(no subject)

[emperor]

We had a few friends round for dinner last night, and I set the table as I usually do; this prompted some discussion of where the pudding utensils should have been arranged...

[Poll #1573723]

Comments

[makyo.livejournal.com]

I noticed recently that I seem to have got into the habit (at some point over the past few decades) of placing knives blade outwards rather than inwards (towards the plate) and that roughly nobody else seems to do this.

[wildeabandon.livejournal.com]

I was pondering what most posh restaurants do, but what they do is bring you new cutlery for each course, so it always goes at the sides.

We normally put them at the top, and robert_jones doesn't complain, so I think it must be alright ;>

[stephdairy.livejournal.com]

I was always taught that the forks followed each other around, and that you used cutlery starting with the outermost implements first.

(S)

[alitalf.livejournal.com]

If you give me good food, shall I care even if the cutlery is randomised? I think not!

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I've no idea. I'm used to desert utensils placed behind the mat, (and think that the practical difference is little, and for all practical purposes, either are acceptable), but I don't know which is "more traditional" amongst people who don't have new cutlery brought in for every course.

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

Pile all the cutlery in a heap in the middle of the table, everyone helps themselves as needed. ;-)

[lnr]

Given this is a dinner party at home, and not a formal occasion, pudding utensils at the top seems most appropriate.

I'd not be sure which order to put them in if at the side of the plate: working inwards from the starter is the usual order, but they'd look pretty silly on the inside of full-sized dinner knives and forks.

Some restaurants which lay the table with all cutlery will place them at the top and then move them to the sides just before the pudding is served, which seems like a nice compromise.

[lnr]

PS tell us what you cooked :)

[yrieithydd.livejournal.com]

I think my behaviour would be if only 2 courses (main and pudding) utensils for pudding go at the top (and it would probably only be a spoon) so that you have fork to the left, spoon at the top, knife to the right; but if there are 3+ courses all cutlery goes to the sides in appropriate order.

[realdoll.livejournal.com]

just as long as your knife and fork are left straight on the plate when you're finished (6 o clock position) or else I cry small hot tears of autistic RAGE

*snowflake*

[mirabehn.livejournal.com]

Unless one of your guests eats left-handed, in which case the positions (whichever method you're using) should be reversed. :-)

(Actually I don't really mind having to swap my cutlery around, so long as no one around minds me doing it, but it does make me particularly happy when I don't have to!)

[robert-jones.livejournal.com]

I'm assuming that pudding is going to be the last course. If you're going to serve a savoury afterwards, the savoury knife and fork should go at the top and the pudding utensils at the side. (Except at Churchill, apparently, where they confused me by putting the pudding utensils at the top, and the savoury utensils to the sides, so I accidentally ate my pudding with my savoury utensils and was left trying to eat an angel-on-horseback with a fort and spoon. But the usual rule for cultery selection is to start at the outside and work in, until you run out of cultery, then move to the top and work down.)

[sphyg.livejournal.com]

Mmm, pudding...

[mair_in_grenderich]

+ spoon above the fork

[mobbsy.livejournal.com]

None of the above.

Or rather, in a formal service á la russe the dessert cutlery shouldn't be on the table before dessert is served. (I know at least one person who insist on at least the formality of all associations with earlier courses, including condiments, are cleared before dessert is served. Incidently, that's the origin of the word "dessert", desservir la table.)

In less formal dining, above the plate.

[sunlightdances.livejournal.com]

Spoon & fork pointing the same way. Or, actually, have only ever had puddings where one or other was required. I'd put a pudding-fork above the place-setting so it was clear it was for pudding, rather than for a starter or something.

[fluffle.livejournal.com]

for a normal meal, I would set the spoon & fork at the top, I think someone else said "forks follow each other round" which would be right.

For a really formal meal with loads of cutlery though, I'd probably put it all on the sides.

[teleute.livejournal.com]

I'm trying to work out whether or not I miss the kind of dinner conversation that includes geekery about cutlery.