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Roasted Pecans the Perfect Choice for the Perfect Treat

Did you know that pecans have a total of nineteen minerals and vitamins? They are a nutritious snack, with so many healthy benefits for your body. You have heard the saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, well just think how your body will benefit from eating a handful of pecans, which have as much fiber in them as an apple.

Your doctor will be very pleased with how you are taking care of yourself. Roasted pecans are low in sodium, which is an additive that is harmful for those people who have high blood pressure. They are a natural snack, not full of preservatives or other chemicals, all of which your body has trouble digesting. Roasted pecans can be eaten as a snack for those who are watching their weight, as you will feel fuller from eating them, instead of reaching for a sweet treat, which will put on unwanted pounds.

Pecans are grown in the south, mainly in the state of, and so many recipes that contain pecans, originated from that part of the country. Roasted pecans can be eaten just as they are, but they can also be used in so many wonderful, nutritious dishes that will appeal to the fussiest eater in your household. One favorite is a casserole of sweet potatoes, with a pecan topping. They are also very delicious used as a topping over your favorite ice cream and sundae topping.

A package of roasted pecans are a great treat for someone to take with them, when they are going for their morning run, as these nuts have so many good qualities, and they will boost their energy level, which is very important when you are burning up all the calories, when running. There are some excellent selections of roasted pecans to be found online such as those at Tannerspecan.com. Roasted pecans will also help in keeping your blood sugar level where it should be.

If you are one of those people who likes to make their own snack foods, then this is a recipe for you to try. You will need a few things, about five cups of pecans, half a cup of butter, about a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce and some salt. The first thing you do is to melt the butter in a pan, 9-13. Add the pecans and the worcestershire sauce. Bake in an oven set at 250 F, stirring every 15 minutes or so, and bake for approximately one hour. Put some paper towels on you counter, drain your pecans on it, then sprinkle them with just salt, or you could use some seasoned salt, if you prefer. These could be a wonderful gift for a friend who is a diabetic, or who is watching their carbohydrates intake.

Of course there are many places which sell roasted pecans, and they are just as delicious and delectable as making your own. There are so many varieties available to choose from, with different spices added, or if you prefer, just salt, that can be purchased also. Make sure the company where you are buying your roasted pecans is a reputable one, where they are inspected periodically, to make sure everything is run according to proper specifications. There are many who might use the previous years crop of pecans, but you want to be positively sure that your pecans are processed in a plant where they use this years crop.

Roasted Pecans are very perfect gift for this valentine available at http://www.tannerspecan.comArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/roasted-pecans-the-perfect-choice-for-the-perfect-treat-1788119.html

Pro Auction are pleased to announce the sale of surplus plant and machinery at Cumbrian Seafoods Ltd

The auction live from the premises and broadcast worldwide on the www.bidspotter.com bidding portal, is expected to attract bidders from around the globe, interested in acquiring used food machinery at a fraction of the original purchase cost.

The entire contents of this modern food processor, following closure of the plant and assets surplus to on-going operations within the group are to include meat & fish processing equipment, ready meals processing, frying lines, CFS tray sealing lines and packing, multi – head weighers, Mutlivac thermoformers, refrigeration equipment, ancillary factory items such as tables, sinks etc. In total over 300 lots of quality machinery will go under the hammer on the day.

A wide range of versatile equipment that suits many applications from Marel, Carnitech, Fomaco and Stein are some of the lots offered in fish processing preparation. Whilst equipment from Multivac, Scanvaeght, CFS – Convenience Food Systems, Ishida and Mondini are offered from the packing halls.

Simon Rose, director at Pro Auction comments that the food and drink industry is the UK’s largest manufacturing sector with an annual turnover of £70bn. The sector is continual evolving to cater for new demands from consumers and whilst the sector is not recession-proof, it is more resilient than other areas of the economy, as a result auctions where plant and machinery comes available contributes to the continual development within the sector.

Cumbrian Seafoods, the UK’s leading independent seafood company based on the Solway Firth was listed by the Sunday Times with the fastest growing profits. Founded just 10 years ago by Peter Vassallo, the company provides fresh fish and seafood products to the majority of the supermarket giants.

In addition to the auction of the machinery, the former food production facility at Maryport is available for purchase, freehold offers are sought in the region of £900,000 for the building GIA – 7619.17m² (82,012 sq ft) total site area – 1.05 ha (2.6 acres) or thereabouts.

Open viewing for inspection of the equipment will take Wednesday 3rd March between 08.30am until 4.00pm and on the morning of the sale.

During the live auction internet bidders can bid live, as if actually attending the auction they can competitively place bids against other Internet bidders as well as bidders on the auction house floor, the customers can see the catalogue images and descriptions and hear the auctioneers voice calling the auction. They can buy from the auction with the click of a button.

Pro Auction are Europes leading specialist auctioneers of plant and machinery within the food industry, with regular sales held in the meat, bakery and ready meals sector.

Mark Flynn, managing director of the firm said “we are planning our next events for March and April and the rest of the year, we welcome contact from manufacturers and consignment of lots for future sales, we offer a confidential no fee assessment of selling your surplus equipment or factory contents through our professional services”.

For further information or a catalogue contact Mark Flynn on 07903 018331 or Simon Rose on 07946 496697 or through our main contact office Pro Auction Limited www.proauction.com Telephone: (+44) 01761 414000 Facsimile: (+44) 0845 280 2492 Email: info ( @ ) proauction dot ltd dot uk dot

http://www.proauction.ltd.uk

Source:
http://www.1888pressrelease.com/pro-auction-are-pleased-to-announce-the-sale-of-surplus-plan-pr-180217.html

http://www.proauction.ltd.uk/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/pro-auction-are-pleased-to-announce-the-sale-of-surplus-plant-and-machinery-at-cumbrian-seafoods-ltd-1781230.html

Why Soul Food Recipes Sites Flooding Internet

One of the fastest growing  cuisines on the internet is free soul food recipe sites. You can find advertisers clamoring for space on many of the many popular search engines.  You can find major mainstream food manufacturers and processors advertising under the keywords. And you can find ambitious upstarts paying for adverting along  side billion dollar food corporations for search engine ad space.

Where did this sudden interest come from?  Soul food recipes have always enjoyed a long tradition. A popular southern cuisine that dates back to Pre-Civil war slavery. The food that slaves invented, nurtured and preserved for over 3 centuries, is now a billion dollar industry.

Yes, this popular southern cuisine has come from food the slave master didn’t want to a lucrative industry. The soul food recipes industry includes cookbook publishing, restaurants, food manufacturing, television cooking shows, and food marketing. Now can you see why major food manufactures are elbowing for a piece of the soul food recipe market.

But what’s fueling this sudden surge in popularity?  The big surge now is the economy. People are eating out less and cooking more meals at home, specifically African Americans who have been hit hardest by the economic downturn of the past 3 years. They’ll looking for more ways to save money. One of the biggest and quickest ways to save money is to cook more meals at home. The average family can save over half of their total food cost by cooking more meals at home instead of eating out.

As more African Americans save money by cooking more meals at home this has been an obvious boost to the soul food industry. Why? Because  African Americans consume the most.  And any market that experiences fast growth automatically attracts advertisers and the crowd that comes with it.

That’s why you’re finding more free soul food recipe websites,  food marketers, processors and distributors adverting on those pages hoping to attract the growing number of eyes to their products and services.  In the industry is expected to grow as more new families and mothers look to save by cooking more meals at home.

There is a whole new generation who will have a need to learn soul food cooking skills in the coming years.  Recipe books, websites and even classes will fill a growing consumer need to many people who have to learn how to do what mother of past generation

See The Top 20 Soul Food Recipes Voted by Our Readers This Week Based On Taste and Ease of Preparation, Go to … Free Soul Food Recipes

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/why-soul-food-recipes-sites-flooding-internet-1772120.html

Best and Worst Holiday Foods

The holidays are a time when the whole family gets together to exchange gifts, to celebrate, and the most important thing, to eat. During the holidays, eating good food is a must, and most people eat over 600 more calories than their regular diet. That’s because it can be hard to resist Mom’s homemade apple pie, Aunt Debbie’s famous hors d’oeuvre platter, or Cousin Jimmy’s secret ingredient chili.

Most of us really should be trying to avoid these types of food, but we pull the “it’s the holidays” card to cover up our appetite. But, instead of gorging yourself with the some of the unhealthiest foods available, a few easy adjustments can be made to satisfy your holiday hunger without going up in clothes sizes.

The first thing we go for during the holidays is usually the drinks. Eggnog is the holiday drink favorite, and most of us don’t know that we are usually consuming around 350 calories, 19 grams of fat, and 22 grams of sugars in one glass. And that’s not including the alcohol. A good replacement beverage for the holidays is hot chocolate. This drink only totes 120 calories, 4 grams of fat, 15 grams of sugars, and is not short on the tasty side.

Gin and tonic is another holiday drink favorite for the adults, but in just an 8-ounce serving, this beverage has some very unhealthy qualities. In that small serving, you get a whopping 220 calories and more than 20 grams of sugar. A suggestion for people trying not to gain 20 pounds by January 1st would be to pick up a glass of champagne that only packs 100 calories and a fraction of the sugars.

Appetizers and hors d’oeuvres can also be heavy-hitters when it comes to foods that add the weight. They may seem innocent in their small form factor, but some of the ingredients used to make them can boost calorie and fat levels. One to look out for is spinach artichoke cheese-dip.

This “beginner” usually contains a little below 300 calories and 17-20 grams of fat. For healthier appetizers, choose fruits, vegetables, and light cheeses from the platters. Shrimp cocktail is also another healthy and delicious substitute, because they are very low in calories and low maintenance.

One of the worst holiday desserts, and foods, you can eat is pecan pie. Holding about 800 calories per slice, 65 grams of fat, and 50 grams of sugar this will definitely help pack on the holiday pounds. And that doesn’t even include the ice creams and other toppings that can go on top of the nut topped sugary syrup filling.

A lighter and healthier substitute is chocolate fondue. Dipping fresh fruits or even cubes of low-fat and low-calorie angel food cake in some melted unsweetened chocolate can make a fun and delicious holiday treat that the whole family can enjoy.

It’s okay to enjoy your eating experience during the holidays with some of your family’s famous dishes, but keep your health and weight in mind. A lot of people make New Year’s resolutions, and if your resolution is to be healthier or to lose weight, you wouldn’t want to add anymore weight to want you want to lose the next year.

To learn more about the many health benefits of owning a rebounder or to order your Reboundair or needak rebounder visit our site irebounder.com or call us at 1-800-644-0453.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/best-and-worst-holiday-foods-1771473.html

Betty Crocker Cake Mix Coupon – Free Printable Betty Crocker Cake Mix Coupons

Print Your Free Betty Crocker Cake Mix Coupons Here

Household consumables are so expensive for people now that any savings are welcomed.

Families are finding that food prices and groceries are rising in price and many are using grocery coupons to save money on their housekeeping bills.

It’s so easy to save money by using coupons on your shopping outings and you can get your Betty Crocker cake mix coupons by clicking on the link above or below and printing the coupons directly from your computer in 30 seconds flat.

With so many people finding it hard in the credit crunch people are looking for ways to save money and this can be achieved by cutting down on your outgoings.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by using grocery coupons to reduce your final bill at the checkout of your favourite grocery store.

Print Your Free Betty Crocker Cake Mix Coupons Here

Unemployment is so high at the moment and by using printable coupons you are able to save money every time when you go shopping at your grocery shop.

If you have a computer and internet connection you can easily print free Betty Crocker coupons directly from your computer.

Betty Crocker cake mix coupons are very popular because everyone loves the Betty Crocker range and is high on everyone’s shopping list. They give you a great discount off the in-store price.

To use coupons all you have to do is print them from your computer and take them along to your grocery shop. Hand the coupons over when you pay your bill and the amount will be deducted from your final bill.

What better and easier way is there to saving money, cutting down on your expenses and getting your Betty Crocker Cake Mix at a discount price.

==> Print Betty Crocker Cake Mix Coupons Today

Coupons and Samples FreeArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/betty-crocker-cake-mix-coupon-free-printable-betty-crocker-cake-mix-coupons-1767519.html

Do You Like Indian Food?

Indian cuisine is one of the most popular types of food in the UK. We love Indian food so much so that we even have a National Curry Week, which usually runs at the end of November. There are well over 10,000 Indian restaurants in the UK and if all the Chicken Tikka Masalas sold in a year were stacked up on top of each other, they would be 2,770 times higher than the Millennium Dome.

But why are us Brits so obsessed with this exotic food, is it perhaps the spicyness that is so often lacking in our own food, or is it the rich creamy curries like Chicken Korma that attract our morose taste buds. India is an extremely large country and much of its culinary history has been influenced by other countries and cultures. The Persians introduced a variety of rich ingredients and nuts as did the Chinese. You will also find that Thai and Malaysian food is heavily influenced by Indian cuisine, which has led them to creating their own delicious curries.

Whatever it is our affection for Indian food goes back further than you would think. In fact you can follow it back some 400 years, when the East India Company allegedly brought various ingredients and dishes to our shores in the 1600s. Most of these adventurous seamen were from Bengal, which is a region in the East of India.

You will find that Indian cuisine differs from region to region with the north being famous for bread dishes such as Roti and Paratha. Where as, if you travel east you will find that sweet dishes such as Rasagolla, which is a savoury cheese ball dipped in syrup is very popular. You will probably not find these dishes at your local Indian restaurant. This is because over time Indian food has been adapted to our tastes and is why you find dishes like Korma and Vindaloo on most Indian takeaway menus.

As more people from India immigrated to the UK our cultural diversity expanded as did our appetite for Indian food and the variety of dishes on offer. One of the first Indian restaurants to open in London was The Shafi back in 1920; it was started by two friends from North India. Ever since then the popularity of Indian cuisine has continued to grow. However, it was not until the 1970s and 80s that going for a curry became as normal going to the pub. It was at this time that many restaurants began to expand their service to also include Indian takeaway.

Our love of Indian food is stronger than ever and our culture has embraced this fantastic cuisine more so than any other. Its rich taste and use of exotic spices has made it a popular choice for couples and family’s all over the country.

Indian takeaway in London

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/do-you-like-indian-food-1761745.html

Catering? Why Not?

The catering industry can be exciting and vibrant in beautiful San Francisco. This scenic city is the site for any range of events, from weddings to corporate meetings. For those with culinary training in San Francisco, there are a number of companies that adhere to the highest standards in providing the best possible eating experience for their clients.

Paula LeDuc Fine Catering

Paula LeDuc founded this company back in 1980, and has been helping to custom create the finest events for her clients for almost 30 years now. As part of her founding principles, the focus has always been on providing the finest cooking in San Francisco. The company offers a number of private venues for catering events, one in Napa Valley and another in Sonoma Valley to name a few. The dishes provided are custom tailored to the event itself, and only the freshest, high quality ingredients are used. Paula has been employing the finest San Francisco chefs available, helping to make Paula LeDuc Fine Catering one of the most respected catering companies in the city.

Taste Catering

Taste Catering has made sustainable food practices and organic products one of the cornerstones of its cooking philosophy. Customers are able to help create a specialized menu, which is then brought to life by award-winning San Francisco chefs. Enjoy seasonal produce, fresh baked bread, pastries and more. The company has earned its acclaim, first established in 1978, and has serviced countless high-caliber clients over the course of its successful 30 year history. Owners MeMe Pederson and Janet Griggs say that they “encourage excellence and loyalty” in their employees, and have continued to support a number of charitable causes including Meals on Wheels and The Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture.

Carrie Dove Catering

This full-service catering company in San Francisco can provide everything from food and staff to the perfect venue for any gathering. Carrie Dove caters any size of event, from small dinner parties to large weddings, bar mitzvahs and more. Personal chefs with excellent culinary training can even do nutritional consultations and cooking lessons for individuals or small groups. Featured in Food and Wine Magazine, Carrie Dove Catering is perfect for those looking to host an event using a frontrunner in the San Francisco catering industry.

Cooking For Parties

Whether you’re looking to plan an event or work in the catering industry, these businesses are some of the best catering companies in San Francisco. All of them employ the finest catering chefs and have some of the most delicious menus in San Francisco and the Bay Area.

This article is presented by The California Culinary Academy. The California Culinary Academy offers Le Cordon Bleu culinary education classes and culinary training programs in San Francisco, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/San-Francisco for more information.

The jobs mentioned are examples of certain potential jobs, not a representation that these outcomes are more probable than others. The California Culinary Academy does not guarantee employment or salary.

 Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America provides quality culinary  training with professional chefs. Le Cordon Bleu offers programs in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie and Baking, Hospitality and Restaurant Management, and Online programs. Visit  http://www.chefs.edu for more information. Le Cordon Bleu does not guarantee employment or salary.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/catering-why-not-1756565.html

How to Choose an Online Wine Merchant

Buying wine online has become a rather popular pastime for enthusiasts everywhere as people are realising the great convenience it offers. Besides having a vast inventory to peruse, you will also be able to educate yourself on the many different varieties of wines and which type goes best with certain meals or events. But first, you will have to choose an online wine merchant to conduct your business with.

Buying wine can often be a formidable task, particularly if you aren’t sure of the jargon used and how to sort through your countless options. Easily identifying fine wines is an art that takes time to develop, however, in the technological age we live in today, it is now possible to hone your skills and purchase the finest of wines right from the comforts of your own home.

Selecting an online wine merchant that’s knowledgeable about their wares and boasts an impressive collection of varieties to choose from is a task not to be taken lightly, especially if this is your first foray into the world of purchasing wines via the Internet. You will also want to choose a merchant who not only has the wines you are looking for, but one that will also be kind to your budget.

You may already have a general idea as to what you’re looking for or a few favourite wines in mind, if so, be sure the merchant you choose has plenty in stock at a reasonable cost. With an online wine merchant you will have the opportunity to carefully read the wine’s descriptions from the maker and view images of the bottles at your leisure.

Take advantage of any learning tools on the wine merchant’s website such as wine and food matching guides and take the time to utilise the knowledge and experience of the company’s panel of wine tasters. You will more than likely naturally have many questions.

Some important questions and points to keep in mind when choosing an online wine merchant include:

- Are the merchant’s prices comparable to the competitions’, both online and off?

- Are the product categories neatly organised and easy to navigate?

- Are advertised wines in stock regularly and is it made well known when quantities are limited?

- Are wines stored by the merchant in a climate controlled environment?

- Are wine tastings done frequently by the merchant’s staff?

- Does the company’s staff seem knowledgeable about the wines they sell?

- Does the website offer full descriptions, images, and guides or helpful hints for choosing various wines?

- Does the merchant offer any type of futures program were clients can purchase wines before their regular release?

- How does the merchant stay competitive in the global wine market of today? Do they attend tastings and stay abreast of additions

- Is the site’s collection of wines sophisticated, expansive and offer choices from several regions?

- Is there an opportunity to visit the merchant’s brick and mortar location for public tastings or to meet with the winemakers themselves or their representatives?

- Is the merchant’s site secure and take measures to protect your sensitive financial information?

- What is the wine merchant’s return policy?

- What are the merchant’s shipping charges and policies?

By keeping the answers to these essential questions in mind when choosing an online wine merchant you will be able to easily find one whose standards are as high as yours are when it comes to fine wines.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who writes for a number of UK businesses. For wine merchants & importers he recommends Alexander Hadleigh, a leading supplier of some of the worlds Finest Wines.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/how-to-choose-an-online-wine-merchant-1752056.html

The best use of water filters and water coolers to set up office drinking fountains

Australia experiences dry weather with light thundershowers during the rainy seasons. Actually it is nothing but drizzling. To ensure proper drinking water supply to the water seekers of common people, organization and offices are creating drinking outlets and maintaining water dispensers within the offices. The water coolers and water filtration systems are highly in use as employee care is a mandatory step that a corporation needs to take in case of reaching the global standards. There are several ways of selecting and purchasing a water filter or a water cooler online, it is really interesting to take a quick look at the available options.

It is not that only for reaching the global standards the Aussie companies maintain water filtration systems. A glass of water is often refreshing and while working many of us take break, drink a glass of water and come back to our workstations being refreshed. Most of the popular water filter manufacturers offer their products online, at the same time online purchase is easy and hassle free. This is really a major reason behind increasing online sales of the water coolers and water filtration systems. The office water coolers can be installed immediately after they are purchased. It is prudent to arrange for the main water supply channel before the plumbers arrive.

Drinking clean and pure water is nothing but keeping ourselves safe. Bottled water coolers were in use but now due to the convenience and better features of the modern water filters, water dispensers it has become easier to set up proper drinking fountains. It is true that the water treatment plants nearer to the suburban areas treat water with the effective filtration process but still, the water comes through the pipelines. The pipelines cannot be periodically changed. Often these pipelines are used over the years. So, intake of tap water can be detrimental for health and buying a water filter is the ideal solution. The office water filters are now in high demand across all of the Australian states.

Finding a suitable plumber is not a problem when the water filter is purchased online from any parts of Australia. As most of the reputed water filter sellers offer online products, they provide free installation. Just after the water filter is sent through courier, the plumbers turn up. The installation process is a free service and after sale customer support of the online water filter sellers are also good. User manuals and installation guides are provided with the water filters and the fitters accurately follow the steps to fix the filtration system in your office or home. While selection of a water cooler it is prudent to ensure that it offers reverse osmosis facility.

It is often discussed that whether online purchase is convenient or by visiting a store, basically the question is like “spoon is better or fork?”Online purchase is convenient and most of the reputed companies offer products in the era of online commerce. Again, orthodox people prefer visiting the stores. Australia as a nation has accepted e-commerce first and ahead of any other nation. Across Australia online sales are quite high. Again, customers care of the reputed manufacturers have been always better.

Unlimited Water is and Australian based Water filters service provider of water filtering, filtered water, water office, Drinking fountains, cool water and water coolers by our Quality System sanitisation service.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/the-best-use-of-water-filters-and-water-coolers-to-set-up-office-drinking-fountains-1747797.html

Table Etiquettes and Manners

Introduction

Table etiquettes or table manners are  ’a set of principles which define behaviour exhibited while eating’. This includes the appropriate use of articles like napkins, utensils etc. In addition, the body posture as well as whole demeanour contributes to table manners.

Before the Meal

It is your obligation to respond to an invitation well in advance so that the host or the hostess is well aware of the number of guest attending. Always dress according to type of the occasion or the recommended dress code, if any. Also in some social circles, it is considered ‘against the rules’ to attempt to ‘out dress’ the hostess! Always consider taking along a gift like a bottle of wine or champagne. Flowers and chocolate would suffice in a culture where wine is still a social taboo.

Try to be on time – reach at the time promised by you. If you are going to be late, it is your duty to inform about the same. Check with the host if you are allowed to bring along a friend. Never mix people or groups whose interests and pursuits in life do not match. You might end up being a source of scorn for either of them if they don’t enjoy the social meeting. If however, you are host or hostess, and any of guests arrives with an unexpected friend, don’t bother. Just welcome him or her as your friend. Also, it is a prime responsibility of a host or hostess to mingle with everyone. None of the guest should be left feeling ignored.

Table setting

Table setting, as the name suggest is the way a table is set using tableware and dishware and utensils—for the purpose of  serving as well as eating.

Tableware

While setting the table for dinner, certain rules are followed as to what goes where. Knives are always to the right, and forks are always to the left. When soup  is served as the first course, the soup spoon will be on the extreme right. Dessert cutlery for the dessert will always be at the top of the place setting with the fork facing right and the spoon positioned above this facing left.

For the guests, the rule is to always work from the outside. Use the outside knife and fork for the first course of the meal and then work towards the inside for each subsequent course.

Glassware

For the purpose of serving and drinking wines, various kinds of glasses are used. These will be positioned on the table above the knives. The glass of water is placed to the extreme left, with the subsequent glasses from the left to right being for champagne, white wine, red wine and then dessert wine.

Plates and Napkins

A base (place) plate sits in the middle of the cutlery. This will usually have the folded napkin placed on it. In some cases, the first course may already be served in this plate; the napkin will be then be kept to the left of the forks. The side plate, also called the butter plate lies to the left of the forks with a side knife or a butter knife laid across it.

Proper Eating Style

If you are the host or the hostess, always remember the manner in which you are supposed to serve food. Generally,  the lady sitting to the right of the host is served first, then the other ladies in a clockwise direction, and lastly the gentlemen in the same pattern. Once seated at the table, the first thing to do for a guest is to unfold the napkin and place it across the lap. It can be used occasionally for wiping your lips after sipping something or for wiping your fingers.

Always wait for the host to give a go ahead to start eating. The handles of the knife and the fork are to be held in the palm of the hand, with the forefinger being on the top and the thumb underneath. You can place the knife or the fork on either side of the plate between mouthfuls. Forks should not be turned over to the right hand unless being used for eating foods like peas, sweet corn or rice. At the end of the dinner, place them side by side in the middle of the plate. Desserts can be eaten with either a spoon or a fork.

Ask the guest sitting close to you to pass you the food you need. Under no circumstances are you supposed to reach for them by stretching across the table. Talking with one’s mouth full is unpleasant, not only to the eater but to the onlooker as well. Slurping or burping while eating are considered very impolite. Also, licking fingers or picking teeth is sure to put people off.

Always inform the host and hostess while leaving, pleasantly thanking them for their hospitality. A personal thank you note can also be sent subsequently.

Differing table manners across the globe

Table manners and eating styles vary from continent to continent. In American society, as opposed to continental European style, it is acceptable to cut one’s food using the knife with the right hand, and then transfer the fork to the right hand to use it for it before eating. In Continental Europe, the fork is always in the left hand with the prongs always facing downwards.

While in the west, it would be considered impolite to reach out across the table, it is quite acceptable in the Chinese culture. Whereas, slurping and burping is considered an unpleasant thing in the western world, it is considered a sign of the food being tasty in the Indian culture. Whereas the Chinese use chopstick instead of spoons, knives or forks, the Indians use bare hands to eat food. The Chinese always leave a little food in all the plates, while in India; it is considered an insult not to empty the plate completely. In the American culture, it is generally impolite to put elbows on tables since doing so creates a risk of tipping over bowls and cups. In most parts of the civilised western world, people have food on a table; however, that is usually not the case in the Middle East, Asia or the Far East.

To conclude, each country, culture and religion has its own set of principles or etiquettes laid down for dining. Although, they differ drastically in some instances, they are designed to make eating, either as a social event or otherwise; a pleasant experience!

Dr Deepak S Hiwale
Sports Medic Aberdeen UK
drdeepakhiwale@aol.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/table-etiquettes-and-manners-1742192.html