Bear Down Wildcats

My wife is always calling my out on my "backwoods arizona" ways. Sorry, we couldn't have been be raised in Marin County.

Anyhoo, this is a thread of all things etiquette.

First order of business:

Which hand you do you hold your knife in/which hand do you use to cut? Right or left?

She recently schooled me on the "Continental" vs "American" ways of holding a knife and fork...neither which is what I do apparently.

Frankly my take on etiquette is pragmatism and politeness, but there is a point where etiquette become impractical and for the sake of keeping up appearances, which I think is BS.

Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

Cut, fork then chew. What else is there ?

azcat49 wrote:Cut, fork then chew. What else is there ?

Think steaksicle.

Merkin wrote:Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

That's the American method.

I was taught cut with the right, eat with the left. I believe that's the Continental Method, and it makes much more sense.

i tend to do more cutting with my right now and eating with my left if it is a hunk of meat.

btw my mom grew up in Marin county and she has practically no tact or etiquette haha.

Both Merkin and Chi are correct:

Merkin - American (although this is fading in use due to the cumbersome nature of the utensil switch)
Chi - Continental.

CST: Reverse Continental - Knife in left, cut with left, eat with right.

Apparently, I am of lower humanoid for doing so.

Kill me now.

CalStateTempe wrote:Both Merkin and Chi are correct:

Merkin - American (although this is fading in use due to the cumbersome nature of the utensil switch)
Chi - Continental.

CST: Reverse Continental - Knife in left, cut with left, eat with right.

Apparently, I am of lower humanoid for doing so.

Continental is way easier, especially with waffles.

By the way, I own the most recent edition of Emily Post. I bought it in the bookstore in O'Hare. It makes life much easier. And helps me understand that I'm right and everyone else is wrong.

CalStateTempe wrote:Both Merkin and Chi are correct:

Merkin - American (although this is fading in use due to the cumbersome nature of the utensil switch)
Chi - Continental.

CST: Reverse Continental - Knife in left, cut with left, eat with right.

Apparently, I am of lower humanoid for doing so.

I am now forced by all the rules etiquette to rescind my standing invitation for squab and fingerling potatoes. Good day sir...

Merkin wrote:Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

Me too. If someone has a problem with that, threaten with the knife in the right hand, flip the bird with the left.

Lefty. Fork with my left, cut with my right. Had a fairly blue blood childhood in NY prior to moving to Tucson. Was never aware of the Continental vs. American styles. My great grandparents were off the boat from Luxembourg and very formal and Continental, but I never picked up on that difference despite all of the formal dining experience I had as a child.

Nonetheless, I'm keenly aware that an inordinate number of Idahoans hold their utensils with clubbed fists and attack protein as if it might yet wander off from the plate.

I use my right hand to wield the knife for cutting...

... I'm ambidextrous when it comes to sticking Etiquette Nazis, though - I usually give one (fair) warning....

Merkin wrote:Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

I'm a lefty. I cut with the left and eat with the right. I learned to never switch hands. Of course I deal cards with my right hand too. Left handers tend to be more ambidextrous.

Cut and eat with whatever hand you please, but for Christ's sake chew with your mouth closed

Catintheheat wrote:

Merkin wrote:Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

I'm a lefty. I cut with the left and eat with the right. I learned to never switch hands. Of course I deal cards with my right hand too. Left handers tend to be more ambidextrous.

Funny CITH, we're exact opposite on the utensils. You're right though, except for throwing and writing, I do almost everything else right-handed - golf, guitar, batting, dealing cards or right-footed in terms of skate or snow boarding or kicking a ball.

I thought Continental referred to the way the English and some Euros tend to hold/use the fork tines down to stab at food and then mash other bits up against the back of it, whereas Americans tend to use the fork tines up as a scoop.

I'm with TheBlackLodge, chew with your mouth closed and use a napkin.

I always cut and ate with the right hand. But lately I've been lazier and just have done the continental style.

And you don't need etiquette when you're home alone. I'll eat my dinner over the sink without pants on and chew with my mouth open as much as I want.

I had a girlfriend who, arguably, was more old school continental than anyone, insisting on using a spoon instead of a fork. Often, it actually made more sense. Like, why do we eat risotto with a fork instead of a spoon? There's nothing to stab.

Longhorned wrote:I had a girlfriend who, arguably, was more old school continental than anyone, insisting on using a spoon instead of a fork. Often, it actually made more sense. Like, why do we eat risotto with a fork instead of a spoon? There's nothing to stab.

Plus if it's really good and you polish it off, you're left chasing around the last grains with your fork, trying to balance them on a single tine for a precarious trip up to your drooping lower lip.

Which is why I use my bread for those last bits. In reality we should serve risotto in a trencher (or as you Panera-visiting Neanderthals call it, a "bread bowl").

Definitely what my already slightly pudgy office-bound figure needs....moar bread to serve my food inside of.

The trencher was the staple of food serving apparati for thousands of years. Should be brought back. Screw dishes.

Chicat wrote:

Longhorned wrote:I had a girlfriend who, arguably, was more old school continental than anyone, insisting on using a spoon instead of a fork. Often, it actually made more sense. Like, why do we eat risotto with a fork instead of a spoon? There's nothing to stab.

Plus if it's really good and you polish it off, you're left chasing around the last grains with your fork, trying to balance them on a single tine for a precarious trip up to your drooping lower lip.

Which is why I use my bread for those last bits. In reality we should serve risotto in a trencher (or as you Panera-visiting Neanderthals call it, a "bread bowl").

Is there anything better then mopping up the last bit of stew with some butter bread?

well those people also burned like 4000 calories a day doing 12 hours of field work or building etc outside for their lord or king or what not.

tip tapping away at emails in my office doesn't really equate to the need for bread bowls.

Or pasta sauce...yum yum

azgreg wrote:

Chicat wrote:

Longhorned wrote:I had a girlfriend who, arguably, was more old school continental than anyone, insisting on using a spoon instead of a fork. Often, it actually made more sense. Like, why do we eat risotto with a fork instead of a spoon? There's nothing to stab.

Plus if it's really good and you polish it off, you're left chasing around the last grains with your fork, trying to balance them on a single tine for a precarious trip up to your drooping lower lip.

Which is why I use my bread for those last bits. In reality we should serve risotto in a trencher (or as you Panera-visiting Neanderthals call it, a "bread bowl").

Is there anything better then mopping up the last bit of stew with some butter bread?

No, there is not. Chris Bianco or somebody who runs a sandwich shop should have it on their daily menu:

"The Beef Stew Sandwich: a thick beef stew with all the works on buttered crusty bread."

Who wouldn't stop in at lunch time and order that?

Sounds fantastic.

Here's a snippet from the imaginary review of the beef stew sandwich:

"... The "bread" is actually a large buttermilk biscuit, sliced into halves and then slathered with cold sweet cream butter. They allow the stew to cool slightly, which thickens its juices for a better sandwich experience, and keeps the butter from melting. When you bite into the sandwich, you perceive the layers and their textures, moving from the crisp outer biscuit to its soft, chewy interior, and then to the layer of butter, whose creamy sweetness plays beautifully off the perfectly seasoned beef and additional sweet notes of cooked carrots and onions...."

I picture it more in the style of a Subway Meatball sub with the bread cut the old subway method. A sort of V cut on the top with a little of the bread hollowed out.

instead of nasty subway bread though I would require an authentic crusty french Baguette. Instead of butter, I would line the bottom of the sub trough with muenster cheese and scoop in the piping hot stew right on so that. The cheese layer not only adds melty goodness, but also acts as a bit of a time release buffer so that the stew doesnt completely soak the bread right off the bat.

I'm finding conflicting articles regarding the etiquette of sopping up with bread. I'm definitely a sopper.

16. Sauces should not be sopped up with bread, nor should bread be dipped into coffee. . . . Though “Sopping up sauces or gravy with a piece of bread is standard practice in the good, hearty eating ways of middle-class Continental Europe; here, it is regarded as a little eccentric but flattering to the hostess.”

http://www.vogue.com/13252947/modern-et ... e-manners/
http://www.thekitchn.com/mop-it-up-161144

Gato Salvaje wrote:I picture it more in the style of a Subway Meatball sub with the bread cut the old subway method. A sort of V cut on the top with a little of the bread hollowed out.

instead of nasty subway bread though I would require an authentic crusty french Baguette. Instead of butter, I would line the bottom of the sub trough with muenster cheese and scoop in the piping hot stew right on so that. The cheese layer not only adds melty goodness, but also acts as a bit of a time release buffer so that the stew doesnt completely soak the bread right off the bat.

Your version can be on the "secret menu." It will be less famous, but hipper. You're welcome!

BearDown89 wrote:I'm finding conflicting articles regarding the etiquette of sopping up with bread. I'm definitely a sopper.

16. Sauces should not be sopped up with bread, nor should bread be dipped into coffee. . . . Though “Sopping up sauces or gravy with a piece of bread is standard practice in the good, hearty eating ways of middle-class Continental Europe; here, it is regarded as a little eccentric but flattering to the hostess.”

http://www.vogue.com/13252947/modern-et ... e-manners/
http://www.thekitchn.com/mop-it-up-161144

It would be absurd to disallow it.

When I first arrived in Italy on a study abroad program, the host institution had to explain to us that it's expected that everyone will sop up their sauces with bread, and it's what the bread is for.

Longhorned wrote:

Gato Salvaje wrote:I picture it more in the style of a Subway Meatball sub with the bread cut the old subway method. A sort of V cut on the top with a little of the bread hollowed out.

instead of nasty subway bread though I would require an authentic crusty french Baguette. Instead of butter, I would line the bottom of the sub trough with muenster cheese and scoop in the piping hot stew right on so that. The cheese layer not only adds melty goodness, but also acts as a bit of a time release buffer so that the stew doesnt completely soak the bread right off the bat.

Your version can be on the "secret menu." It will be less famous, but hipper. You're welcome!

Hmmmm. This is worse than the time I caddied for the Dali lama and he stiffed me on the tip.

Gato Salvaje wrote:

Longhorned wrote:

Gato Salvaje wrote:I picture it more in the style of a Subway Meatball sub with the bread cut the old subway method. A sort of V cut on the top with a little of the bread hollowed out.

instead of nasty subway bread though I would require an authentic crusty french Baguette. Instead of butter, I would line the bottom of the sub trough with muenster cheese and scoop in the piping hot stew right on so that. The cheese layer not only adds melty goodness, but also acts as a bit of a time release buffer so that the stew doesnt completely soak the bread right off the bat.

Your version can be on the "secret menu." It will be less famous, but hipper. You're welcome!

Hmmmm. This is worse than the time I caddied for the Dali lama and he stiffed me on the tip.

But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness. So you got that going for you, which is nice.

Big hitter, the Lama.

When I first saw someone sopping up sauce with their bread I was so startled that I dropped a whole handful of mashed potatoes.

Catintheheat wrote:

Merkin wrote:Cut with the right, eat with the right. Never known anyone to do it differently except for left handers.

I'm a lefty. I cut with the left and eat with the right. I learned to never switch hands. Of course I deal cards with my right hand too. Left handers tend to be more ambidextrous.

Same, except I deal lefty. Never understood switching hands. Because stabbing takes so much skill?

Chicat wrote:

Longhorned wrote:I had a girlfriend who, arguably, was more old school continental than anyone, insisting on using a spoon instead of a fork. Often, it actually made more sense. Like, why do we eat risotto with a fork instead of a spoon? There's nothing to stab.

Plus if it's really good and you polish it off, you're left chasing around the last grains with your fork, trying to balance them on a single tine for a precarious trip up to your drooping lower lip.

Which is why I use my bread for those last bits. In reality we should serve risotto in a trencher (or as you Panera-visiting Neanderthals call it, a "bread bowl").

In Mexican food, it's known as the sopaipilla.

And yes, you can scoop all your rice and refried beans into it and eat it. It's awesome.