The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 04: Come On In

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

Here's a question for those of you familiar with European etiquette.

My daughter and her husband were in Budapest last week, and while dining out, my son-in-law got the wait staff very upset. Apparently, he left his utensils on his plate in an arrangement that indicted he was unhappy with the dish.

I've never heard of such a thing. Is that real? Is it a Budapest thing? Is there a guide to how you should arrange your utensils when your done with a dish?

As TX said, pretty sure stabbing the knife through the fork when putting them on your plate is indeed an indication of being angry/dissatisfied. I'm not too familiar with restaurant etiquette, but I recall seeing a chart of this before. After some quick googling I found the image again:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/22/77/bd2277b653857c04233b16150f48ab3c.jpg

 

[Handley_Page]

So, then, in addition to a few polite words in a Foreign tongue to the Waiting folks,
diners now have to understand 'sign language' ?
Ye gods !

In the interim, I'll have another coffee, please/

 

[Voboy]

As TX said, pretty sure stabbing the knife through the fork when putting them on your plate is indeed an indication of being angry/dissatisfied. I'm not too familiar with restaurant etiquette, but I recall seeing a chart of this before. After some quick googling I found the image again:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/22/77/bd2277b653857c04233b16150f48ab3c.jpg

Wow.

I had no idea. Good thing I spend no time in Europe anymore.

Rich, hot coffee to start my day...

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Well, my draft went through revisions and excellent beta readers who are qualified to be editors before being submitted. They accepted my book last week and I'll get revisions from a staff editor in a few weeks then have a few weeks to implement suggested changes.

 

[NotWise]

As TX said, pretty sure stabbing the knife through the fork when putting them on your plate is indeed an indication of being angry/dissatisfied. I'm not too familiar with restaurant etiquette, but I recall seeing a chart of this before. After some quick googling I found the image again:

Thanks! I put that on my phone and texted it to the daughter. Is that for any place in particular, or is it generally useful?

 

[TxRad]

Good Morning all. Fresh hot black coffee is now available. After you pour it, what you do to it is your own business.

Travel plans seem to have been changed without previous notice.

Most places I eat don't have silverware or even flatware. The utensils are usually plastic and have no wait staff as well. Serve thy self and save the tip.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

Thanks! I put that on my phone and texted it to the daughter. Is that for any place in particular, or is it generally useful?

Not sure, actually. I believe I googled "cutlery etiquette" or something similar and searched for images. I have no idea if it's based on country or location, but I'd assume it's only the really fancy and expensive places that even care about this. I'm hardly an expert, I just remembered seeing this picture and thought it was relevant. My guess is as good as yours for when/where this is used.

 

[NotWise]

Not sure, actually. I believe I googled "cutlery etiquette" or something similar and searched for images. I have no idea if it's based on country or location, but I'd assume it's only the really fancy and expensive places that even care about this. I'm hardly an expert, I just remembered seeing this picture and thought it was relevant. My guess is as good as yours for when/where this is used.

It may have been a Michelin 4-star restaurant. I know they found several in and around Budapest and intended to sample them.

 

[ChloeTzang]

Good Morning all. Fresh hot black coffee is now available. After you pour it, what you do to it is your own business.

Travel plans seem to have been changed without previous notice.

Most places I eat don't have silverware or even flatware. The utensils are usually plastic and have no wait staff as well. Serve thy self and save the tip.

Coffee please. A weekend of packing and house viewing looks. The garage is half full of boxes and by eod Sunday, it should be completely full. Yikes.

Utensils? Chopsticks of course. My beloved now looks surprised when we go Chinese and they give him a fork! He’s being trained.

 

[ThisNameIsntTakenYet]

Utensils? Chopsticks of course. My beloved now looks surprised when we go Chinese and they give him a fork! He’s being trained.

One of my friends has a Korean girlfriend and she occasionally cooks for us. Recently she made the Korean equivalent of sushi. I was offered the choice between chopsticks and a fork. It was tempting to try out the chopsticks, but out of fear of any food ending up on the table, floor, my lap or the ceiling, I chose a fork just to be safe. I wouldn't mind practicing with them though, but with four people watching and while I'm distracted by a game of D&D doesn't sound like a good moment for that.

 

[ChloeTzang]

One of my friends has a Korean girlfriend and she occasionally cooks for us. Recently she made the Korean equivalent of sushi. I was offered the choice between chopsticks and a fork. It was tempting to try out the chopsticks, but out of fear of any food ending up on the table, floor, my lap or the ceiling, I chose a fork just to be safe. I wouldn't mind practicing with them though, but with four people watching and while I'm distracted by a game of D&D doesn't sound like a good moment for that.

Yes better practice before. I gave him a weekend of movies, chopsticks, bowls of raisins and peanuts, and takeout Chinese for lunch and dinner. No fingers allowed. By Sunday night he qualified to go to a Chinese restaurant and not get laughed at. The raisins and peanuts are great for chopstick control and dexterity!

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Yes better practice before. I gave him a weekend of movies, chopsticks, bowls of raisins and peanuts, and takeout Chinese for lunch and dinner. No fingers allowed. By Sunday night he qualified to go to a Chinese restaurant and not get laughed at. The raisins and peanuts are great for chopstick control and dexterity!

I recently read - and sadly have forgotten where - an article advocating eating popcorn with chopsticks. It changes the entire experience when you have to focus on and taste small bits vice shovelling it in by the handful.

 

[Handley_Page]

Chopsticks ?
Not for me, thanks; I do not possess the muscle control. Can I use a spoon please ?

A bit cooler today.
Time for more coffee.

 

[Javahead]

Yes better practice before. I gave him a weekend of movies, chopsticks, bowls of raisins and peanuts, and takeout Chinese for lunch and dinner. No fingers allowed. By Sunday night he qualified to go to a Chinese restaurant and not get laughed at. The raisins and peanuts are great for chopstick control and dexterity!

That's how I got trained. I grew up in a deeply rural part of the country, where the Asian population of the whole county could be counted with no more than 3 digits - and probably 2. As a metric of food quality, the one "Chinese" restaurant within 20+ miles served the canned "Chow Mein" noodles. Moving to the SF Bay area and encountering *real* Chinese food was life-changing, but I still never dared try using chopsticks.

Then I started dating M'lady. The first time we went out for Dim Sum and I asked for a fork was the last - she had me on a near-identical practice regimen straightaway. It worked. And she decided I was worth keeping.

Now our daughters are working on training their guys.

 

[Handley_Page]

Then I started dating M'lady. The first time we went out for Dim Sum and I asked for a fork was the last - she had me on a near-identical practice regimen straightaway. It worked. And she decided I was worth keeping.

Now our daughters are working on training their guys.

Poor Blighters
.

 

[ChloeTzang]

.. Then I started dating M'lady. The first time we went out for Dim Sum and I asked for a fork was the last - she had me on a near-identical practice regimen straightaway. It worked. And she decided I was worth keeping....

This sounds very familiar..... right down to the fork at dim sum. Ohhhhh the shame! The humiliation! The need to immediately rectify this sad state of affairs. The corrective measures. The incentives ..... with the right incentives, anyone can learn to use chopsticks. And there’s no dangerous pointy bits either!

 

[ChloeTzang]

Poor Blighters
.

Lol. Lucky lucky guys!

 

[Javahead]

Lol. Lucky lucky guys!

They jolly well should feel lucky!

 

[TxRad]

Good evening all. Fresh coffee is now available.

Not a very productive day on the writing front but... a very good day otherwise.

Supper was pork chops and smashed taters. Sliced pears for dessert.

 

[NotWise]

Good evening all. Fresh coffee is now available.

Gonna be around for a while?

We're actually getting rain! Of course, that has its good points and its bad points. I got over a hump (not what you might think) that's held me up for days, and was plowing ahead when lightning hit something somewhere and the power went out.

It was only out for a minute or so, but when it came back I had to restart the computer, recover the story, and replace some of the work.

Maybe a better power protector would be good.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Good evening all. Fresh coffee is now available.

Not a very productive day on the writing front but... a very good day otherwise.

Supper was pork chops and smashed taters. Sliced pears for dessert.

Here's one for you, Tex. Canned pear halves, even cheap ones. Make a syrup out of those red cinnamon St Valentine's Day heart candies and a bit of water (maybe a tiny bit of brandy, too). Can. Let sit a few months and then praise your tongue for its splendor. Serve with good vanilla ice cream if so desired.

 

[TxRad]

Here's one for you, Tex. Canned pear halves, even cheap ones. Make a syrup out of those red cinnamon St Valentine's Day heart candies and a bit of water (maybe a tiny bit of brandy, too). Can. Let sit a few months and then praise your tongue for its splendor. Serve with good vanilla ice cream if so desired.

My way of doing pear halves or pineapple rings is to lay a bed of shredded lettuce and add fruit with a dollop of mayo on each. Place a couple of teaspoons of honey, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, and a couple of teaspoons of water. Shake well and drizzle over the lettuce and fruit.

Sweet, spicy, tangy, and of course the fruit flavor. Yum!

 

[NotWise]

My way of doing pear halves or pineapple rings is to lay a bed of shredded lettuce and add fruit with a dollop of mayo on each. Place a couple of teaspoons of honey, a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon, and a couple of teaspoons of water. Shake well and drizzle over the lettuce and fruit.

My way of doing pears is to buy them in season, bite in, and wipe the juice off my chin.

The best I ever had were a gift from my uncle when I was still in my teens. They were shipped from Spain for Christmas. I put them in bowls and ate them with a spoon.

 

[srosa]

Coffee please. A weekend of packing and house viewing looks. The garage is half full of boxes and by eod Sunday, it should be completely full. Yikes.

Utensils? Chopsticks of course. My beloved now looks surprised when we go Chinese and they give him a fork! He’s being trained.

Good luck, Chloe! The packing sounds purgatorial. I hope it goes well and swiftly.

My way of doing pears is to buy them in season, bite in, and wipe the juice off my chin.

The best I ever had were a gift from my uncle when I was still in my teens. They were shipped from Spain for Christmas. I put them in bowls and ate them with a spoon.

Easier than with chopsticks!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Here's one for you, Tex. Canned pear halves, even cheap ones. Make a syrup out of those red cinnamon St Valentine's Day heart candies and a bit of water (maybe a tiny bit of brandy, too). Can. Let sit a few months and then praise your tongue for its splendor. Serve with good vanilla ice cream if so desired.

Hey TP, here's one for you to try:

Peel, halve, and scoop out the centers of three unripe Conference or Comice pears but leaving the stalks, poach gently, flat side down, in enough red wine to just cover them, with 2 reasonably large pieces crystallized stem ginger, a bouquet garni of 2 each fresh mint and rosemary stems and leaves, securely tied, and 2 heaped tablespoons granulated, not powdered, white cane sugar. When the pears are cooked firm, but not squishy, remove from the poaching liquid, take out the ginger and bouquet garni, strain the poaching liquid and put back on the heat, stir in 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with water beforehand to remove any lumps, remove when thickened, not boiling, drop in a slack handful of fresh redcurrants and spoon over the pears, or pool the sauce like a coulis on the plate and swirl in a tablespoon of pouring cream. Garnish with sugared fresh mint leaves or crystallized Angelica.