How do you hold your fork?!

A great piece of British writing from the Telegraph:

By Christopher Howse

"It’s worse than hearing that someone is committing adultery. We simply can’t help being shocked by it. The flouting of table manners triggers an immediate feeling of horror, like finding half a cockroach in the risotto."

continued: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink ... t-sin.html

[Robin Garr]

Going to have to steal that!

My own odd personal story: I picked up on the Euro-style of fork and knife as a child, probably from the movies. It made sense to my grade-schooler's brain, so I adopted it. This horrified my parents, so I continued doing it with delight. This has served me well during frequent trips to Europe, but as the article stuffily points out, the old norms are disappearing ... on both sides of the Atlantic, I think.

Definitely stealing this ...

(Shrugs)
I doubt anyone, even in the finest restaurant in town, eats asparagus properly. So messy!

And I will go on record saying I just hate arbitrary rules that are purposeless and exist just to separate individuals.

(Shrugs)
I doubt anyone, even in the finest restaurant in town, eats asparagus properly. So messy!

And I will go on record saying I just hate arbitrary rules that are purposeless and exist just to separate individuals.

In fact, the origin of some of the "eating manners" that we have are even more pernicious than that, and were created for misogynistic reasons. But I enjoy the irony, I guess, of well intending, well educated people still taking them so seriously, in settings where it isn't appropriate -- and yes, yes, there are settings where it's appropriate, where it is functionally universally agreed performance art.

My general answer is: I don't care. As long as what you're doing isn't unsanitary or unsafe, eat however the fark you want to eat.

Except where performance art is mandatory, I'm going to eat however is most efficient. For instance, quail is going to get eaten with my fingers, and the vast majority of pizza isn't going to see a fork or knife (except where it's necessary). If you tell me to eat Ethiopian food with a fork and not the injera, though, we're gonna fight.

/this is all general you, not you as in anyone here

I was just curious about the comments and I came across this gem:
"A load of middle class twaddle and snobbery." Twaddle - I don't know what it means but I will try to fit it into conversation today.

I'm ok either with either American/Euro style utensil handling but I do find "food stabbers" to be off putting. (Vertically clenched fist, sawing motion....) When utensils are held like weapons, I get nervous.

I do American style, and prefer cutting with the fork whenever possible.

Judging by the relative size of our respective citizens, perhaps American style is more efficient.

Apparently I do a Reverse American style because I'm left handed..

GG

(Shrugs)
I doubt anyone, even in the finest restaurant in town, eats asparagus properly. So messy!

Maybe I missed that date in manners school but what is the proper way to eat asparagus? I usually cut it with knife and fork and then eat it with the fork much like I would a piece of meat. Without the proper way or?

(Shrugs)
I doubt anyone, even in the finest restaurant in town, eats asparagus properly. So messy!

Maybe I missed that date in manners school but what is the proper way to eat asparagus? I usually cut it with knife and fork and then eat it with the fork much like I would a piece of meat. Without the proper way or?

I know at one point in time it was considered finger food.

[Robin Garr]

In this classic article from 1984, the NY Times' Marian Burros claimed Emily Post's authority when she spoke of it being perfectly all right to use one's fingers - discreetly - to consume asparagus.

(Times archives articles may be behind a paywall, but I hope this link will get you through:
http://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/14/style ... ragus.html )