utensil etiquette: I have read & heard many times that

Schweb

cutting food w/ the knife in your right hand, fork in the left and then laying the knife down & transferring the fork over to your right hand before putting the food in your mouth is an American thing - Europeans do not bother with the transfer, they just stick the fork in their mouth with their left hand - this is completely proper. And Americans who think people who eat this way are exhibiting a lack of proper table manners are just showing their own ignorance . . .

Well, I say "when in Rome . . ." my MIL eats this way - gobbles whatever she just cut right off the fork in her lefts hand, and I promise she does not know squat about European table manners. She is just lazy and genuinely ill-mannered. I know this b/c she also talks with food still in her mouth. (so gross) I think taking the time to put your fork in your right hand keeps you from shoveling your food - and it's the "American way." So I plan to teach DD and DS to do the transfer - 

what about y'all? 

DevonPow

DH and I both do it the European way. I was forced to talke cotillion and etiquette as a child and that is how I was taught to do it.  I assume we will have DS do it that way, but either way is technically appropriate.

 

DevonPow

I should clarify - we hold the fork in our left hand, not our right. No transfer.

amiamish

seriously??? you lost me after mid-1st paragraph.. all the words started bluring together

I am just focusing on getting DS to USE a fork, let alone which hand or if he transfers it properly...

Littlejen22

Since Americans weigh more than most Europeans I don't think they do it to shovel it into their mouths.  They cut one piece than eat that one piece, they think we are too lazy for that and cut a ton and then shovel into our mouths - my DH is English.  Either way is fine...talking with food in your mouth is not.

Schweb

exactly right, Littlejen - I think Americans are much more likely than are Europeanss to shovel their food into their mouths, so the extra step in there can only benefit many of us.

I used to work for a British company, and when our UK colleagues would come to to the US office they were apalled by the enormous portions sizes whenever we took them out to restaurants.

newportbride715

While I think both can be acceptable, I don't think you should base your opinion of a refined way of eating on a woman who you say yourself is obviously ill-mannered. 

Most traditions re: etiquette are of course going to come from Europe (and from our own European-American ancestors) because it is much older than the US. Europeans were fine dining before we even existed! So I don't see how we should have a problem w/ rules of etiquette being European.

Kelly Madonna

Giggling at this whole post. There are very few things that make me feel that different now that I've been in the U.S. for ages, but using a knife & fork still does.

Schweb

but Newport bride, I don't have a prob with the fact that Western table manners originated in Europe, I am just having a debate with myself about what I will teach my children as far as proper use of utensils is concerned. I hope they don't get the idea that G'ma's way is A-ok. The European way seems more streamlined and graceful, actually, but more easily mis-used.

AND this was just my issue du jour. I just wanted to see what some of y'all thought. So, I am done thinking about it for now.

newportbride715

I guess I misunderstood you when you said "Well I say when in Rome..." No offense meant!