth. • Eat what you can but don’t make an issue of what you “don’t like” or “can’t eat”; say only “No, thank you” when declining food. Please note these comments are for U.S. dining etiquette. Each culture has different ways of showing "good table manners." If you are heading to another country reach out and ask us. We will help you find out how to fit into any new cultural setting.

The Dining Don'ts

Like it or not – “Table Manners” are the single most important benchmark when referring to "Good Manners." We are offering some Table Don'ts which can be as important as Table Do's. Take these to heart and you will sure to impress! Table Manners Don’ts Don’ts • Chew or talk with your mouth open. • Slurp, smack, blow on hot food, crunch on ice, or make any other unpleasant noises. • Hold a utensil like a shovel. • Pick your teeth, apply lipstick or make-up at the table. • Take a sip of a drink while still chewing food (unless you’re choking). • Cut up all your food at once - only 2 or 3 cuts of meat at a time. • Use your utensil as a serving utensil, or put a serving utensil in your mouth. • Put a utensil on the table once it has been used; place it on a plate. • Push your plate away or stack your plates when you have finished eating. • Execute the boardinghouse reach rather than asking someone to pass you an item. • Eat from someone else’s plate. • Leave the table without saying “excuse me”. • Bring your cell phone or computer to the table. Please note these "don'ts" are related to U.S. table manners. Headed somewhere outside the U.S. and want to know the do's and don'ts of dining etiquette in that country? Just ask us. Marty@mannerspro.com or follow us on instagram or twitter @mannerspro for ongoing tips.