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Post by hwinpp on May 25, 2009 5:41:42 GMT
I had lunch at a Chinese restaurant on Saturday, one dish being a big plate of prawns steamed with lemongrass. Of course I ate them with my fingers, just like everyone else. And I sucked out the heads!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 25, 2009 14:03:20 GMT
Well, there you go ~~ steamed or boiled crustaceans are fine to eat with the fingers. I still object to any buttery or oily ones having to be peeled at the table.
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Post by Deleted on May 31, 2009 1:17:07 GMT
Mr. C and I went to one of our favorite local eateries this evening. One of our entrees had grilled asparagus and I picked it up to eat with my hands and Mr. C. and half the restaurant looked at me like I was a barbarian. Mr. C said,"something you picked up on your little forum from Bixa and her friends?". But, truly, he said it with his usual dry wit ,not disdain. It was a very humorous moment.
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Post by rikita on Jun 8, 2009 17:10:36 GMT
i suppose i am american then. i have always eaten with the fork in my right hand, and the knife in the left, much to the annoyance of my mom. in my case, i assume it comes from not being allowed to use a knife as a child - so then i was taught to have the fork in my right hand. once i started using a knife, i just wasn't able to get myself to use the fork iwth the left hand, so i took the knife in that hand...
anyway, i am a messy eater in general, so i guess i should avoid formal dinners and very expensive restaurants in general. all that matters to me, usually, is that the food reaches my mouth.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2009 17:13:32 GMT
I see nothing wrong with reversing the knife and fork. The weird things about Americans is having to put their knife down and change hands to use the fork to convey the food to their mouth.
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Post by rikita on Jun 8, 2009 17:37:46 GMT
well i don't do that, though i do switch it for cutting something. so when i cut and then put the food to the mouth alll the time, then yes, i switch all the time.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 8, 2009 17:52:36 GMT
It's one of the great mysteries of the universe as to how an entire country adapted that very awkward style as the correct method.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 8, 2009 21:19:15 GMT
My grandfather who was Austrian ate with the knife in the right hand and fork in the left, spearing pieces of food and bringing them to his mouth with his "upside down" fork.
At least, he ate that way when he was in America. When we visited him in Europe, he ate "American style" switching hands. Just to seem more exotic, I guess.
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Post by Kimby on Jun 8, 2009 21:22:14 GMT
I think the American putting-the-knife-down habit is a "politeness" thing in which you aren't supposed to cut too many pieces of meat at a time.
If you aren't using the knife for cutting, then why not set it down and use your dominant hand for the important business of putting your food in your mouth?
I prefer the European method for meat, but can't imagine how one eats mashed potatoes or peas with an upside-down fork...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2009 21:26:06 GMT
One doesn't. The upside down fork is only for spearing things like meat or a piece of potato.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 9, 2009 2:51:18 GMT
Yikes ~~ not the tip of the knife?!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2009 5:23:03 GMT
That's only if you want to flip it off the table into the mouth of your pet wolf.
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Post by hwinpp on Jun 9, 2009 8:08:18 GMT
I always felt most comfortable if I didn't need to change hands. I'd always end up eating salad with the fork in my left hand.
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Post by mockchoc on Jun 10, 2009 9:27:39 GMT
My favourite thing will always be to eat with my fingers whenever possible of course not when socially unexceptable.
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