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GENERAL
ANSWERS
Q. What different kind of
table settings are there?
Q.
What is the most standard fork, spoon and knife layout
on a dinner table?
Q.
Is eating raw rice wrong?
Q.
How do you pronounce 'cuisine'?
Q. What different kind of table settings
will I find if I'm going to different ethnic
restaurants?
A. As we write up each
cuisine, we'll tell you when the table setting is
different from what we're used to in America.
Sometimes, it's just a little bit different, like
finding tongs above your plate at a Brazilian
Churrascaria; other times, you'll find items like
chopsticks, decorative spoons, lobster shell crackers
and other useful but mysterious gadgets and utensils.
Check each column for details.
Q.
What is the most standard fork, spoon and knife layout
on a dinner table? How many and in which sequence?
A. Ah, cutlery! The
answer to your question depends on a few things: Which
cuisine are you serving, how many courses, and what is
each dish exactly? For most American and European
meals, what you can do is look at all the courses you'll
be serving, determine which utensils people will need to
eat each dish, and then lay them at each setting such
that the utensils furthest from the center of the
setting will be used first, the second furthest will be
used second, and the closest will be used last.
Here's a link to
The
Old Farmer's Almanac's suggested lay-out (I'd put
the bread plate under the napkin, but everything else I
agree with).
With chopsticks, put them to the right of
people, and try to provide a chopsticks holder.
With a super-long meal, consider bringing some of the
cutlery out just before, or with the food items-- you
don't want the table to look like a silverware store!
Q.
Is eating raw rice wrong?
A. If you mean eating
uncooked rice, then the answer is 'yes'. Uncooked
rice, aside from being unpleasant to eat, is difficult
for your body to digest.
If you mean
natural brown rice, with its bran still on, then this
rice is very good for you- eating it will bring extra
fiber to your diet, and keep your colon happy.
Enjoy!
Q.
How do you pronounce the word 'cuisine'?
A. 'Cuisine' is a word that
English speakers have adapted from the French, meaning
'a style of cooking'. It follows typical French
pronunciation. In two syllables, it sounds like "kwee-SEEN"
or "kwi-ZEEN". In French, it also means
'kitchen'.
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