More Living Columnists

• Dolores Sanchez Badillo: The view from the fenceline
• Mary Penner: Learning about your past is an awesome journey
• Steve Brewer: Goofy fads can hold fond memories for families

MOST RECENT TRIB STORIES

• ABQTrib.com to remain available
  08:48 a.m., February 25, 2008
• Congressman is indicted
  08:37 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Series of attacks target Green Zone
  08:36 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Iran is defying U.N., agency says
  08:35 a.m., February 23, 2008
• Waterboarding approval probed
  08:34 a.m., February 23, 2008

TRIB IN THE BLOGOSPHERE*

• Ty Murray Invitational thrills fans in Albuquerque
• Is Rome Burning?
• Ominous Skies
• The Road to Invalidation
• Albuquerque company participates in “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”

*Note: The Tribune does not create and is not responsible for the blogosphere's headlines and stories. These links to blogs talking about ABQTrib.com are automatically generated. Use them at your own risk.

STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• Comments
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

SHARE THIS STORY [?]

Dear Readers: As we are in the midst of the holiday dining season, a table manners refresher is in order. Your ease at the table will multiply when you remember three things.

The first: Liquids to the right and solids to the left.

Even if the bread plate on your left seems very far away, use it. A friend recently forgot the rule at a trendy restaurant that sets the bread plate in the outermost corners of a table for four. The plate on his right felt closer. He used it, thereby forcing the whole table to graciously and discreetly shift to the plates to their right.

When he finished his meal, the server cleared his plate along with what his wife was using for a bread plate. She wasn't done or happy.

The second rule: With utensils, work from the outside in.

When faced with two forks, many people begin to sweat. If they are hit with three forks, three knives, a soupspoon and a cocktail fork, panic may ensue. But remember the rule and rest easy.

The outermost utensils are used with the first course of the meal and then left on the plate to be cleared before the second course. The next outermost utensils left on the table are then ready for the second course, and so on. The fork and spoon at the top of the plate are for dessert.

Finally, choose a dining style and stick to it.

In the American style, hold your fork in your left hand with the tines down to steady your meat and your knife in your right hand. Cut one bite of meat and place your knife on the plate with its cutting edge facing in. Switch the fork to your right hand. With tines up, raise it to your mouth and eat. Switch hands again when you're ready to cut another piece.

In the Continental (or European) style, hold your fork in your left hand and your knife in your right hand throughout the meal. After you've cut one bite of meat you may add other food by pushing it onto the fork with the knife. Then raise the fork to your mouth with the tines down, twisting your wrist and forearm slightly toward you as you place the food into your mouth.

When eating salads or desserts where no knife is used, you may hold the fork in the right hand with the tines up if you wish.

At the holiday table, good manners never go out of style.