"Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!"
~ From Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
As the Mock Turtle attests, soup can be beautiful, but to truly be so it should be eaten correctly.
Whether it’s served as a course in a formal dining setting or you’re having it for lunch at school, on campus or at work, the following etiquette guidelines will help you to become soup savvy:
“No one's gloomy or complaining
While the flatware's entertaining…”
~ “Be Our Guest,” sung by Lumiere, from Beauty and the Beast
Lumiere is correct. Your flatware can be entertaining if you have to stop and figure out what it all means, and how to use it! But, Lumiere and I have you covered. Before you read on, you might want to review my introduction to using flatware in a previous post, under the heading, “Flatware.”
In this entry, let’s take a look at the two main styles of using one’s knife and fork, The American style and The Continental style. The American style is so named because it is usually only Americans and perhaps some Canadians who use it, while the rest of the world uses the Continental style. And, it’s fun to speculate on the reasons for the different styles.
A good upbringing means not that you won't spill sauce on the tablecloth,
but that you won't notice it when someone else does.
~ Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904), Russian author, playwright
Yes, there’s even etiquette and protocol with regard to the tablecloth! According to Suzanne von Drachenfels in her book, The Art of the Table, “the tablecloth was the first decorative accessory known to the table…”
Whether dining out, as a guest in someone’s home or when selecting a tablecloth for use in your own home, it’s helpful to know some tips about tablecloths.
Answer: The correct way to hold stemware! In a number of scenes throughout the series, the sophisticated ladies of Sex and the City are seen holding their wine or champagne glasses incorrectly--by the bowl instead of the stem. And, although Bogie and Bergman fumbled their goblets, as well, in Casablanca, they finally got it right in the scene where they are together for the last time in Paris. Toasting each other with champagne and holding their glasses correctly by the stems, Bogie utters one of his most famous lines: “Here’s looking at you, kid.”
"There was an Old Person of Fife,
Who was greatly disgusted with life;
They sang him a ballad,
and fed him on salad,
Which cured that Old Person of Fife."
~ Edward Lear, English artist, writer (1812-1888)
Ah, the salad course! It’s my favorite, and, as an American, I prefer to enjoy it before the main course. But, in some countries, especially in Europe, the salad course is served after the main course as a palette cleanser before the cheese course is served.
It is believed that as far back as ancient times, the Romans and Greeks dined on raw vegetables that they dressed with vinegar, oil, and herbs. And, according to the Oxford Companion to Food, the word, “salad” resulted from the progression of first the Latin word, sal, which means “salt”; later the form, salata, which means, “'salted things” referring to a primary ingredient of dressing they used; and then the Old French word, salade; and finally in 14th century emerged the English word, “salad” or sallet, as they said back then.
;)
Taking the Lead
Nearly a decade ago, Catalyst, a U.S. organization that tracks women in business, and the Canadian firm, BMO Financial Group, one of the largest financial services providers in North America, released their landmark study of the Fortune 500 that revealed that from 1996-2000 companies with the highest number of women in senior positions reaped a 35% higher return on equity and a 34% higher return to shareholders compared to companies with the fewest women near the top.
But Do We Like Her?
From Diana Christensen (Network, 1976) and Katharine Parker (Working Girl, 1988) to Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada, 2006) and M (James Bond, 1995-2012), the female boss has been portrayed in the movies as immoral, back-stabbing, fire-breathing and unfeeling, to the point of being unflinchingly prepared to send even her most prized employee to his death without a backward glance. (Although in the case of M, we might be prepared to forgive her.)
How Far Have Women Really Progressed?
We’re taking a detour from my dining etiquette series to dedicate the next three entries to the observance of Women’s History Month.
As a group, women are increasingly in the news. The female vote in the U.S. has been a key factor in determining the outcome of recent elections, there are new books out to help and encourage women on how to achieve career success and U.S. companies are beginning to develop serious programs to promote women. But, how far have U.S. women really progressed since 1776? Women of a certain age can look back to the beginnings of the modern Women’s Movement in the 1960s with a certain amount of dismay that women have not achieved more.
Show That You’re Well-Bred When Breaking Bread
The formal table setting often includes the bread and butter plate, which is located at the upper left of your service or main plate, directly above your forks. However, on a crowded table this small plate might be placed wherever there is room, but always to the left. On your B&B plate will rest a butter spreader, named such because it’s used to spread butter rather than to cut bread. (See the section below, Buttering Up, regarding missing butter spreaders).
To remember that your B&B (as well as your salad) plate is placed to the left of your main plate, and glasses are placed to the right, try these methods:
Forget the Oscars!
See Who's Rolling Out The Red Carpet for you!
In addition to the wait staff, there are other restaurant or hotel staff members who contribute to your dining experience. They are also important to your experience and it is vital to recognize and appreciate their contributions. They include the following positions:
Jeanne Nelson 